Recently reported reductions in Brazilian rainforest clearing over the past decade (5) were confirmed, as annual forest loss decreased on average 1318 km2/year. However, increased annual loss of Eurasian tropical rainforest (1392 km2/year), African tropical moist deciduous forest (536 km2/year), South American dry tropical forest (459 km2/year), and Eurasian tropical moist deciduous (221 km2/year) and dry (123 km2/year) forests more than offset the slowing of Brazilian deforestation. Of all countries globally, Brazil exhibited the largest decline in annual forest loss, with a high of over 40,000 km2/year in 2003 to 2004 and a low of under 20,000 km2/year in 2010 to 2011.

Of all countries globally, Indonesia exhibited the largest increase in forest loss (1021 km2/year), with a low of under 10,000 km2/year from 2000 through 2003 and a high of over 20,000 km2/year in 2011 to 2012. The converging rates of forest disturbance of Indonesia and Brazil are shown in Fig. 3. Although the short-term decline of Brazilian deforestation is well documented, changing legal frameworks governing Brazilian forests could reverse this trend (6). The effectiveness of Indonesia’s recently instituted moratorium on new licensing of concessions in primary natural forest and peatlands (7), initiated in 2011, is to be determined.