2000-2010 Indonesian And Malaysian Deforestation Equal To Area Of Virginia
Indonesia and Malaysia lost more than 11 million hectares (42,470 square miles) of forest between 2000 and 2010, according to a study published last year in the journal Global Change Biology. The area is roughly the size of Denmark or the state of Virginia.
The bulk of forest loss occurred in lowland forests, which declined by 7.8 million hectares or 11 percent on 2000 cover. Peat swamp forests lost the highest percentage of cover, declining 19.7 percent. Lowland forests have historically been first targeted by loggers before being converted for agriculture. Peatlands are increasingly converted for industrial oil palm estates and pulp and paper plantations.
The study also broke down changes in forest cover by island. Borneo, which is shared by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, topped the list in terms of total area lost at 5 million hectares during the period, accounting for 12 percent of its 2000 cover. But forests declined at a faster rate in Sumatra, which lost 23.7 percent of its forest cover or 3.5 million hectares.
Sabah and Sarawak, which comprise Malaysian Borneo, lost more than 15 percent of their forest cover during the period.
EDIT
http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0715-chart-forest-loss-seasia.html
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