Deforestation 🌳
Do you know your deciduous from your evergreens?
31% of Earth’s land is covered by trees, over 4 billion hectares worth of leafy greens. While deforestation is not a new concept (humans have been cutting down trees for millenia), we have lost one-third of our forests in the last 10,000 years - and half of that loss occurred in the last century.
Where are all the forests?
Unsurprisingly, most of the world’s forests are located in some of the world’s largest countries. Russia alone holds 20% of global forested areas, with Brazil, Canada, and the USA making up the rest of the top 4. Together, the top 10 countries hold 66% of the world’s forests, and these are mostly uninhabited, and, some not yet fully explored - Siberia, the Amazon, the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness.
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How have forests changed?
Deforestation is one of the most famous causes of climate change - cutting down trees for development especially in the Amazon has drawn ire from environmentalists for many years. But how does each continent fare?
Since 1990, three continents have actually grown their forested area despite rapid progress in development and population growth. Asian forests have grown almost 10% in the past 30 years, while European and North American forests have grown less than 1% each. On the other hand, South American forests (read - the Amazon) have shrunk 14%, and African forests have shrunk 15% since 1990. While the deforestation rates have slowed in South America since 2010, Africa’s has actually gotten faster.
Which trees are most carbon-efficient?
We all know that trees photosynthesize - that is, turn carbon dioxide and water into oxygen using sunlight. But which species of tree is the ‘best’ at this process?
Out of 24 popular tree species, one reigns supreme - the Coastal Redwood, famously known as the Californian Redwood, and scientifically named as Sequoia sempervirens. These have by far the longest lifespan of any other tree on this list, with an average of 2,000 years but with some reaching upwards of 3,200 years. As such, redwoods can capture a hefty amount of carbon dioxide - half a million pounds over its lifetime.
The next most carbon-efficient trees are the English Oak and Sycamore trees, with a still-impressive lifetime capture of tens of thousands of pounds of CO2.
See you on Friday!
Created by Miguel