Monoculture is the practice of planting a single crop, or genetically similar crops, over a wide area. Its advantages to growers are that the crop may thrive in conditions tailored to its success and without competition from other species. However, the practice will also reduce the region's biodiversity by limiting the number of other species for which it is a suitable habitat. Scientists warn that extensive forest clearance to make way for widespread growth of crops such as sugarcane to create biofuels is creating a monoculture harmful to biodiversity. The opposite of a monoculture is a polyculture.