In a nutshell, deforestation is exactly what it sounds like: the removal of forests. An average of 12 million hectares, or 46332 square miles, of forest area is removed every year . That's scary! The reason for this vast clearing of one of our planet's most valuable resources is due to several major industries. Agriculture, cattle ranching, commercial logging, and settlement all rely on forest resources. In rain forests, cattle ranching has especially contributed significantly to deforestation. Because only the topsoil of rainforest soil has nutrients, agriculture cannot be sustained in one area, and farmers are forced to clear more of the forests for farmland. Once land is used, nutrients within the soil cannot be replenished, so rainforest does not grow back. This is a huge dilemma in tropical regions, because the rainforest provides many natural resources. Local economies may rely on agriculture, but they lose wildlife, biodiversity, and indigenous plants by sacrificing the rainforest for their other needs.