Annual Change in Forest Area Mapped
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The world has a total forest area of 4.06 billion hectares, almost 1/3 (31%) of the land globally. This area equals 0.52 hectares per person, but forests are not spread equally geographically and among the planet’s people.
The tropical zone has the most significant proportion of the global forests (45%), accompanied by the boreal, temperate and subtropical zones.
More than half (54%) of the global forests have in only 5 nations–Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China.
Primary forests are not significantly disturbed by human activity cover approximately 1.11 billion hectares. But the area of primary forests has declined by 81 million hectares since 1990.
The decrease in the world’s forest area
The planet has lost a net area of 178 million hectares of forest since 1990, which is an area around the size of Libya. The total loss of forests has been 420 million hectares since 1990.
The rate of net forest loss declined considerably from 1990 to 2020 because of decreased deforestation in some nations, plus enlargements in forest area in others due to afforestation and natural reforestation.
The pace of net forest loss decreased from 7.8 million hectares per year in 1990–2000 to 5.2 million hectares per year in 2000–2010 and 4.7 million hectares per year in 2010–2020. The decrease in net forest loss was delayed in the most recent decade due to the decline in the rate of forest expansion.
Africa had the highest yearlong rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 million hectares, followed by South America at 2.6 million hectares.
Forest regeneration
3.75 billion hectares (93%) of the forest area worldwide comprises naturally restored forests, and 290 million hectares (7%) are planted. The area of naturally renewing forest has declined since 1990, but the planted forest area has grown by 123 million hectares. The growth rate in planted forest areas has been delayed in the last 10 years. Forest plantations account for about 131 million hectares (3% of the worldwide forest area).
The map below created by @geo.dwaja shows the annual change in forest area by country.
