trees provide shelter for certain species of animals, so deforestation causes habitat loss and loss of shelter for many organisms
the loss of vegetation can also reduce the food supply for herbivores, resulting in population loss
a decreased amount of herbivores would create a smaller food supply for predators, resulting in predator population loss as well
these population losses would continue through the food web of the ecosystem and severely disrupt the balance of the area
in addition, other plants that are supported by large trees, such as bromeliads and strangler figs, would experience population loss as well
overall, the balance of the ecosystem would be upset; this is because a thick canopy of healhty trees helps support a climax community in the amazon rainforest