CUTTING DOWN TREES

There are some places in Indonesia which are likes desert. But many years ago, trees and plans grew there. Now the ground is hard and dry and nothing grows there. The land is dead. But why did the land die? It died because people cut down all the trees. They wanted the wood and the land. But now there is nothing.

Trees help other plants grow. Trees have roots under the ground and the roots hold the earth. They stop it washing away when the heavy rain comes. Leaves which fall from the trees stop the rain washing away the soft cart on the top of the ground. Trees stop strong wind from blowing small plants away.

In many countries around the world, people are cutting down the forest. Now there are floods, because the water washes quickly down the hills and floods the land. The water destroys farms houses and animals. Some times it kills people too. Today we must save the trees and the forest. Today the Indonesian government is planting many trees to save the land. When a tree is cut down we must plant a new tree in the place. We do not want the land in die.