Deforestation, also sometimes called forest clearing, is is the removal of forests from land that is then often converted to non-forest use, especially large-scale commercial agriculture (mostly cattle ranching and the cultivation of soya beans and oil palm trees) and subsistence farming. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforests, which are home to the largest numbers of animal and plant species. At present roughly 30 percent of the Earth's land surface is covered by forests, which is about one third less than the forest cover before the expansion of agriculture several hundred years ago. About a half of that loss occurred in the previous century.
Deforestation contributes to climate change because it reduces the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and also contributes to desertification, soil erosion and flooding. Moreover, it results in the loss of habitat and thus in the extinction of many of the large numbers of species that depend on forests.
Stopping deforestation and allowing forests to regenerate is crucial for halting climate change and species extinction. Some progress has been made, mostly in countries in the northern latitudes, especially Europe and North America, as a result of growing public awareness of the importance of forests. However, the problem remains severe in the tropical regions, including Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.