When one thinks of the hazards of volcanoes, what comes to mind are the immediate dangers of ash and lava. On an even bigger scale, volcanoes can even cause slight global cooling. What is often overlooked, however, is volcano eruptions effect on deforestation. A news article posted today cites how a volcano eruption has deforested central India, according to scientists. What is most interesting, is that the volcano to blame erupted 73,000 years ago. It was the volcano Toba that blocked solar radiation for six years and plummeted the world into an ice age. But it is just recently that scientists have linked this catastrophic eruption to deforestation in India. Toba ash was first discovered in 1980, and now new pollen analysis shows the widespread loss of ferns. This shows the dry vegetation after the eruption because ferns thrive in humid environments. It is important to remember the extreme long lasting effects that volcanic eruptions have.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/91511A4AF9C3F20F8625767E00032872?OpenDocument
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