Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. 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. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. At the top of the list we see some of the major producer countries Brazil and Indonesia. They should keep their domestic reforestation targets in perspective with their net impact on global forests. Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion. Global deforestation reached its peak in the 1980s. 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. But there are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of the last one. Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of land use change. The change is temporary. Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are regenerating in forests at home? Available here. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. (2018), published in Science.20, Commodity-driven deforestation and urbanization are deforestation: the forested land is completely cleared and converted into another land use a farm, mining site, or city. 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. This is shortly after the end of the last great ice age, through to the present day.2. This is because the latter only captures deforestation the replacement of forest with another land use (such as cropland). Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. 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 But not all of it is to produce products for local 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. 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. We therefore look at them both individually in more detail, to better understand what we can do about it. Since international demand is driving one-third of deforestation emissions, we have some opportunity to reduce emissions through global consumers and supply chains. That these countries have recently regained forests is also visible in the long-term forest trends above. Since three-quarters of tropical deforestation is driven by agriculture, thats a valid concern. How many trees are cut down each year?. It would be good if there was data available that would capture these additional aspects. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. In the chart here we see the breakdown of deforestation emissions by product for each consumer country. When in history did we lose it? What explains this? 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. 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. 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. 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. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Not all forest is equal. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. For example, the average German generated half a tonne (510 kilograms) of CO2 per person from domestic and imported foods. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, Rome. It breaks the change in forests into four stages, explained by two variables: the amount of forest cover a region has, and the annual change in cover (how quickly it is losing or gaining forest).15. Belhaven Press. How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? The world lost 1.5 billion hectares of forest over that period. This is also true for major economies such as China and India. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Shifting agriculture is usually classified as degradation because the land is often abandoned and the forests regrow naturally. 2020. Whether we look at the distribution of endemic mammal species, bird species, or amphibian species, the map is the same: subtropical countries are packed with unique wildlife. Tropical forests are often more productive than temperate forests, meaning they store more carbon. Please consult our full legal disclaimer. In the map we see the net deforestation embedded in trade for each country. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 753-765. Today, only 4 billion hectares are left. This emphasises two important points. The changes to the forest are often temporary and its expected that they will regrow. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. We would subtract its deforestation (25,000 hectares) from its reforestation (50,000 hectares) to get 25,000 hectares net gain. If we can take advantage of these innovations, we can bring deforestation to an end. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. 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. Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 20002013. The same is true of the United States; back in 1630 46% of the area of todays USA was covered by forest. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. We see this in the chart. Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. 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. They are smaller, and more temporary. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). 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. The global population at this time was small and growing very slowly there were fewer than 50 million people in the world. How many trees have been cut down? Mather, A. S. (2004). On the left-hand side we have the countries (grouped by region) where deforestation occurs, and on the right we have the countries and regions where these products are consumed. How much forest has the world lost? Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. The UK imported 34,000 hectares of deforestation but increased its domestic forests by only 19,000 hectares. How many trees have been cut down? This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. Decisionmakers could give as much of our attention to European logging as to destruction of the Amazon. 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. Even with the most basic of lifestyles compared to todays standards, the per capita footprint of our ancestors would have been large. Humanitys biggest footprint is due to what we eat, not where we live. We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. Thats a lot of trees! This helps consumers understand what products they should be concerned about, but also allows us to target specific supply chains. The net change in forest cover measures any gains in forest cover either through natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation. You have permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Sometimes these restoration programmes pale in comparison to the deforestation theyre driving elsewhere. The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. [1] That's 15.3 billion every 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. 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. In most rich countries, across Europe, North America and East Asia, forest cover is increasing, whilst in many low-to-middle income countries its decreasing. 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 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. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? The rate of forest loss changed a lot. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. Thats more than the countrys CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, which are around 2.2 tonnes per person. We can illustrate this through the so-called Forest Transition Model.14 This is shown in the chart. The Earth System (Vol. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. How much deforestation happens every day? Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. This map shows the net change in forest cover across the world. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. On balance, they add to the global forest stock. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? Most of todays richest countries all of Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea have passed the turning point and are now regaining forest. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. How many trees are cut down each year?. Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. Countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are in the early transition phase and are losing forests quickly. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. 1000 years ago, 20% of Scotlands land was covered by forest. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. 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. 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. 71% of deforestation is for domestic production. If poorer countries are cutting down forests to make food for rich consumers, then we should just stop trading these goods. How many trees does IKEA cut down a Our crop yields improve and so we need less land for agriculture. Licenses: All visualizations, data, and articles produced by Our World in Data are open access under the Creative Commons BY license. 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. 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? E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. ( 2020 ) of other air per. Is also true for major economies such as China and India to 7 billion trees are on?! There was data available that would capture these additional aspects allows us to target specific supply chains of...: all visualizations, data, and articles produced by our world data! Deforestation is driven by agriculture, thats a valid concern their assessment each! 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