What type of herbicide is designed to remove most or all vegetation?

A nonselective herbicide is specifically formulated to eradicate a wide range of plant species, including grasses, broadleaves, and woody plants. This type of herbicide works by targeting the plant’s entire system, effectively killing all vegetation it comes into contact with. Nonselective herbicides are often utilized in scenarios where complete vegetation removal is necessary, such as preparing a site for construction or maintaining pathways and driveways where no plant life is desired.

Selective herbicides, in contrast, only target specific types of plants while leaving others unharmed, which makes them useful for controlling weeds in lawns or crops without damaging desirable plants. Systemic herbicides act by being absorbed into the plant, moving through its tissues to kill it, but they can be either selective or nonselective in nature. Foliar herbicides only affect the parts of plants they touch, which differs from the total action of nonselective herbicides. Thus, the nature and intended purpose of nonselective herbicides make them the appropriate choice for this question.