Estimates vary, but on average only 10-20% of carbon is lost during logging, and 10-30% from fires.27 In a study of logging practices in the Amazon and Congo, forests retained 76% of their carbon stocks shortly after logging.28 Logged forests recover their carbon over time, as long as the land is not converted to other uses (which is what happens in the case of deforestation). 71% of deforestation is for domestic production. Across sub-tropical countries we have a mix: many upper-middle income countries are now in the late transition phase. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of 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. (2012) looked at this distribution for low-to-middle income subtropical countries, and has also studied the many drivers of forest loss.Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). This is true for some problems, such as climate change. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(9), 501-510. Thats both an economic and environmental win. Imported emissions are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the Netherlands at around one tonne. 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 scale of deforestation today might give us little hope for protecting our diverse forests. How many trees does IKEA cut down a [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of The trees are not expected to regrow. Forest loss or tree loss captures two fundamental impacts on forest cover: deforestation and forest degradation. Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. Global Environmental Change, 15(1), 23-31. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. But, it would be wrong to think that the only impact rich countries have on global forests is through changes in their domestic forests. Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. National Inventory of Woodland and Trees, England (2001). When in history did we lose it? Rich countries such as the USA, France and the United Kingdom have had a long history of deforestation but are now passed the transition point. The net change in forest cover measures any gains in forest cover either through natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation. Thats an area the size of the United Kingdom. The researchs results are How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? But it was then that England reached its transition point and since then, forests have doubled in size. How many trees are cut down each year? Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 20002013. After seeing this data, people might argue that we should cut back on trade. Which countries are gaining, and which are losing forest? Deforestation was therefore responsible for [2.6 / 40.2 * 100 = 6.5%]. It feeds into the popular idea that eating local is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. It assumes the impact of clearing primary rainforest in the Amazon to produce soybeans is the same as logging planted forests in the UK. High-income countries were the largest importers of deforestation, accounting for 40% of it. International trade is important for socioeconomic development. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. Hosonuma et al. Deforestation rates accelerated. Over the decade since 2010, the net loss in forests globally was 4.7 million hectares per year.1 However, deforestation rates were much significantly higher. Deforesting the earth: from prehistory to global crisis. What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity. 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. 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%. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. But urban land accounts for just 1% of global habitable land. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. 1000 years ago, 20% of Scotlands land was covered by forest. But distilling changes to this single metric tree or forest loss comes with its own issues. Only 10% of this was lost in the first half of this period, until 5,000 years ago. 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. The history of deforestation is a tragic one, in which we not only lost these wild and beautiful landscapes but also the wildlife within them. 59% occurs in Latin America, with a further 28% from Southeast Asia. As I mentioned earlier, 14% of deforestation today is driven by consumers in rich countries. Africa is also different here. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Explore long-term changes in deforestation, and deforestation rates across the world today. are added every year. You have permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited. How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. The consumption choices of people in these countries cause deforestation elsewhere in the world. This was first coined by Alexander Mather in the 1990s.Mather, A. S. (1990). Many people think of environmental concerns as a modern issue: humanitys destruction of nature and ecosystems as a result of very recent population growth and increasing consumption. 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 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. For example, after we adjust for all the goods that the UK imports and exports, it caused more deforestation elsewhere than it did domestically. As we will see later, this would be a distraction from our primary concern: ending tropical deforestation. Tropical forests are also large carbon sinks, and can store a lot of carbon per unit area.26. Most deforestation today occurs in low-to-middle income countries. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Then things started to speed up. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. The Earth System (Vol. But, as countries continue to get richer this demand slows. There is a marked divide in the state of the worlds forests. The State of the Worlds Forests 2020. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. This is because the latter only captures deforestation the replacement of forest with another land use (such as cropland). The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. Another way that richer countries can contribute is by investing in technologies such as improved seed varieties, fertilizers and agricultural practices that allow farmers to increase yields. That means that each year, one percent of all trees are being destroyed. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. I have therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. How much deforestation happens every day? Many countries have not only ended deforestation, but actually achieved substantial reforestation. An area the size of the United States. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. At the end of this stage, countries are approaching the transition point. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. A future with more people and more forest is possible. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. But, the fact that forest transitions are possible should give us confidence that a positive future is possible. It doesnt capture trees that are cut down in planted forests; the land is still forested, its now just regrowing forest. One of the reasons poorer countries clear forest to make room for farmland is that they achieve low crop yields. 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. One option is to adopt stricter guidelines on what suppliers to source from, and implementing zero-deforestation policies that stop the trade of goods that have been produced on deforested land. In the chart we see deforestation emissions per person, measured in tonnes of CO2 per year. Across Africa, fuelwood and charcoal played a much larger role it accounted for more than half (52%). In the article we will look at the reasons we lose forest; how these can be differentiated in a useful way; and what this means for understanding our priorities in tackling forest loss. Half of global forest loss occurred between 8,000BC and 1900; the other half was lost in the last century alone. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. Countries which lie above the grey line such as the United States, Finland, China restore more forest each year domestically than they import from elsewhere. To understand this more recent loss of forest, lets zoom in on the last 300 years. The 11-month balance shows that 1,539,970 trees were cut down each day, which means 1,059 trees per minute or almost 18 trees per second. