The rough land is studded with tree stumps and weeds. And the farmer struggles with his hand hoe, dwarfed by the size of his task. When I traveled through the tropical forests of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the trees were mostly 20 feet to 40 feet tall. But then we passed a forest preserve in which the trees were 60 feet to 80 feet tall. Some tree species cannot regrow and produce their seeds.
Wildlife is driven out or eaten.
Soil erosion is also greatly accelerated on cleared tropic land. In hot climates, high temperatures destroy the soil structure, oxidizing the organic matter in the soil. Then huge gullies are washed out of fragile soils by heavy downpours during the rainy season. The modern farmer doesn't need to burn forest to produce more food. His potash and phosphate are mined from high-grade deposits around the world.