Shades of Green: Earth's Forests -- Threats to Forests

World vegetation maps show the theoretical locations of forests: the areas which have suitable climate for forests to grow. The differences between these maps and the actual forest coverage are therefore the result of human activities or natural disasters, such as fires (which also are often caused by people). But since we can't tell for certain what the actual extent of forest coverage used to be, it is hard to get an accurate measurement of the extent of forest destruction.

We cut down the forests, but even in cities we still try to keep trees for decoration, often in unexpected places! Photo by Maya Walters.

We do know that humans have been clearing the forest for a long time. Evidence of small-scale clearing from as long as 7000 years ago has been found in Central America, for example. Recent estimates have suggested that as much as one half of the tropical forests that existed at that time have since been destroyed.

There is data which indicates that half of the forests existing in the 1950's have since been destroyed. Over half of the total forest destruction in Brazil up to 1978 actually occurred between the years 1975 and 1978.

threats to forests -- page 4 of 6
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sub-topics
[deforestation] [climate change] [loss of biodiversity] [pollution] [erosion] [fire]

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