Explain how forests prevent floods.

Hint: Forests act as a natural absorber of rainwater to allow them to seep into the soil. It helps to maintain the water table. In the absence of trees, the soil will not hold water, which will cause flooding.

Complete Answer:
- Trees not only provide food for other organisms, they also protect and support several kinds of animals, including humans.
- In addition, trees provide timber, shade, oxygen and clean air. Trees minimise the risk of floods after heavy rainfall.
- Forests not only help to manage flooding, they often help to sustain the flow of water in the waterways so that we can have a constant supply of water.
- As plants grow, the roots reach deep into the soil, creating space between the soil particles. When it rains in the mountains, the runoff water is drained into the root system of the plants.
- Due to this, the possibility of flooding is considerably reduced. On the other hand, in areas where there are no trees, rain will reach the ground immediately and will flood the area surrounding it. Heavy rain will also affect the soil.
- Roots of trees typically keep the soil together, but in their absence the soil is either swept away or eroded. Thus, forests act as a barrier against floods in low lying areas.

Note: The amount of water stored by the forests may depend on factors such as the forest cover area, the nature of the trees and the density of the trees, etc. Water retention by forests influences the volume and timing of water flow to streams and rivers by increasing and sustaining soil runoff and storage capacity.