A Third of Forests Lost This Century Will Likely Never Be Restored

Of the forest lost so far this century, roughly a third was destroyed to make room for farms, a new analysis finds. Those woodlands, which spanned an area larger than Mongolia, will likely never be restored, authors say.

The analysis, led by the World Resources Institute, used artificial intelligence to analyze satellite imagery and understand the forces shaping forests. Authors say the findings offer the most detailed view yet of the drivers of deforestation.

The analysis finds that 34 percent of forest loss is permanent, driven almost entirely by the demand for farmland. In tropical rainforests, the permanent loss is even more dramatic, accounting for 61 percent of deforested lands.

The remaining, temporary loss was largely the result of logging and wildfires, the analysis showed. While these forests could conceivably regrow, it would take decades for them to recover — if ever.

“Just because trees grow back doesn’t mean forests return to their original state,” said coauthor Radost Stanimirova, of the World Resources Institute. Warming is spurring the spread of pests, like bark beetles, and fueling more frequent wildfires, “which makes it harder for forests to recover.”