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Data limitations make it difficult to assess progress made towards the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest degradation globally. Here, we rely on two indicators to approximate trends in forest degradation: forest landscape integrity, as estimated by the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), and tree cover loss within intact forest landscapes. 
Intact forest landscapes are mosaics of forested and naturally treeless ecosystems that show very few signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation. Occupying a minimum area of 50,000 hectares, they are large enough to play a critical role in helping to maintain native biodiversity. Accordingly, these ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and contain large carbon stores. Reducing tree cover loss within these natural terrestrial ecosystems is a key part of halting forest loss and land degradation by 2030.  
Yet, annual rates of tree cover loss across these intact forest landscapes have been on the rise since 2001. In 2022 alone, 3.9 million hectares were lost – a 19% increase relative to average annual losses from 2018 to 2022. Though not all tree cover loss is permanent, the increasing trend likely indicates more degradation and fragmentation of these ecosystems, as well as a rise in human activity. Efforts to address tree cover loss in intact forest landscapes must be accelerated, urgently and rapidly, to reverse this concerning trend. 

Data limitations make it difficult to assess progress made towards the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest degradation globally. Here, we rely on two indicators to approximate trends in forest degradation: forest landscape integrity, as estimated by the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), and tree cover loss within intact forest landscapes. 
Intact forest landscapes are mosaics of forested and naturally treeless ecosystems that show very few signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation. Occupying a minimum area of 50,000 hectares, they are large enough to play a critical role in helping to maintain native biodiversity. Accordingly, these ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and contain large carbon stores. Reducing tree cover loss within these natural terrestrial ecosystems is a key part of halting forest loss and land degradation by 2030.  
Yet, annual rates of tree cover loss across these intact forest landscapes have been on the rise since 2001. In 2022 alone, 3.9 million hectares were lost – a 19% increase relative to average annual losses from 2018 to 2022. Though not all tree cover loss is permanent, the increasing trend likely indicates more degradation and fragmentation of these ecosystems, as well as a rise in human activity. Efforts to address tree cover loss in intact forest landscapes must be accelerated, urgently and rapidly, to reverse this concerning trend. 

Covering just 3.8% of the planet’s land, peatlands – also known as mires, bogs, fens, and swamp forests – are global hotspots for carbon sequestration and long-term storage. They also hold large stores of organic nitrogen, as their water-logged soils slow decomposition and allow carbon – and nitrogen-rich peat to accumulate over millennia. But when these ecosystems’ water tables fall, oxygen enters the upper layers of peat, spurring decomposition and subsequent losses of stored carbon and nitrogen. These degraded peatlands can emit carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide for decades to centuries until all peat is fully lost or their soils are rewetted.  
An estimated 57 million hectares (Mha) –  nearly 12% of the world’s peatlands – are degrading such that they are no longer actively forming peat, and peat accumulated over centuries to millennia is now disappearing. Collectively, these degraded peatlands emit about 1.9 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) each year—roughly equivalent to Russia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020. This estimate, however, excludes GHG emissions from peat fires that, while highly variable and difficult to measure, likely occur on an order of magnitude from 0.5 to 1 GtCO2e annually.
Halting peatland degradation by 2030 can help to limit global warming. But despite recent advances in mapping peatlands, significant data gaps such as incomplete coverage, inconsistent quality, and outdated data inhibit efforts to monitor progress. Data estimating the area of organic soils drained for agriculture provide a best available, though still imperfect, proxy, and they indicate that degradation of the world’s peatlands continues. 

Covering just 3.8% of the planet’s land, peatlands – also known as mires, bogs, fens, and swamp forests – are global hotspots for carbon sequestration and long-term storage. They also hold large stores of organic nitrogen, as their water-logged soils slow decomposition and allow carbon – and nitrogen-rich peat to accumulate over millennia. But when these ecosystems’ water tables fall, oxygen enters the upper layers of peat, spurring decomposition and subsequent losses of stored carbon and nitrogen. These degraded peatlands can emit carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide for decades to centuries until all peat is fully lost or their soils are rewetted.  
An estimated 57 million hectares (Mha) –  nearly 12% of the world’s peatlands – are degrading such that they are no longer actively forming peat, and peat accumulated over centuries to millennia is now disappearing. Collectively, these degraded peatlands emit about 1.9 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) each year—roughly equivalent to Russia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020. This estimate, however, excludes GHG emissions from peat fires that, while highly variable and difficult to measure, likely occur on an order of magnitude from 0.5 to 1 GtCO2e annually.
Halting peatland degradation by 2030 can help to limit global warming. But despite recent advances in mapping peatlands, significant data gaps such as incomplete coverage, inconsistent quality, and outdated data inhibit efforts to monitor progress. Data estimating the area of organic soils drained for agriculture provide a best available, though still imperfect, proxy, and they indicate that degradation of the world’s peatlands continues. 

