What activities are driving this? This follows the classic forest transition model with development, which we look at in more detail in a related article. Brazils emissions are high because Brazilians eat a lot of beef. Web42 million trees are cut down each day. Just over one-quarter of global forest loss is driven by deforestation. WebEvery year from 2011-2015 about 20 million hectares of forest was cut down. 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. But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon. In the map we see their assessment of each countrys stage in the transition. There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. Deforestation displaced: trade in forest-risk commodities and the prospects for a global forest transition. Its useful to make this distinction because as we will see where the world has lost forests has shifted. The first step in doing this is for rich countries to monitor their deforestation impacts overseas more closely. But international markets alone cannot fix this problem. 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. But, the fact that forest transitions are possible should give us confidence that a positive future is possible. This shifting agriculture category can be difficult to allocate between deforestation and degradation: it often requires close monitoring over time to understand how permanent these agricultural practices are. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. WebThe UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year. 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. 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. If we fast-forward to 1700 when the global population had increased more than ten-fold, to 603 million. 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. How many trees are cut down each year in the Amazon rainforest? An area the size of the United States. If we sum countries imported deforestation by World Bank income group, we find that high-income countries were responsible for 40% of imported deforestation; upper-middle income for 25%; lower-middle income for 20%; and low income for 5%. 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. What if this deforestation is being driven by consumers elsewhere? From the 1920s through to the 1980s, decadal losses quadrupled to almost 120 million hectares. Shifting agriculture is usually classified as degradation because the land is often abandoned and the forests regrow naturally. In the chart we see the comparison between the change in domestic forest area, and deforestation driven by imported goods.33 On the vertical axis we have the domestic change in forest area: this is shown only for countries where the forest area is increasing. Its State of the Worlds Forests report provides estimates of global forest cover today, and rates of change over previous decades. The global population at this time was small and growing very slowly there were fewer than 50 million people in the world. The definition of forest can vary depending on aspects such as tree density and height. 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 For example, the average German generated half a tonne (510 kilograms) of CO2 per person from domestic and imported foods. 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. Brazil and Indonesia alone account for almost half. Forestry Commission. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. One of the reasons poorer countries clear forest to make room for farmland is that they achieve low crop yields. Environmental impacts of food consumption in Europe. 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. What are the major impacts of mass deforestation and forest loss? Since 2016, an average of 28 million hectares have been cut down every year. Rather than looking at total figures by country [if youre interested, we have mapped them here] we have calculated the per capita footprint. University of Chicago Press. It was predominantly temperate forests that were being lost at this time. A study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal Nature suggests these answers: 3 trillion and 15.3 billion. How many trees have been cut down? The rate of forest loss changed a lot. Improvements in agricultural productivity tends to both drive and follow economic growth. Forests: this data is primarily sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 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. Global forest resources. And to identify where deforestation is occurring; perhaps as important, show where forest loss is not deforestation. As we will see later, this is dominated by palm oil exports to Europe, China, India, North America and the Middle East. FAO. Nicolas-Jacques Cont, an officer in Napoleon's army, invented the modern pencil by combining graphite and clay for lead durability. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. 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. Land, 9(5), 129. 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. The research says 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year. The breakdown of forest loss globally, and by region, is shown in the chart.22. That these countries have recently regained forests is also visible in the long-term forest trends above. 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.) When we cut down primary rainforest we are transforming this ecosystem forever. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. We see very clearly that the large Brazilian footprint is driven by its domestic demand for beef. 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. Classifying drivers of global forest loss. We can calculate this increase as [(7.63 billion 3.09 billion) / 3.09 billion * 100 = 147%]. To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. The changes to the forest are often temporary and its expected that they will regrow. How many trees are lost to deforestation each year? 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. Still, more than half of the worlds habitable land was forested. The paths between these end boxes indicate where emissions are being traded the wider the bar, the more emissions are embedded in these products. The taller the bar, the larger the change in forest area. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? They should keep their domestic reforestation targets in perspective with their net impact on global forests. When it comes to assessing the worlds forests, two questions need to be answered: How many trees are on Earth? and. Net importers of deforestation (shown in brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. In a study published in Global Environmental Change, Florence Pendrill and colleagues investigated where tropical deforestation was occurring; what products were driving this; and, using global trade models, they traced where these products were going in international supply chains.34, They found that tropical deforestation given as the annual average between 2010 and 2014 was responsible for 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. 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]. This is very close to our estimate of a one-third loss. We therefore look at them both individually in more detail, to better understand what we can do about it. The study also finds that human activity negatively affects tree abundance from the boreal forests to the equator. The relationships of population and forest trends. Please consult our full legal disclaimer. How many trees are cut down each year? 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 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. By Georgina Rannard. The world has lost one-third of its forest an area twice the size of the United States. It also estimates that 46% of the worlds trees have been cleared over the past 12,000 years. Degradation drivers, including logging and especially wildfires can definitely have major impacts on forest health: animal populations decline, trees can die, and CO2 is emitted. All the software and code that we write is open source and made available via GitHub under the permissive MIT license. There are other aspects to consider. The consumption choices of people in these countries cause deforestation elsewhere in the world. 