Studies show that when a forest is cut down and replaced by a pasture, the regional climate becomes hotter and drier.What is the most likely reason for this change?
A) Forests carry out evapotranspiration; grasslands do not.
B) Forests carry out more evapotranspiration than grasslands do.
C) Cutting forests decreases both the albedo effect and convective heat loss.
D) Cutting forests decreases the albedo effect and causes more convective heat loss.
E) Albedo and convective heat loss both increase, but evapotranspiration increases more.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Forests are able to carry out more evapotranspiration compared to grasslands, which means that forests are able to transfer more water from the land to the atmosphere. This increases the humidity in the air, which in turn can lead to increased cloud formation and precipitation. When forests are cut down and replaced with grasslands, there is a decrease in evapotranspiration which results in a hotter and drier climate.

Studies Show That When a Forest Is Cut Down and Replaced