What will happen if:

a. we go on cutting down trees?

b. the habitat of an animal is disturbed?

c. the top layer of the soil is exposed?

a) If we go on cutting down trees, it will lead to the following effects:

1. Effect on soil:
- soil erosion: the trees hold on to the soil and prevent erosion
- eventually, all the soil will lose its fertility and resemble a desert. This is called desertification of soil.

2. Effect on environment:
- reduced rainfall as the trees help in cloud formation. This would also pose a problem for agriculture. There will also be increased floods.
- greenhouse effect: global warming will increase as the trees which absorb carbon dioxide are getting reduced

3. The natural habitat of many animals will be destroyed, leading to reduction in biodiversity.

b) If the habitat of animals is disturbed, the herbivores will get affected first, as they directly depend on their surrounding flora for nutrition. Their population will start decreasing. Meanwhile, the carnivores will have lack of herbivores to feed on. Their population will also decrease due to lack of food; they may also get killed due to wandering off from their territory due to disturbance of habitat and food shortage. They animals may become extinct.

c) Soil has three main layers: The top soil is the most fertile and has many essential nutrients. As we go towards the bottom, the soil keeps become less fertile and rockier. The bottom most layer consists solely of rocks.

Soil erosion involving removal of the top most layer of the soil, makes the soil infertile, making the growth of plants difficult. Slowly the fertile land gets converted to a desert. This process is called desertification.