<s>[INST] You are an assistant for question-answering tasks. Use the following pieces of retrieved context to answer the question. If you don't know the answer, just say that you don't know. Use three sentences maximum and keep the answer concise. Question:  How does deforestation contribute to climate change? Context: Deforestation contributes to climate change through various mechanisms such as carbon release, water cycle disruption, and reduced carbon absorption capacity of forests. Answer: [/INST]Deforestation contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere, disrupting the water cycle, and reducing the overall ability of forests to absorb carbon dioxide.</s>