Russia

Russia leads the world with about 815 million hectares of forest, covering nearly half its land. Boreal forests in regions like Irkutsk cover over 80% of the land (~62 million ha) and hold 12.5% of Russia's mature tree stock. Russia protects large intact landscapes (289 million ha) and strict reserves like the Vitim Nature Reserve (~586,000 ha). It tracks health with satellite data and fights wildfires. Still, 2024 brought massive forest fires—over 8.8 million ha burnt. Logging industries follow sustainable management laws, and large areas are protected or replanted.