And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. If we want to end deforestation we need to understand where and why its happening; where countries are within their transition; and what can be done to accelerate their progress through it. How many trees does IKEA cut down a Data from 1990 onwards is sourced from the UNs 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020.References:Williams, M. (2003). How many trees are cut down each year? The consumption choices of people in these countries cause deforestation elsewhere in the world. Moving into the 20th century there was a stepwise change in demand for agricultural land and energy from wood. 59% occurs in Latin America, with a further 28% from Southeast Asia. They first lose lots of forest, but reach a turning point and begin to regain it again. (2012).Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). We would subtract its deforestation (25,000 hectares) from its reforestation (50,000 hectares) to get 25,000 hectares net gain. Just over one-quarter of global forest loss is driven by deforestation. The breakdown of forest loss globally, and by region, is shown in the chart.22. Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. 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. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). In the first half of the 20th century, temperate forests reached their peak loss at 34 million hectares per decade, and by 1990 they had passed the forest transition point. But we should keep these important aspects in mind when comparing forest losses and gains. How many trees have been cut down? 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. Firstly, international trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for almost one-third of emissions. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8753en. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas? Pre-1961 land use is sourced from the work of Ellis et al. 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. 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). But we also see that some countries which import a lot of food have high emissions. When in history did we lose it? As to the number of trees this represents, its impossible to get an accurate count. They cut down their forests and replaced it with agricultural land long ago. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. Across the US and Europe the breakdown of products is more varied. On balance, they add to the global forest stock. 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. Today thats just 34%. By Georgina Rannard. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. 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. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. Science, 349(6250), 827-832. But urban land accounts for just 1% of global habitable land. But then the trend turned, and it moved from deforestation to reforestation. The problem is that it treats all forest loss as equal. The 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. Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. The world loses 5 million hectares of forest to deforestation each year. Scientific Reports, 7, 40678. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. FAO. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? Lets take an example. The breakdown of deforestation by region is shown in the chart. 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 This often comes at the cost of forests. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. In the chart we see the decadal losses and gains in global forest cover. From the 1920s through to the 1980s, decadal losses quadrupled to almost 120 million hectares. 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. Stage 1 The Pre-Transition phase is defined by having high levels of forest cover and no or only very slow losses over time. Since the end of the last great ice age 10,000 years ago the world has lost one-third of its forests.5 Two billion hectares of forest an area twice the size of the United States has been cleared to grow crops, raise livestock, and use for fuelwood. This demand for resources and land is not always driven by domestic markets. Nature, 525(7568), 201-205. Forests are mainly cut and burned to make space for local, subsistence agriculture or for fuelwood for energy. Rudel, T. K., Coomes, O. T., Moran, E., Achard, F., Angelsen, A., Xu, J., & Lambin, E. (2005). 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. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Not all forest is equal. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Hosonuma et al. The rate of population growth tends to slow down. International trade is important for socioeconomic development. What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity. Nearly half (47%) of France was forested 1000 years ago; today thats just under one-third (31.4%). How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? Rural Sociology, 63(4), 533-552. Do rich countries import deforestation from overseas? That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020. How many trees are cut down each year?. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. 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. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. But the magnitude of these impacts are often less than the complete conversion of forest. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. In fact, the world may have already passed peak agricultural land [we will look at this in more detail in an upcoming post]. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. The annual change is now positive. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. In the chart we see how emissions from tropical deforestation are distributed through international supply chains. Since 1961, the amount of land we use for agriculture increased by only 7%. Globally we deforest around ten million hectares of forest every year.11 Thats an area the size of Portugal every year. Stage 2 The Early Transition phase is when countries start to lose forests very rapidly. This is nearly always true of planted forests in temperate regions there, planted forests are long-established and do not replace primary existing forests. Brazil, in contrast, caused more deforestation domestically in the production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere. Carbon emissions from deforestation: are they driven by domestic demand or international trade? Most tropical deforestation is driven by demand for products in domestic markets. