How did tea, coffee and rubber plantations increase deforestation?

Correct answer: Large forest areas were cleared for plantations

Correct answer: B — large forest areas were cleared for plantations. Tea, coffee, and rubber were commercial crops grown for markets and trade. To establish plantations, colonial authorities and companies often acquired or controlled land and cleared forest vegetation. The cleared area was then arranged for the selected crop, usually as an organised plantation rather than as a natural mixed forest. B is correct because it describes the direct physical change from forest land to plantation land. A is wrong because plantation creation changed the forest landscape. C is wrong because replacing forest with plantations does not double natural forests. D is wrong because every plantation requires land. The market connection is also important: demand for profitable crops encouraged expansion, which increased pressure on forests. Memory cue: commercial plantation = market crop plus cleared land.