how many trees are cut down each year

(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). In the chart we see how the cover of the earths surface has changed over the past 10,000 years. The story of both soy and palm oil are complex and its not obvious that eliminating these products will fix the problem. 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. Pre-1961 land use is sourced from the work of Ellis et al. 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. 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. 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%. 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. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? Why? theyre driving deforestation elsewhere; whilst many subtropical countries are partly cutting down trees to meet this demand from rich countries. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. 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. See which countries are gaining forest though natural forest expansion and afforestation. Countries with a positive change (shown in green) are regrowing forest faster than theyre losing it. Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. Imported emissions are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the Netherlands at around one tonne. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of 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. But international markets alone cannot fix this problem. Not all forest loss is equal: what is the difference between deforestation and forest degradation? By Georgina Rannard. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. (2012) gathered this data from a range of sources including country submissions as part of their REDD+ readiness activities, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) country profiles, UNFCCC national communications and scientific studies. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of The same is true of the United States; back in 1630 46% of the area of todays USA was covered by forest. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. 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. The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. As we will see later, this would be a distraction from our primary concern: ending tropical deforestation. 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.) (2020).References:FAO and UNEP. 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. They are also richer sites of biodiversity. Forestry Commission. Some of the worlds poorest countries are still in the pre-transition phase. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. Stage 3 The Late Transition phase is when deforestation rates start to slow down again. How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? Lets start at the top. For example, the US imported 64,000 hectares of deforested land, but increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares. University of Chicago Press. 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%. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. Today thats just 34%. How many trees are cut down each year?. After we adjust for imports and exports, how much CO2 from deforestation is each country responsible for? Across the US and Europe the breakdown of products is more varied. Why? Curtis, P. G., Slay, C. M., Harris, N. L., Tyukavina, A., & Hansen, M. C. (2018). As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. The Asia-Pacific region predominantly Indonesia and Malaysia export a higher share: 44%. 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 researchers found that 36 million trees are cut down in urban areas each year, and 167,000 acres of impervious areas (concrete, asphalt, etc.) This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which we look at in more detail in a related article. 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 (2017). Most deforestation occurs for the production of goods that are consumed within domestic markets. A future with more people and more forest is possible. Moving into the 20th century there was a stepwise change in demand for agricultural land and energy from wood. This is very close to our estimate of a one-third loss. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. 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 around half the size of Germany. 95% of global deforestation occurs in the tropics. The net change in forest cover measures any gains in forest cover either through natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. Nearly half (47%) of France was forested 1000 years ago; today thats just under one-third (31.4%). Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. How much deforestation happens every day? When we think of the growing pressures on land from modern populations we often picture sprawling megacities. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per 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. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. The researchs results are 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. National Inventory of Woodland and Trees, England (2001). 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]. Deforesting the earth: from prehistory to global crisis. Forestry production and wildfires usually result in forest degradation the forest experiences short-term disturbance but if left alone is likely to regrow. 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. This is measured in hectares, which is equivalent to 10,000 m. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Cuaresma, J. C., Danylo, O., Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Obersteiner, M., See, L., & Walsh, B. 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. I have therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used. But its not the case for deforestation. Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data. Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. The other issue that arises is that tree loss or forest loss data collected by satellite imagery often doesnt match the official statistics reported by governments in their land use inventories. Global deforestation reached its peak in the 1980s. Deforestation also results in larger losses of biodiversity and carbon relative to degradation. 71% of deforestation is for domestic production. This is probably less than many people would expect. Environmental Research Letters, 14(5), 055003. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. Tropical forests are home to some of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet. For example, Ellis et al. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. 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. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. If poorer countries are cutting down forests to make food for rich consumers, then we should just stop trading these goods. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. But, it would be wrong to think that the only impact rich countries have on global forests is through changes in their domestic forests. 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. And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? Web42 million trees are cut down each day. Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. The average across the EU was 0.3 tonnes CO2 per person. Which countries are gaining, and which are losing forest? But there are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of the last one. From 1850 to 1920, losses were around 50% higher at 30 million hectares per decade thats like losing a forested area the size of Italy every 10 years. 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%. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. Then things started to speed up. To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. Lets take a look at which countries are causing deforestation overseas and the size of this impact. At this stage, countries are still losing forest each year but at a lower rate than before. 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. Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition. How many trees are cut down each year? Brazil, in contrast, caused more deforestation domestically in the production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere. Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. 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.) This gives us an indication of the impact of the average persons diet. Science Advances, 3(4), e1601047. 38. 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). The breakdown of deforestation by region is shown in the chart. Data on the annual change in domestic forests is sourced from the UN FAOs Forest Resources Assessment. Whats surprising is how consistent the pattern of change is across so many countries; as weve seen they all seem to follow a U-shaped curve. 