Selection cutting is a more severe disturbance to a forest ecosystem than clear cutting.

Question

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Clear cutting involves the removal of all trees in a given area, resulting in a total loss of forest cover and significant impacts to soil and water resources, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. In contrast, selection cutting involves the removal of individual trees or small groups of trees, which can maintain forest structure, diversity, and composition, but can still have negative impacts on some forest functions and ecological processes, such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and regeneration. Therefore, selection cutting may be less severe than clear cutting, but it depends on the intensity, frequency, and spatial pattern of the cutting, as well as the ecological context and management objectives.

Selection Cutting Is a More Severe Disturbance to a Forest