Forest Loss by Country

This chart shows Forest Loss by Country.

A forest is a large area dominated by trees.Hundreds of more precise definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function.According to the widely used Food and Agriculture Organization definition, forests covered four billion hectares or approximately 30 percent of the world's land area.

Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are distributed across the globe.Forests account for 75% of the gross primary productivity of the Earth's biosphere, and contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass.

Forests at different latitudes and elevations form distinctly different ecozones: boreal forests near the poles, tropical forests near the equator and temperate forests at mid-latitudes. Higher elevation areas tend to support forests similar to those at higher latitudes, and amount of precipitation also affects forest composition. Human society and forests influence each other in both positive and negative ways.Forests provide ecosystem services to humans and serve as tourist attractions.

Forests can also affect people's health. Human activities, including harvesting forest resources, can negatively affect forest ecosystems. Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use.Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforests.About 30% of Earth's land surface is covered by forests.

Deforestation occurs for multiple reasons: trees are cut down to be used for building or sold as fuel, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock and plantation. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.