deforestation

[ dee-fawr-uh-stey-shuhn, for- ]

noun

1. the clearing or severe thinning of a forest or other wooded area, leaving few or no trees:

   Most of the world’s deforestation is happening in Brazil.

deforestation

/ dē-fôr′ĭ-stā′shən /

1. The cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.

deforestation

1. The process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else. The term is used today to refer to the destruction of forests by human beings and their replacement by agricultural systems.

Notes

Deforestation is considered to be a main contributor to the greenhouse effect .

Word History and Origins

Origin of deforestation¹

First recorded in 1870–75; deforest ( def ) + -ation ( def )

Example Sentences

The tactics used at the time — deforestation and afforestation, cutting off water supplies, raids on Palestinian communities — are still being applied today, with the addition of 21st-century weapons and a far more sophisticated state apparatus.

From Salon

“We must learn from the countries that are successfully slowing deforestation,” said Mikaela Weisse, Global Forest Watch Director at the World Resources Institute.

From BBC

But the activist also wants to highlight the threat that deforestation poses to our climate.

From BBC

At Devcon’s 2022 Sustainable Blockchain Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, I met innovators harnessing blockchain to offset carbon emissions, preserve the Amazon Rainforest and curb deforestation and pollution.

From Salon

Consider the experience of communities in Borneo — an island that’s home to poor, rural villages scattered throughout one of the world’s major rainforests, threatened by deforestation.

From Salon

Related Words

• desertification
• erosion
• logging