As the world faces the challenge of slowing down climate change, preserving biodiversity, and supporting the needs of a growing population of over eight billion people, trees are crucial to the solution. However, deforestation remains a persistent problem, with short-term benefits from using wood for fuel and manufacturing often outweighing the long-term benefits of standing trees.
Although forests still cover around 30 percent of the world's land area, they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since 1990, the world has lost over 420 million hectares, which is equivalent to roughly a billion acres of forest, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The majority of the losses have occurred in Africa and South America. In the Amazon rainforest alone, approximately 17 percent has been destroyed over the last 50 years, and the losses have increased recently. In 2020, deforestation rose by 21 percent, leading to a loss of land equivalent to the size of Israel, according to the organization Amazon Conservation.
More than half of all deforestation is due to farming, livestock grazing, mining, and drilling. Forestry practices, wildfires, and urbanization account for the remainder. In Malaysia and Indonesia, forests are cut down to make way for producing palm oil, which is found in a wide range of products, including shampoo and crackers. In the Amazon, cattle ranching and soy plantations are the primary culprits for deforestation.
Logging operations, which provide the world's wood and paper products, also contribute to deforestation. Loggers, some of whom are operating illegally, create roads to access remote forests, which further exacerbates deforestation. Forests are also cut down to accommodate growing urban sprawl as land is developed for housing.
Not all deforestation is intentional. Some of it occurs as a result of human and natural factors, such as wildfires and overgrazing, which can inhibit the growth of young trees.
Around 250 million individuals reside in forest and savannah regions and rely on these areas for their livelihoods and income, many of whom are among the world's rural poor.
Forests are home to 80 percent of the Earth's land animals and plants, and the destruction of these habitats puts species like the orangutan, Sumatran tiger, and various birds in danger. When trees are cut down, the forest loses a portion of its canopy, which serves to block the sun's rays during the day and retain heat at night. This disruption causes more significant temperature fluctuations, which can harm plants and animals living in these ecosystems.
A global movement is underway to preserve and restore forest ecosystems, with the aim of rewilding entire areas that have been damaged by deforestation. While the mission to restore entire ecosystems is complex, activists are working to fight illegal mining and logging. National Geographic Explorer Topher White has even come up with a novel way to use recycled cell phones to monitor for chainsaws. In Tanzania, the residents of Kokota have already planted over 2 million trees on their small island over a decade in a bid to repair previous damage. Meanwhile, conservationists in Brazil are rallying to prevent the government from rolling back forest protections.
But the benefits of preserving forests go beyond just saving trees. Recent research has shown that avoiding deforestation can also play a key role in preventing future zoonotic pandemics. A study from November 2022 found that when bats struggle to find suitable habitat, they travel closer to human communities where diseases are more likely to spillover. Conversely, when bats' native habitats were left intact, they stayed away from humans. This research is the first to show how we can predict and avoid spillovers by monitoring and maintaining wildlife habitats.
As a consumer, you can also play a role in supporting tree planting projects and sustainable practices. By examining the products and meats you buy, and looking for sustainably produced sources, you can make a difference. Nonprofit groups such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance certify products they consider sustainable, while the World Wildlife Fund has a palm oil scorecard for consumer brands. With these resources, you can make informed choices that help preserve our planet's forests and ecosystems.
As we move forward in this mission to rewild and restore forests, the question remains: which nation could be the first to be rewilded? Only time will tell, but with ongoing efforts to preserve and restore ecosystems, the future of our planet's forests looks promising.