Land Use Changed the Climate. Now Climate’s Changing the Land (Matt Hansen and Craig Hanson – World Resources Institute)

Land-use change has long been recognized as a major contributor to global warming. Deforestation and agriculture alone account for nearly 25% of human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One might think this effect is uni-directional: Cutting down trees, plowing up grasslands and draining wetlands release GHGs that fuel climate change. But satellite monitoring shows that this relationship is a two-way street. Climate change itself is increasingly leading to the loss and degradation of forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers and even farms, creating a dangerous feedback loop.

5 Graphics Explain the Land-Climate Connection | World Resources Institute