Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Yekaterinburg
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yekaterinburg has lost about 870 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 7.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (82%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 11,600 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 870 ha7.5% of it, about 1,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 716 hadeforestation, 82% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2008107 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km 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 Yekaterinburg, year by year
The worst year was 2008, when about 107 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 | 4 ha | 10 ha | 15 ha |
| 2002 | 5 ha | 7 ha | 12 ha |
| 2003 | 2 ha | 4 ha | 6 ha |
| 2004 | 23 ha | 14 ha | 37 ha |
| 2005 | 18 ha | 2 ha | 20 ha |
| 2006 | 55 ha | 4 ha | 59 ha |
| 2007 | 53 ha | 1 ha | 54 ha |
| 2008 | 101 ha | 6 ha | 107 ha |
| 2009 | 39 ha | 7 ha | 45 ha |
| 2010 | 42 ha | 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2011 | 48 ha | 7 ha | 55 ha |
| 2012 | 57 ha | 9 ha | 66 ha |
| 2013 | 42 ha | 3 ha | 45 ha |
| 2014 | 23 ha | 14 ha | 37 ha |
| 2015 | 14 ha | 3 ha | 17 ha |
| 2016 | 18 ha | 13 ha | 31 ha |
| 2017 | 9 ha | 3 ha | 12 ha |
| 2018 | 16 ha | 2 ha | 17 ha |
| 2019 | 18 ha | 11 ha | 29 ha |
| 2020 | 29 ha | 1 ha | 31 ha |
| 2021 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2022 | 11 ha | 6 ha | 17 ha |
| 2023 | 29 ha | 15 ha | 44 ha |
| 2024 | 13 ha | 4 ha | 17 ha |
| 2025 | 28 ha | 7 ha | 35 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 11,800 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 11,700 ha
- Overall change
- −181 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yekaterinburg stayed about the same size, at about 11,700 hectares: new forest grew on about 595 hectares, and about 776 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 Yekaterinburg?
- 82%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 16%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.5%cause unknown
- Towns and roads68% · 595 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Logging14% · 125 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Mining and energy14% · 121 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Wildfires1.7% · 14 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Unknown causes1.5% · 13 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
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ufa | 397 ha | 2.8% | 247 ha |
| Saint Petersburg | 324 ha | 7.8% | 312 ha |
Use this data
Put Yekaterinburg's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Yekaterinburg
How much forest has Yekaterinburg lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yekaterinburg has lost about 870 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 7.5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (82%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Yekaterinburg?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (68%), logging (14%), mining and energy (14%). About 716 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 Yekaterinburg?
The worst year was 2008, when about 107 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Yekaterinburg growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yekaterinburg stayed about the same size, at about 11,700 hectares: new forest grew on about 595 hectares, and about 776 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 Yekaterinburg 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 Yekaterinburg, 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 Yekaterinburg, 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.