Amidst the frequent backdrop of gloomy environmental news, the American National Academy of Sciences is reporting that deforestation has ceased or reversed in a host of key nations throughout the globe including the United States, Russia, Vietnam, Chile, most of Europe - and most surprisingly - within the rapidly developing economies of China and India.

The report covers the world's 50 most forested countries, excluding Canada who stopped conducting national inventories in 1990 because of internal disputes regarding how to conduct the surveys.

Though widespread deforestation notably continues in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines, the report projects that the tendency towards reforestation will continue, with most countries restoring their forests within 20 to 30 years.