Last Updated on: September 4, 2015
Indeed, and that is what some scientists have done of late. A Yale study have led to the conclusion that there are some 3 trillion trees on the planet, well 3,04 according to the study which you can find here.
This is far more than “one” have previously believed. To arrive at this result one have used a combination of (super) computer calculation, forest inventory and satellite imagery. Yes, counting them on ground level probably would be a bridge too far.
Joke aside, as the article suggests it’s been a rather comprehensive study, one that despite the apparent staggering number does suggest more than half of the trees on this planet are gone under our “ingenious” supervision. Prior to the study one believed there were approximately 400 billion trees on the planet, or any average of 61 trees per person.
The new number suggest roughly 422 trees per person. However encouraging and/or assuring this may sound I would not cheer to quickly. De-forestation is a serious matter and, as the study suggests, forests and trees have a significant impact on thermal conditions, living conditions, soil quality, and regional humidity and climate.
These are just some of the consequences.
The highest densities of trees were found in the boreal forests in the sub-arctic regions of Russia, Scandinavia, and North America. But the largest forest areas, by far, are in the tropics, which are home to about 43% of the world’s trees.
If you travel around in my country you might notice what seems to be the opposite of deforestation. For here we talk about the eradication, or perhaps better…. changes of a cultural landscape.
In other words, the country is slowly being consumed by, if not woods, then shrubs and younger growth. When farms are being abandoned, nature is left to itself to manage. And manages quite well by the looks of things. Though maybe not in a shape or form we like it to happen.
And this all while depletion seems to be the name of the game elsewhere. Woods may to some extent need maintenance, but there also needs to be a healthy mix of cultural landscape, agricultural oriented work and woods.
In a global perspective, we.. some countries more than others, need to show and demonstrate greater care with regards to forestry. We need more “tree huggers”, we need governments and politicians fully capable of comprehending to what extent their influence, their decisions, can and will impact national/local climate and quality of living, as well as global.
Everything is connected to everything, climatic changes are happening, some of the consequences we already see very clearly. Other consequences are yet to come.
What is certain, the trend with regards to deforestation must be reversed. It’s about our future, it’s about the future of coming generations.