Clear-cutting refers to the practice, when logging, of cutting down all the trees in a particular area. Clear-cutting contributes to deforestation, leaving a jagged scar on the surface of the earth which, if the area is large enough, can be visible from space. In British Columbia, and no doubt other regions as well, clear-cut swaths are sometimes hidden from public view by leaving a strip of natural forest along the side of the road where tourists can see it.
Tree-planters know that what looks like a flat wasteland is actually a tangled mess of tree trunks, dirt, and rocks, and scrambling across it to plant more saplings is an exhausting business. Rather than clear-cutting, many environmentally concerned foresters practice selective logging, removing only the economically valuable species. This leave the rest of the plant life intact, though not of course untouched, and thus can have much less of an impact on animal life in the area.