Clear Cutting refers to which practice?

• A. Cut all the trees in an area down at once
• B. Up to 70% of trees are cut, leaving patches of old growth to provide seed for regeneration
• C. Only cut trees of a certain type, size or quality
• D. Leave patches of old growth standing to seed regeneration

Answer: (A)

Clear-cutting means removing all trees in a designated area at one time, leaving little or no standing timber behind. This approach makes it easy to replant or let regeneration start from seed across a uniform, even-aged block. It’s chosen for harvest efficiency and predictable regrowth, but it can have ecological downsides like habitat loss, soil erosion, and altered water runoff due to the sudden removal of the forest canopy. The other options describe selective or patch harvesting, where some trees are left standing or patches are retained for seed or habitat, which is why they don’t match clear-cutting.