California, a region known for its lush forests and natural beauty, faced a wildfire incident on August 6, 2024, marking a continued trend of environmental challenges. Over the past two decades, the United States has seen a significant shift in its tree cover landscape. With an area of approximately 947 million hectares, the U.S. boasts a tree cover extent of nearly 279 million hectares. However, the country has experienced a net loss in tree cover of about 1.23%, equating to a reduction of over 3.40 million hectares.
Forestry activities have been the primary driver of tree cover loss, followed by wildfires and urbanization. Notably, wildfires have been responsible for a substantial portion of this loss. In 2022 alone, wildfires accounted for over 688,000 hectares of tree cover loss, highlighting the severity of these incidents on the country's natural resources. The impact of urbanization cannot be overlooked either, contributing to over 97,000 hectares of loss in the same year.
Explore country profileThe latest incident in California is a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against tree cover loss. While the incident count is currently at one, the historical data suggests a persistent and pressing issue that requires attention and action to preserve the nation's forests for future generations.
