What does the Climate & Forest Correlation Super Monitor show?

The monitor shows global temperature data and forest/deforestation data since 1990 in one combined chart and annual table. Temperature series are shown in red; forest and deforestation series are shown in green.

Why does the combined analysis start in 1990?

Temperature data go further back, but the more robust global deforestation and forest-loss data mostly start from 1990, or from 2001 for satellite-based series. Therefore, 1990 is the more useful methodological starting point.

Is tree cover loss the same as deforestation?

No. Tree cover loss describes the loss of tree canopy and can include fires, storms, logging or plantation rotations in addition to permanent deforestation. Therefore, tree cover loss is shown separately from FAO/OWID Annual Deforestation.

Does a correlation between temperature and forest loss prove causality?

No. The correlation analysis shows statistical co-movement, not causality. Causal claims would require additional climate models, emissions data, land-use data and regional analyses.

Which data sources are used?

The tool uses temperature sources such as NASA GISTEMP, NOAA GlobalTemp, Berkeley Earth, HadCRUT5 and Copernicus ERA5, as well as forest and deforestation sources such as FAO/OWID, Global Forest Watch/UMD and INPE PRODES.

Global Climate & Forest Data Observatory

Climate & Forest Correlation Super Monitor

Combination of the temperature comparison model and the Global Deforestation Monitor: temperature data are displayed in red, deforestation and forest-loss data in green. The super model includes global series as well as regional forest-loss, fire-loss, forest-area and driver data for Russia, China, Asia, Africa, African subregions and South America. By default, series are shown as z-scores so that different units can be compared directly.

1990–LATEST
TEMPERATURE: NASA · NOAA · BERKELEY · HADCRUT5 · ERA5
FOREST: FAO · GFW · PRODES · RUSSIA · CHINA · ASIA · AFRICA · SOUTH AMERICA

Settings

COMBINED MODEL

Period

Start year

End year

Display

Mode

Smoothing

Temperature baseline

Temperature series

Forest / deforestation series

Regional extension

Dataset

Add region / country

The regional series use the same display logic as the existing forest series. The super set loads several Africa indicators for Africa as a whole, the Congo Basin, and West, East and Southern Africa. Countries are loaded only when needed so the chart is not unnecessarily overloaded.

Optional CSV import

For JRC TMF, NASA FIRMS, ESA/DE Africa, Trase/MapBiomas or custom data: Year,Value. Unit can be defined freely, default: million ha/year.

Export

Combined correlation chart

LIVE DATA · 1990–LATEST

LOADING DATATEMP RED · FOREST GREEN

Loading data …

Temperature and forest series are loaded live from open sources. Individual sources may fail because of CORS restrictions or format changes.

Temperature sources0/5shown in red

Forest sources0/6shown in green

Period1990–Z-score

Strongest correlation–Pearson r

Interpretation: The chart shows statistical co-movement. It does not replace causal analysis. Temperature data are °C anomalies; Forest / deforestation data include actual deforestation, net forest-area change and tree cover loss as separate indicators.

Combined annual table

TEMP RED · FOREST GREEN

Source status

DATA SOURCES

Methodology

MERGED MODEL

Why one chart?

The two models are combined in one display. The default view is the z-score because temperature in °C and forest loss in million hectares are not directly comparable on the same axis.

Why from 1990?

The temperature series go further back, but global deforestation data before 1990 are much weaker. Therefore, the combined analysis starts in 1990 by default.

Deforestation vs. tree cover loss

FAO/OWID Annual Deforestation is the main global series for deforestation. GFW/UMD Tree Cover Loss is a satellite-based indicator for canopy loss and is not identical to permanent deforestation.

Climate, Forest Loss and Deforestation Data

SEO · DATA CONTEXT

Compare temperature and deforestation

This tool combines global temperature anomalies with data on deforestation, forest loss and tree cover loss. The combined display makes it easier to visually examine correlations between climate trends and forest change.

Global data sources

The temperature side uses NASA GISTEMP, NOAA GlobalTemp, Berkeley Earth, HadCRUT5 and Copernicus ERA5. The forest side uses FAO/OWID, Global Forest Watch/UMD, INPE PRODES and regional extensions for Russia, China, Asia, Africa, African subregions and South America. In addition, forest area, forest share, fire-related loss and driver categories such as agriculture, logging, shifting cultivation, infrastructure and natural disturbances can be selected.

No causality claim

The correlation values are exploratory. They show statistical co-movement, but they do not replace causal climate modeling or a full land-use analysis.

FAQ

CLIMATE · FOREST · CORRELATION

Why are temperature data shown in red?

Red marks all temperature series. This makes them directly distinguishable from forest and deforestation data in the chart and table.

Why are forest and deforestation data shown in green?

Green marks deforestation, forest loss, tree cover loss, fire-related loss, forest area, net forest-area change, regional Amazon data and series for Russia, China, Asia, Africa, African subregions and South America. The color separation makes correlations visible more quickly.

Why is z-score the default view?

Temperature is measured in °C anomalies, while forest loss is often measured in million hectares per year. Z-scores place different units on a comparable scale.