The United States has faced significant environmental challenges over the past two decades, with a notable impact on its tree cover. Despite an extensive area of over 947 million hectares, the country has experienced a net loss in tree cover. The total tree cover extent, which stands at approximately 279 million hectares, has seen a net change of -1.23%, equating to a loss of around 17.47 million hectares and a gain of about 13.99 million hectares.
Forestry activities have been the predominant driver of tree cover loss, accounting for a substantial portion of the total loss each year. Wildfires have also played a significant role, with incidents such as the recent fire in Idaho, USA, highlighting the ongoing threat to forested areas. Urbanization, while contributing to the loss, has had a less significant impact compared to other factors.
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