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

Deforestation and flooding in Bangladesh, the collapse of Black Sea fisheries, the desertification of sub-Saharan Africa and “a nearly endless list” of other issues, he said, would drive human migration.

From Salon

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, coffee cultivation is currently the sixth largest cause of deforestation.

From BBC

Also, in December, a new EU regulation is set to come into effect that outlaws the sale of products, coffee included, that can’t prove they are not linked to deforestation.

From BBC

In some countries there is even a risk they turn to illicit activities such as growing coca – the plant cocaine derives from – which has similar deforestation issues.

From BBC

Niels Haak, director of sustainable coffee partnerships at Conservation International, an environmental non-profit, welcomes the innovative approaches to tackling coffee’s deforestation problem, but he also doubts if beanless coffee will be able to make much dent.

From BBC

Related Words

• desertification
• erosion
• logging