This study maps the global distribution of forest fragments and their temporal changes between 2000 and 2020. Tropical forests, while relatively intact in 2000, experienced the most severe fragmentation over the past two decades. Conversely, 75.1% of the world's forests showed decreased fragmentation, particularly in temperate and subtropical regions of northern Eurasia and South China. Eight fragmentation modes were identified, revealing different recovery or degradation states. The research highlights the urgent need to reduce deforestation and enhance connectivity among forest fragments, especially in tropical areas.

Jun Ma, Jiawei Li, Wanben Wu, Jiajia Liu