In a linguistic sense it is not difficult to explain the meaning of deforestation – it refers to removal of forests. But the term has been subject to conflicting definitions, incomparable assessments and politically influenced explanations to an extent that few environmental concepts can match. Furthermore, deforestation has been praised or condemned depending on the geographic location and the point in history. At present, deforestation is mostly perceived as very negative – at least by most participants in the international debate.