“It was encouraging to find that protected areas were associated with far lower relative forest loss rates within regions of high biodiversity,” said Elsen. This emphasizes the important roles that protected areas play in retaining forest habitat and conserving wildlife. The high levels of forest loss we observed in mountains could be catastrophic for these sensitive mountain species.”ĭespite the high rates of mountain forest loss observed, the authors also revealed that protected areas within regions of high biodiversity showed much lower rates of loss. Said Paul Elsen, WCS Climate Adaptation Scientist and a co-author of the study: “Mountains have exceptionally high levels of biodiversity, and many of these species are dependent on forests for their survival. The authors combined high-resolution satellite measurements of forest loss with maps of mountainous terrain to create detailed maps of where, when, and how much forest loss occurred during each year between 2001-2018. Forest-dwelling mountain species often have very small ranges, so even small amounts of forest loss can appreciably increase their risk of extinction. Mountains provide critical habitat for more than 85 percent of all of the world’s bird, mammal, and amphibian species and are globally recognized for their high conservation value.

The results showed that 78.1 million hectares (301,545 square miles) of mountain forest was lost between 2001-2018 worldwide with rates nearly doubling after 2010, showing a sharp acceleration and pointing to a potentially increased risk of mountain forest loss in the future. The new study, published in One Earth, is led by Southern University of Science and Technology and co-authored by scientists at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Leeds, Mae Jo University, and the University of Hong Kong. Newswise - New York, NY (March 20, 2023) – A WCS-coauthored study reveals that global mountain forests – critically important to wildlife – are vanishing at an accelerating rate with an area twice the size of Norway lost between 2001-2018.

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