Clearcutting is a method of tree removal where all trees in an area (approximately 20 acres or more) are removed. It’s the most common form of tree removal due to it being the easiest and most efficient way to handle lumber. In the Canadian province of Ontario, clear-cuts can remove trees from areas as large as 10,000 hectares.

Clearcutting has been a controversial subject because of its environmental impact. While those who favour this method argue that it allows regenerating trees to have more access to sunlight while it reduces the risk of forest fires in some high-risk areas, opponents point out that in many cases, mass tree removal has caused soil erosion and the destruction of natural habitats for some animals.

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Other Sources

Earthroots. “Clear-Cutting in Ontario.” Earthroots. http://earthroots.org/index.php/clearcutting-item. Accessed July 26, 2016.

Nix, Steve. “Clearcutting – The Debate over Clearcutting.” About Education. http://forestry.about.com/od/forestresourceinformation/i/clearcut_issue.htm. Accessed July 26, 2016.