Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Qingyuan
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Qingyuan has lost about 884 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 350 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 5,510 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 884 ha16% of it, about 1,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 350 hadeforestation, 40% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2005116 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2018: satellite photo from November 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north-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 Qingyuan, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 40 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 52 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2005, when about 116 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 | 1 ha | 7 ha | 8 ha |
| 2002 | 6 ha | 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2003 | 1 ha | 2 ha | 3 ha |
| 2004 | 5 ha | 4 ha | 9 ha |
| 2005 | 48 ha | 68 ha | 116 ha |
| 2006 | 21 ha | 38 ha | 59 ha |
| 2007 | 30 ha | 26 ha | 56 ha |
| 2008 | 10 ha | 8 ha | 17 ha |
| 2009 | 10 ha | 12 ha | 21 ha |
| 2010 | 15 ha | 3 ha | 18 ha |
| 2011 | 17 ha | 15 ha | 32 ha |
| 2012 | 6 ha | 5 ha | 11 ha |
| 2013 | 2 ha | 11 ha | 14 ha |
| 2014 | 14 ha | 19 ha | 33 ha |
| 2015 | 4 ha | 18 ha | 22 ha |
| 2016 | 9 ha | 81 ha | 90 ha |
| 2017 | 33 ha | 16 ha | 50 ha |
| 2018 | 38 ha | 36 ha | 74 ha |
| 2019 | 10 ha | 13 ha | 22 ha |
| 2020 | 10 ha | 14 ha | 24 ha |
| 2021 | 3 ha | 7 ha | 11 ha |
| 2022 | 3 ha | 5 ha | 8 ha |
| 2023 | 3 ha | 73 ha | 75 ha |
| 2024 | 34 ha | 41 ha | 76 ha |
| 2025 | 18 ha | 13 ha | 31 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 8,080 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 8,240 ha
- Overall change
- +164 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Qingyuan stayed about the same size, at about 8,240 hectares: new forest grew on about 579 hectares, and about 415 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 Qingyuan?
- 40%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 59%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1%cause unknown
- Logging55% · 487 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads32% · 282 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations6% · 53 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires4.3% · 38 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy1.7% · 15 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes1% · 9 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes.
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 Qingyuan's forest loss on your site
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Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Qingyuan
How much forest has Qingyuan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Qingyuan has lost about 884 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 350 hectares (40%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Qingyuan getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 40 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 52 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation around Qingyuan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (55%), towns and roads (32%), farms, pasture and plantations (6%). About 350 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 Qingyuan?
The worst year was 2005, when about 116 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Qingyuan growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Qingyuan stayed about the same size, at about 8,240 hectares: new forest grew on about 579 hectares, and about 415 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 Qingyuan over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2018 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Qingyuan, 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 Qingyuan, 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.