Forest degradation
A decline in a forest's condition or capacity to provide ecological functions without complete conversion to another land use.
Example
Logging, fire or fragmentation can reduce biomass and habitat quality.
The catch
A remaining tree canopy does not guarantee intact ecological function.
Related terms
Afforestation, Biodiversity, Blue carbon, Carbon sink, Carbon stock, Deforestation
In more depth
Forest degradation, explained.
Forest degradation is harder to see than deforestation and often goes under-reported. Satellites readily spot cleared land, while a forest that loses its largest trees can keep a canopy that looks intact from orbit, so detection needs finer imagery or laser surveys. The UN framework for forest carbon, known as REDD+, covers degradation alongside deforestation.
Degradation can feed itself. Fragmented edges dry out, dried forests burn more easily, and each fire leaves the stand more flammable than before. Natural regeneration, which can return much of the lost carbon stock once the pressures stop, usually costs far less than planting a new forest.