Tropical forest loss from growing rubber trade is more substantial than previously thought – new research

By Eleanor Warren-Thomas, Lecturer in Conservation and Forestry, Bangor University
Antje Ahrends, Head of Genetics and Conservation, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Over 4 million hectares of tree cover – an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland – may have been cleared to make space for rubber plantations since the 1990s. Out of all the rubber planted, 1 million hectares may have been established in key biodiversity areas – sites that contribute significantly to biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

These are the findings of our recent research, which mapped the conversion…

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