Article
Article
Deforestation
Article By:
Keenan, Rodney School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
Last reviewed:April 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.183550
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- Deforestation, published February 2017:Download PDF
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- Deforestation: a global concern, published February 2015:Download PDF
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The deliberate conversion of forest to nonforest land that results in the long-term reduction of tree canopy below a minimum level. Deforestation, also known as land clearing, permanently eliminates forests to utilize the land for other purposes (Fig. 1). Typically, forests are cleared to expand agricultural farming, ranching, logging, and other land development operations. Although the global rate of forest loss has declined, the degree of deforestation is proceeding at a rapid pace in some regions, with attendant harm to the quality of the land and to the Earth's environmental health. See also: Agriculture; Forest; Forestry; Land-use planning; Logging; Tree
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