Using advanced satellite data and machine learning, the researchers tracked more than a decade of changes in aboveground forest biomass, the amount of carbon stored in trees and woody vegetation. They found that while Africa gained carbon between 2007 and 2010, widespread forest loss in tropical rainforests has since tipped the balance.
Between 2010 and 2017, the continent lost approximately 106 billion kilograms of forest biomass per year. That is equivalent to the weight of about 106 million cars. The losses are concentrated in tropical moist broadleaf forests in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and parts of West Africa, driven by deforestation and forest degradation. Gains in savanna regions due to shrub growth have not been enough to offset the losses.
headline is weird, implies the trees have turned evil swapped to “breathing out” co2 instead of the reality which is they’re being cut down/burned
FAO links the persistent trend mainly to extensive agriculture and commercial logging, often illegal and poorly regulated -for domestic and industrial wood production. These practices continue to accelerate the disappearance of natural forests.
headline is weird, implies the trees have
turned evilswapped to “breathing out” co2 instead of the reality which is they’re being cut down/burnedThats intentional they know people don’t read articles so they’re trying to encourage more logging
What’s the cause of the forest degradation they mentioned though?
I assume it’s human intervention of some kind but it’s not clearly stated.
I found this
https://africanagribusiness.com/africa-loses-29-million-hectares-of-forest-in-a-decade/4994/