This Is The County In America That Has Lost The Most Trees

Trees are disappearing in parts of America. One reason is wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. Another is human development, which involves cutting trees to build residential and commercial structures. Yet another set is pests and disease.

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Lawnstarter looked tree cover in 3,100 counties over 20 years from 2000 to 2020. The raw data was from Global Forest Watch. Counties were ranked based on “net percentage and net change in tree cover (in kilo hectares).”

The highest possible score, which means the county had the most significant loss, was 100. The lowest was zero

Alaska

The country with the highest score was the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, with a score of 98.39. This was well ahead of the second-place county, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, which scored 33.56.

The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is massive—over seven times larger than any county in the lower 48 states. The two factors that affected Alaska the most were huge wildfires and spruce beetles that hit an area of 200 million square acres.

Scientists point out that forests have several economic benefits. According to EcoMatcher, “One of the primary reasons for tree planting is the positive impact of trees on the environment. Trees play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2 and store carbon in their trunks, branches, and leaves, acting as natural carbon sinks.”

Those benefits are being lost at an alarming pace.

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