Before entering fully into the meaning of the term clearing, we are going to proceed to know its etymological origin. Specifically, we can establish that it is the result of the sum of two well-differentiated parts:

-The Latin prefix “des-“, which means “reversal of the action”.

-The French verb “monter”, which is synonymous with “to climb on top”.

Clearing is the process and the result of clearing: extracting plants and trees from a mountain. The cleared region and the waste generated by the action is also known as clearing. See Abbreviation Finder for acronyms related to clearing.

For example: “The government promised to take measures to stop the clearing”, “This animal is in danger of extinction because its habitat has been harmed for decades by clearing”, “We should not allow the clearing of native forests”.

In general, the clearing is carried out with the aim of carrying out some productive or industrial activity. From an economic perspective, clearing a forest or jungle can allow obtaining raw materials (such as wood) or prepare the ground for the development of a construction (housing, hotels, etc.). However, clearing implies a problem for the environment since it affects the species that live in the area and, due to the felling of trees, it hinders the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Many times the clearing causes an imbalance that becomes noticeable over time or in some circumstances. The clearing of a mountain range, to cite one case, not only directly affects the flora and fauna of the place, but can even cause flooding in nearby towns: when the vegetation that contained the water disappears, the rainfall ends up reaching the cities located on lower ground.

In addition to everything indicated, we cannot ignore another series of consequences that the clearing that is carried out in the forests brings with it. We are referring to some as relevant as the following:

-It can cause the soil in these areas to stop being as productive as it was up to that time.

-The salts that exist on the ground are modified.

-In the same way, it should not be overlooked either that modifications of the water table levels can occur.

-It can cause the animal species that live in the place to lose their habitat and this dramatically alters their survival. Likewise, this can mean that, for example, there are birds that find it necessary to carry out migratory movements and move to live in other areas where conditions are more favorable for them.

In the context of civil engineering, a clearing consists of excavating to lower the level of the land and establish a support plane that allows the execution of a certain work.

One of the most common reasons why a clearing is carried out is to proceed with the construction of a road. In this way, tasks such as the elimination of vegetation, earthworks, excavations, etc. are carried out.