Which is the correct relation between deforestation and the plantation system?

Correct answer: Forests were cleared for plantations

Correct answer: D, forests were cleared for plantations. A plantation is a large area where a particular commercial crop is grown, such as tea, coffee or rubber in suitable regions. To establish plantations, colonial authorities or companies often cleared existing forests and reorganised the land for commercial production. D is correct because it states the direct relationship between forest clearance and plantation agriculture. A is wrong because plantations did not save all forests; creating them could reduce natural forest cover. B is wrong because plantations were established on land, not only in seas. C is wrong because plantation expansion was closely connected with changes in forest land and labour arrangements. Remember that a plantation is not the same as a natural forest: even if it has many trees or plants, it usually contains a planned commercial crop and supports a different ecological system. Memory cue: commercial plantation, cleared forest, single major crop.