A Look At Global Reforestation Efforts

Sunshine Hardwood Flooring

http://sunshinehardwoodflooring.com

A Look At Global

Reforestation Efforts

Some experts say that the world is cutting down too many trees than it can replace.

This prompted many people to fear for the future, imagining a world where there are

more concrete structures than trees. And the problem isn’t just that: wood is an

extremely valuable resource that’s ideal for applications where materials like metal and

plastic can’t fit.

As it turns out, those fears are not exactly true. Various global organizations claim that

deforestation is gradually slowing down and that there is more to come.

Official Data

The size of the world’s forests did shrink, without a doubt. Population increase

demanded more resources like wood; forests are being converted for agricultural use.

It’s natural that these developments will cause more trees to be cut down. Since 1990,

over 129 million hectares of woodland has been lost. That’s as big as the entirety of

South Africa.

But according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United

Nations, global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 percent in the last 25

years. They say it’s due to various governmental efforts putting forested lands under

protection throughout the world. The FAO observed the efforts of 234 nations and

territories.

Researchers reveal that the annual rate of forest loss has slowed down from 0.18

percent to only 0.08 percent. That’s a massive change from the early 90s to a period

spanning 2010-2015. It’s worth noting that a good 93 percent of the world’s forests are

classified as “natural.” Planted forests, on the other hand, comprise the remaining 7

percent. And the area included in this classification has grown 110 million hectares

since the height of deforestation in 1990.

Other Efforts

In the US, reforestation efforts are also very commendable. Americans plant at least

1.6 billion trees every year. That’s equivalent to planting six trees for every tree cut

down. About 5 million new trees are planted daily, putting the nation’s strong

reforestation records in the spotlight. This massive drive helped exceed the amount of

trees planted relative to ones harvested by as much as 33 percent.

Resources:

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/326911/icode/

https://www.bugwood.org/intensive/forest_tree_planting.html

http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-27/what-chinas-successful-reforestation-

program-means-rest-world

http://sunshinehardwoodflooring.com/

The Chinese are also not to be outdone. China introduced the Natural Forest Conservation

Program after the 1998 floods, which constituted massive logging bans. They also

instituted the Grain to Green program, which involved reconverting agricultural lands into

forested areas. Both efforts resulted in significant improvements in China’s forested area

sizes over the last 15 years. China has so far gained an additional 46,000 square miles of

forests due to their initiatives.

Is the world running out of forests? Not likely. People are learning how to manage

woodlands and prove that trees are actually a renewable resource.