Forestry activities have been the leading cause of tree cover loss, followed by wildfires, which have become increasingly prevalent. Wildfires alone have resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of hectares of tree cover annually, contributing significantly to gross emissions of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere.
The pattern of tree cover loss due to wildfires has shown fluctuations, with some years experiencing more severe losses than others. The data underscores the need for a deeper understanding of the drivers behind these incidents and the implementation of strategies to mitigate their impact on the United States' forest health and carbon emissions.
