Global

Over many centuries, about half of the world's forests, almost 3 billion hectares, were burned, cleared, or cut down. Just one fifth of the world's original forest cover remains in large undisturbed tracts today. The cutting has accelerated: about 16 million hectares are cut or burned each year. 40% of the tropical rainforests have been lost in the last 25 years.

In the course of this devastation, we are losing species, valuable resources, altering the atmosphere's composition and brutally degrading ecosystems.

Road building and other infrastructure developments such as mining also accompany logging.

Which is the worst culprit?
Check out "On the Line" @
http://www.ontheline.org.uk/explore/
nature/rainforest/deforest.htm