| environ. |
deforestation The removal of forest and undergrowth to increase the surface of arable land or to use the timber for construction or industrial purposes. Forest and its undergrowth possess a very high water-retaining capacity, inhibiting runoff of rainwater; forest exploitation Forests have been exploited over the centuries as a source of wood and for obtaining land for agricultural use. The mismanagement of forest lands and forest resources has led to a situation where the forest is now in rapid retreat. The main aspects of the situation are: serious shortages in the supply of industrial wood; the catastrophic erosion and floods accompanying the stripping of forests from mountainous land; the acute shortages of fuel wood in much of the developing world; the spread of desert conditions at an alarming rate in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world; and the many environmental effects of the destruction of tropical rainforests; woodland clearance The permanent clear-felling of an area of forest or woodland. On steep slopes this can lead to severe soil erosion, especially where heavy seasonal rains or the melting of snow at higher levels cause sudden heavy flows of water. In the humid tropics it may also lead to a release of carbon dioxide from the soil |
