Recently, we wrote an article about the biggest tree census ever conducted, and the results were pretty grim. Sure, there are some 3 trillion trees on Earth, but the bad news is that there used to be almost twice as many – before humans chipped in. Humanity has cut down 46% of the planet’s trees, and we’re continuing to do so at an alarming rate. The effects, from loss of biodiversity, to rendering species extinct, to altering the entire planetary climate, are already visible. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking from here on.
Farming in the Amazon is often done at the cost of forests. Photo by Sam Beebe.Rice paddies and recently cleared forest land in the Thanon Thong Chai Range, Chiang Mai Province. Image via Wikipedia.All these lands in Congo used to be thick forests. Image via Wikipedia.Images like this one are very common in Europe and North America. Image via Wikipedia.Image via Nation of Change.The last batch of sawnwood from the peat forest in Indragiri Hulu, Sumatra, Indonesia. Again, deforestation for oil palm plantation. Image via Wikipedia.The once virgin forests of Kosovo are now under threat. Photo by t.hxh.Deforestation for the use of clay in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The hill depicted is Morro da Covanca, in Jacarepaguá. Image via Wikipedia.Satellite image of Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic (right) shows the amount of deforestation on the Haitian side. The Haitian government is incapable of ensuring the forests are protected.Tea plantation in Sri Lanka – used to be forests. Image via Wikipedia.
Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.
