Accelerated deforestation in the humid tropics from the 1990s to the 2000s

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 2015-05, Vol.42 (9), p.3495-3501
• Main Authors: Kim, Do-Hyung, Sexton, Joseph O., Townshend, John R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceleration; Agriculture; Area; Cryosphere; Deceleration; Deforestation; Estimates; Food; Foods; forest cover change; Forest resources; Forests; Gain; Global Change; Humid areas; International organizations; Land Cover Change; Landsat; Nations; Net losses; Organizations; Reduction; Remote Sensing; Research Letter; Research Letters; Satellites; Tropical climate; Tropical environments; tropical forest; Tropical forests; Tropics
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062777

Using a consistent, 20 year series of high‐ (30 m) resolution, satellite‐based maps of forest cover, we estimate forest area and its changes from 1990 to 2010 in 34 tropical countries that account for the majority of the global area of humid tropical forests. Our estimates indicate a 62% acceleration in net deforestation in the humid tropics from the 1990s to the 2000s, contradicting a 25% reduction reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Forest Resource Assessment. Net loss of forest cover peaked from 2000 to 2005. Gross gains accelerated slowly and uniformly between 1990–2000, 2000–2005, and 2005–2010. However, the gains were overwhelmed by gross losses, which peaked from 2000 to 2005 and decelerated afterward. The acceleration of humid tropical deforestation we report contradicts the assertion that losses decelerated from the 1990s to the 2000s. Key Points Sixty‐two percent increase in net deforestation in the tropics from the 1990s to the 2000s Our result contradicts a 25% reduction reported by FAO The 7.2% decrease in net deforestation from the early 2000s to the late 2000s