In 2005, the government of Brazil released information showing that over 10,000 square miles of the Amazon rain forest had been destroyed. Cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation reported by the Brazilian government. What will most likely be the immediate result of deforestation in the Amazon rain forest?
a decrease in the rate of soil erosion
an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide
an increase in biodiversity in the region
a decrease in the use of alternative energy
