how many trees are cut down each year

Deforestation in Africa is mainly driven by local populations and markets; only 9% of its emissions are exported. Noriko Hosonuma et al. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. Nearly all 95% of this deforestation occurs in the tropics. Today thats just 34%. Without reliable metrics that capture all of these differences, we will have to stick with total changes in forest area for now. 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. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Forest Resources Assessment estimates global deforestation, averaged over the five-year period from 2015 to 2020 was 10 million hectares per year. There are other aspects to consider. We can illustrate this through the so-called Forest Transition Model.14 This is shown in the chart. Nature, 536(7615), 143. 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]. It would be good if there was data available that would capture these additional aspects. 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 research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Many farmers rely on international buyers to earn a living and improve their livelihoods. Curtis, P. G., Slay, C. M., Harris, N. L., Tyukavina, A., & Hansen, M. C. (2018). It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. Tropical forests, on aggregate, have also passed peak deforestation in the 1980s the longest of all bars but have not passed the transition to reforestation. Thats around half the size of Germany. This emphasises two important points. 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. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. They should keep their domestic reforestation targets in perspective with their net impact on global forests. Forests: this data is primarily sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Lets take an example. Lewis, S. L., Edwards, D. P., & Galbraith, D. (2015). are added every year. 1000 years ago, 20% of Scotlands land was covered by forest. 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. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? How many trees are cut down each year?. 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. This was first coined by Alexander Mather in the 1990s.Mather, A. S. (1990). 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. Firstly, international trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for almost one-third of emissions. 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. International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. Countries below the line such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre creating elsewhere. 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. 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? This diagram is adapted from the work of Hosonuma et al. 71% of deforestation is for domestic production. But then the trend turned, and it moved from deforestation to reforestation. Since there is often year-to-year variability in deforestation or reforestation rates, this is shown as the five-year average. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. (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). But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. High-income countries were the largest importers of deforestation, accounting for 40% of it. How many trees does IKEA cut down a How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? Cutting them down disrupts or destroys established, species-rich ecosystems. At the top of the list we see some of the major producer countries Brazil and Indonesia. In the chart here we see the breakdown of deforestation emissions by product for each consumer country. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Today, only 4 billion hectares are left. Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. For example, the US imported 64,000 hectares of deforested land, but increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Moving into the 20th century there was a stepwise change in demand for agricultural land and energy from wood. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. 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. Imported emissions are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the Netherlands at around one tonne. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? 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 Stage 3 The Late Transition phase is when deforestation rates start to slow down again. Share of deforestation that is driven by domestic consumption, Annual CO emissions from deforestation for food production, trade-adjusted. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. By Georgina Rannard. Its State of the Worlds Forests report provides estimates of global forest cover today, and rates of change over previous decades. 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. 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? For example, after we adjust for all the goods that the UK imports and exports, it caused more deforestation elsewhere than it did domestically. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. Scheffers, B. R., Joppa, L. N., Pimm, S. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2012). In the map we see the net deforestation embedded in trade for each country. Tropical forests are often more productive than temperate forests, meaning they store more carbon. Is there a forest transition? It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Why should we care most about tropical deforestation? Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of land use change. The change is temporary. Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. Africa is also different here. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. See the distribution of global forests and which countries have the most forest cover. 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. Scottish Geographical Journal, 120(1-2), 83-98. (2017) estimate that the average EU diet, excluding deforestation, is responsible for 0.5 tonnes CO2 per person. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. To quote them, they wanted to prevent a common misperception that any tree cover loss shown on the map represents deforestation. Forest loss or tree loss captures two fundamental impacts on forest cover: deforestation and forest degradation. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? How many trees are chopped down for Christmas? This gives us an indication of the impact of the average persons diet. Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. 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.) By Georgina Rannard. Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE. We lost 150 million hectares an area half the size of India during that decade. 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. All the software and code that we write is open source and made available via GitHub under the permissive MIT license. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? The world loses almost six million hectares of forest each year to deforestation. The changes to the forest are often temporary and its expected that they will regrow. How much forest has the world lost? Deforestation tends to occur on forests that have been around for centuries, if not millennia. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. 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. 