afforest
/æfˌɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/ (bre, ipa) · /əˌfɔːr.əˈsteɪ.ʃən/ (ame, ipa) · /əˈfɒrɪst/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈfɔːrɪst/ (ame, ipa)
afforest — noun
1. the process of covering a piece of land with trees to create a new forest where
the process of covering a piece of land with trees to create a new forest where there was no forest before, usually on a large scale.
The government's plan included the afforestation of over two thousand hectares of degraded farmland.
collocation: afforestation of [area]
Rosa's village raised money for the afforestation of thirty hectares of eroded hillside in Nepal.
collocation: afforestation of [land type]
Local communities supported the afforestation of the hillsides near their villages.
A team from Kyoto University surveyed the dry riverbed before planning an afforestation project near Lake Biwa.
- afforestation
the standard modern noun form; preferred in all current writing
- deforestation
the removal or destruction of forest cover
文法句型
afforestation of + [area]
用法筆記
The noun 'afforest' is very rare in modern English; the standard noun form is 'afforestation'. Use 'afforestation' in most formal and academic writing. The noun entry here reflects the historical use of 'afforest' as a non-count noun in legal and land-management texts from the 17th–19th centuries.
常見錯誤
afforest — verb
- afforestpresent simple I / you / we / they
- afforestshe / she / it
- afforestedpast simple
- afforesting-ing form
1. to plant large numbers of trees over an area of land so that a forest gradually
to plant large numbers of trees over an area of land so that a forest gradually grows there.
The regional council plans to afforest the valley with native oak and birch trees.
afforest [area] with [tree species]
Environmental groups have been working to afforest areas damaged by wildfires.
The company pledged to afforest fifty square kilometres of abandoned agricultural land.
A team of volunteers helped to afforest the slopes behind the school last spring.
- deforest
to clear trees from an area
文法句型
afforest + [area/land]
afforest + [area] + with + [tree species]
用法筆記
'Afforest' is a formal term used mainly in environmental policy, conservation, and academic writing. In everyday conversation, 'plant trees on' or 'turn into a forest' is more natural. Compare with 'reforest' (replanting trees on land that was once forested).
常見錯誤
2. to change the function of land from farming, grazing, or other non-forest use in
to change the function of land from farming, grazing, or other non-forest use into a woodland area by covering it with trees.
The project aims to afforest former grazing land in the Scottish highlands.
collocation: afforest former grazing land
Farmers were offered financial support to afforest their least productive fields.
The national park service decided to afforest the old mining site after extraction ended.
Local authorities are encouraging landowners to afforest unused strips of land along rivers.
- convert to woodland
more descriptive but less concise; used in policy documents
- reclaim for forest
suggests restoring value to degraded land
- clear
to remove trees and vegetation from land for other uses
文法句型
afforest + [former/previous land use] + [area]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (PLANT FOREST): sense 2 emphasises a change in land-use category — the land was previously used for something else (farming, mining, grazing). Sense 1 is more general and can apply to any land where you plant trees to create a forest.
常見錯誤
3. to plant trees on land that has never supported forest growth before, such as op
to plant trees on land that has never supported forest growth before, such as open moorland, grassland, or tundra, creating forest cover where none existed naturally.
Scientists are studying whether it is possible to afforest Arctic tundra as the permafrost melts.
afforest [treeless region]
The programme successfully afforested areas that had been treeless for thousands of years.
Botanists selected hardy pine species for afforesting the exposed moorland plateau.
Last spring, park rangers in Mongolia began afforesting a patch of the Gobi steppe with saplings.
- establish forest on bare land
descriptive phrase used in technical reports
- create woodland on virgin land
emphasises the untouched nature of the terrain
- deforest
to remove existing trees
文法句型
afforest + [treeless/barren area]
用法筆記
This is the most specific and technical sense of 'afforest'. It is almost never used in everyday speech — limited to ecology journals, environmental impact assessments, and forestry planning documents. The key distinction from other senses is that the land had no historical forest cover at all.