Science Fact Finder | The Environment - How Rapidly Is Deforestation Occurring?

How rapidly is deforestation occurring?

Deforestation is the removal of the entire ecosystem (the plants, animals, and microorganisms) of a forest. It involves not just removing trees and other plants, but transforming the land to serve another purpose. An example of deforestation is clearing a forest, then plowing the ground and planting crops. If one were to cut down the trees and then just leave the soil alone and let new trees grow, this would not be considered deforestation.

In the 1990 figures listed below, the annual amount of deforestation is given in square kilometers, and the annual rate of deforestation is given in the percentage of forested land being destroyed.

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Country	Deforestation (square kilometers)	Percent
Brazil	13,820	0.4

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