Tropical forests destroyed at fastest recorded rate last year1 day ago Share Save Mark Poynting and Esme Stallard BBC Climate & Science Share SaveGetty ImagesThe world's tropical forests, which provide a crucial buffer against climate change, disappeared faster than ever recorded last year, new satellite analysis suggests. Prof Hansen described the new results as "frightening", and warned of the possible "savannisation" of the rainforest, where old-growth tropical forests die back and permanently switch to savanna. While only a single year, it fits the expected pattern of more intense tropical fires in a warming world. In total, the record loss of the world's old-growth (primary) tropical forests released 3.1 billion tonnes of planet-warming gases, the researchers estimate. One proposal is to reward countries which maintain tropical forests through payments.