Of the forests that have been lost so far in this century, about a third of them have been destroyed to create farm space, new analysis finds. Forest areas that span larger areas than Mongolia will likely not recover, the author says.
analysisusing artificial intelligence led by the World Resources Research Institute, analysed satellite images and understood the power to form forests. The authors say the findings provide the most detailed view of deforestation drivers to date.
The analysis shows that 34% of forest losses are permanent and almost completely driven by farmland demand. In tropical rainforests, the permanent losses are even more dramatic, accounting for 61% of deforested land.
The remaining temporary losses were primarily the result of logging and wildfires, the analysis showed. These forests are likely to regenerate, but it will take decades for them to recover.
“Just because the trees come back doesn’t mean the forest will return to its original state.” Co-author Radost Stanimirova saidWorld Resources Research Institute. Global warming is driving the spread of pests Bark beetleand fuels more frequently wildfires, making “forests more difficult to recover.”
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