Area of Land Deforested (PI1489)

This metric is intended to capture the area of land controlled or monitored by the organization that has been deforested. Above- and below-ground food networks in forests have developed over hundreds of years. Forests provide habitats for species and provide a range of ecosystem services. Their disappearance leads to loss in biodiversity, decline in soil quality (for example, erosion and nutrients), and intensification of climate change.

Land may be deforested for multiple reasons and using multiple methods (e.g., clear-cutting, burning). Organizations should footnote these details.

Organizations can report this metric in conjunction with Area of Land Reforested (PI4907).

Organizations are encouraged to closely monitor deforestation and its causes through remote sensing data, tracking the evolution and speed of deforestation over time. Organizations should also track the consequences for forests of natural disasters, harvesting, illegal logging, and other negative outcomes.