Global Forest Watch, canopy loss during 2020-2023
This layer maps where tree canopy was lost between 2020 and 2023.
Category: Transition risks · Ecosystem use Coverage: Global Format: Raster grid (~1 km) Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Ecosystem use
What it shows
This layer maps where tree canopy was lost between 2020 and 2023. It captures the disappearance of trees taller than five metres in areas that had dense canopy cover, regardless of whether the cause was human or natural, and whether the loss is permanent or temporary. It matters because canopy loss is a leading signal of land-use change, habitat conversion and deforestation pressure.
How it is built
The underlying data is the University of Maryland (UMD) tree-cover-loss dataset, accessed through Global Forest Watch. It records annual loss of all trees taller than five metres between 2020 and 2023, in areas that had more than 50% canopy cover in the year 2000. The loss includes natural forests as well as plantations and tree crops. Each cell of the roughly 1 km grid records the fraction of its area (from 0 to 1) that experienced canopy loss over the period.
How to read it
Higher values mean a larger share of the grid cell lost canopy during 2020–2023; a value near zero means little or no detected loss. Concentrations of high values indicate areas under active deforestation or land-clearing pressure.
Source
Hansen / UMD / Google / USGS / NASA, accessed through Global Forest Watch. Hansen, M. C., et al. (2013), "High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change," Science 342: 850–53. Data version GFC-2024-v1.12. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer maps to WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter indicator S13_2 Forest Canopy Loss, and also contributes to S13_1 Land-Use Change. WWF draws on the same Hansen / Global Forest Watch tree-cover-loss family; the main difference is that Darwin's layer is restricted to the recent 2020–2023 window rather than the full historical record.
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem use | Area of land use | Site overlaps / is near the feature | “Area of land use” pressure ≥ 4; impact ratio ≥ 5% |
Legend
Symbolised field: Canopy loss fraction (2020-2023)
| Class | Colour |
|---|---|
| Low | #fee08b |
| High | #f46d43 |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-global-forest-watch-canopy-loss-during-2020-2023.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).