The world has more than seven times as many trees as previously calculated, new report says

Even with billions of trees being cut down every year, a new study estimates there are seven-and-a-half times more trees on Earth than previously believed: 3.04 trillion, to be precise — or roughly 422 trees per person.

An international team of researchers used tree density information from forests around the world, satellite imagery and supercomputer computations to map tree populations worldwide at the square-kilometer level. The results were much higher than expected.

"Trees are among the most prominent and critical organisms on Earth, yet we are only recently beginning to comprehend their global extent and distribution," Thomas Crowther, a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and lead author of the study, said in a statement.

"They store huge amounts of carbon, are essential for the cycling of nutrients, for water and air quality, and for countless human services," he added. "Yet you ask people to estimate, within an order of magnitude, how many trees there are and they don't know where to begin. I don't know what I would have guessed, but I was certainly surprised to find that we were talking about trillions."

The largest forest areas, by far, are in the tropics, which are home to about 43 percent of the world's trees, the researchers found. About 24 percent are in boreal regions and 20 percent in temperate regions.

Ben_Reilly wrote:I just thought it was interesting that previous estimates were so wrong. You'd think we'd have a better grip on such a basic fact

"We've nearly halved the number of trees on the planet, and we've seen the impacts on climate and human health as a result," Crowther said. "This study highlights how much more effort is needed if we are to restore healthy forests worldwide."

feelthelove wrote:7 times more trees, great news!