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Determination of Deforestation Rates of the World's Humid Tropical Forests
Frédéric Achard,1*Hugh D. Eva,1Hans-Jürgen Stibig,1Philippe Mayaux,1Javier Gallego,2Timothy Richards,3Jean-Paul Malingreau4
A recently completed research program (TREES) employing the
global imaging capabilities of Earth-observing satellites providesupdated information on the status of the world's humid tropicalforest
cover. Between 1990 and 1997, 5.8 ± 1.4 million hectaresof humid
tropical forest were lost each year, with a further 2.3± 0.7 million hectares of forest visibly degraded. These figuresindicate
that the global net rate of change in forest cover forthe humid
tropics is 23% lower than the generally accepted rate.This result
affects the calculation of carbon fluxes in the globalbudget and means
that the terrestrial sink is smaller than previouslyinferred.
1 Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit, Joint
Research Centre, TP 440, 21020 Ispra, Italy.
2 Land
Use-Land Cover Unit, Joint Research Centre, TP 263, 21020 Ispra,
Italy.
3 Conservation Technology Limited, 4 Old
Tarnwell, Somerset BS18 4EA, UK.
4 Science Strategy
Directorate, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, B-1049
Bruxelles, Belgium.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
frederic.achard{at}jrc.it
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Philip M. Fearnside and William F. Laurance (14 February 2003) Science299 (5609), 1015a.
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TECHNICAL COMMENTS
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