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Slash and burn agriculture is the process of cutting down the vegetation in a particular plot of land, setting fire to the remaining foliage, and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the soil for use of planting food crops. This land clearing method is also cited as a leading cause of deforestation worldwide, since it is extremely destructive when it is not practiced sustainably. The loss of vegetation that follows slash-and-burn agriculture causes an increased level of soil erosion. Upon the removal of vegetation cover, large areas of land become exposed to the torrential rainfalls that occur in these regions. The result is
severe soil erosion. |