Which countries are gaining, and which are losing forest? Forest Transitions: why do we lose then regain forests? Africa is also an outlier as a result of how many people still rely on wood as their primary energy source. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. What explains this? When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. 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. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. To quote them, they wanted to prevent a common misperception that any tree cover loss shown on the map represents deforestation. But we also see that some countries which import a lot of food have high emissions. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. Estimates vary, but most date the end of the last great ice age to around 11,700 years ago.Kump, L. R., Kasting, J. F., & Crane, R. G. (2004). In the coming decades this is where we might expect to see the most rapid loss of forests unless these countries take action to prevent it, and the world supports them in the goal. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. Moving into the 20th century there was a stepwise change in demand for agricultural land and energy from wood. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. Tropical forests are often more productive than temperate forests, meaning they store more carbon. We can illustrate this through the so-called Forest Transition Model.14 This is shown in the chart. From the 1920s through to the 1980s, decadal losses quadrupled to almost 120 million hectares. (2018), published in Science.20, Commodity-driven deforestation and urbanization are deforestation: the forested land is completely cleared and converted into another land use a farm, mining site, or city. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. The data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. But it can bridge between deforestation and degradation depending on the timeframe and permanence of these agricultural practices. (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. By the 19th century the forest area was reduced to a third of what it once was. 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. This is shortly after the end of the last great ice age, through to the present day.2. estimate a 35% loss of global forest cover since 10,000. We know where deforestation emissions are occurring, and where this demand is coming from. Loss of Biodiversity: Forests are the only liveable habitat for a variety of species around the globe many of which have not even have been discovered. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. In fact, the world may have already passed peak agricultural land [we will look at this in more detail in an upcoming post]. Curtis, P. G., Slay, C. M., Harris, N. L., Tyukavina, A., & Hansen, M. C. (2018). This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which we look at in more detail in a related article. See the distribution of global forests and which countries have the most forest cover. There is a geographical argument (why the tropics?) This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Then things started to speed up. When in history did we lose it? 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. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Rather than looking at total figures by country [if youre interested, we have mapped them here] we have calculated the per capita footprint. Thats an area 1.5-times the size of the United States. The researchs results are Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data. This might put the responsibility for ending deforestation solely on tropical countries. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. It results in a permanent conversion of forest into an alternative land use. After seeing this data, people might argue that we should cut back on trade. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. Stage 3 The Late Transition phase is when deforestation rates start to slow down again. Deforestation, reforestation, and development. It breaks the change in forests into four stages, explained by two variables: the amount of forest cover a region has, and the annual change in cover (how quickly it is losing or gaining forest).15. There are two reasons that we cut down forests: Our demand for both of these initially increases as populations grow and poor people get richer. 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. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. England is similar: in the late 11th century, 15% of the country was forested, and over the following centuries two-thirds were cut down. Mapping tree density at a global scale. Cutting them down disrupts or destroys established, species-rich ecosystems. Rural Sociology, 63(4), 533-552. But its not the case for deforestation. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? University of Chicago Press. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. They first lose lots of forest, but reach a turning point and begin to regain it again. 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. The amount of land used for agriculture land to grow crops as well as grazing land for livestock was expanding. Scheffers, B. R., Joppa, L. N., Pimm, S. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2012). Thats both an economic and environmental win. It assumes the impact of clearing primary rainforest in the Amazon to produce soybeans is the same as logging planted forests in the UK. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. However, most align on the relative change in forests over this period. For example, after we adjust for all the goods that the UK imports and exports, it caused more deforestation elsewhere than it did domestically. Meanwhile, the global population increased by 147% from 3.1 to 7.6 billion.4 This means that agricultural land per person more than halved, from 1.45 to 0.63 hectares. Mather, A. S., Fairbairn, J., & Needle, C. L. (1999). 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. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. At the top of the list we see some of the major producer countries Brazil and Indonesia. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. Many countries have followed this classic U-shaped pattern. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(9), 501-510. Data from 1990 onwards is sourced from the UNs 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020.References:Williams, M. (2003). The breakdown of forest loss globally, and by region, is shown in the chart.22. The change is permanent. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. 15 billion trees are cut down every year.19 The Global Forest Watch project using satellite imagery estimates that global tree loss in 2019 was 24 million hectares. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. Since international demand is driving one-third of deforestation emissions, we have some opportunity to reduce emissions through global consumers and supply chains. Forestry Commission. In a previous article I showed that the types of food you eat matter much more for your carbon footprint than where it comes from this is because transport usually makes up a small percentage of your foods emissions, even if it comes from the other side of the world. This highlights an important point: less than 20% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to clean fuels for cooking, meaning they still rely on wood and charcoal. They are smaller, and more temporary. 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. and an argument for why deforestation is worse than degradation. Land, 9(5), 129. In a previous post we looked at this change in global forests over the long-run. Countries below the line such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre creating elsewhere. Across temperate forests the world gained 6 million hectares in the last decade. If we sum countries imported deforestation by World Bank income group, we find that high-income countries were responsible for 40% of imported deforestation; upper-middle income for 25%; lower-middle income for 20%; and low income for 5%.We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. How many trees does IKEA cut down a Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. But, it would be wrong to think that the only impact rich countries have on global forests is through changes in their domestic forests. When we cut down primary rainforest we are transforming this ecosystem forever. 432). 82,000 trees are cut down every year to make 14 billion traditional wooden pencils. It would be good if there was data available that would capture these additional aspects. Latin America exports around 23% of its emissions; that means more than three-quarters are generated for products that are consumed within domestic markets. 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. Since year-to-year changes in forest cover can be volatile, the UN FAO provide this annual data averaged over five-year periods. (2017). But, as countries continue to get richer this demand slows. 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.) Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. But most emissions are driven by domestic markets this means policies in the major producer countries will be key to tackling this problem. Rome. If we can take advantage of these innovations, we can bring deforestation to an end. Nature Sustainability, 1-9. 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 research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Tree density in primary forests varies from 50,000-100,000 trees per square km, so the math would put this number at 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees cut down each year. This means interventions at the national-level will be key: this can include a range of solutions including policies such as Brazils soy moratorium, the REDD+ programme to compensate for the opportunity costs of preserving these forests, and improvements in agricultural productivity so countries can continue to produce more food on less land. Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. How much deforestation happens every day? In Latin America and Southeast Asia in particular, commodity-driven deforestation mainly the clearance of forests to grow crops such as palm oil and soy, and pasture for beef production accounts for almost two-thirds of forest loss. 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