Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Meishan
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Meishan has lost about 338 hectares of forest (about 470 football pitches): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 137 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2,360 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 338 ha14% of it, about 470 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 137 hadeforestation, 40% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201775 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south-east of the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Meishan, year by year
The worst year was 2017, when about 75 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2009 | 9 ha | 4 ha | 14 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2013 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2014 | 7 ha | 3 ha | 10 ha |
| 2015 | 3 ha | 2 ha | 5 ha |
| 2016 | 10 ha | 4 ha | 14 ha |
| 2017 | 22 ha | 53 ha | 75 ha |
| 2018 | 6 ha | 27 ha | 33 ha |
| 2019 | 7 ha | 9 ha | 16 ha |
| 2020 | 9 ha | 30 ha | 39 ha |
| 2021 | 7 ha | 25 ha | 32 ha |
| 2022 | 11 ha | 5 ha | 16 ha |
| 2023 | 15 ha | 13 ha | 29 ha |
| 2024 | 9 ha | 12 ha | 21 ha |
| 2025 | 9 ha | 10 ha | 18 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 5,570 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 5,850 ha
- Overall change
- +281 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Meishan grew from about 5,570 hectares to 5,850 hectares, a net gain of about 281 hectares (+5%). New forest grew on about 687 hectares, while 406 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Meishan?
- 40%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 59%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging59% · 198 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads19% · 65 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations17% · 57 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy4.5% · 15 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes1.1% · 4 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
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Put Meishan's forest loss on your site
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Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Meishan
How much forest has Meishan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Meishan has lost about 338 hectares of forest (about 470 football pitches): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 137 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
What is causing deforestation around Meishan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (59%), towns and roads (19%), farms, pasture and plantations (17%). About 137 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss around Meishan?
The worst year was 2017, when about 75 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Meishan growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Meishan grew from about 5,570 hectares to 5,850 hectares, a net gain of about 281 hectares (+5%). New forest grew on about 687 hectares, while 406 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Meishan over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Meishan, where the most forest was lost. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches within 10 km of the centre of Meishan, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.