We lost 150 million hectares an area half the size of India during that decade. Then things started to speed up. On balance, it would still have a positive impact on the size of global forests; its net contribution would be increasing forest area by 25,000 hectares.32 However, this country might still be causing more damage than this for a couple of reasons. Philipp Curtis and colleagues make this point clear. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. In Latin America and Asia the dominant driver of degradation was logging for products such as timber, paper and pulp this accounted for more than 70%. This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. When we think of the growing pressures on land from modern populations we often picture sprawling megacities. Many countries have not only ended deforestation, but actually achieved substantial reforestation. As of 2020, the UN estimates the planet is losing over 7,000,000 hectares per year to deforestation.27Between 1990 and 2015, the world lost 129 million hectares of forest an area about the size of South Africa.11 Natural forests lost by continent9include: Africa 3.2 million hectares How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(9), 501-510. In their analysis of global forest loss, Philip Curtis and colleagues used satellite images to assess where and why the world lost forests between 2001 and 2015. (2020). Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. After seeing this data, people might argue that we should cut back on trade. The default is shown for Brazil, but you can explore the data for a range of countries using the Change country button. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? The researchs results are Net forest loss is not the same as deforestation it measures deforestation plus any gains in forest over a given period. Share of deforestation that is driven by domestic consumption, Annual CO emissions from deforestation for food production, trade-adjusted. Approximately 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are being cut each year according to a report referenced on the Rainforest Action Networks website (RAN) and other publications. Scottish Geographical Journal, 120(1-2), 83-98. 2020. But by studying how forests have changed over time, theres good reason to think that a way forward is possible. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. The number of trees cut down in the Brazilian Amazon in January far exceeded deforestation for the same month last year, according to government satellite data. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. Thats an area the size of the United Kingdom. This often comes at the cost of forests. Thats both an economic and environmental win. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. From the 1920s through to the 1980s, decadal losses quadrupled to almost 120 million hectares. Half of global forest loss occurred between 8,000BC and 1900; the other half was lost in the last century alone. Explore more of our work on Forests and Deforestation, Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE, The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France, The relationships of population and forest trends, An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries, Increasing human dominance of tropical forests, Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion, Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland, Is there a forest transition? Forests, biodiversity and people. Lets put some numbers to them. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. 95% of global deforestation occurs in the tropics. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? This demand for resources and land is not always driven by domestic markets. In the chart we see how emissions from tropical deforestation are distributed through international supply chains. Since then, deforestation rates have steadily declined, to 78 million hectares in the 1990s; 52 million in the early 2000s; and 47 million in the last decade. Deforestation tends to occur on forests that have been around for centuries, if not millennia. Deforestation, reforestation, and development, Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of land use change, Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data, Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition, Classifying drivers of global forest loss, What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity, Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers, Tropical forests and the changing earth system, Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 20002013, Agricultural and forestry trade drives large share of tropical deforestation emissions, Environmental impacts of food consumption in Europe. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? That means that each year, one percent of all trees are being destroyed. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. At the top of the list we see some of the major producer countries Brazil and Indonesia. But international markets alone cannot fix this problem. Given the current estimate of the total tree cover on the planet, that could equate to about 0.11% of trees being cut each year. Thats a lot of trees! The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. In the chart we see the comparison between the change in domestic forest area, and deforestation driven by imported goods.33 On the vertical axis we have the domestic change in forest area: this is shown only for countries where the forest area is increasing. WebTropical forests alone hold more than 228 to 247 gigatons of carbon, which is more than seven times the amount emitted each year by human activities. Thats equivalent to the area of South Africa. Some countries within this group are still far behind peak deforestation: without concerted effort to protect these forests it could be many decades before forests in those countries approach the transition point [as we show in a related post].10. A note on UN FAO forestry data Data on net forest change, afforestation and deforestation is sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations Forest Resources Assessment. If we can identify the producer countries, importing countries, and specific products responsible, we can direct our efforts towards interventions that will really make a difference. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. When we treat these impacts equally we make it difficult to prioritize our efforts in the fight against deforestation. Nature, 536(7615), 143. On the left-hand side we have the countries (grouped by region) where deforestation occurs, and on the right we have the countries and regions where these products are consumed. Global deforestation peaked in the 1980s. Time and time again we see examples of countries that have lost massive amounts of forest before reaching a turning point where deforestation not only slows, but forests return. Its domestic demand, not international trade, that is the main driver of deforestation. At the beginning of this phase, the forest area is at its lowest point. Explore long-term changes in deforestation, and deforestation rates across the world today. Countries may lose some forest each year, but this is at a very slow rate. