The United States has experienced a significant shift in its tree cover over recent years, with a net loss of 3.49 million hectares, marking a 1.23% decrease in tree cover. This change is primarily attributed to factors such as forestry, which accounts for the largest portion of tree cover loss, wildfires, urbanization, and shifting agriculture. Notably, wildfires have been a significant driver, with incidents like the recent one in California highlighting the ongoing challenge.
The data reveals that forestry activities have led to the loss of over 1.38 million hectares of tree cover in 2022 alone, contributing to 75% of the total CO2 emissions from tree cover loss for that year. Urbanization also continues to be a consistent driver, with a steady increase in tree cover loss attributed to expanding urban areas. Wildfires, which can be both natural and human-induced, have fluctuated over the years but remain a critical concern due to their impact on both the environment and human settlements.
Explore country profileDespite these losses, there has been a gain of approximately 13.99 million hectares of tree cover, which suggests some recovery or reforestation efforts are underway. However, the net loss indicates that these efforts are not keeping pace with the rate of deforestation. The overall trend points to a need for more effective management and conservation strategies to mitigate tree cover loss and its associated impacts on climate change and biodiversity.
