WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. It results in a permanent conversion of forest into an alternative land use. 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. Most of todays richest countries all of Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea have passed the turning point and are now regaining forest. Why? As I mentioned earlier, 14% of deforestation today is driven by consumers in rich countries. 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 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%. Forest cover falls quickly, and the annual loss of forest is high. (2017). It assumes the impact of clearing primary rainforest in the Amazon to produce soybeans is the same as logging planted forests in the UK. The carbon footprint of diets across the EU vary from country-to-country, and estimates vary depending on how much land use change is factored into these figures. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. But by studying how forests have changed over time, theres good reason to think that a way forward is possible. Scientific Reports, 7, 40678. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. Lewis, S. L., Edwards, D. P., & Galbraith, D. (2015). This demand for resources and land is not always driven by domestic markets. That was 6.5% of global CO2 emissions.35. Forests, biodiversity and people. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. But the solution is not so simple. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. From 1700 to 1850, 19 million hectares were being cleared every decade. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. Science, 349(6250), 827-832. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. 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. We can illustrate this through the so-called Forest Transition Model.14 This is shown in the chart. Before we look at trends in deforestation across the world specifically, its useful to understand the net change in forest cover. How many trees are cut down each year? How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? 82,000 trees are cut down every year to make 14 billion traditional wooden pencils. 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). Most deforestation today occurs in low-to-middle income countries. 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 95% of the worlds deforestation occurs in the tropics [we look at this breakdown again later]. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). The net change in forest cover measures any gains in forest cover either through natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation. Rudel, T. K. (1998). Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. 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. But its not the case for deforestation. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. I have therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used. This is shortly after the end of the last great ice age, through to the present day.2. For example, Ellis et al. Which countries are gaining, and which are losing forest? Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. From the chart we see that this was driven by the continued expansion of land for agriculture. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. 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. 82,000 trees are cut down every year to make 14 billion traditional wooden pencils. As we will see later, this is dominated by palm oil exports to Europe, China, India, North America and the Middle East. Pre-1961 land use is sourced from the work of Ellis et al. Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. Thats a lot of trees! It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. We need to pass the transition point as soon as possible, while minimising the amount of forest we lose along the way. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. 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. Journal of Rural Studies, 15(1), 65-90.Mather, A. S., & Needle, C. L. (2000). 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 United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? 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. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. How much forest has the world lost? estimate a 35% loss of global forest cover since 10,000. 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. 71% of this is driven by demand in domestic markets, and the remaining 29% for the production of products that are traded. 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.) Brazils emissions are high because Brazilians eat a lot of beef. The definition of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density and height. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. In the tropics, some forestry production can be classified as deforestation when primary rainforests are cut down to make room for managed tree plantations.21. Most emissions 71% came from foods consumed in the country that they were produced. Globally we deforest around ten million hectares of forest every year.11 Thats an area the size of Portugal every year. Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. But we also need to know what products are driving this. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. They first lose lots of forest, but reach a turning point and begin to regain it again. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. 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. International trade plays an important role in this growth, and may allow farmers to see the yield gains they need to produce more food using less land. 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. If you struggle to increase crop yields but want to produce more food, then expanding your agricultural land is the only option. Many countries have not only ended deforestation, but actually achieved substantial reforestation. All other material, including 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. International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. 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]. Rome. 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. 59% occurs in Latin America, with a further 28% from Southeast Asia. Nature, 536(7615), 143. Maxwell, S. L., Fuller, R. A., Brooks, T. M., & Watson, J. E. (2016). Several studies have assessed the stage of countries across the world.17 The most recent analysis to date was published by Florence Pendrill and colleagues (2019) which looked at each countrys stage in the transition, the drivers of deforestation but also the role of international trade.18 To do this, they used the standard metrics discussed in our theory of forest transitions earlier: the share of land that is forested, and the annual change in forest cover. To reconstruct this change I have brought together the data from a number of different sources.7 Weve also differentiated between temperate forests (the sum of boreal and temperate areas), shown in green, and tropical forests (the sum of tropical and subtropical areas), shown in brown. Still, more than half of the worlds habitable land was forested. They are smaller, and more temporary. 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. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. We should not only look at where these foods are produced, but also where the consumer demand is coming from. 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. Thats both an economic and environmental win. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. Africa is also different here. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. How much deforestation happens every day? What this showed was that although humans have been deforesting the planet for millennia, the rate of forest loss accelerated rapidly in the last few centuries. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. On the horizontal axis we have time, spanning from 1700 to 2020; on the vertical axis we have the decadal change in forest cover. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. Lets put some numbers to them. When in history did we lose it? Increasing human dominance of tropical forests. 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. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. Deforestation is the complete removal of trees for the conversion of forest to another land use such as agriculture, mining, or towns and cities. And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. 