Historic Forest Cover Estimates From Combined Sources

This dataset provides estimates of forest cover from various sources, including FAO, USDA Forest Service, DEFRA, Forest Research and others. The details for the historical estimates are provided below:

• The FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) data is used for all countries for the 1990 onwards.
• China (1000-1960): He et al. (2025): Reconstructing forest and grassland cover changes in China over the past millennium
• Costa Rica (1940-1969): Kleinn et al. (2002): Forest area in Costa Rica: A comparative study of tropical forest cover estimates over time
• England (1086-1650): Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) report: Government Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement
• England (1870-1980): Forest Research report: National inventory of woodland and trees
• England (2019): Scottish Government report: Scotland's Forestry Strategy: 2019-2029
• France (1000-1976): Mather et al. (1999): The course and drivers of the forest transition in France
• Japan (1600-1985): Saito, O. (2009): Forest history and the Great Divergence: China, Japan, and the West compared
• Philippines (1934-1988): Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) report: One century of forest rehabilitation in the Philippines
• Scotland (1600-1750): Mather, A.S. (2008)
• Scotland (1870-1988): Forest Research report: National inventory of woodland and trees
• Scotland (2019): Scottish Government report: Scotland's Forestry Strategy: 2019-2029
• South Korea (1948-1980): Bae J.S. et al. (2012) Forest transition in South Korea: Reality, path and drivers
• Taiwan (1904-1982): Chen Y et al (2019) Reconstructing Taiwan’s land cover changes between 1904 and 2015 from historical maps and satellite images
• United States (1630-1907): U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS) report: U.S. Forest Facts and Historical Trends
• United States (1920-1987): U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS) report (2014): U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends
• Vietnam (1943-1985): Forest Science Institute of Vietnam (FSIV) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report: Vietnam Forestry Outlook Study