According to a recent report by New South Wales's Environment Protection Authority, 9% of the Australian continent was forested when the first Europeans stepped ashore in 1788; only 5% remains
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/australia-and-environment
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/economist-london
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/forests