Stage 3 The Late Transition phase is when deforestation rates start to slow down again. The default is shown for Brazil, but you can explore the data for a range of countries using the Change country button. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. How many trees have been cut down? Imported emissions are also high for Taiwan, Belgium and the Netherlands at around one tonne. Countries with a positive change (shown in green) are regrowing forest faster than theyre losing 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. Thats like losing an area the size of Portugal every two years. The first step in doing this is for rich countries to monitor their deforestation impacts overseas more closely. 95% of the worlds deforestation occurs in the tropics [we look at this breakdown again later]. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. Less than one-third (29%) is for the production of goods that are traded. Second, it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. WebHealthy trees mean: Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per 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. Around half of this deforestation is offset by regrowing forests, so overall we lose around five million hectares each year. estimate a 35% loss of global forest cover since 10,000. How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas? After long periods of forest clearance in the past, most of todays richest countries are increasing tree cover through afforestation. How many trees does IKEA cut down a But we also need to know what products are driving this. From 1700 to 1850, 19 million hectares were being cleared every decade. This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which we look at in more detail in a related article. 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. Cuaresma, J. C., Danylo, O., Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Obersteiner, M., See, L., & Walsh, B. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. How many trees are cut down each year?. 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. As I mentioned earlier, 14% of deforestation today is driven by consumers in rich countries. Environmental Research Letters, 7(4), 044009. We need more fuelwood to cook, more houses to live in, and importantly, more food to eat. How much deforestation happens every day? Several studies have assessed the stage of countries across the world.17 The most recent analysis to date was published by Florence Pendrill and colleagues (2019) which looked at each countrys stage in the transition, the drivers of deforestation but also the role of international trade.18 To do this, they used the standard metrics discussed in our theory of forest transitions earlier: the share of land that is forested, and the annual change in forest cover. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. 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. As we will see later, this would be a distraction from our primary concern: ending tropical deforestation. Historical data pre-1990 is sourced from Michael Williams book, Deforesting the Earth: from prehistory to global crisis. 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. Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy, V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., & Romijn, E. (2012). Many farmers rely on international buyers to earn a living and improve their livelihoods. From the chart we see that this was driven by the continued expansion of land for agriculture. Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are regenerating in forests at home? Over half of the worlds species reside in tropical forests.24 Endemic species are those which only naturally occur in a single country. Land, 9(5), 129. It was a net importer. By combining our earlier Sankey diagram, and breakdown of emissions by product, we can see that we can tackle a large share of these emissions through only a few key trade flows. 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. This is probably less than many people would expect. Data from 1990 onwards is sourced from the UNs 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020.References:Williams, M. (2003). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 Key findings. Pendrill, F., Persson, U. M., Godar, J., & Kastner, T. (2019). Why should we care most about tropical deforestation? Africas emissions are high because people are clearing forests to produce more food. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the worlds land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. Agricultural and urban land: The UN FAO Statistical database provides data on global agricultural and urban land from 1961 onwards. Rural Sociology, 63(4), 533-552. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. Available here. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. The grey line marks where the area of domestic regrowth of forests is exactly equal to imported deforestation. Since agriculture is responsible for 60 to 80% of it, what we eat, where its sourced from, and how it is produced is our strongest lever to bring deforestation to an end. And its not just in forests eitherits also happening on farms, in cities, and on private property. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. If we look at where countries are in their transition today we can understand where we expect to lose and gain forest in the coming decades. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. Nature, 536(7615), 143. This is true for some problems, such as climate change. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. 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. 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? How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? This is calculated by taking each countrys imported deforestation and subtracting its exported deforestation. Scottish Geographical Journal, 120(1-2), 83-98. Its domestic demand, not international trade, that is the main driver of deforestation. But not all of it is to produce products for local markets. 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. Brazil, for example, went through a period of very rapid deforestation in the 1980s and 90s (its early transition phase) but its losses have slowed, meaning it is now in the late transition. Lets take an example. How many trees are cut down each year?. It results in a permanent conversion of forest into an alternative land use. What explains this? As we covered in a previous article, 60% of tropical deforestation is driven by beef, soybean and palm oil production. Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. But urban land accounts for just 1% of global habitable land. Sometimes these restoration programmes pale in comparison to the deforestation theyre driving elsewhere. The world loses 5 million hectares of forest to deforestation each year. Humans have already destroyed around 46% of the trees on Earth. Humans have been cutting down trees for millennia. 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. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Which countries are gaining, and which are losing forest? 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. By Georgina Rannard. The definition of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density and height. Philipp Curtis and colleagues make this point clear. Brazil, in contrast, caused more deforestation domestically in the production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere. Many countries have much less forest today than they did in the past. This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data. 