There are more than 3 trillion trees in the world -- that number is nearly 7.5 times greater than the 400 billion previously thought -- according to a recent study from a group led by Yale University.
Even with the large number of trees found globally a significant amount of forestration, 15 billion, is lost each year due to human activity and other factors, the study says.
“We’ve nearly halved the number of trees on the planet, and we’ve seen the impacts on climate and human health as a result,” Thomas Crowther, a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and the study's lead author, said to Yale News. “This study highlights how much more effort is needed if we are to restore healthy forests worldwide.”
Additional findings include:
- The highest densities of trees were found in the boreal forests in the sub-arctic regions of Russia, Scandinavia, and North America, but
- The world's largest forests are in the tropics, which is home to about 43% of the world’s trees.
- 3.04 trillion trees equates to approximately 422 trees per person.
The study was prompted by a United Nations' youth organization, Plant for the Planet. The group wanted to plant one billion trees worldwide but needed a baseline number of how many trees actually existed. The study is expected to help scientists better understand forest ecosystems as well as the ongoing effects of climate change.
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