Global Count Shows Tree Numbers Have Halved Since Dawn Of Human Civilisation

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There are a lot of trees on Earth. But there used to be many, many more. Clara Rowe, Author provided

There are more than three trillion trees worldwide, but that’s only half as many as were around at the start of human civilisation, according to new research.

The study, published today in Nature, updates the estimate for the total number and density of trees on Earth. It found that each year more than 15 billion trees are lost through a combination of deforestation, disturbances such as fire, and changes in land use. Since the beginning of human civilisation, the world has lost 46% of its trees.