The end of the Soviet Union had far-reaching effects all over the world. Even today, researchers continue to discover new ways by which the fall of communism shaped not only global society and politics – but even European forests, as it turns out.
“I personally was quite surprised with our results on forest dynamics,” Peter Potapov, a professor at the University of Maryland, admitted.
Potapov has carefully analyzed forest cover changes in eastern Europe and western Russia over the last 27 years. His results are striking: The transition from communism to a liberal market economy has left clear traces that can be seen on satellite images. In most eastern European countries, forests have expanded overall.
Potapov’s research shows how the end of the Soviet Union literally made the world more green – but at a substantial human cost.