“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.”
quote by Barbara Ward

Breath-taking facts about
Deforestation that will leave
you speechless

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an estimated 7,3 million hectares of forest are lost each year.

Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use, such as arable agricultural activities, pasture, urban use, logged area, or wasteland. Deforestation can also be seen as removal of forests leading to several imbalances ecologically and environmentally and results in declines in habitat and biodiversity.

Urbanization, Mining, Fires, Logging and Agricultural activities are a few of the causes of deforestation.

For obvious reasons, it is shameful to read the statistics on how discriminating man has been, especially when it comes to deforestation… but in the end, there is always hope.

To fell or not to fell is not up to the woodcutter, but surely depends on you. Be the change and eliminate the disturbing statistics on deforestation. It takes not guts, but love and compassion for nature to save trees from being felled.

Just check a few of
the facts on deforestation
below.

1

Today forests cover 30% of the earth’s land.

2

If the current rate of deforestation continues, it will take less than 100 years to destroy all the rainforests on the earth. 

3

Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation.

4

The rate of deforestation equals the loss of 36 football fields every minute.

5

Loss of forests contributes between 12 percent and 17 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.

6

20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon Forest.

7

Up to 28,000 species are expected to become extinct by the next quarter of the century due to deforestation.

8

13 million hectares per year in South America and Africa and South East Asia is converted from a forest to agriculture land.

9

Half of the world’s tropical forests have already been cleared.

10

The total world forest loss to date is 7.3 million hectares per year.

11

Tropical forests, where deforestation is most prevalent, hold more than 210 gigatons of carbon.

12

Tropical rainforests, which cover 6-7% of the earth’s surface, contain over half of all the plant and animal species in the world.

13

Deforestation affects the water cycle. Trees absorb groundwater and release the same into the atmosphere during transpiration. When deforestation happens, the climate automatically changes to a drier one and also affects the water table.

14

Rainforests are being burnt down at the rate of 14 Manhattan every day. In figures, the world is losing about 81,000 hectares of rainforests every day.

15

Since the 1960s, the world has lost about half of its rainforests.

16

One of the major reasons behind the deforestation of the Amazon is the increasing consumption of beef. More consumption, more is the production of the same.

17

It has been found out that by the year 2050, the world’s food consumption would double. This would imply that more and more land would be required for agricultural and cattle rearing purposes. This would simply mean that the rate of deforestation would also double up.

18

According to the World Economic Forum, about 31% of the diseases that are emerging in recent times, are a result of deforestation

19

Deforestation is responsible for the decreasing rate of evapotranspiration. As a result of this, the precipitation levels decrease, making the earth a drier place to live in.

20

Illegal deforestation is a cause of concern. It is one of the largest industries right now. Countries are importing goods that have been procured through illegal deforestation. In such activities, the European Union tops the charts.

21

It has been predicted that, in the 21st century alone, approximately 40% of the total plant and animal species of south-east Asia would become extinct.