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Why can deforestation on steep tropical slopes lead to landslides?

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Edge of a dense forest in Romania where clear cutting has removed most trees, leaving a bare, brown slope beside standing green trees. — Deforestation A section of clear-cut forest in Romania.

Deforestation on steep tropical slopes significantly increases the risk of landslides because it removes the essential protective functions provided by forest cover.

In tropical environments, the combination of steep terrain and high rainfall makes soil stability particularly precarious. Trees and their root systems act as a critical anchor, binding the soil together and providing structural integrity to the hillside. When these forests are cleared, the lack of root systems leaves the soil vulnerable to erosion and instability.1

Furthermore, forests function as natural sponges that regulate water cycles by intercepting precipitation and facilitating infiltration into the ground. Without the forest canopy and the organic litter layer to slow the movement of water, rainfall can rapidly saturate the soil. This loss of soil-binding vegetation, coupled with the increased saturation of the ground during heavy rains, creates the conditions necessary for disastrous landslides that can destroy homes, fields, and human lives. Maintaining continuous forest cover is therefore a vital strategy for erosion control and slope stability in mountainous regions.21