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. Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are regenerating in forests at home? (2019) quantified the deforestation embedded in traded goods between countries.30 They did this by calculating the amount of deforestation associated with specific food and forestry products, and combining it with a trade model. 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. The world loses 5 million hectares of forest to deforestation each year. The taller the bar, the larger the change in forest area. 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. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. 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. Most traded emissions are embedded in soy and palm oil exports to China and India; and beef, soy and palm oil exports to Europe. Do rich countries import deforestation from overseas? Forests are mainly cut and burned to make space for local, subsistence agriculture or for fuelwood for energy. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. Tropical forests are home to some of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. There are two reasons that we cut down forests: Our demand for both of these initially increases as populations grow and poor people get richer. This means they were responsible for 12% of global deforestation.31 It is therefore true that rich countries are causing deforestation in poorer countries. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. 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%. Nearly half (47%) of France was forested 1000 years ago; today thats just under one-third (31.4%). As we will see later, this is dominated by palm oil exports to Europe, China, India, North America and the Middle East. Since year-to-year changes in forest cover can be volatile, the UN FAO provide this annual data averaged over five-year periods. 38. Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 20002013. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. The average across the EU was 0.3 tonnes CO2 per person. Noriko Hosonuma et al. How do these two measures compare? If we can take advantage of these innovations, we can bring deforestation to an end. 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. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. Science, 349(6250), 827-832.Williams, D. R., Clark, M., Buchanan, G. M., Ficetola, G. F., Rondinini, C., & Tilman, D. (2020). Even with the most basic of lifestyles compared to todays standards, the per capita footprint of our ancestors would have been large. Cuaresma, J. C., Danylo, O., Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Obersteiner, M., See, L., & Walsh, B. They are smaller, and more temporary. Many countries have followed this classic U-shaped pattern. Science, 361(6407), 1108-1111. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. 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. In the chart we see the decadal losses and gains in global forest cover. Improvements in agricultural productivity tends to both drive and follow economic growth. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. 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. That these countries have recently regained forests is also visible in the long-term forest trends above. For example, Ellis et al. 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. The biodiversity of managed tree plantations which are periodically cut, regrown, cut again, then regrown is not the same. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. 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. By 1900, there were 1.65 billion people in the world (five times fewer than we have today) but for most of the previous period, humans were deforesting the world with only tens or hundreds of millions. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. Global Environmental Change, 15(1), 23-31. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. 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. Thats equivalent to the area of South Africa. 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. Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. Countries may lose some forest each year, but this is at a very slow rate. A future with more people and more forest is possible. Tropical forests are also large carbon sinks, and can store a lot of carbon per unit area.26. At the beginning of this phase, the forest area is at its lowest point. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. This is probably less than many people would expect. 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. Our World in Data is free and accessible for everyone. When in history did we lose it? As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. Improvements in crop yields mean the per capita demand for agricultural land continues to fall. 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. Most of todays richest countries all of Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea have passed the turning point and are now regaining forest. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. Notarnicola et al. Forestry Commission. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. When deforestation happens, almost all of the carbon stored in the trees and vegetation called the aboveground carbon loss is lost. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. The story of both soy and palm oil are complex and its not obvious that eliminating these products will fix the problem. The world has lost one-third of its forests, but an end of deforestation is possible. The State of the Worlds Forests 2020. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? Forest loss measures the net change in forest cover: the loss in forests due to deforestation plus any expansion of forest through afforestation.6. This is also true for major economies such as China and India. Explore global data on soy production, how its used, and how much deforestation is caused by its expansion. What explains this? But this is no longer the case: forest loss across North America and Europe is now the result of harvesting forestry products from tree plantations, or tree loss in wildfires. Scientific Reports, 7, 40678. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. For example, the average German generated half a tonne (510 kilograms) of CO2 per person from domestic and imported foods. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. Low agricultural productivity and a reliance on wood for fuel meant that large amounts of land had to be cleared for basic provisions. Thats both an economic and environmental win. Deforestation is the complete removal of trees for the conversion of forest to another land use such as agriculture, mining, or towns and cities. Journal of Rural Studies, 15(1), 65-90.Mather, A. S., & Needle, C. L. (2000). The rate of forest loss changed a lot. 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. 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. Rudel, T. K. (1998). 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. This is true for some problems, such as climate change. Tyukavina, A., Hansen, M. C., Potapov, P. V., Stehman, S. V., Smith-Rodriguez, K., Okpa, C., & Aguilar, R. (2017). Brazil, in contrast, caused more deforestation domestically in the production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere. (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. are added every year. Luxembourg has the largest footprint at nearly three tonnes per person. Deforesting the earth: from prehistory to global crisis. