Causes & Drivers
The leading cause of deforestation globally, primarily for crops like soy and palm oil is..?
agricultural expansion?
The most dramatic impact of deforestation, affecting millions of species.
habitat loss/destruction
The percentage of Earth's land-based animal and plant species that live in forests.
80%?
This continent has the highest annual deforestation rates alongside South America.
Africa
The practice of planting new trees in deforested areas.
Reforestation
A major driver of deforestation in the Amazon, clearing land for grazing animals.
cattle ranching (or livestock ranching)?
When felled trees release their stored carbon into the atmosphere, they contribute to this global issue.
climate change (or global warming)
The approximate percentage of global land area that forests cover today.
31%?
This tropical country consistently has one of the highest rates of tree-cutting.
A practice where only the most valuable trees are felled, intended to minimize overall forest damage.
Selective logging
The process of cutting trees for wood products like lumber, paper, and fuel.
Logging.
This process makes soil vulnerable to being washed away by wind and rain after the protective forest cover is removed.
soil erosion
The number of people worldwide who depend on forests for their livelihoods, food, and shelter.
1.6 billion (or more than 1.6 billion)
Tropical forests in this region are often cleared for palm oil plantations.
Southeast Asia (or Indonesia/Malaysia)?
Buying products certified by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) helps promote this practice.
sustainable forestry (or buying certified products)
This type of human development, including roads and new settlements, requires clearing forests.
urbanization or infrastructure development
Forests help regulate this process by absorbing and gradually releasing rainwater; its disruption can lead to more droughts or floods.
water cycle?
The number of million hectares of forest the world lost between 1990 and 2020.
420 million hectares
This vast forest region forms a massive "belt" around the world's northern hemisphere, covering much of Russia and Canada.
boreal forests (or the Taiga)?
Reducing consumption of this specific type of meat can help lessen the demand for Amazon rainforest land.
beef?
The extraction of resources like gold, aluminum, and diamonds often leads to forests being cleared.
mining (or mineral extraction)?
An estimated 4 to 6,000 rainforest species go extinct each year due to this effect of deforestation.
biodiversity (or extinction)?
This percentage of modern medicines are derived from rainforest plants.
25%
In this country, it is actually illegal to harvest trees, making it a leader in forest conservation laws.
Rwanda
The EU passed a regulation in 2023 to ban the import of products like coffee, cocoa, and rubber if they are linked to this illegal activity.
illegal deforestation