According to FAO Stat website there were 3,380,456,910 cubic metres of
timber produced in the world in 2002. Assume with a wild stab in the dark
that this only picks up say75% of trees actually felled, that give you
4,507,275,880 Then make a guess at average tree size, probably quite small
so say 0.5 cubic metres per tree gives you twice the last number for number
of trees. So that is 9,014,551,760 - you might consider adding a bit for
all the little trees that get felled along with the timber tress but some of
them would die anyway for lack of light, eaten by animals or insects etc.
Answer therefor about 10 billion trees felled in 2002.

Of course some of these would be replanted or regenerated so that does not
mean necessarily loss of forest area. You also have to remember that trees
are dying all the time in a natural forest system and I don't know how to
estimate that number. New trees also born all the time, probably many more
than are cut down.

So don't worry the kids too much with the big numbers!

regards

Bill MacDonald

"mike hagen" wrote in message
...



Oops....sorry....I sorta got off on a tangent G

Larry


Gee, Larry. Did you just join the SAF? {

This question came up a few years ago and there was actually some fairly
solid information. Gyde Lund is a keyword to use in addition to forest
cover loss. The UN keeps track of world forest cover (not exactly the
same question). Do a Google!