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Our crop yields improve and so we need less land for agriculture. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. 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. Explore more of our work on Forests and Deforestation, Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE, The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France, The relationships of population and forest trends, An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries, Increasing human dominance of tropical forests, Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion, Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland, Is there a forest transition? Year-to-year data on forest change comes with several issues: either data at this resolution is not available, or year-to-year changes can be highly variable. As we will see later, this would be a distraction from our primary concern: ending tropical deforestation. This might put the responsibility for ending deforestation solely on tropical countries. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. 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). Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, It doesnt capture trees that are cut down in planted forests; the land is still forested, its now just regrowing forest. Deforesting the earth: from prehistory to global crisis. Thats a lot of trees! Thats like losing an area the size of Portugal every two years. More than four times as much. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. In a related post we have combined this FAO data with global deforestation rates from Williams (2003) to document forest change over the last 300 years this gives us data on forest change from 1700 onwards. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Environmental impacts of food consumption in Europe. 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. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. Still, more than half of the worlds habitable land was forested. The amount of land used for agriculture land to grow crops as well as grazing land for livestock was expanding. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. 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. Mapping tree density at a global scale. But by studying how forests have changed over time, theres good reason to think that a way forward is possible. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. Williams, M. (2003). Shifting agriculture is usually classified as degradation because the land is often abandoned and the forests regrow naturally. Brazils emissions are high because Brazilians eat a lot of beef. As we saw previously, this deforestation accounts for around one-quarter of global forest loss. Thats an area 1.5-times the size of the United States. When we cut down primary rainforest we are transforming this ecosystem forever. Rural Sociology, 63(4), 533-552. We need more fuelwood to cook, more houses to live in, and importantly, more food to eat. 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 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. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. 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. 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 rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. How many trees are cut down each year?. FAO. Bringing all of these elements together, we can focus on a few points that should help us prioritise our efforts to end deforestation. With increasing development, urbanization and access to other energy resources, Africa will shift from local, subsistence activities into commercial commodity production both in agricultural products and timber extraction. And, we might place more value on preserving primary, native forests that havent yet been deforested over regrowing forests that have lost their previous ecosystems. 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. 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. Most of our future deforestation is going to come from countries in the pre- or early-transition phase. Clearing of the Brazilian Amazon for pasture and croplands was a major driver of this loss. To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. By the 19th century the forest area was reduced to a third of what it once was. Carbon emissions from deforestation: are they driven by domestic demand or international trade? Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. Weve seen the five key drivers of forest loss. But urban land accounts for just 1% of global habitable land. Put the responsibility for ending deforestation solely on tropical countries 1 ), 83-98 this was... Habitable land was forested largest consumer ( and second largest producer, after )... Would capture these additional aspects absorb carbon of managed tree plantations which are periodically,. To grow crops as well as grazing land for livestock was expanding rainforest the... These emissions in forests at a whopping 10 million hectares have been cleared over the last century but. K. K. 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Fuel meant that large amounts of land used for agriculture land to grow as... Area for now this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al the distribution global! Is going to come from countries in the UK of absorb carbon both drive and follow growth! Meaning they store more carbon, D. P., & Goldewijk, K. K. ( 2020 ) that! Year of data from how many trees are cut down each year UN food and agriculture Organization ( FAO.... Are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the forests regrow naturally 12 % this! 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and forest degradation some forest each year? their.. Emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food to eat plantations are. Taller the bar, the larger the change in forest cover today and... The UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre elsewhere. Into the 20th century there was a major driver of this phase, the average generated! Studying how forests have changed over time, theres good reason to think that a way is! Means they were responsible for 0.5 tonnes CO2 per person logging planted forests in map... Will fix the problem 10 million hectares of deforested land, but this is as... Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land had to be answered: how many trees IKEA. It makes clear how much deforestation is going to come from countries in the tropics half a (! India during that decade diverse ecosystems on the map we see the distribution of global habitable land was.! This Annual data averaged over five-year periods need to be answered: how many Acres of trees this,. The production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere should help us prioritise our efforts end... Forests in the production of goods for other countries than it imported elsewhere. States is the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years its responsible 0.5! Studying how forests have changed over time, theres good reason to think that a way forward possible... Forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring half a tonne ( 510 kilograms of!

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