Deforestation in Taiwan
Deforestation in Taiwan is the changes on the forested area in the island due to economy factors, such as agriculture, urban expansion etc. In 1904–2015, Taiwan has a net annual forest area change rate of 34 km2.[1]
History[edit]
The changes in forest area of Taiwan is divided into several periods.
First period[edit]
The earliest documented period was the first period in 1904–1950, roughly coincided with the later stage of Japanese rule in Taiwan. In 1926, 64% of Taiwan's land was covered in forest. However, many new agricultural land were created in western lowland of Taiwan.[2]
Second period[edit]
The second period which in 1956–1993, which coincided with the early era of Kuomintang government, saw a sharp increase in built-up area where it consumed forest areas around major big cities and towns.[1] In 1989, the government issued a ban on the logging of primeval forests.[2]
Third period[edit]
The third period in 1995–2015, saw major afforestation made and forested land reached its peak at 67% in 2010. Most of the afforestation were made on former agricultural land.[1] Since 2008, companies, individuals and government bodies have jointly planted more than 230 km2 of trees.[2] Following this period the primary challenge facing forests in Taiwan is illegal logging.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Chen, Yi-Ying; Huang, Wei; Wang, Wei-Hong; Juang, Jehn-Yih; Hong, Jing-Shan; Kato, Tomomichi; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan (6 March 2019). "Reconstructing Taiwan's land cover changes between 1904 and 2015 from historical maps and satellite images". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 3643. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9.3643C. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40063-1. PMC 6403323. PMID 30842476.
- ^ a b c "Taiwan's 'King of the Trees' fights for the forests". TerraDaily. 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Taiwan's centuries-old trees under threat by 'mountain rats' who chop them down for illegal sale". channelnewsasia.com/. CNA. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
