Forests shape their own local climate. A deforested area can often not reforest itself successfully because the local climate changes sufficiently to be unsuita

Forests shape their own local climate. A deforested area can often not reforest itself successfully because the local climate changes sufficiently to be unsuitable to native tree species. The Amazonian rainforest is a good example of this. If we destroy just a little more of it, the local climate will change so that the remaining rainforest will die and turn into grasslands.