The earth had its second worst recorded tree cover loss in 2017, according to University of Maryland data released by Global Forest Watch.
The earth had its second worst recorded tree cover loss in 2017, according to University of Maryland data released by Global Forest Watch.
The number of trees lost from tropical forests—about 37 million acres-worth—would have been enough to fill 40 football fields about 525,600 times, or every minute of every day in 2017.
The worst year on record for tree cover loss was 2016, The Huffington Post reports, a year plagued by a strong El Nino that spurred both droughts and floods in tropical forests.
Global tree cover loss has been on a steady incline for the past 17 years, according to Global Forest Watch.
“Natural disasters like fires and tropical storms are playing an increasing role, especially as climate change makes them more frequent and severe,” Global Forest Watch reported. “But clearing of forests for agriculture and other uses continues to drive large-scale deforestation.”
Brazil recorded the highest tree cover loss for tropical countries in 2017, losing about 3.6 million acres.