A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, released on July 22, 2024, provides a mixed picture of the world’s forests. While deforestation rates have decreased globally, the escalating impacts of climate change continue to threaten these crucial ecosystems.
Deforestation Trends
- Global Forest Cover: As of 2020, the world’s forests covered approximately 4.1 billion hectares, which is 31% of the land area.
- Major Contributors: The Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China account for 54% of the global forest area.
- Regional Contributions: Ten other countries, including Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Peru, and India, contribute about two-thirds of the global forest area.
Deforestation Rates
- Historical Data: Between 1990 and 2020, around 420 million hectares of forest were converted to other land uses.
- Rate Changes: Deforestation rates decreased from 15.8 million hectares per year (1990-2002) to 10.2 million hectares per year (2015-2020).
- Regional Rates:
- Africa: 4.41 million hectares
- South America: 2.95 million hectares
- Asia: 2.24 million hectares
Forest Expansion and Loss
- Net Rate of Change: The global net rate of change in forest area was -4.7 million hectares per year (2010-2020), an improvement from previous decades.
- Countries with Forest Gains: In 2020, ten countries, including China, Australia, and India, recorded annual increases in forest area.
Mangrove Forests
- Global Mangrove Area: Recorded at 14.8 million hectares, with South and Southeast Asia contributing almost 44%.
- Loss and Gain Trends: Gross mangrove loss decreased by 23% from 2000-2010 to 2010-2020. Despite this, natural expansion of mangroves surpassed the loss.
Impact of Climate Change and Wildfires
- Fire Impact: About 340-370 million hectares of land are affected by annual fires. In 2023, fires affected approximately 383 million hectares.
- Emission Statistics: Total fires in 2023 emitted 6,687 megatons of carbon dioxide, exceeding emissions from the European Union’s fossil fuel burning.
- Example of Wildfires: In Canada, 6,868 fires in 2023 burned 14.6 million hectares of land.
Pests and Diseases
- Forest Damage: Forests in China, Japan, and South Korea have suffered from pests like the pine wood nematode.
- Economic Impact: In the United States, insects and diseases are estimated to cause losses exceeding 20% of the host tree basal area over 25 million hectares of forest land by 2027.
Challenges in Monitoring
- Forest Degradation: Monitoring forest degradation and pest outbreaks is still in early stages.
- Economic Quantification: Accurately quantifying the economic costs related to timber loss, tree replacement, and ecosystem services remains challenging.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What was the total global forest area as of 2020?
- A) 3.5 billion hectares
- B) 4.1 billion hectares
- C) 4.5 billion hectares
- D) 5.0 billion hectares
- Which region saw the highest deforestation rate between 2015 and 2020?
- A) Africa
- B) South America
- C) Asia
- D) North America
- How did the global net rate of change in forest area in 2010-2020 compare to previous decades?
- A) It was higher than in the 1990-2000 and 2000-2010 periods.
- B) It was lower than in the 1990-2000 and 2000-2010 periods.
- C) It remained unchanged.
- D) It was not measurable.
- What percentage of the global mangrove area is contributed by South and Southeast Asia?
- A) 30%
- B) 44%
- C) 50%
- D) 60%
- How many megatons of carbon dioxide were emitted globally from fires in 2023?
- A) 4,000 megatons
- B) 5,000 megatons
- C) 6,687 megatons
- D) 8,000 megatons
- Which pest significantly damaged pine forests in China, Japan, and South Korea?
- A) Pine beetle
- B) Pine wood nematode
- C) Gypsy moth
- D) Asian longhorned beetle
- What was the estimated forest area loss in Indonesia from 2021-2022 compared to the previous period?
- A) 50% decrease
- B) 60% decrease
- C) 70% decrease
- D) 90% decrease