广播电视英语短句 第 183 课：森林砍伐-1

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says deforestation has decreased over the past ten years. 联合国粮农组织表示，在过去的十年中森林砍伐率有所下降，

But it still continues at a high rate in many countries. 但在许多国家仍保有很高的砍伐率。

Deforestation is mainly caused by the cutting down of tropical forests to provide land for agriculture. 砍伐热带雨林为农业提供耕地是森林退化的主因。

The world's total forest area is just over four billion hectares. 全球森林总面积仅 40 亿公顷。

About thirteen million hectares of forest were cut down or lost through natural causes each year in the last ten years. 过去十年中，每年有近 1300 万公顷森林被砍伐或者基于自然原因而消失。