State of the Rainforest 2014

According to a University of Maryland study, 14 the loss of tropical forest was 1.1 million km 2 in the period 2000–2012. This equals an area about three times the size of Norway. Looking at the figures for dense tropical rainforest only (above 76% tree cover), we find that the tropical rainforest in South America was reduced by 4.2%, in Asia by 12.5% 15 and in Africa by 2.8% from 2000 to 2012. The FAO’s Forest Resources Assessment 16 reports global deforestation to be 130,000 km 2 /year for 2000–2010, with most of this taking place in tropical forests. This figure includes more than 40,000 km 2

depending on the methods used to monitor, and the definition of ‘forest’. Only a few rainforest countries, notably Brazil, have had reliable and transparent monitoring and reporting systems long enough for trend to be visible, but more countries are improving their systems. 12 However, it seems clear that the significant reduction in deforestation achieved in Brazil since 2005 is not matched by similar long-term trends in other major countries. According to some sources, 13 increased deforestation in other tropical regions, both rainforest and dry tropical forest, more than outweighs the gains in Brazil.

Shrinking tropical forests

1990 2000 2010

From 2000 to 2012 the tropical forests for this three regions have decreased by an area as big as Spain

Thousand square kilometres Forest extent (FAO)

8 000

6 000

4 000

2 000

Forest loss 2000-2012 (UMD* 76-100% forest cover)

0

Tropical South America

Tropical Africa

Tropical Asia

Thousand square kilometres 0 50 100 150 200 250

0 50 100 150 200 250

0 50 100 150 200 250

Source: Based on Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA; FAO & JRC 2012-2014

*University of Mariland

Tropical forests are shrinking rapidly – but how fast?

Deforestation according to FAO The FAO’s Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010) reports global gross deforestation to be 130,000 km 2 annually for the decade 2000–2010, and 160,000 km 2 for the previous decade 1990–2000. Out of this, forest in ‘rainforest basins’ (using a wider definition than used in this report) lost on average 63,000 km 2 annually (1990–2010). Other studies, and recently also a remote sensing study by FAO and JRC indicates that the deforestation rates reported by FRA 2010, although dramatic, may be too optimistic. The remote sensing study by FAO and the European Commission Joint Research Centre JRC reports that global gross deforestation (reduction in ‘forest land use’) over the 1990–2010 period was 155,000 km 2 per year. The tropical forest area was reduced by 1.3 million km 2 in the same two decades, and as this figure is net change the deforestation figure would be even higher if one excluded plantations.

Deforestation according to the University of Maryland-study In late 2013, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD), led by Matt Hansen, published a study on global forest cover and forest cover change in Science. This data is used as the basis for the comprehensive forest monitoring base “Global forest Watch”, which was recently launched: www.globalforestwatch.org There are important differences in methodology between FAO and UMD. One difference is that UMD registers tree cover at the time of registration, whereas FAO also considers the land use category – the purpose for which the area is used, for instance agriculture or forestry. The total loss of forest in the tropical climate domain 2000–2012 was 1.105.786 km 2 according to UMD, or an average of 92.000 km 2 /year in the tropical forest zone. The loss 2000– 2012 equals more than three times the size of Norway.

Sources: FAO FRA 2010, FAO 2011, FAO&JRC 2012; 2014, Hansen et al 2013

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STATE OF THE RAINFOREST 2014