Every year, 20 centimeters of topsoil from 3,000 square kilometers of land in the Amazon rainforest is washed into the sea. The tropical rainforest is like a huge pump, absorbing a large amount of water from the soil and then releasing it into the air through transpiration.

The soil has good permeability and can absorb and retain a large amount of precipitation. The stored fresh water accounts for 23% of the total fresh water on the surface. Excessive deforestation leads to soil erosion and desertification, causing soil and water loss.