ABSTRACT
The world's forests have declined significantly in both area and quality in recent decades. Almost half of the forests that once blanketed Earth—3 billion hectares—are gone. 1 At least 200 million hectares of forest were lost between 1980 and 1995 alone—an area larger than Mexico or Indonesia, or three times the state of Texas. 2 Each year there is a net loss of another 16 million hectares as forests are converted to other uses. 3 Between 1990 and 1995, at least 107 countries had a net loss of forest cover. 4
