Global Deforestation
This section is intended to collect data on the current status of global deforestation. This is accomplished through the utilization of APIs, databases, news sources, MapBuilders, and academic journals.
Global forest loss map
Credits: University of Maryland, department of geographical sciences.
Results from time-series analysis of Landsat images characterizing forest extent and change.
Trees are defined as vegetation taller than 5m in height and are expressed as a percentage per output grid cell as ‘2000 Percent Tree Cover’. ‘Forest Cover Loss’ is defined as a stand-replacement disturbance, or a change from a forest to non-forest state, during the period 2000–2019. ‘Forest Cover Gain’ is defined as the inverse of loss, or a non-forest to forest change entirely within the period 2000–2012. ‘Forest Loss Year’ is a disaggregation of total ‘Forest Loss’ to annual time scales.
Reference 2000 and 2019 imagery are median observations from a set of quality assessment-passed growing season observations.
News List
Guest opinion: ‘Unintended consequences’ from massive deforestation projects
Twenty-three years ago, the Bush administration and Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress passed the so-called “Healthy Forests Restoration Act.” Falsely claiming our forests were “unnaturally dense,” they redefined living forests full o... [3749 chars]
Commentary: Don’t blame algae for the Reflecting Pool mess
The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington has turned pea green with algal growth — as shallow bodies of still water tend to do in summer when temperatures rise. President Trump’s $14-million no-bid “American flag blue” paint job was neve... [4166 chars]
To stick, the EU’s deforestation regulation needs to protect forests without sidelining small farmers
June 23 - When the European Union passed its groundbreaking deforestation regulation (EUDR) in 2023, it was based on a simple premise: if you want to sell certain commodities into the European market, you must prove they are not contributing to defor... [7104 chars]
Restoring African landscapes with indigenous food-bearing trees
Deforestation is a major problem across Africa. It is widely recognized that deforestation harms biodiversity, but tree loss also harms dietary quality, as nutritious fruits, nuts, seeds and leaves disappear from the landscape. More than $1 billion h... [1687 chars]
New research finds major gaps between EU anti-deforestation rules and realities on the ground in Brazil
The U.K. could face significant challenges if it follows the European Union's lead and introduces tougher restrictions on imports linked to deforestation, according to new research from The University of Manchester. The study examines how the EU's la... [4258 chars]
Rare Camera Trap Sightings Reveal Secrets of Amazon's Elusive 'Ghost Dogs'
Researchers have shared fresh details about the mysterious short-eared dog of the Amazon rainforest, which is so elusive that it earned the nickname "ghost dog". For decades, it was more rumour than animal. Scientists had only a handful of museum spe... [2233 chars]
'Everything has its own order and purpose': The rainforest 'farms' defying modern agriculture
This unique indigenous way to produce food uses no pesticides and returns plots to the rainforest after five years. What can we learn from this 4,500-year-old practice?
To the untrained eye, the area of the rainforest that Kelly Johanna Yucuna tends ... [10740 chars]
Ever National Law Requiring Beef to Be Traced Back to Its Origins
Colombia this month enacted a landmark law designed to stop deforestation connected to cattle ranching, a move that environmental groups say could provide a model for the wider Amazon region, where livestock production is a leading driver of tree los... [4697 chars]
Swiss parliament to debate details of Mercosur free trade deal
What kind of democracy should Switzerland promote?
Read more: What kind of democracy should Switzerland promote?
Swiss public backs development aid even as politicians cut budgets
Read more: Swiss public backs development aid even as politicians cut ... [2657 chars]
Urban growth costs Gurugram 15 hectares of natural forest
Even as Gurugram witnessed rapid urban expansion over the past decade, it lost 15 hectares of its already limited natural forest cover, according to the latest data released by Global Forest Watch (GFW).
The district is among several in Haryana that ... [2317 chars]
News API sources: NewsCatcher & GNews