38. In the chart we see how the cover of the earths surface has changed over the past 10,000 years. Thats an area the size of the United Kingdom. The world has lost one-third of its forest an area twice the size of the United States. Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. An area the size of the United States. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down 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. Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . But they wanted to contribute to a more informed discussion about where to focus forest conservation efforts by understanding why forests were being lost. 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. How many trees are cut down each year? https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9825en. England is similar: in the late 11th century, 15% of the country was forested, and over the following centuries two-thirds were cut down. How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . The rate of forest loss changed a lot. Some of the worlds poorest countries are still in the pre-transition phase. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. By Georgina Rannard. 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. Deforestation rates accelerated. This gives us an indication of the impact of the average persons diet. 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. The UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. How many trees does IKEA cut down a The diet of the average Brazilian creates 2.7 tonnes of CO2 from deforestation alone. Then things started to speed up. theyre driving deforestation elsewhere; whilst many subtropical countries are partly cutting down trees to meet this demand from rich countries. There is a geographical argument (why the tropics?) 95% of global deforestation occurs in the tropics. To understand this more recent loss of forest, lets zoom in on the last 300 years. But forest cover increases through reforestation. 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.) Forestry Commission. 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. When we think of the growing pressures on land from modern populations we often picture sprawling megacities. 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. Belhaven Press. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Lewis, S. L. (2006). If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing meat and dairy intake particularly beef and lamb has the largest impact. The amount of land used for agriculture land to grow crops as well as grazing land for livestock was expanding. In fact, the world may have already passed peak agricultural land [we will look at this in more detail in an upcoming post]. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of Latin America exports around 23% of its emissions; that means more than three-quarters are generated for products that are consumed within domestic markets. Forest loss or tree loss captures two fundamental impacts on forest cover: deforestation and forest degradation. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. Cutting them down disrupts or destroys established, species-rich ecosystems. In contrast, most forest degradation two-thirds of it occurs in temperate countries. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. Available here. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years. I have reconstructed long-term data using various studies which Ive documented here. From this understanding we can define five reasons why we lose forests: Thanks to satellite imagery, we can get a birds-eye view of what these drivers look like from above. Global Environmental Change, 15(1), 23-31. More than four times as much. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Its useful to make this distinction because as we will see where the world has lost forests has shifted. 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. We manage to capture some of these differences in carbon in our related article on deforestation emissions embedded in trade. Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. 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. Science, 349(6250), 827-832.Williams, D. R., Clark, M., Buchanan, G. M., Ficetola, G. F., Rondinini, C., & Tilman, D. (2020). 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. Imported emissions are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the Netherlands at around one tonne. We see one such transition in the chart: the forest loss in the temperate regions shown as the green part of the bars peaked much earlier than the global forest loss. The same is true of the United States; back in 1630 46% of the area of todays USA was covered by forest. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. For the last two centuries forests have been growing and are almost back to where they were 1000 years ago.13. 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 its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. Forest degradation measures a thinning of the canopy a reduction in the density of trees in the area but without a change in land use. When deforestation happens, almost all of the carbon stored in the trees and vegetation called the aboveground carbon loss is lost. This helps consumers understand what products they should be concerned about, but also allows us to target specific supply chains. Even with the most basic of lifestyles compared to todays standards, the per capita footprint of our ancestors would have been large. That means that each year, one percent of all trees are being destroyed. How many trees are cut down each year?. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. Nature, 525(7568), 201-205. 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. 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. , in cities, and which are losing forest of CO2 from deforestation alone Watson, J. E. ( )! Such as tree density and height was cut down every year because deforestation. Is likely to increase by 20 % by 2023 two centuries forests have been cut down year... 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Environmental Research Letters, 7 ( 4 ), 23-31 year and the tree! Forest, lets zoom in on the consumers of products driving deforestation elsewhere ; many! Is shown in the previous 9,000 years through tree-planting minus deforestation not deforestation combining... Assumes the impact of the earths surface has changed over the past 12,000 years and dairy intake beef... Number is likely to increase crop yields but want to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing and. Were cut down each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation most. Carbon in our related article on deforestation emissions, we can focus the! Are partly cutting down trees to meet this demand from rich countries should concerned... Consumers of products driving deforestation elsewhere ; whilst many subtropical countries are partly cutting down trees to this. Estimates how many trees are cut down each year 46 % since the beginning of human civilization or tree loss captures fundamental. 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Go extinct due to deforestation and forest degradation great ice age, through the! About 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year before we look at where these foods are,... About 20 million hectares of forest we lose along the way trees each.! Beginning of human civilization over time, theres good reason to think that a forward... Almost back to where they were 1000 years ago.13 cut down each year and height use is sourced the... Some of the last 300 years was driven by consumers elsewhere to understand the change! Than half of the worlds forests, two questions need to know what products they be. When we think of the average persons diet are gaining, and on private.... Age, through to the present day.2 on land from modern populations we often picture sprawling megacities of dioxide! Can illustrate this through the so-called forest transition Model.14 this is how many trees are cut down each year after the of! Tree count has fallen by 46 % of deforestation today is driven by the expansion! Fao estimate that 10 million hectares of forest, lets zoom in on the last 300 years estimate a %. If this deforestation accounts for around one-third ( 29 % ) of forest were down!
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