Stretching across roughly 460 million hectares (Mha) as of 2018, forests that are highly significant for biodiversity are disproportionately important for supporting forest-dependent species. Designation of these areas of high significance for forests accounts for both species richness and endemism across forests globally, and is complementary to key biodiversity areas, which also include important areas for geographically restricted species. Key biodiversity areas, however, determine important sites for biodiversity according to a broader range of criteria, including ecological integrity, threat status, or irreplaceability.  
Loss of forest habitat in areas with high significance for biodiversity, specifically, may have outsized impacts on the species that inhabit these areas, but tree cover loss in these areas continues to occur. In 2022, for example, the world lost 2.2 Mha of tree cover in areas of high significance for forest biodiversity, with over a quarter of these losses concentrated in Brazil, Indonesia, and Madagascar. 

Stretching across roughly 460 million hectares (Mha) as of 2018, forests that are highly significant for biodiversity are disproportionately important for supporting forest-dependent species. Designation of these areas of high significance for forests accounts for both species richness and endemism across forests globally, and is complementary to key biodiversity areas, which also include important areas for geographically restricted species. Key biodiversity areas, however, determine important sites for biodiversity according to a broader range of criteria, including ecological integrity, threat status, or irreplaceability.  
Loss of forest habitat in areas with high significance for biodiversity, specifically, may have outsized impacts on the species that inhabit these areas, but tree cover loss in these areas continues to occur. In 2022, for example, the world lost 2.2 Mha of tree cover in areas of high significance for forest biodiversity, with over a quarter of these losses concentrated in Brazil, Indonesia, and Madagascar. 

Forest cover loss in key biodiversity areas is particularly concerning, as these areas play an outsized role in conserving biodiversity, due to, for example, being ecologically intact, or hosting species that live in just a few geographies. But in 2022, the world’s forested key biodiversity areas lost 1.2 million hectares (Mha) of forests. The good news is that this is a 30% decrease in forest loss relative to the annual average from 2018 to 2020, indicating that the world is making strides forward in eliminating tree cover loss in these critical biodiversity sites. The bad news is that even small amounts of loss within these key biodiversity areas can significantly harm biodiversity.  

Forest cover loss in key biodiversity areas is particularly concerning, as these areas play an outsized role in conserving biodiversity, due to, for example, being ecologically intact, or hosting species that live in just a few geographies. But in 2022, the world’s forested key biodiversity areas lost 1.2 million hectares (Mha) of forests. The good news is that this is a 30% decrease in forest loss relative to the annual average from 2018 to 2020, indicating that the world is making strides forward in eliminating tree cover loss in these critical biodiversity sites. The bad news is that even small amounts of loss within these key biodiversity areas can significantly harm biodiversity.  

While progress made towards reducing forest cover loss can help to safeguard some facets of biodiversity, changes in the forest canopy do not always directly correlate with impacts on species living in these ecosystems. Monitoring shifts in species populations offers an important and complementary measure of forest biodiversity.  
The Forest Specialists Index tracks changes in forest vertebrate populations (i.e., the many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that only live in forest habitats), and most recent data indicates a significant decline in these populations – roughly 79% between 1970 and 2018. The decline showed no sign of stopping in recent years – between 2010 and 2018, populations of forest specialist species decreased from 28% of the 1970 value to just 21%. Habitat loss and habitat degradation were the most frequently reported drivers of this decline, followed by overexploitation.

While progress made towards reducing forest cover loss can help to safeguard some facets of biodiversity, changes in the forest canopy do not always directly correlate with impacts on species living in these ecosystems. Monitoring shifts in species populations offers an important and complementary measure of forest biodiversity.  
The Forest Specialists Index tracks changes in forest vertebrate populations (i.e., the many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that only live in forest habitats), and most recent data indicates a significant decline in these populations – roughly 79% between 1970 and 2018. The decline showed no sign of stopping in recent years – between 2010 and 2018, populations of forest specialist species decreased from 28% of the 1970 value to just 21%. Habitat loss and habitat degradation were the most frequently reported drivers of this decline, followed by overexploitation.