Deforestation Rate Calculator
Calculate the annual deforestation rate and project remaining forest cover given current clearing trends.
hectares
hectares
years
years
Average Annual Loss
8,000 ha/year
Annual Deforestation Rate1.73 %
Projected Forest in Future296,352 hectares
Average Annual Loss vs Years Between Measurements
Measuring Deforestation
Deforestation rate quantifies the speed at which forest cover is being lost, typically expressed as a percentage per year.
Formula
Annual Rate = 1 - (Current Area / Initial Area)^(1/years) x 100%
Projected Forest = Current Area x (1 - Rate)^(Projection Years)
This compound rate formula accounts for the shrinking base over time, giving a more accurate rate than simple division.
Example Calculation
Forest cover dropped from 500,000 to 420,000 hectares over 10 years.
- 01Annual loss = (500,000 - 420,000) / 10 = 8,000 ha/year
- 02Compound rate = 1 - (420,000/500,000)^(1/10) = 1 - 0.9826 = 1.74%
- 03Projected forest in 20 years = 420,000 x (1 - 0.0174)^20 = 420,000 x 0.7046 = 295,932 ha