Bisnis.com, BANDUNG – Forests are areas dominated by trees. This area is vital for the survival of humans and wildlife, with approximately 70% of terrestrial animals and plants living in this ecosystem.
Forests provide habitat for animals and livelihoods for humans, including the air we breathe and the wood we use.
Forests also protect watersheds, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.
From several sources, here are the 10 countries with the largest forest areas in the world.
1. Russia
Having the largest forest cover in the world at 8,151,356 km², Russia is home to a quarter of the world’s timber reserves. Covering 45% of Russia’s total area, these forests are dominated by conifer species.
2. Brazil
Brazil has the second largest forest cover in the world, with an area of 4,984,580 km². About 62.4% of the country’s land is forest, with 4,984,580 km² classified as carbon-dense primary forest.
3.Canada
Canada’s vast forest area, covering 30% of its land mass (3,473,020 km2), represents 9% of the world’s total forest area.
4. United States
The United States, which once covered almost a billion hectares, now has approximately 3,087,200 square kilometers of forested land. The different ecosystems they have vary, such as the density of trees, vegetation and wildlife.
5. Democratic Republic of Congo
This region has the largest forest area among the Congo countries, with an area of 1,542,350 km². Rich in biodiversity, its lowland tropical rainforests constitute the second largest area of tropical rainforest in the world.
6. China
China has 21.9% of its land area covered by forests, of which 5.6% (11,632,000 km2) are primary, high-biodiversity, carbon-rich forests.
7. Australia
Even though it is arid, Australia has a fairly extensive forest cover, 1,232,110 km², or 19% of its total area.
8. Indonesia
With a forest cover of 52.1%, Indonesia has 50% primary forest (94,432,000 ha) which is home to 3,305 species. However, due to the lack of conservation, deforestation is often a major concern in the country.
9. Peru
Peru is one of the countries with the largest forest area, with 53.1% (67,992,000 ha) of its area being primary forest.
10. India
India has a forest cover of 708,604 km², or 22% of the country’s territory. India is one of the countries which experienced growth of 0.20% per year between 1990 and 2000, then 0.7% per year between 2000 and 2010. However, deforestation constitutes one of the main problems of this country. (Kresensia Kinanti)
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