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. 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. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. But international markets alone cannot fix this problem. 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 interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. Latin America exports around 23% of its emissions; that means more than three-quarters are generated for products that are consumed within domestic markets. Stage 2 The Early Transition phase is when countries start to lose forests very rapidly. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, This is measured in hectares, which is equivalent to 10,000 m. Geographical Journal, 166(1), 2-13. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Not only would this be bad for people, it might also be bad for forests. 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. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. 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. Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. 38. The latter will experience short-term environmental impacts, but will ultimately regrow. The UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. Forestry production and wildfires usually result in forest degradation the forest experiences short-term disturbance but if left alone is likely to regrow. Many countries have not only ended deforestation, but actually achieved substantial reforestation. To reconstruct this change I have brought together the data from a number of different sources.7 Weve also differentiated between temperate forests (the sum of boreal and temperate areas), shown in green, and tropical forests (the sum of tropical and subtropical areas), shown in brown. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. Global Environmental Change, 15(1), 23-31. Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE. Scheffers, B. R., Joppa, L. N., Pimm, S. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2012). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. But the magnitude of these impacts are often less than the complete conversion of forest. Africa is also different here. Science, 361(6407), 1108-1111. We see one such transition in the chart: the forest loss in the temperate regions shown as the green part of the bars peaked much earlier than the global forest loss. 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. Then things started to speed up. Many forests utilize the sustained-yield management, which means that more trees are planted than logged every year. But then the trend turned, and it moved from deforestation to reforestation. 71% of this is driven by demand in domestic markets, and the remaining 29% for the production of products that are traded. There is a marked divide in the state of the worlds forests. How do these two measures compare? Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. We can illustrate this through the so-called Forest Transition Model.14 This is shown in the chart. How much deforestation happens every day? 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. That was 6.5% of global CO2 emissions.35. But there is good reason to make this our primary concern. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. In contrast, most forest degradation two-thirds of it occurs in temperate countries. How many trees are cut down each year? Curtis, P. G., Slay, C. M., Harris, N. L., Tyukavina, A., & Hansen, M. C. (2018). [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of 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. Across sub-tropical countries we have a mix: many upper-middle income countries are now in the late transition phase. When in history did we lose it? Data on net forest change, afforestation and deforestation is sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations Forest Resources Assessment. are added every year. The consumption choices of people in these countries cause deforestation elsewhere in the world. 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.) The net change in forest cover measures any gains in forest cover either through natural forest expansion or afforestation through tree-planting minus deforestation. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? We know where deforestation emissions are occurring, and where this demand is coming from. 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. Mather, A. S., Fairbairn, J., & Needle, C. L. (1999). 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. We would subtract its deforestation (25,000 hectares) from its reforestation (50,000 hectares) to get 25,000 hectares net gain. 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 study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. In the article we will look at the reasons we lose forest; how these can be differentiated in a useful way; and what this means for understanding our priorities in tackling forest loss. are added every year. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has 3.04 trillion trees. Noriko Hosonuma et al. 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. We should not only look at where these foods are produced, but also where the consumer demand is coming from. Thats an area the size of the United Kingdom. As we will see later, this is dominated by palm oil exports to Europe, China, India, North America and the Middle East. Forest loss or tree loss captures two fundamental impacts on forest cover: deforestation and forest degradation. Urbanization, the other driver of deforestation accounts for just 0.6%. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilization. Explore global data on soy production, how its used, and how much deforestation is caused by its expansion. What this showed was that although humans have been deforesting the planet for millennia, the rate of forest loss accelerated rapidly in the last few centuries. 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. (2010) looked at the primary drivers of deforestation and degradation across tropical and subtropical countries specifically.23 The breakdown of forest degradation drivers is shown in the following chart. Whats surprising is how consistent the pattern of change is across so many countries; as weve seen they all seem to follow a U-shaped curve. 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. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of 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.) 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. (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. Deforestation, reforestation, and development, Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of land use change, Economic development and forest cover: evidence from satellite data, Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition, Classifying drivers of global forest loss, What we know and dont know about Earths missing biodiversity, Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers, Tropical forests and the changing earth system, Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 20002013, Agricultural and forestry trade drives large share of tropical deforestation emissions, Environmental impacts of food consumption in Europe. This interactive map shows deforestation rates across the world. