It has been estimated that about half of the Earth's mature tropical forests—between 7.5 million and 8 million km2 (2.9 million to 3 million sq mi) of the original 15 million to 16 million km2 (5.8 million to 6.2 million sq mi) that until 1947 covered the planet—have now been destroyed.
Nekatera francoska kolonialna mesta v državi Illinois, kot je Kaskaskia, Cahokia in St. Phillipe, so se v poznem 19. stoletju soočila z izgubo kulturne evidence arheoloških odkriti,j zaradi poplav reke Illinois.