I have reconstructed long-term data using various studies which Ive documented here. If we can take advantage of these innovations, we can bring deforestation to an end. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. The Asia-Pacific region predominantly Indonesia and Malaysia export a higher share: 44%. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. Deforestation rates accelerated. Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE. 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. (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. Explore long-term changes in deforestation, and deforestation rates across the world today. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? If we want to end deforestation we need to understand where and why its happening; where countries are within their transition; and what can be done to accelerate their progress through it. The diet of the average Brazilian creates 2.7 tonnes of CO2 from deforestation alone. Without reliable metrics that capture all of these differences, we will have to stick with total changes in forest area for now. This shifting agriculture category can be difficult to allocate between deforestation and degradation: it often requires close monitoring over time to understand how permanent these agricultural practices are. Data on the annual change in domestic forests is sourced from the UN FAOs Forest Resources Assessment. Lets start at the top. They should keep their domestic reforestation targets in perspective with their net impact on global forests. estimate a 35% loss of global forest cover since 10,000. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. How many trees have been cut down? Lewis, S. L., Edwards, D. P., & Galbraith, D. (2015). How much deforestation happens every day? For example, the US imported 64,000 hectares of deforested land, but increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares. Forest Transitions: why do we lose then regain forests? How many trees are cut down each year? 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. Moving into the 20th century there was a stepwise change in demand for agricultural land and energy from wood. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. There is a marked divide in the state of the worlds forests. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Maxwell, S. L., Fuller, R. A., Brooks, T. M., & Watson, J. E. (2016). And with the growth of technological innovations such as lab-grown meat and substitute products, there is the real possibility that we can continue to enjoy meat or meat-like foods while freeing up the massive amounts of land we use to raise livestock. They are also richer sites of biodiversity. Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. 38. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. Tropical forests are home to some of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet. 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. Nature, 536(7615), 143. 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. And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. 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.) How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? 14% of deforestation is driven by consumers in the worlds richest countries we import beef, vegetable oils, cocoa, coffee and paper that has been produced on deforested land.12. At the beginning of this phase, the forest area is at its lowest point. International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. Africa is also an outlier as a result of how many people still rely on wood as their primary energy source. The annual change is now positive. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Mather, A. S., Fairbairn, J., & Needle, C. L. (1999). If we look at where countries are in their transition today we can understand where we expect to lose and gain forest in the coming decades. In the chart we see deforestation emissions per person, measured in tonnes of CO2 per year. theyre driving deforestation elsewhere; whilst many subtropical countries are partly cutting down trees to meet this demand from rich countries. At the end of this stage, countries are approaching the transition point. 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.) It feeds into the popular idea that eating local is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. By Georgina Rannard. 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 was a net importer. The world loses almost six million hectares of forest each year to deforestation. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Is there a forest transition? Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Centuries ago it was mainly temperate regions that were driving global deforestation [we take a look at this longer history of deforestation in a related article]. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. Countries below the line such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre creating elsewhere. This map shows the net change in forest cover across the world. 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. Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. 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. How many trees are cut down each year?. 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 research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Note that this only measures the emissions from tropical deforestation it doesnt include any other emissions from agricultural production, such as methane from livestock, or rice, or the use of fertilizers. It was a net exporter. They cut down their forests and replaced it with agricultural land long ago. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. If we sum countries imported deforestation by World Bank income group, we find that high-income countries were responsible for 14% of imported deforestation; upper-middle income for 52%; lower-middle income for 23%; and low income for 11%. How many trees does IKEA cut down a For example, the average German generated half a tonne (510 kilograms) of CO2 per person from domestic and imported foods. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of Many farmers rely on international buyers to earn a living and improve their livelihoods. In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years. This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Low agricultural productivity and a reliance on wood for fuel meant that large amounts of land had to be cleared for basic provisions. 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. Across temperate forests the world gained 6 million hectares in the last decade. But, supply chains are international. 