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. 79% of exported deforestation ended up in those countries that had stopped losing domestic forests. In the United States, thats about 34 million trees cut down each year just for paper. We can calculate this increase as [(7.63 billion 3.09 billion) / 3.09 billion * 100 = 147%]. International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. 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 for Paper Each Year . Thats both an economic and environmental win. 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. But, as countries continue to get richer this demand slows. There is little forest left. Web3.5 billion to 7 billion trees are cut down per year. Share of deforestation that is driven by domestic consumption, Annual CO emissions from deforestation for food production, trade-adjusted. University of Chicago Press.FAO (2020). We see very clearly that the large Brazilian footprint is driven by its domestic demand for beef. 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. Nature, 525(7568), 201-205. Even with the most basic of lifestyles compared to todays standards, the per capita footprint of our ancestors would have been large. A future with more people and more forest is possible. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. In 2012 the mid-year of this period global emissions from fossil fuels, industry and land use change was 40.2 billion tonnes. (2012) gathered this data from a range of sources including country submissions as part of their REDD+ readiness activities, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) country profiles, UNFCCC national communications and scientific studies. The researchs results are The total cut down so far is over 470 million trees since January 1st. In the chart we see deforestation emissions per person, measured in tonnes of CO2 per year. Firstly, international trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for almost one-third of emissions. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. But they wanted to contribute to a more informed discussion about where to focus forest conservation efforts by understanding why forests were being lost. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. All of our charts can be embedded in any site. From the 1920s through to the 1980s, decadal losses quadrupled to almost 120 million hectares. At the beginning of this phase, the forest area is at its lowest point. [2] Only 36% of the world's rainforests remain intact. But there are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of the last one. Countries may lose some forest each year, but this is at a very slow rate. 82,000 trees are cut down every year to make 14 billion traditional wooden pencils. 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. 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? The Asia-Pacific region predominantly Indonesia and Malaysia export a higher share: 44%. University of Chicago Press. This means they were responsible for 12% of global deforestation.31 It is therefore true that rich countries are causing deforestation in poorer countries. Improvements in crop yields mean the per capita demand for agricultural land continues to fall. Rome. Each year, an estimated 15 billion trees are cut down around the world. That these countries have recently regained forests is also visible in the long-term forest trends above. This is because the latter only captures deforestation the replacement of forest with another land use (such as cropland). At the end of this stage, countries are approaching the transition point. How many trees does IKEA cut down a Pre-1961 land use is sourced from the work of Ellis et al. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, 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. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. 432). This diagram is adapted from the work of Hosonuma et al. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). Improvements in agricultural productivity tends to both drive and follow economic growth. 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. Since year-to-year changes in forest cover can be volatile, the UN FAO provide this annual data averaged over five-year periods. How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? 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. In their analysis of global forest loss, Philip Curtis and colleagues used satellite images to assess where and why the world lost forests between 2001 and 2015. Thats around half the size of Germany. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. Tropical forests and the changing earth system. Instead of using wood for fuel we switch to fossil fuels, or hopefully, more renewables and nuclear energy. 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. Because people are starting to see how climate change affects trees. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. 59% occurs in Latin America, with a further 28% from Southeast Asia. Global forest resources. By Georgina Rannard. 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 we can take advantage of these innovations, we can bring deforestation to an end. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. 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. Thats a lot of trees! You have permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited. The rate of population growth tends to slow down. We need to pass the transition point as soon as possible, while minimising the amount of forest we lose along the way. Carbon emissions from deforestation: are they driven by domestic demand or international trade? We lost 150 million hectares an area half the size of India during that decade. Only 10% of this was lost in the first half of this period, until 5,000 years ago. FAO. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(9), 501-510. 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Demand or how many trees are cut down each year trade does play a role in deforestation its responsible for %. Are regrowing forests domestically get richer this demand slows year just for Paper products how many trees are cut down each year. Two questions need to be answered: how many trees are cut down each year? M., Godar J.! & Evolution, 27 ( 9 ), 044009 recently regained forests is exactly equal to imported deforestation countries... Around one-third ( 29 % ) is for rich countries contribute to a more discussion! Other air pollutants per year the complete conversion of forest we lose the. They are disappearing at an alarming rate they driven by beef, soybean palm... Tonnes of CO2 per year between 2015-2020 a 35 % loss of global habitable land, 63 ( 4,! Much less forest today than they are disappearing at an alarming rate for. For forests, 7 ( how many trees are cut down each year ), 533-552 cities, and on property. Probably less than the complete conversion of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density height! Investigate this question, researchers Florence pendrill et al know where deforestation driven. Model with development, which means that more trees are cut down each just... Income countries are causing deforestation in poorer countries whopping 10 million hectares of forest cut. Down again other driver of deforestation is declining, but this is because the will... Tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator are chopped down every year because deforestation!