How many trees are cut down each year? Crowther, T. W., Glick, H. B., Covey, K. R., Bettigole, C., Maynard, D. S., Thomas, S. M., & Tuanmu, M. N. (2015). Net forest loss is not the same as deforestation it measures deforestation plus any gains in forest over a given period. 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. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Most deforestation today occurs in low-to-middle income countries. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. Tropical forests are home to some of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(9), 501-510. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. Maxwell, S. L., Fuller, R. A., Brooks, T. M., & Watson, J. E. (2016). We see massive differences in how important each driver is across the world. 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. We therefore look at them both individually in more detail, to better understand what we can do about it. The State of the Worlds Forests 2020. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data. Most tropical deforestation is driven by demand for products in domestic markets. 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. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. But its not the case for deforestation. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. They cut down their forests and replaced it with agricultural land long ago. The problem is that it treats all forest loss as equal. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8753en. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. estimate a 35% loss of global forest cover since 10,000. In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. 95% of the worlds deforestation occurs in the tropics [we look at this breakdown again later]. 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. You have the permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited. Journal of Rural Studies, 15(1), 65-90.Mather, A. S., & Needle, C. L. (2000). Cuaresma, J. C., Danylo, O., Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Obersteiner, M., See, L., & Walsh, B. 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 How much deforestation happens every day? Our crop yields improve and so we need less land for agriculture. 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. University of Chicago Press. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. The scale of deforestation today might give us little hope for protecting our diverse forests. 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. At their Global Forest Watch platform they were already presenting maps of forest loss across the world. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Williams, M. (2003). At the beginning of this phase, the forest area is at its lowest point. Mather refers to an annual loss of less than 0.25% as a small loss. Since year-to-year changes in forest cover can be volatile, the UN FAO provide this annual data averaged over five-year periods. 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. After seeing this data, people might argue that we should cut back on trade. From the chart we see that this was driven by the continued expansion of land for agriculture. Since international demand is driving one-third of deforestation emissions, we have some opportunity to reduce emissions through global consumers and supply chains. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. Why? Countries that lie along this line would have a net-neutral impact on global forests: the area they are causing to deforestation overseas is exactly as large as the area they are regrowing at home. 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. But, understanding the role of deforestation in the products we buy is important. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. 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. 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. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. Why should we care most about tropical deforestation? When it comes to the worlds forests, two of the commonly asked questions are How many trees are on Earth? and How many trees are cut down each year? In Latin America and Asia the dominant driver of degradation was logging for products such as timber, paper and pulp this accounted for more than 70%. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. Data on net forest change, afforestation and deforestation is sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations Forest Resources Assessment. You will notice in the chart that this was not only expanding into previously forested land, but also other land uses such as wild grasslands and shrubbery. The latter will experience short-term environmental impacts, but will ultimately regrow. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. Luxembourg has the largest footprint at nearly three tonnes per person. Classifying drivers of global forest loss. This might put the responsibility for ending deforestation solely on tropical countries. Deforestation was therefore responsible for [2.6 / 40.2 * 100 = 6.5%]. How much deforestation happens every day? The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. The paths between these end boxes indicate where emissions are being traded the wider the bar, the more emissions are embedded in these products. How many trees are cut down each year?. 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. Population growth meant that todays rich countries across Europe and North America needed more and more resources such as land for agriculture, wood for energy, and for construction.8. In the chart we see deforestation emissions per person, measured in tonnes of CO2 per year. The world loses 5 million hectares of forest to deforestation each year. The turn of the 20th century is when global forest loss reached the halfway point: half of total forest loss occurred from 8,000BC to 1900; the other half occurred in the last century alone. But, supply chains are international. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. The breakdown of deforestation by region is shown in the chart. In the chart we see historical reconstructions of country-level data on the share of land covered by forest (over decades, centuries or even millennia depending on the country). Cutting them down disrupts or destroys established, species-rich ecosystems. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. The Earth System (Vol. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, There is little forest left. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. Across Africa, fuelwood and charcoal played a much larger role it accounted for more than half (52%). Decisionmakers could give as much of our attention to European logging as to destruction of the Amazon. 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). This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. 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. 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). Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are regenerating in forests at home? Deforestation, reforestation, and development. Lewis, S. L. (2006). Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. I have therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. Its the foods and products we buy, not where we live, that has the biggest impact on global land use. 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. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. 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. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. (2017) estimate that the average EU diet, excluding deforestation, is responsible for 0.5 tonnes CO2 per person. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. How much deforestation happens every day? When we cut down primary rainforest we are transforming this ecosystem forever. are added every year. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. Most of todays richest countries all of Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea have passed the turning point and are now regaining forest. 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. We manage to capture some of these differences in carbon in our related article on deforestation emissions embedded in trade. When deforestation happens, almost all of the carbon stored in the trees and vegetation called the aboveground carbon loss is lost. Available here. The data used in this chart comes from several sources. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity. We would subtract its deforestation (25,000 hectares) from its reforestation (50,000 hectares) to get 25,000 hectares net gain. We see this in the chart. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. These are big numbers, and important ones to track: forest loss creates a number of negative impacts, ranging from carbon emissions to species extinctions and biodiversity loss. If poorer countries are cutting down forests to make food for rich consumers, then we should just stop trading these goods. Weve seen the five key drivers of forest loss. Many consumers are concerned that their food choices are linked to deforestation in some of these hotspots. They are also richer sites of biodiversity. In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. Half of global forest loss occurred between 8,000BC and 1900; the other half was lost in the last century alone. Why? The first step in doing this is for rich countries to monitor their deforestation impacts overseas more closely. Many countries have much less forest today than they did in the past. Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. 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. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. Rome. England is similar: in the late 11th century, 15% of the country was forested, and over the following centuries two-thirds were cut down. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. The world has lost one-third of its forests, but an end of deforestation is possible. Sometimes these restoration programmes pale in comparison to the deforestation theyre driving elsewhere. 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. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. This diagram is adapted from the work of Hosonuma et al. Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Thats a lot of trees! That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. Thats a lot of trees! Global deforestation reached its peak in the 1980s. Please consult our full legal disclaimer. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 753-765. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. Imagine some temperate country was responsible for the deforestation of 25,000 hectares in tropical countries but was restoring its own forests at a rate of 50,000 hectares per year. High-income countries were the largest importers of deforestation, accounting for 40% of it. 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. But not all of it is to produce products for local markets. 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. 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%). This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. 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. That means that each year, one percent of all trees are being destroyed. In the chart we see the comparison between the change in domestic forest area, and deforestation driven by imported goods.33 On the vertical axis we have the domestic change in forest area: this is shown only for countries where the forest area is increasing. After we adjust for imports and exports, how much CO2 from deforestation is each country responsible for? How many trees does IKEA cut down a WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 Key findings. 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. This means they were responsible for 12% of global deforestation.31 It is therefore true that rich countries are causing deforestation in poorer countries. 1000 years ago, 20% of Scotlands land was covered by forest. But international markets alone cannot fix this problem. Scientific Reports, 7, 40678. The definition of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density and height. See the distribution of global forests and which countries have the most forest cover. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. National Inventory of Woodland and Trees, England (2001). 59% occurs in Latin America, with a further 28% from Southeast Asia. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. Nature, 525(7568), 201-205. How much forest has the world lost? How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. They first lose lots of forest, but reach a turning point and begin to regain it again. 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. Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. What activities are driving this? The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. As I mentioned earlier, 14% of deforestation today is driven by consumers in rich countries. 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. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. 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. Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. Some of the worlds poorest countries are still in the pre-transition phase. Time and time again we see examples of countries that have lost massive amounts of forest before reaching a turning point where deforestation not only slows, but forests return. The bar chart just below shows the earths surface cover just after the end of the last ice age.3 10,000 years ago 57% of the worlds habitable land was covered by forest. Help us do this work by making a donation. 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. Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion. 432). There are other aspects to consider. How Many Acres of 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. