High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change
Venue
Science, vol. 342 (2013), pp. 850-853
Publication Year
2013
Authors
Rebecca Moore, Matt Hancher, David Thau
BibTeX
Abstract
Quantification of global forest change has been lacking despite the recognized
importance of forest ecosystem services. In this study, Earth observation satellite
data were used to map global forest loss (2.3 million square kilometers) and gain
(0.8 million square kilometers) from 2000 to 2012 at a spatial resolution of 30
meters. The tropics were the only climate domain to exhibit a trend, with forest
loss increasing by 2101 square kilometers per year. Brazil’s well-documented
reduction in deforestation was offset by increasing forest loss in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Zambia, Angola, and elsewhere. Intensive forestry
practiced within subtropical forests resulted in the highest rates of forest change
globally. Boreal forest loss due largely to fire and forestry was second to that in
the tropics in absolute and proportional terms. These results depict a globally
consistent and locally relevant record of forest change.
