To put it quite simply, deforestation is the act of permanently destroying a spot of forest to use for other purposes.
Where is Deforestation Happening?
There are many more cases, but I chose to go more in depth for these particular ones.
1. The Brazilian Amazon The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most advertised cases of deforestation. It is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet yet over 66% of the deforested area is used for cattle ranching. A reasonable part is also used for agriculture.
2. Russia's Boreal Forest (Taiga) The boreal subarctic forests in central Russia are home to much of the northern hemisphere's terrestrial carbon stores. They are very important for the indigenous people for hunting and medicine, yet they are still being logged quite quickly.
3. Indonesia and Borneo Indonesia has one of the fastest deforestation rates in the world. In Borneo, forests are being destroyed for timber, palm oil, pulp and rubber. Borneo used to be almost completely covered in forest, and less than half remains now.
There Is a Difference....
Current Deforestation
Current deforestation is as the title implies. It is deforestation that is happening in the present. One of the most advertised cases of current deforestation is the Brazilian Amazon. Maybe less advertised cases are Russia's boreal subarctic forests, Indonesian forest and the forest in Borneo.
Past Deforestation
Past deforestation is deforestation that has happened in the past. Both Europe and China had a lot of deforestation in the past, but they are trying to regrow some of their forest cover.