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. In the chart we see deforestation emissions per person, measured in tonnes of CO2 per year. (2010) looked at the primary drivers of deforestation and degradation across tropical and subtropical countries specifically.23 The breakdown of forest degradation drivers is shown in the following chart. It provides long-term estimates on forest cover in 10,000 and 5,000 years BP. But most emissions are driven by domestic markets this means policies in the major producer countries will be key to tackling this problem. It doesnt capture trees that are cut down in planted forests; the land is still forested, its now just regrowing forest. It will be possible for our generation to achieve the same on the global scale and bring the 10,000 year history of forest loss to an end. In most rich countries, across Europe, North America and East Asia, forest cover is increasing, whilst in many low-to-middle income countries its decreasing. But a small global population overall meant there was little pressure on forests to make space for land to grow food, and as wood for energy. How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. They are smaller, and more temporary. Firstly, international trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for almost one-third of emissions. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years. We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. And, we might place more value on preserving primary, native forests that havent yet been deforested over regrowing forests that have lost their previous ecosystems. WebThe United States has more trees today than we had 100 years ago (and a global study even found that the number of trees on Earth is around 3.04 trillion, a much higher number than previously believed.) As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. Its the foods and products we buy, not where we live, that has the biggest impact on global land use. Many consumers are concerned that their food choices are linked to deforestation in some of these hotspots. 95% of this occurs in the tropics. Science, 349(6250), 827-832.Williams, D. R., Clark, M., Buchanan, G. M., Ficetola, G. F., Rondinini, C., & Tilman, D. (2020). How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Most deforestation occurs for the production of goods that are consumed within domestic markets. Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. By 1900, there were 1.65 billion people in the world (five times fewer than we have today) but for most of the previous period, humans were deforesting the world with only tens or hundreds of millions. See which countries are gaining forest though natural forest expansion and afforestation. The fact that the per capita emissions after trade are very high means that a lot of their food products are consumed by people in Brazil and Indonesia. 2020. It results in a permanent conversion of forest into an alternative land use. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. The scale of deforestation today might give us little hope for protecting our diverse forests. Science, 349(6250), 827-832. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. Countries below the line such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre creating elsewhere. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. Why? Do rich countries import deforestation from overseas? WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity. Deforestation is the complete removal of trees for the conversion of forest to another land use such as agriculture, mining, or towns and cities. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Forest cover falls quickly, and the annual loss of forest is high. This is nearly always true of planted forests in temperate regions there, planted forests are long-established and do not replace primary existing forests. How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? This emphasises two important points. For example, the US imported 64,000 hectares of deforested land, but increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares. There is little forest left. But forest cover increases through reforestation. Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). Why? The researchs results are The breakdown of deforestation by region is shown in the chart. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. The United Nations, as well as experts at the World Wildlife Fund and Global Forest Watch, found that one million animals are in danger of extinction as a result of how much deforestation has occurred. That was 6.5% of global CO2 emissions.35. Science, 361(6407), 1108-1111. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 753-765. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). The researchers found that 36 million trees are cut down in urban areas each year, and 167,000 acres of impervious areas (concrete, asphalt, etc.) That is why we should be focusing on tropical deforestation. This might put the responsibility for ending deforestation solely on tropical countries. After we adjust for imports and exports, how much CO2 from deforestation is each country responsible for? Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. The number of trees cut down in the Brazilian Amazon in January far exceeded deforestation for the same month last year, according to government satellite data. We will always indicate the original source of the data in our documentation, so you should always check the license of any such third-party data before use and redistribution. If we fast-forward to 1700 when the global population had increased more than ten-fold, to 603 million. Tropical forests are often more productive than temperate forests, meaning they store more carbon. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. The turn of the 20th century is when global forest loss reached the halfway point: half of total forest loss occurred from 8,000BC to 1900; the other half occurred in the last century alone. Countries with a negative change (shown in red) are losing more than theyre able to restore. Today, only 4 billion hectares are left. To do this, they quantified where deforestation was occurring due to the expansion of croplands, pasture and tree plantations (for logging), and what commodities were produced on this converted land. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8753en. Why should we care most about tropical deforestation? A future with more people and more forest is possible. Most tropical deforestation is driven by demand for products in domestic markets. This might paint a bleak picture for the future of the worlds forests: the United Nations projects that the global population will continue to grow, reaching 10.8 billion by 2100. International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. The world lost 1.5 billion hectares of forest over that period. Lewis, S. L., Edwards, D. P., & Galbraith, D. (2015). Thats a lot of trees! This rapid swapping of green for gray is harmful to the people living in these spaces, and it sets cities up for long-term environmental decline, according to the scientists. Most of our future deforestation is going to come from countries in the pre- or early-transition phase. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. These are big numbers, and important ones to track: forest loss creates a number of negative impacts, ranging from carbon emissions to species extinctions and biodiversity loss. Williams, M. (2003). A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. (2012).Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). Tyukavina, A., Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Stehman, S. V., Smith-Rodriguez, K., Okpa, C., & Aguilar, R. (2017). [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. The paths between these end boxes indicate where emissions are being traded the wider the bar, the more emissions are embedded in these products. The rate of population growth tends to slow down. Deforestation solely on tropical countries, 27 ( 9 ), 83-98 not growing forests enough! To assessing the worlds land area, but actually achieved substantial reforestation just 100. Such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation creating., trade-adjusted solely on tropical countries we adjust for imports and exports, much! Us little hope for protecting our diverse forests 's rainforests remain intact size! This is nearly always true of planted forests ; the other half was lost in the Nature. 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