Are there more trees on Earth than people?
Today’s question comes from Easton, who’s 11 years old. Easton asked, “Are there more trees on Earth than people?” What an awesome question, right? Trees are everywhere, from the forests to your backyard, but could there really be more of them than us humans?
Listen in because we’re going to dig into this mystery and explore not only how many trees there are compared to people, but how the number of trees has changed over time. And trust me, the answer will surprise you!
Episode Transcript
Hey there, curious minds! Welcome to I Wonder, the show where we explore all the amazing questions you’ve been wondering about! Today’s question comes from Easton, who’s 11 years old. Easton asked, “I wonder if there are more trees on Earth than people?” What a great question, Easton! So, what do you think? Are there more trees or people on this big, beautiful planet of ours?
Take a moment to imagine it. You might look around your neighborhood and see a few trees, but then you think about cities where there might not be that many at all. So, what’s the answer? Are trees winning the numbers game, or are humans?
Alright, let’s dive in! The short answer is… yes! There are more trees on Earth than people! But how many more? Let’s do some quick math.
There are about 8 billion people on Earth right now. That’s a lot of people, right? But the number of trees? Brace yourself—scientists estimate that there are about 3 trillion trees on the planet! That’s trillion with a "T," which is a million million! If we break that down, that’s about 400 trees for every person on Earth.
But here's something really interesting: it wasn’t always this way. Let's rewind time a bit.
Before humans started building cities, cutting down forests, and farming, there were a lot more trees. In fact, scientists believe there used to be around 6 trillion trees on Earth, about twice as many as there are today. Over thousands of years, as humans spread across the globe, we needed space to live and grow food, and that meant cutting down trees. Sadly, a lot of forests were lost. This is called deforestation, which is when forests get cleared for land.
So, while we still have more trees than people today, the number of trees is shrinking. In fact, we lose about 10 billion trees every year! That’s like cutting down all the trees in a huge forest the size of South Korea every single year! And if you break that down, it means we’re losing about 1.25 trees per person, per year. That’s like each of us losing a tree and a tiny branch every year—kind of a sad thought, isn’t it?
But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news. There’s something called reforestation too! This is when people plant new trees to help replace the ones that were cut down. Some countries are planting millions or even billions of trees to help bring back forests. For example, a country like India planted more than 66 million trees in just one day! That’s the kind of effort we need to keep our planet healthy and full of trees.
So, to answer Easton’s question: Yes, there are more trees than people—about 400 trees per person—but we need to take care of our trees if we want to keep it that way. Trees are super important because they help clean the air we breathe, provide homes for animals, and even help fight climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide.
And here’s one more cool thing to think about: every tree has a story! Some trees, like the ones in rainforests or ancient forests, have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. Imagine how much history they’ve witnessed! And when you plant a new tree, you’re creating a future for the planet—one that will help future generations of humans and animals.
So, there you have it! Thanks again to Easton for such a great question. And now it’s your turn! What do youwonder about? Send us your questions, and we’ll explore them right here on I Wonder.
Until next time, stay curious and keep wondering!