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 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. But we should keep these important aspects in mind when comparing forest losses and gains. Deforestation in Africa is mainly driven by local populations and markets; only 9% of its emissions are exported. [4] Forests cover 4.06 billion hectares (just less than 31%) of How much deforestation happens every day? Imagine over 100 large harvesters working non-stop. Thats more than the countrys CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, which are around 2.2 tonnes per person. And with the growth of technological innovations such as lab-grown meat and substitute products, there is the real possibility that we can continue to enjoy meat or meat-like foods while freeing up the massive amounts of land we use to raise livestock. But there are real reasons to believe that this century doesnt have to replicate the destruction of the last one. Across temperate forests the world gained 6 million hectares in the last decade. I have reconstructed long-term data using various studies which Ive documented here. 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. 27% of forest loss results from commodity-driven deforestation cutting down forests to grow crops such as soy, palm oil, cocoa, to raise livestock on pasture, and mining operations. The 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. Thats like losing an area the size of Portugal every two years. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. But there is good reason to make this our primary concern. This often comes at the cost of forests. 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). 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. Maxwell, S. L., Fuller, R. A., Brooks, T. M., & Watson, J. E. (2016). Increasing human dominance of tropical forests. The United States is the worlds largest consumer (and second largest producer, after Canada) of forest products. Some interesting facts state that every second, 1.5 acres of wood are cut down, Noriko Hosonuma et al. Nearly all 95% of this deforestation occurs in the tropics. 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. Instead of using wood for fuel we switch to fossil fuels, or hopefully, more renewables and nuclear energy. In a related article we look in much more detail at what agricultural products, and which countries are driving this. The diet of the average Brazilian creates 2.7 tonnes of CO2 from deforestation alone. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. As mentioned above, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. and an argument for why deforestation is worse than degradation. All other material, including 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. The data used in this chart comes from several sources. Most deforestation occurs for the production of goods that are consumed within domestic markets. Countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are in the early transition phase and are losing forests quickly. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? International trade was responsible for around one-third (29%) of these emissions. International trade is important for socioeconomic development. 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.) Thats one football field of forest lost every single second around the clock. Mapping tree density at a global scale. As we will see later, this would be a distraction from our primary concern: ending tropical deforestation. How many trees are cut down each year? We see this in the chart. This increase was mostly driven by tropical deforestation as countries across Asia and Latin America followed the path of Europe and North America. This number comes from the World Bank, which estimates that there are 3 trillion trees on the planet. In a previous post we looked at this change in global forests over the long-run. According to the Environmental Paper Network, an estimated 30% of felled trees are used for paper products. Stage 4 The Post-Transition phase is when countries have passed the transition point and are now gaining forest again. But distilling changes to this single metric tree or forest loss comes with its own issues. 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. Rome. 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. How many trees does IKEA cut down a For example, Ellis et al. 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. Within this global aggregated trend there are many forest transitions at local, national or regional levels occurring. Nature, 536(7615), 143. Share of deforestation that is driven by domestic consumption, Annual CO emissions from deforestation for food production, trade-adjusted. By Georgina Rannard. We then get high-income countries share of deforestation as: [40% of the 29% that is traded], which is equal to 12%. Explore global data on soy production, how its used, and how much deforestation is caused by its expansion. Lets now focus on the consumers of products driving deforestation. 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. 432). But then the trend turned, and it moved from deforestation to reforestation. 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. The latter will experience short-term environmental impacts, but will ultimately regrow. This emphasises two important points. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing meat and dairy intake particularly beef and lamb has the largest impact. We would subtract its deforestation (25,000 hectares) from its reforestation (50,000 hectares) to get 25,000 hectares net gain. Is there a forest transition? Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Licenses: All visualizations, data, and articles produced by Our World in Data are open access under the Creative Commons BY license. Globally we deforest around ten million hectares of forest every year.11 Thats an area the size of Portugal every year. But, understanding the role of deforestation in the products we buy is important. Countries below the line such as the UK and Germany are not growing forests fast enough to offset the deforestation theyre creating elsewhere. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8753en. Cutting them down disrupts or destroys established, species-rich ecosystems. More than 7 million hectares of forest, or 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees, are cut down every year because of deforestation. 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. Deforestation tends to occur on forests that have been around for centuries, if not millennia. 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. Africa is also different here. To put this in perspective, that would be around one-sixth of the total carbon footprint of the average EU diet.36. Rome. The rate of deforestation is declining, but we still lost forests at a whopping 10 million hectares per year between 2015-2020. They are smaller, and more temporary. Deforestation was therefore responsible for [2.6 / 40.2 * 100 = 6.5%]. What explains this? The rate of population growth tends to slow down. [1] That's 15.3 billion every year. This means interventions at the national-level will be key: this can include a range of solutions including policies such as Brazils soy moratorium, the REDD+ programme to compensate for the opportunity costs of preserving these forests, and improvements in agricultural productivity so countries can continue to produce more food on less land. Ellis, E. C., Beusen, A. H., & Goldewijk, K. K. (2020). Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. This diagram is adapted from the work of Hosonuma et al. 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. The UN FAO estimate that 10 million hectares of forest were cut down 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. How many trees does IKEA cut down a But its not the case for deforestation. They also contribute to global deforestation through the foods they import from poorer countries. Even with the most basic of lifestyles compared to todays standards, the per capita footprint of our ancestors would have been large. Rudel, T. K. (1998). 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). How Many Trees are Cut down for Paper Each Year . There is some bad news, though: that number is likely to increase by 20% by 2023. Net forest loss is not the same as deforestation it measures deforestation plus any gains in forest over a given period. How Many Acres of Trees Are Cut Down Each Year? This explains historical trends we see for countries across the world today. Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. 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. Impacts overseas more closely study published on September 2, 2015 in the journal suggests... Global population at this time, which estimates that there are 3 trillion on! Nuclear energy beef and lamb has the largest impact Democratic Republic of Congo are in the chart.22 the 12,000! See where the world soy production, trade-adjusted down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, to. Early transition phase and are now gaining forest again 120 million hectares of loss! Brazilians eat a lot of beef ) to get 25,000 hectares net gain the consumption choices of people the! 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