Earth Policy Institute Resources on FORESTS
Forest Cover Indicator
Eco-Economy Indicators are twelve trends that the Earth Policy Institute tracks to measure progress in building an eco-economy. Forest cover is one of the best single indicators of changing land use.
A healthy planet needs healthy forests. Thriving forests regulate the water cycle and stabilize soils. Forests also help moderate climate by soaking up and storing carbon dioxide. In addition to these ecosystem services, forests provide habitat for diverse flora and fauna, offer cultural, spiritual, and recreational opportunities, and provide a variety of food, medicines, and wood.
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| Continent |
Total Forest Cover |
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1990 |
2000 |
2005 |
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Million Hectares |
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| Africa |
699 |
656 |
635 |
| Asia |
574 |
567 |
572 |
| Europe |
989 |
998 |
1,001 |
| North and Central America |
711 |
708 |
706 |
| Oceania |
213 |
208 |
206 |
| South America |
891 |
853 |
832 |
| TOTAL WORLD |
4,077 |
3,989 |
3,952 |
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| Source: Compiled by Earth Policy Institute from U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 (Rome: 2006), www.fao.org/forestry/site/32038/en. |
Nearly 4 billion hectares of forest cover the earth’s surface, roughly 30 percent of its total land area. Though extensive, the world’s forests have shrunk by some 40 percent since agriculture began 11,000 years ago. Three quarters of this loss occurred in the last two centuries as land was cleared to make way for farms and to meet demand for wood.
Over the last five years, the world suffered a net loss of some 37 million hectares (91 million acres) of forest, according to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. This number reflects the felling of 64.4 million hectares of trees and the planting or natural regeneration of 27.8 million hectares of new forest. Each year the world loses some 7.3 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Panama. MORE...
Figure 1: Change in World Forest Cover, 1990-2005 table
Figure 2: World Wood Production, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 3: Wood Production in Africa, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 4: Wood Production in Asia, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 5: Wood Production in Europe, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 6: Wood Production in North and Central America, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 7: Wood Production in Oceania, 1961-2004 graph table
Figure 8: Wood Production in South America, 1961-2004 graph table
2006 Forest Indicator
2002 Forest Indicator
Empty Skies: World's Birds at Risk (7 December 2005)
The Sixth Great Extinction (2 March 2004)
Illegal Logging Threatens Ecological and Economic Stability (21 May 2002)
Our Closest Relatives are Disappearing (5 March 2002)
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