Forest ecosystems in Southeast Asia are currently facing multiple challenges, including threats caused by global trade or local factors such as land conversion. It is therefore crucial to have a better understanding of the mechanisms driving deforestation and forest recovery. In the present study, the losses and gains of forest were quantified over a 27 year period with 300 m-resolution land cover data and data on human population densities over 19 years covering a large area of continental Southeast Asia. The forest dynamics was characterised by different phases that were largely synchronised among countries. The rate of deforestation was related to population density in core forest but not in edge forest. In spite of different national dynamics, all countries showed two concomitant trends: a decrease in the rates of forest loss over the years, and a decrease in the impact of human population density on the rates of forest loss. The importance of local population density for deforestation in core forest have some consequences for management and forest conservation suggesting that migration and local settlements are important drivers of local deforestation in Southeast Asia.

东南亚的森林生态系统目前面临多重挑战，包括全球贸易或土地转换等当地因素造成的威胁。因此，至关重要的是更好地了解造成森林砍伐和森林恢复的机制。在本研究中，使用300 m分辨率的土地覆盖数据和19年来覆盖东南亚大片地区的人口密度数据，对27年间森林的损失和收益进行了量化。森林动态的特点是各个国家之间在很大程度上同步的不同阶段。森林砍伐率与核心林的人口密度有关，而与边缘林无关。尽管国家动态不同，但所有国家都显示出两个伴随的趋势：多年来森林损失率下降，并减少了人口密度对森林丧失速度的影响。当地人口密度对于核心森林砍伐的重要性对管理和森林保护产生了一定的影响，这表明移民和当地住区是东南亚当地森林砍伐的重要驱动力。