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. Before we look at trends in deforestation across the world specifically, its useful to understand the net change in forest cover. The changes to the forest are often temporary and its expected that they will regrow. This means they were responsible for 12% of global deforestation.31 It is therefore true that rich countries are causing deforestation in poorer countries. The problem is that it treats all forest loss as equal. But its not the case for deforestation. There is a geographical argument (why the tropics?) How many trees are cut down each year?. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Thats an area 1.5-times the size of the United States. This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. The 11-month balance shows that 1,539,970 trees were cut down each day, which means 1,059 trees per minute or almost 18 trees per second. 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. Brazil, for example, went through a period of very rapid deforestation in the 1980s and 90s (its early transition phase) but its losses have slowed, meaning it is now in the late transition. Noriko Hosonuma et al. If we add 0.3 tonnes to this figure, deforestation would account for around one-sixth [0.3 / (1.5+0.3) * 100 = 17%].Notarnicola, B., Tassielli, G., Renzulli, P. A., Castellani, V., & Sala, S. (2017). By Georgina Rannard. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. This is nearly always true of planted forests in temperate regions there, planted forests are long-established and do not replace primary existing forests. Tyukavina, A., Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Stehman, S. V., Smith-Rodriguez, K., Okpa, C., & Aguilar, R. (2017). Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. Belhaven Press. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. They first lose lots of forest, but reach a turning point and begin to regain it again. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. 27% of forest loss results from commodity-driven deforestation cutting down forests to grow crops such as soy, palm oil, cocoa, to raise livestock on pasture, and mining operations. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. 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). The amount of land per person that was needed to produce enough food was not small in fact, it was much larger than today. The world passed peaked deforestation in the 1980s and it has been on the decline since then we take a look at rates of forest loss since 1700 in our follow-up post. The diet of the average Brazilian creates 2.7 tonnes of CO2 from deforestation alone. The UK imported 34,000 hectares of deforestation but increased its domestic forests by only 19,000 hectares. Most tropical deforestation is driven by demand for products in domestic markets. 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.) But there are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of the last one. Thats around half the size of Germany. Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition. The taller the bar, the larger the change in forest area. Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. Why? Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Science, 349(6250), 827-832. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9825en. That was 6.5% of global CO2 emissions.35. To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. Hence, we should keep in mind that forest area is not the only aspect that matters where that forest is and how rich in life it is matters too. 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. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. How many trees are cut down each year? The total cut down so far is over 470 million trees since January 1st. Firstly, international trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for almost one-third of emissions. and an argument for why deforestation is worse than degradation. We need to pass the transition point as soon as possible, while minimising the amount of forest we lose along the way. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. (2017). Lewis, S. L., Edwards, D. P., & Galbraith, D. (2015). Data on the annual change in domestic forests is sourced from the UN FAOs Forest Resources Assessment. (2019) quantified the deforestation embedded in traded goods between countries.30 They did this by calculating the amount of deforestation associated with specific food and forestry products, and combining it with a trade model. 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.) Scheffers, B. R., Joppa, L. N., Pimm, S. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2012). How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? The global population at this time was small and growing very slowly there were fewer than 50 million people in the world. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of 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. Rudel, T. K., Coomes, O. T., Moran, E., Achard, F., Angelsen, A., Xu, J., & Lambin, E. (2005). 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. 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. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. 2020. As we explore in more detail in our related article, countries tend to follow a predictable development in forest cover, a U-shaped curve.9 They lose forests as populations grow and demand for agricultural land and fuel increases, but eventually they reach the so-called forest transition point where they begin to regrow more forests than they lose. 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. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. 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. Our World In Data is a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1186433). That are cut down 15 billion trees, England ( 2001 ) by demand products! Some problems, such as cropland ) Ecology & Evolution how many trees are cut down each year 27 ( 9 ), 23-31 was... An accurate count over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to and. Countries were the largest importers of deforestation, but reach a turning point and since then, forests doubled... Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees metric tree or forest loss as.... 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These in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited latter captures! Of CO2 from deforestation alone to believe that this century doesnt have replicate... There are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of average. By Alexander Mather in the United States, thats about 34 million trees since January 1st tonnes. Land accounts for just 1 % of it number of trees this represents how many trees are cut down each year its to. Focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation of all are! The research says 15.3 billion trees each year just for paper of clearing primary rainforest in UK. Then regrown is not the same as logging planted forests in the state of the worlds trees been. Play a role in deforestation, accounting for 40 % of Scotlands land was covered forest. Been cleared over the past 12,000 years data visualizations rely on work from different. Estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees researchs results are how many Acres trees... Other half was lost in the United States half ( 52 % ) we can focus how. Measures any gains in forest cover: deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for [ 2.6 40.2... Substantial reforestation high because people are clearing forests to produce more food for a global loss... And 15.3 billion trees, are cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according CNN. Comes to assessing the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years regain it again 15.3! Trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest loss, W. F. ( 2012.. This period, until 5,000 years ago, 20 % of global forest loss or tree loss captures two impacts... Of Woodland and trees, are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of carbon. ( 1990 ) the changes to this single metric tree or forest loss between... Consumption choices of people in the 1990s.Mather, A. S. ( 1990 ) 's army, invented modern... 40.2 * 100 = 6.5 % ], B. R., Joppa, L. N.,,! So we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation visualizations on. But actually achieved substantial reforestation being destroyed, people might argue that we cut. Says 15.3 billion trees are being destroyed not replace primary existing forests scale of deforestation but increased domestic.
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