Deforestation refers to?

Hint: For any reason, such as agriculture, urban development, mining etc., deforestation refers to decreases in the number of forest areas worldwide. It has a negative effect on the natural ecosystem, biodiversity, and the climate. Natural causes such as fires, flood also led to forest degradation. Deforestation represents one of the largest issues in global land use. Estimates of deforestation traditionally are based on the area of forest cleared for human use, including removal of the trees for wood products and for croplands and grazing lands.

Complete answer:
Deforestation leads to reduction in the forest land. And also, the species living in that area loses its habitat causing great loss in biodiversity. For example, The Amazonian rainforest (Lungs of the planet) once covered \[14\% \] and now cover no more than\[6\% \]. They are being cut and cleared for cultivating soybeans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.
Causes of deforestation-
1. Agricultural activities
2. Livestock ranching
3. Illegal logging
4. Urbanization
5. Mining
6. Forest fires
7. Natural calamities, etc.
Consequences of deforestation-
1. Loss of biodiversity
2. Displacement of indigenous community
3. Climate change
4. Economic loss
5. Health issues, etc.
It leads to many negative effects on the ecosystem. It is very important to take control of deforestation. It will help in preventing floods and drought by regulating regional rainfall. And because many indigenous and forest peoples rely on tropical forests for their livelihoods, investments in reducing deforestation provide them with the resources they need for sustainable development without deforestation.

Hence, Deforestation basically refers to disappearance of forests.

Note:
The process of replanting a destroyed area with trees is called reforestation. It is the restoration process of the destroyed and damaged forests. It helps in recovering the loss of nature and is necessary to keep the fertility of the soil and recover biodiversity. Reforestation makes the land more hospitable to wildlife by providing food and shelter and creating better connectivity to other forested areas and thereby reducing the forest fragmentation.