Data from 2000 to 2023 Highlights Gradual Net Loss of Tree Cover Worldwide
The nonprofit Global Forest Watch (GFW) was established by the World Resources Institute in 1997 to provide reports on forests in Cameroon, Canada, Gabon, and Indonesia. Today, it provides data on forests worldwide, with diverse funding sources such as the Earth Bezos Fund, Cargill, and the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. Below are recent data highlights.
In 2010, the world had 3.92 Gha (giga hectares) of tree cover.
From 2000 to 2020, there was 3.58 Gha of stable forests, 131 Mha (mega hectares) of tree cover gained, and 231 Mha of tree cover lost. This resulted in a net of 100 Mha of tree cover lost.
From 2002 to 2023, 76.3 Mha of humid primary forests (in the tropics) were lost globally, or 7.4% of the total.
From 2001 to 2023, there was 488 Mha of tree cover loss globally, or 12% of the tree cover globally in 2000. This released 201 Gt (gigatons) of carbon dioxide emissions.
Total tree cover losses were 13.8 Mha in 2001, rising to 28.2 Mha in 2023. This increased loss was mostly due to wildfires (from 6.92 Mha to 9.00 Mha), shifting agriculture (from 2.97 Mha to 6.60 Mha), forestry (from 4.96 Mha to 6.60 Mha), and commodity-driven deforestation (3.08 Mha to 4.46 Mha).
From 2001 to 2023, Russia had the highest relative tree cover loss of 83.7 Mha, followed by Brazil (68.9 Mha), Canada (57.5 Mha), the United States (47.9 Mha), and Indonesia (30.8 Mha).
Within that time frame, from 2000 to 2020, Russia also had the highest tree cover gain of 37.2 Mha, followed by Canada (17.0 Mha), the United States (14.0 Mha), Brazil (8.06 Mha), and China (6.69 Mha).
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