The study looked at how much carbon is released from human activities that harm forests, compared to natural causes. Using a new method called RESTREND, researchers found that degraded forests release a lot of carbon, even more than deforested areas. They discovered that degraded areas had a high carbon density of 183 tons per hectare, which is 1.5 times higher than deforested areas. The initial carbon stock in degraded areas was around 5.45 billion tons during 2002-2012. Some countries had emissions from degradation that were higher than deforestation, while others had much lower emissions. This information can help countries better manage their forests to reduce carbon emissions and meet their climate goals.