Global extent and drivers of tree cover loss quantified with high-resolution satellite data.
Saved in:
| Title: | Global extent and drivers of tree cover loss quantified with high-resolution satellite data. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Tyukavina, Alexandra (AUTHOR), Poulson, Andrew J. (AUTHOR), Pickering, Jeffrey (AUTHOR), Adusei, Bernard (AUTHOR), Hansen, Matthew C. (AUTHOR), Potapov, Peter (AUTHOR), Baggett, Antoine (AUTHOR), Dominguez, Carolina Ortiz (AUTHOR), Mikus, Aleksandra (AUTHOR), Oktaviandra, Andre (AUTHOR), Turubanova, Svetlana (AUTHOR), Komarova, Anna (AUTHOR), Parker, Diana (AUTHOR), Pickens, Amy H. (AUTHOR), Zalles, Viviana (AUTHOR), Byrne, Will (AUTHOR), Painter, Steven (AUTHOR), Thomas, Lauren (AUTHOR), Ireland, Arden (AUTHOR), He, Yuhao (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science. 6/4/2026, Vol. 392 Issue 6802, p1-14. 14p. |
| Subjects: | Land use, High resolution imaging, Deforestation, Forest degradation, Climate change, Remote-sensing images |
| Abstract: | Quantifying the drivers of tree cover loss globally provides a synoptic understanding of pressures on the world's forests. Existing information about tree cover loss drivers relies on maps of coarse spatial and thematic resolution. In this study, we quantified the global extent of tree cover loss in 2018 at the scale of individual disturbances and provided a comprehensive accounting of land use outcomes using a global probability sample of 600 5 × 5–kilometer blocks mapped with high-resolution (3- to 10-meter) satellite data. Out of 277 thousand square kilometers of estimated global tree cover loss, nearly a third (29.0%) was due to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses, including conversion of natural tree cover to pasture (15.0%), cropland (6.4%), and nontimber tree plantations (3.8%). Editor's summary: Global deforestation and forest degradation continue to threaten biodiversity and contribute to climate change, but understanding their drivers requires fine-scale data across broad geographical areas. Tyukavina et al. used high-resolution imagery (3 to 10 meters) from 2018 to identify the extent of tree cover loss, the type of disturbance that removed trees, and land use after the disturbance in 5-kilometer × 5-kilometer sampling blocks. More than 80% of tree cover loss was cleared with machinery and more than 10% was caused by fire. Most tree cover loss was temporary, replaced by other (often managed) trees, but about 30% was replaced with other land uses. This work highlights the importance of public satellite data as a resource for research and policy. —Bianca Lopez INTRODUCTION: Quantifying the drivers of tree cover loss globally provides a synoptic understanding of the economic pressures on the world's forests and helps inform policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land cover change and initiatives aimed at removing deforestation from commodity supply chains. RATIONALE: Existing information about the drivers of tree cover loss, unaffected by issues related to forest definitions, relies on maps of coarse spatial and thematic resolution. In this study, we quantified the global extent of tree cover loss in 2018 at the scale of individual disturbances and provided a comprehensive accounting of land use outcomes. Specifically, we used a global probability sample of 600 5 × 5–km blocks mapped with high-resolution (3 to 10 m) satellite data to quantify the extent of tree cover loss in 2018 and its drivers based on land uses established within 3 years after the initial disturbance. We demonstrate limitations of the widely used state-of-the-art tree cover loss and driver maps by comparing them to our current sample-based results. RESULTS: A total of 277 ± 22 thousand km2 (± 1 standard error) of global tree cover loss was estimated for 2018, with nearly a third (29.0%) due to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses, including conversion of natural tree cover to pasture (15.0% of all tree cover loss), cropland (6.4%), and nontimber tree plantations (3.8%). Remaining tree cover loss was temporary owing to tree plantation management (22.8%), shifting agriculture (17.2%), forestry operations in natural tree cover (13.2%), fires not followed by productive land uses (12.4%), and natural disturbances (3.6%). Although mining and roads each accounted for about 1% of global tree cover loss, they represent some of the most notable drivers, as they open remaining natural forests to further disturbances. CONCLUSION: Results show the scale of human impact on the world's forests, highlighting the ongoing expansion of commodity land uses into natural forest ecosystems. We demonstrate that the existing global maps are well suited to characterize industrial conversion of tree cover to agriculture in Latin America with large clearing sizes and often a single dominant conversion driver as well as forestry in North America. The global maps are less suitable to accurately characterize fine-scale disturbances associated with clearing of secondary tree cover in shifting agriculture common in Africa and intensive tree plantation management, such as in West Africa and Southeast Asia. Global drivers of 2018 tree cover