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deforestation

Also known as forest removal, clearing forested land, forest clearing, land clearing, forest clearance, destruction of forests, forest loss, forest destruction

thumb|Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's [[Maranhão state, 2016]] thumb|Deforestation in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia to make way for an [[oil palm plantation in 2007.]] thumb|Deforestation in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, 2009

AI overview

Deforestation is the clearing, removal, or destruction of forests, often to make way for other uses like agriculture, plantations, or urban development. It matters because forests play important roles in supporting ecosystems and the environment, though the full extent of these impacts varies by location and context.

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Wikidata facts

Image: Operação Hymenaea, Julho-2016 (29399454651).jpg

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Commons category: Deforestation
Commons gallery: Deforestation
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ENVO_02500012

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~69 min read

Article

47 sections

Contents

Definition
Current status by continent, region, country
Rates of deforestation
Rates of change
Reforestation and afforestation
Status by region
By country
Causes
Agriculture
Livestock ranching
Junk Mail
Wood industry
Economic development
Mining
Climate change
Military causes
Impacts
On atmosphere and climate
Carbon sink or source
On the environment
Changes to the water cycle
Soil erosion
Other changes to the soil
Biodiversity loss
Oxygen-supply misconception
On human health
Infectious diseases
COVID-19 pandemic
On the economy and agriculture
Monitoring
Control
International, national and subnational policies
International pledges
Land rights
Forest management
Financial compensations for reducing emissions from deforestation
History
Prehistory
Pre-industrial history
19th and 20th centuries
Steamboats
Society and culture
See also
Notes
References
Sources
External links

Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. About 31% of Earth's land surface is covered by forests at present. This is one-third less than the forest cover before the expansion of agriculture, with half of that loss occurring in the last century. On average 2,400 trees are cut down each minute. Estimates vary widely as to the extent of deforestation in the tropics. In 2019, nearly a third of the overall tree cover loss, or 3.8 million hectares, occurred within humid tropical primary forests. These are areas of mature rainforest that are especially important for biodiversity and carbon storage.