Crowther Study Says Earth Lost 46% of Trees, Still Holds About 3 Trillion
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · May 31
Crowther Study Says Earth Lost 46% of Trees, Still Holds About 3 Trillion
1 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · May 31
Summary
Earth has lost about 46% of its trees since the start of human civilization, with more than 15 billion disappearing each year, according to the 2015 Crowther study highlighted in the latest report.
About 3.04 trillion trees remain worldwide, but that figure is an estimate rather than a count, built from satellite data plus more than 400,000 ground-based tree-density measurements.
That improved method replaced older estimates in the hundreds of billions, showing earlier satellite-only approaches had sharply undershot the number of trees actually on the ground.
The study also underpins the popular claim that Earth has more trees than the Milky Way has stars—roughly 100 billion to 400 billion—but the report stresses both figures carry uncertainty and the comparison works only at galaxy scale.
New AI can now map every single tree from space. Can this technology finally stop the loss of 15 billion trees annually?
As astronomers rewrite our galaxy's history, will new discoveries prove there are actually more stars in the Milky Way than trees on Earth?
Global Forests in 2026: Key Trends, Deforestation Drivers, and Strategies for Climate and Biodiversity
Overview
Global deforestation is slowing, thanks to improved monitoring technologies like satellite remote sensing, which allow for better tracking of forest cover and health. However, wildfires are increasingly damaging forests, undermining progress in reducing tree loss and threatening biodiversity and carbon storage. Large-scale data collection efforts, such as those estimating the number of trees on Earth, have deepened our understanding of forests and informed restoration initiatives. Yet, scientists emphasize that tree planting is a long-term solution, not a quick fix for climate change. Community-led conservation and responsible management remain crucial for sustaining forests and their vital ecosystem services.