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clear-cutting

clear-cutting

2 5.2
Cutting down all the trees in an area at once
  • noun
  • /ˈklɪrˌkʌtɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : corte a ras
  • The travel had another effect on her as well: "You see all that's out there that needs protecting, habitats being destroyed by clear-cutting, and you get a deeper appreciation of the environment" in this country.
  • clear-cutting of forests

Examples

  • That, combined with the species' low growth rate and late fecundity, makes clear-cutting unusually devastating and leaves red-coral populations vulnerable to local extinction.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Heavy rainfall combined with the clear-cutting of steep hillsides dramatically increases the extent and severity of erosion.

    Academic text (2000)
  • They cut all the trees down and they asked what the influence of this clear cutting was on the quality of the water coming out of the system.

  • You may use oil, cars, lithium, or the clear-cutting of forests as striking illustrations and metaphors for this statement.

    Academic text (1992)
  • During the 1990s, forestry practices such as clear-cutting and aerial spraying will probably be dealt with by the provincial governments.

    Academic text (1992)
  • This new awareness produced greater pressure on the Forest Service for better management and preservation, and issues such as clear-cutting began to polarize environmentalists and commodity producers.

    Academic text (2000)
  • A number of people saw the direct effects of this growth in the form of the clear-cutting of forests where they had camped or skied, the build-up of open fields where they had roamed, or the culverting of streams where they had played.

    Academic text (1999)
  • In eastern Chaco and Formosa, suckers sprouted from the stumps left from the clear-cutting, producing in a few years an impenetrable thicket stretching for miles.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The practice of clear-cutting has raised concerns among conservationists about the loss of biodiversity.

  • Many companies are now facing criticism for their clear-cutting methods that harm local ecosystems.

Synonyms

logging
vsclear-cutting
67 3.1

Cutting down trees to get wood for building or sale

is different because it removes all trees at once regardless of purpose
deforestation
vsclear-cutting
18 4.3

The cutting down of large areas of trees that harms the land and animals

is a specific practice that removes every tree in a particular area
disforestation
vsclear-cutting
9.8

Cutting down many trees in a forest, usually by people

is done by cutting all trees in an area at the same time

Antonyms

sustainable logging
  • Specialized
4.1

To cut trees in a way that keeps the forest healthy for the future

How Complete

deforestation
18 4.3
clear-cutting
  • Specialized
2 5.2
logging
67 3.1

Surface Forms

clear-cutting singular

Morphology

clear-cutting = clear-cut (semi-transparent) = clear + cut + ing

While 'clear' and 'cut' are clear, the specific practice of logging is a specialized meaning.

Etymology

Clear-cutting comes from the phrase clear-cut, where clear means 'completely' or 'free of' and cut means 'to cut'. It refers to the practice of cutting down all the trees in an area at the same time, leaving the land 'clear'.