loss, identified using 2019 to 2021 satellite imagery, corresponding to land use established within 3 years after the disturbance.: (Top) The contribution of combined driver categories to the total tree cover loss area. (Bottom) The 29% of the total tree cover loss corresponding to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses not followed by natural tree cover regrowth in 2019 to 2021. Link width is proportional to the area of each conversion type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Quantifying the drivers of tree cover loss globally provides a synoptic understanding of pressures on the world's forests. Existing information about tree cover loss drivers relies on maps of coarse spatial and thematic resolution. In this study, we quantified the global extent of tree cover loss in 2018 at the scale of individual disturbances and provided a comprehensive accounting of land use outcomes using a global probability sample of 600 5 × 5–kilometer blocks mapped with high-resolution (3- to 10-meter) satellite data. Out of 277 thousand square kilometers of estimated global tree cover loss, nearly a third (29.0%) was due to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses, including conversion of natural tree cover to pasture (15.0%), cropland (6.4%), and nontimber tree plantations (3.8%). Editor's summary: Global deforestation and forest degradation continue to threaten biodiversity and contribute to climate change, but understanding their drivers requires fine-scale data across broad geographical areas. Tyukavina et al. used high-resolution imagery (3 to 10 meters) from 2018 to identify the extent of tree cover loss, the type of disturbance that removed trees, and land use after the disturbance in 5-kilometer × 5-kilometer sampling blocks. More than 80% of tree cover loss was cleared with machinery and more than 10% was caused by fire. Most tree cover loss was temporary, replaced by other (often managed) trees, but about 30% was replaced with other land uses. This work highlights the importance of public satellite data as a resource for research and policy. —Bianca Lopez INTRODUCTION: Quantifying the drivers of tree cover loss globally provides a synoptic understanding of the economic pressures on the world's forests and helps inform policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land cover change and initiatives aimed at removing deforestation from commodity supply chains. RATIONALE: Existing information about the drivers of tree cover loss, unaffected by issues related to forest definitions, relies on maps of coarse spatial and thematic resolution. In this study, we quantified the global extent of tree cover loss in 2018 at the scale of individual disturbances and provided a comprehensive accounting of land use outcomes. Specifically, we used a global probability sample of 600 5 × 5–km blocks mapped with high-resolution (3 to 10 m) satellite data to quantify the extent of tree cover loss in 2018 and its drivers based on land uses established within 3 years after the initial disturbance. We demonstrate limitations of the widely used state-of-the-art tree cover loss and driver maps by comparing them to our current sample-based results. RESULTS: A total of 277 ± 22 thousand km2 (± 1 standard error) of global tree cover loss was estimated for 2018, with nearly a third (29.0%) due to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses, including conversion of natural tree cover to pasture (15.0% of all tree cover loss), cropland (6.4%), and nontimber tree plantations (3.8%). Remaining tree cover loss was temporary owing to tree plantation management (22.8%), shifting agriculture (17.2%), forestry operations in natural tree cover (13.2%), fires not followed by productive land uses (12.4%), and natural disturbances (3.6%). Although mining and roads each accounted for about 1% of global tree cover loss, they represent some of the most notable drivers, as they open remaining natural forests to further disturbances. CONCLUSION: Results show the scale of human impact on the world's forests, highlighting the ongoing expansion of commodity land uses into natural forest ecosystems. We demonstrate that the existing global maps are well suited to characterize industrial conversion of tree cover to agriculture in Latin America with large clearing sizes and often a single dominant conversion driver as well as forestry in North America. The global maps are less suitable to accurately characterize fine-scale disturbances associated with clearing of secondary tree cover in shifting agriculture common in Africa and intensive tree plantation management, such as in West Africa and Southeast Asia. Global drivers of 2018 tree cover loss, identified using 2019 to 2021 satellite imagery, corresponding to land use established within 3 years after the disturbance.: (Top) The contribution of combined driver categories to the total tree cover loss area. (Bottom) The 29% of the total tree cover loss corresponding to long-term conversion of tree cover to other land uses not followed by natural tree cover regrowth in 2019 to 2021. Link width is proportional to the area of each conversion type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.adz9042 |
