Deforestation refers to the clearing of forests by burning or logging trees. Around 18 million acres of forests are cleared each year, reducing forest cover to 31% of the planet's land area. The top causes of deforestation are growing demand for housing and agriculture as populations increase, commercial logging for wood products, mining, urbanization involving road and building construction, and fires both accidental and intentionally set. A case study of the Amazon forest showed deforestation rates increased from 1960-2000 through activities like burning for farming, road building for timber transport, and livestock grazing, though governments are now enforcing fines to curb illegal logging.