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Science, 349(6250), 827-832.Williams, D. R., Clark, M., Buchanan, G. M., Ficetola, G. F., Rondinini, C., & Tilman, D. (2020). How many trees have been cut down? 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. This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. By the 19th century the forest area was reduced to a third of what it once was. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? 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. Stage 4 The Post-Transition phase is when countries have passed the transition point and are now gaining forest again. Rome. 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. 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). Across sub-tropical countries we have a mix: many upper-middle income countries are now in the late transition phase. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. Thats 6 billion hectares. The world has lost one-third of its forest an area twice the size of the United States. Since three-quarters of tropical deforestation is driven by agriculture, thats a valid concern. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of For example, after we adjust for all the goods that the UK imports and exports, it caused more deforestation elsewhere than it did domestically. Deforestation was therefore responsible for [2.6 / 40.2 * 100 = 6.5%]. But, as countries continue to get richer this demand slows. But not all of it is to produce products for local markets. Belhaven Press. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? The researchers found that 36 million trees are cut down in urban areas each year, and 167,000 acres of impervious areas (concrete, asphalt, etc.) This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. After long periods of forest clearance in the past, most of todays richest countries are increasing tree cover through afforestation. National Inventory of Woodland and Trees, England (2001). University of Chicago Press. At the top of the list we see some of the major producer countries Brazil and Indonesia. Why? Deforestation in Africa is mainly driven by local populations and markets; only 9% of its emissions are exported. Countries may lose some forest each year, but this is at a very slow rate. Pendrill, F., Persson, U. M., Godar, J., & Kastner, T. (2019). We will always indicate the original source of the data in our documentation, so you should always check the license of any such third-party data before use and redistribution. 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. 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. Approximately 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are being cut each year according to a report referenced on the Rainforest Action Networks website (RAN) and other publications. They also contribute to global deforestation through the foods they import from poorer countries. (2020). [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. 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). Cuaresma, J. C., Danylo, O., Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Obersteiner, M., See, L., & Walsh, B. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. But distilling changes to this single metric tree or forest loss comes with its own issues. We need to pass the transition point as soon as possible, while minimising the amount of forest we lose along the way. Less than one-third (29%) is for the production of goods that are traded. Lets put some numbers to them. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Tropical forests and the changing earth system. 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. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. Only 10% of this was lost in the first half of this period, until 5,000 years ago. 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 We can calculate this increase as [(7.63 billion 3.09 billion) / 3.09 billion * 100 = 147%]. 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.) In a previous post we looked at this change in global forests over the long-run. 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? 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.) Clearing of the Brazilian Amazon for pasture and croplands was a major driver of this loss. The definition of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density and height. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. This is measured in hectares, which is equivalent to 10,000 m. Lets take a look at which countries are causing deforestation overseas and the size of this impact. Thats an area 1.5-times the size of the United States. Mather, A. S., Fairbairn, J., & Needle, C. L. (1999). In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. When we treat these impacts equally we make it difficult to prioritize our efforts in the fight against deforestation. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Global Environmental Change, 56, 1-10. There is little forest left. 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. This map shows the net change in forest cover across the world. Journal of Rural Studies, 15(1), 65-90.Mather, A. S., & Needle, C. L. (2000). I have therefore excluded these categories so we can focus on how habitable land is used. Nature Sustainability, 1-9. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. But forest cover increases through reforestation. But, understanding the role of deforestation in the products we buy is important. Luxembourg has the largest footprint at nearly three tonnes per person. Increasing human dominance of tropical forests. According to CNN, each year over 1,000 plants and animal species go extinct due to deforestation and subsequent habitat loss. That depends on who you ask, but we do know that around 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 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. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. The total cut down so far is over 470 million trees since January 1st. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. 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. This is calculated by taking each countrys imported deforestation and subtracting its exported deforestation. Without reliable metrics that capture all of these differences, we will have to stick with total changes in forest area for now. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. But there is good reason to make this our primary concern. Still, more than half of the worlds habitable land was forested. 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. 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