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. The story of both soy and palm oil are complex and its not obvious that eliminating these products will fix the problem. With increasing development, urbanization and access to other energy resources, Africa will shift from local, subsistence activities into commercial commodity production both in agricultural products and timber extraction. 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. Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are regenerating in forests at home? 79% of exported deforestation ended up in those countries that had stopped losing domestic forests. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. Forests, biodiversity and people. Many countries have not only ended deforestation, but actually achieved substantial reforestation. To put this in perspective, that would be around one-sixth of the total carbon footprint of the average EU diet.36. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? This was first coined by Alexander Mather in the 1990s.Mather, A. S. (1990). [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of But, it would be wrong to think that the only impact rich countries have on global forests is through changes in their domestic forests. Deforesting the earth: from prehistory to global crisis. Global Environmental Change, 15(1), 23-31. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). 2020. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Scheffers, B. R., Joppa, L. N., Pimm, S. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2012). That means that each year, one percent of all trees are being destroyed. But, the fact that forest transitions are possible should give us confidence that a positive future is possible. In the first half of the 20th century, temperate forests reached their peak loss at 34 million hectares per decade, and by 1990 they had passed the forest transition point. 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. 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. In the chart we see how the cover of the earths surface has changed over the past 10,000 years. Its State of the Worlds Forests report provides estimates of global forest cover today, and rates of change over previous decades. 95% of this occurs in the tropics. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, 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. But this is no longer the case: forest loss across North America and Europe is now the result of harvesting forestry products from tree plantations, or tree loss in wildfires. 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. When we think of the growing pressures on land from modern populations we often picture sprawling megacities. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. But its not the case for deforestation. Pre-1961 land use is sourced from the work of Ellis et al. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, See the distribution of global forests and which countries have the most forest cover. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. Can we bring it to an end? 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. This topic page can be cited as: All visualizations, data, and code produced by Our World in Data are completely open access under the Creative Commons BY license. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. You see that of the 14.9 billion hectares of land on the planet, only 71% of it is habitable the other 29% is either covered by ice and glaciers, or is barren land such as deserts, salt flats, or dunes. 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. What explains this? Clearing of the Brazilian Amazon for pasture and croplands was a major driver of this loss. After long periods of forest clearance in the past, most of todays richest countries are increasing tree cover through afforestation. This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. (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. There are other aspects to consider. Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. Lets put some numbers to them. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. By combining our earlier Sankey diagram, and breakdown of emissions by product, we can see that we can tackle a large share of these emissions through only a few key trade flows. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. 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. How many trees are cut down each year? Although there is some year-to-year variability [you can explore the data use the timeline on the bottom of the chart from 2005 to 2013] we see a reasonably consistent divide: most countries across Europe and North America are net importers of deforestation i.e. This is true for some problems, such as climate change. The average across the EU was 0.3 tonnes CO2 per person. In a related post we have combined this FAO data with global deforestation rates from Williams (2003) to document forest change over the last 300 years this gives us data on forest change from 1700 onwards. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. 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. 71% of this is driven by demand in domestic markets, and the remaining 29% for the production of products that are traded. Then, using a physical trade model across 191 countries and around 400 food and forestry products, they could trace them through to where they are physically consumed, either as food or in industrial processes.Pendrill, F., Persson, U. M., Godar, J., Kastner, T., Moran, D., Schmidt, S., & Wood, R. (2019). 38. At this stage, countries are still losing forest each year but at a lower rate than before. Since three-quarters of tropical deforestation is driven by agriculture, thats a valid concern. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Available here. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Tropical forests, on aggregate, have also passed peak deforestation in the 1980s the longest of all bars but have not passed the transition to reforestation. International trade is important for socioeconomic development. 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 calculated by taking each countrys imported deforestation and subtracting its exported deforestation. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. 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. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In China, the biggest driver is demand for oilseeds which is the combination of soy imported from Latin America and palm oil, imported from Indonesia and Malaysia. 71% of deforestation is for domestic production. Rural Sociology, 63(4), 533-552. Its the foods and products we buy, not where we live, that has the biggest impact on global land use. The taller the bar, the larger the change in forest area. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. Most emissions 71% came from foods consumed in the country that they were produced. 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