The clearing large patches of forests for cultivation of crops is ______

Options

A. soil pollution
B. Soil fertility
C. soil erosion
D. soil conservation

Explanation

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Question**: The question asks about the impact of clearing large patches of forests for the purpose of cultivating crops. We need to identify the term that describes this action.

2. **Identifying the Action**: Clearing forests for cultivation is an act that involves cutting down trees and removing vegetation. This process is commonly known as deforestation.

3. **Analyzing Environmental Impact**: Deforestation has various environmental consequences. One significant impact is soil erosion. When trees are removed, the soil loses its binding agents (roots), making it more susceptible to erosion by wind and water.

4. **Choosing the Correct Term**: Given the options provided in the video transcript, the action of clearing forests for crop cultivation leads to soil erosion. Therefore, the correct term to fill in the blank is "soil erosion."

5. **Final Answer**: The clearing of large patches of forests for cultivation of crops is **soil erosion**.