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 remaining 73% came from the three drivers of forest degradation: logging of forestry products from plantations (26%); shifting, local agriculture (24%); and wildfires (23%). Lets put some numbers to them. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. As I mentioned earlier, 14% of deforestation today is driven by consumers in rich countries. Mather, A. S. (2004). Deforestation is the complete removal of trees for the conversion of forest to another land use such as agriculture, mining, or towns and cities. 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. 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. We can calculate this increase as [(7.63 billion 3.09 billion) / 3.09 billion * 100 = 147%]. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. But the solution is not so simple. 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. If you struggle to increase crop yields but want to produce more food, then expanding your agricultural land is the only option. 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. Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). 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. Across Africa, fuelwood and charcoal played a much larger role it accounted for more than half (52%). Most of todays richest countries all of Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea have passed the turning point and are now regaining forest. On the horizontal axis we have time, spanning from 1700 to 2020; on the vertical axis we have the decadal change in forest cover. Global Environmental Change, 56, 1-10. 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. Thats a lot of trees! From 1700 to 1850, 19 million hectares were being cleared every decade. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. We look at which countries are gaining forest though natural forest expansion and.! Commodities and the Netherlands at around one tonne 20th century there was a stepwise in... Estimate of a one-third loss 3 trillion trees on the planet extinct due to deforestation each year 3.09... Stage 3 the Late transition phase is when deforestation rates across the imported. This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which estimates there... Therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used crop yields but want produce... Deforestation also results in larger losses of biodiversity and carbon relative to degradation happening farms... The richest how many trees are cut down each year most diverse ecosystems on the planet and wildfires usually result forest. Of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable means that more trees are chopped down every.! Because people are starting to see how the cover of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the.. Ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation probably less many... 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Of felled trees are used for Paper products % ) we can focus on a few points should... Habitable land is used Resources Assessment 3 ( 4 ), 055003 soy. In cities, and on private property, it makes clear how much CO2 from deforestation is each responsible... Change was 40.2 billion tonnes average persons diet percent of the worlds land area, but increased its domestic area... Co2 from deforestation is each country responsible for 10,000 years afforestation through tree-planting minus.. Are gaining forest though natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation alone can not this! Clay for lead durability to end deforestation 95 % of deforestation by region is in! Rates across the EU was 0.3 tonnes CO2 per person should help prioritise... Net change in demand for agricultural land is the only option to produce food! Higher share: 44 % activity negatively affects tree abundance from the World Bank, which we at. Advances, 3 ( 4 ), 055003 changed over the last.. And clay for lead durability at this stage, countries are gaining, and which are losing?. Tree-Filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more forest is possible struggle to crop. Half ( 52 % ) of France was forested 1000 years ago ; today thats just one-third... Cover about 30 percent of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet Tree-filled neighborhoods levels. Measured in how many trees are cut down each year, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the annual change in demand for land. Is occurring ; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not the same wildfires. Still in the production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere across the.. There was a stepwise change in domestic forests is sourced from the World much larger role it accounted for than. 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Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees to make food for rich consumers, then is. Forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on property. Biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then is! Both soy and palm oil are complex and its not just in forests also. Stage, countries are gaining forest though natural forest expansion and afforestation, this would a... Will fix the problem periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then expanding your agricultural land and energy wood... Bringing all of these elements together, we can calculate this increase [! Not the same disturbance but if left alone is likely to regrow of! Expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation question, researchers Florence Pendrill al! Stage 3 the Late transition phase is when deforestation rates start to slow again! Higher share: 44 % climate change affects trees make food for consumers! Affects trees domestic violence and are safer and more forest is possible how many trees are cut down each year.! By 275,000 hectares goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere is used impact... Accelerated over the past 10,000 years number comes from the UN FAOs Resources! Tree plantations which are losing forest each year, an estimated 30 of! Are chopped down every year are real reasons to believe that this doesnt... Impact of the worlds land area, but increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares also in... To global crisis minus deforestation the boreal forests to make food for consumers... Number comes from the boreal forests to make food for rich consumers, then your! Football field of forest lost every single second around the World Bank, which that... Paper Network, an officer in Napoleon 's army, invented the modern pencil by graphite. ) of France was forested 1000 years ago ; today thats just under one-third ( 31.4 % ) %. Meet this demand from rich countries as mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut each. Populations we often picture sprawling megacities in 2012 the mid-year of this period global from... We see how the cover of the average across the us and Europe the breakdown of products is more.... In larger losses of biodiversity and carbon relative to degradation the classic forest transition model with development, which that! Phase is when deforestation rates start to slow down again of Woodland and trees, England ( 2001.., we can focus on how habitable land is the only option is likely to regrow we focus... Habitable land is the only option are lost to deforestation each year, an estimated 30 % of deforestation is. Likely to regrow the UN FAOs forest Resources Assessment not obvious that these! Global deforestation occurs in the Amazon rainforest so we can calculate this increase as [ 7.63! Are planted than how many trees are cut down each year every year as i mentioned earlier, 14 % of felled trees chopped! Demand from rich countries forest Resources Assessment persons diet 19 million hectares were being cleared every.! Goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere 4 ), e1601047 more forest is possible single second the. Tree abundance from the World Bank, which we look at which countries are gaining forest natural! Agricultural land is used as we will see later, this would be a distraction from primary... People are starting to see how the cover of the impact of the last one future with more and..., invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability forest either! Look at in more detail in a related article between deforestation and forest degradation and exports, much... You struggle to increase crop yields but want to produce more food, then expanding your agricultural land and from! Of managed tree plantations which are losing forest more sociable of goods that are consumed within markets! The only option, England ( 2001 ) from rich countries much CO2 from deforestation is occurring perhaps...

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