Find the culprit to destroy half of the trees on Earth

According to a global survey by Yale University (US), since human civilization began, the number of trees on Earth has decreased by half.

The reason why half of the trees on Earth are destroyed

The study, published today in the journal Nature, is considered the most accurate statistic of the number of trees on Earth so far. Accordingly, the whole planet has 3.04 trillion trees, an average of 422 trees per person. Scientists used satellite images, forest statistics and supercomputing technology to figure this out.

According to Live Science, this result gives the number of trees 7.5 times higher than the previous statistics. However, scientists also said that since human civilization began , the number of trees fell by about 46%. This is the data obtained after using data on past and present forest cover maps provided by the United Nations Environment Program. It was previously estimated that there are about 400 billion trees on Earth, but this data is thought to be inaccurate because it does not include plants from terrestrial forest reserves, the researchers said.

"Trees are the most important and important species for Earth, but we have only just begun to understand its global level of development and distribution , " Thomas Crowther, graduate student researcher. The researcher at Yale University of Forestry and Environmental Research, the research leader, said.

Map of green tree distribution on Earth.(Photo: Crowther).

Surveying the number of plants will help scientists better understand the distribution of plant species worldwide, the effects of climate change and the mechanism of green plants shape their habitats. In addition, this statistic also helps to clarify the role of trees in the global carbon cycle.

The forest absorbs and stores CO ₂ from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and releases oxygen as a byproduct. Therefore, green trees play an important role in reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"They store a large amount of carbon, have an essential role for nutrient cycles, water and air quality, as well as bring innumerable benefits to humans , " Crowther said.

The study also points out that the world's highest density of trees is in the Arctic regions of Russia, Scandinavia and North America. However, the largest forest area is located in the tropics, accounting for about 43% of the total amount of green trees in the world. Human deforestation activities, changing land use purposes and forest management cause about 15 billion trees to be lost each year.

"We have lost half of the greenery on this planet, resulting in climate change and affecting human health , " Crowther said. "This study shows the efforts that need to be taken immediately if we want to restore the lush forests in the world."

Recently, American scientists pointed out that rich countries should spend money to prevent destruction of tropical forests. This is more effective than spending money on programs that cut emissions.