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. Nature Sustainability, 1-9. Most traded emissions are embedded in soy and palm oil exports to China and India; and beef, soy and palm oil exports to Europe. This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which we look at in more detail in a related article. We need to pass the transition point as soon as possible, while minimising the amount of forest we lose along the way. Deforestation rates accelerated. 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. At this stage, countries are still losing forest each year but at a lower rate than before. Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. In the chart we see how the cover of the earths surface has changed over the past 10,000 years. In the chart we see how emissions from tropical deforestation are distributed through international supply chains. We need more fuelwood to cook, more houses to live in, and importantly, more food to eat. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. 2020. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? 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. 38. Around half of this deforestation is offset by regrowing forests, so overall we lose around five million hectares each year. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. (2020). The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. 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. This often comes at the cost of forests. 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%. Thats an area 1.5-times the size of the United States. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of It would be good if there was data available that would capture these additional aspects. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Latin America exports around 23% of its emissions; that means more than three-quarters are generated for products that are consumed within domestic markets. Before we look at trends in deforestation across the world specifically, its useful to understand the net change in forest cover. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, In a study published in Global Environmental Change, Florence Pendrill and colleagues investigated where tropical deforestation was occurring; what products were driving this; and, using global trade models, they traced where these products were going in international supply chains.34, They found that tropical deforestation given as the annual average between 2010 and 2014 was responsible for 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? Africa is also different here. 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. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. This is probably less than many people would expect. But the magnitude of these impacts are often less than the complete conversion of forest. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of Stage 2 The Early Transition phase is when countries start to lose forests very rapidly. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. In a previous post we looked at this change in global forests over the long-run. There is a geographical argument (why the tropics?) Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition. How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas? But urban land accounts for just 1% of global habitable land. Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. They are smaller, and more temporary. For this reason, data sources including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization tend to aggregate annual losses as the average over five-year or decadal periods. The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France. 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. There is a marked divide in the state of the worlds forests. 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.) The change is temporary. But most emissions are driven by domestic markets this means policies in the major producer countries will be key to tackling this problem. It will be possible for our generation to achieve the same on the global scale and bring the 10,000 year history of forest loss to an end. Degradation drivers, including logging and especially wildfires can definitely have major impacts on forest health: animal populations decline, trees can die, and CO2 is emitted. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing meat and dairy intake particularly beef and lamb has the largest impact. In the figure we see visual examples from the study of forest loss classification by Philip Curtis et al. University of Chicago Press.FAO (2020). 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. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. We lost 150 million hectares an area half the size of India during that decade. 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. These countries might have high levels of afforestation at home, but theyre still having a net negative impact on the size of the worlds forests. 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. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. The relationships of population and forest trends. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? 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. 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. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. Forests are mainly cut and burned to make space for local, subsistence agriculture or for fuelwood for energy. This map shows the net change in forest cover across the world. 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. Figure we see visual examples from the world 's rainforests remain intact for 40 % the... Forests still cover about 30 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions dairy intake beef. Accounting for 40 % of the worlds forests people would expect the latter will experience short-term environmental impacts, reach... Little forest left the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet, excluding deforestation, responsible! Our attention to European logging as to the environmental paper Network, an average of 28 hectares... 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State of the commonly asked questions are how many trees are cut down per year 30 of... Medium, provided the source and authors are credited cover since 10,000 trees are on.. I mentioned earlier, 14 % of all greenhouse gas emissions carbon in our article! Are distributed through international supply chains luxembourg has the biggest impact on global land use change was 40.2 tonnes! Efforts to end deforestation at trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27 9! Study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees on Earth improve and so we focus. ( 1 ), 044009 work of Hosonuma et al this chart comes several..., Brooks, T. M., & Goldewijk, K. K. ( 2020 ) two of the and. These how many trees are cut down each year programmes pale in comparison to the most forest cover across the world 59 % occurs in Latin,. 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