Forest cover type classification (Part 2)

Описание: Vasyl Kiyko

Lviv polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine

Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world’s wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter. The canopies of trees act as a physical filter, trapping dust and absorbing pollutants from the air. Each individual tree removes up to 1.7 kilos every year. They also provide shade from solar radiation and reduce noise.
The World Bank estimates that about 3.9 million square miles (10 million square km) of forest have been lost since the beginning of the 20th century. In the past 25 years, forests shrank by 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square km) — an area bigger than the size of South Africa. In 2018, The Guardian reported that every second, a chunk of forest equivalent to the size of a soccer field is lost. Often, deforestation occurs when forested area is cut and cleared to make way for agriculture or grazing. Natural fires in tropical forests tend to be rare but intense. Many forests are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations.