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Imagine the beautiful forests of the United States. At one point in time America was covered with one billion acres of towering trees and assorted vegetation. Now imagine, for miles in every direction, a land barren and damaged. More and more land is becoming barren everyday in the United States due to the rapid increase of deforestation. Deforestation results from the removal of trees without sufficient reforestation (the replacement of trees). As a whole, deforestation reduces biodiversity, which is the variation of life forms, and negatively impacts the climate and geography not only in the United States, but also around the world. Some of the problems that need to be acknowledged range from forest fires to the lack of national policies in the United States. Deforestation can be prevented if all problems are addressed and appropriate actions are taken to stop further destruction of the forests.
One major cause of deforestation is clear cutting, which is the mass removal of trees from a forest in a short period of time. There are various forms of clear cutting. A silvicultural clear cut is when the stems of all trees are removed so the forest can regenerate itself. A commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing. However, there is a definitive difference between clear cutting and deforestation. In contrast to clear cutting, deforestation is the removal of a forest with no intention of establishing a future stand of trees. And although clear cutting is regulated, it still causes harm to the environment. Due to the mass tree removal, the land and organisms are negatively impacted. Clear cut land does not absorb water. When it rains, flooding, landslides, and erosion begin in what was once a firm ground covered with trees. The floods wash away large amounts of mud and nutrients that the trees and shrubs once contained in their roots. Downstream, homes and lives are ruined by the massive...