Dataset: Historic Forest Cover Estimates From Combined Sources

About this Dataset

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

Tables

Land, Inputs And Sustainability: Land Use - Flattened Table Indexed By Country-year.

@owid.forest_share.owid_forest_share

38.17 KB
7934 rows
3 columns


CREATE TABLE owid_forest_share (
  "country" VARCHAR,
  "year" INTEGER,
  "forest_share" FLOAT
);