Forest Fires Stoke Record Loss in World Tree Cover

Forest fires in Brazil and Indonesia (equivalent to the size of New Zealand) caused a dramatic 51 percent increase in the loss of global tree coverin 2016.

Planet Earth is caught in a vicious cycle of climate change by the activities of man including indiscreet land use. This leads to extreme heats and droughts in some regions and increasing incidents of forest fires. Which in turn increases CO2 emissions, one of major gases blamed for global warming.  This year, California and Portugal have been among places suffering deadly blazes from forest fires.

There are different methods of measuring deforestation losses and studies by UN Food and Agricultural Organization suggests slowdown in overall deforestation in last 25 years ; taking into account regrowth and new plantings. 

Links: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/forest-fires-stoke-record-loss-in-world-tree-cover/