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Deforestation and REDD Facts & Figures

External Reference/Copyright
Issue date: 
December, 2009
Publisher Name: 
Mongabay
Publisher-Link: 
http://news.mongabay.com
Author: 
Rhett A. Butler
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Primary forest loss

The following section is a quantitative look at primary forest loss.

More than seven million hectares of primary forest were lost on an annual basis between 2000 and 2005, the most recent period for which data is available from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Roughly half this loss occurred in Brazil, which is home to the largest extent of tropical forest in the world: the Amazon.

But FAO figures don't include destruction of primary forests in all countries. Notably excluded are Australia, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, and Venezuela; countries with substantial forestry industries that are logging large areas of old-growth forest (especially in the case of Australia, Canada, and Democratic Republic of Congo). These countries have not reported primary forest data since at least 1990.

Among countries that have reported primary forest cover, Brazil leads the pack, followed distantly by Indonesia, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico. In terms of rate of primary forest loss, two countries lost more than half their primary forest cover between 2000 and 2005: Nigeria (55.7 percent) and Vietnam (54.5 percent). Cambodia (29.4 percent), Sri Lanka (15.2 percent), Malawi (14.9 percent), Indonesia (12.9 percent), North Korea (9.3 percent), and Nepal (9.1 percent) followed.

But while primarily forests continue to fall, plantations forests are expanding, especially in North America, Europe and China. Plantations help offset the loss of natural forests in terms of carbon sequestration and as a source for wood products [i.e. "no net forest loss"], but contribute to an overall decline in global biodiversity as single species plantations replace their biologically richer natural counterparts. While most of this conversion is occurring in the tropics, Tasmania (Australia) and the American Southeast — where old-growth forests are being razed to establish pulp, paper, and timber plantations — buck the trend.

Worst deforestation rate of primary forests, 2000-2005. All countries.

1   Nigeria   55.7%
2   Viet Nam   54.5%
3   Cambodia   29.4%
4   Sri Lanka   15.2%
5   Malawi   14.9%
6   Indonesia   12.9%
7   North Korea   9.3%
8   Nepal   9.1%
9   Panama   6.7%
10   Guatemala   6.4%

 

Highest average annual deforestation of primary forests, 2000-2005, by area. All countries [in ha]

1   Brazil   -3,466,000
2   Indonesia   -1,447,800
3   Russian Federation   -532,200
4   Mexico   -395,000
5   Papua New Guinea   -250,200
6   Peru   -224,600
7   United States of America   -215,200
8   Bolivia   -135,200
9   Sudan   -117,807
10   Nigeria   -82,000

Most primary forest cover, 2005. All countries

1   Brazil   415,890
2   Russian Federation   255,470
3   Canada   165,424
4   United States of America   104,182
5   Peru   61,065
6   Colombia   53,062
7   Indonesia   48,702
8   Mexico   32,850
9   Bolivia   29,360
10   Papua New Guinea   25,211

Most primary forest cover, 2005. Tropical countries

1   Brazil   415,890
2   Peru   61,065
3   Colombia   53,062
4   Indonesia   48,702
5   Mexico   32,850
6   Bolivia   29,360
7   Papua New Guinea   25,211
8   Suriname   14,214
9   Sudan   13,509
10   Madagascar   10,347
11   Guyana   9,314
12   French Guiana   7,701
13   Congo   7,464
14   Thailand   6,451
15   Ecuador   4,794

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Extpub | by Dr. Radut