Answer:

Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to MAKE space for agriculture and animal grazing and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction.

Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around the world. About 2,000 years ago, 80 percent of Western Europe was forested; today the figure is 34 percent. In North America, about half of the forests in the eastern part of the continent were cut down from the 1600s to the 1870s for timber and agriculture.

Today, the greatest amount of deforestation is occurring in tropical RAINFORESTS, aided by extensive road construction into regions that were once almost inaccessible. Building or upgrading roads into forests make them more accessible for exploitation. Slash-and-burn agriculture is a big contributor to deforestation in the tropics. With this agricultural METHOD, farmers burn large swaths of forest, allowing the ash to fertilize the land for crops

Deforestation also threatens the world’s biodiversity. Tropical forests are home to great numbers of animal and plant species. When forests are logged or burned, it can drive many of those species into extinction. Some scientists SAY we are already in the midst of a mass extinction episode.

While deforestation can be permanent, this is not always the case. In North America, for example, forests in many areas are returning thanks to CONSERVATION efforts.