How does deforestation impact local water cycles?

Deforestation significantly disrupts local water cycles by decreasing local rainfall and increasing runoff. Trees play a crucial role in the water cycle through processes such as transpiration, where they absorb water from the soil and release it back into the atmosphere. When forests are removed, this transpiration process is diminished, leading to a decrease in local humidity and, subsequently, reduced rainfall.

Furthermore, without trees to help retain moisture in the soil, more rainfall runs off the surface instead of being absorbed, leading to increased runoff. The loss of trees means that there are fewer natural barriers to slow down this flow of water, which can exacerbate erosion and reduce the amount of water that infiltrates into the ground, ultimately negatively impacting both the quantity and quality of local water resources.

The other options, such as increasing rainfall or enhancing groundwater recharge, do not accurately describe the consequences of deforestation. Deforestation generally leads to adverse effects on the local water cycle rather than improvements.