More coverage: Rainforest loss slows

A new global assessment of forest stocks by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows continuing loss of primary forests since 2005 despite gains in the extent of protected areas.

FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 reveals some 13 million hectares of forest were cleared between 2000 and 2010, down from around 16 million hectares per year during the 1990s. Loss of primary forest—mostly a consequence of logging—averaged 4.2 million hectares per year, down from 4.7 million hectares per year in the 1990s, but the figures exclude Canada, which doesn’t report any change in old growth forest cover despite being a major timber exporter.

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Among countries with significant primary forest cover, Nigeria had the fastest rate of loss (which does not neccessarily reflect dforestation, but can mean first time selective logging of old growth forest), approaching 20 percent per year from 2005 to 2010, followed by South Korea (3.95 percent per year), Malawi (3.77 percent), Guatemala (3.72 percent), Sierra Leone (3.21 percent), Central African Republic (2.94 percent), Gabon (2.16 percent), and Nicaragua (2.16 percent). Brazil led all countries in total primary forest loss during the 2005-2010 period, losing 2.3 million hectares per year. It was followed by Papua New Guinea (427,000 hectares per year) and Gabon (330,000 ha). Primary forests today account for 36 percent (1.4 billion ha) of the world’s forest area. 81 countries reported they have no remaining primary cover, although in some cases this may be due to a lack of data.

The FAO report shows that while deforestation slowed in the 2000s relative to the 1990s, forest loss accelerated during the second half of the decade, led by Brazil (2.19 million hectares per year), Australia (924,000 ha), Indonesia (685,000 ha), Nigeria (410,000 ha), and Tanzania (403,000 ha). But Brazil’s rate actually represents a reduction relative to the 2000-2005 period when 3.09 million hectares were lost per year.

The report estimates some 13 percent of the world’s forest area now lies in legally established protected areas. With nearly 89 million hectares under protection, Brazil leads the world in protecting forest areas.

Plantations

The FAO report finds that tree plantations continue to expand, helping offset the loss of natural forests. Temperate countries report the largest extent of planted forests, but China led the world in expansion over the past 20 years, planting an average of 1.9 million hectares of plantations per year. In the tropics, India reported the largest total increase in planted forest area (5 million hectares) over the past two decades. Oil palm plantation expansion in Indonesia and Malaysia was excluded from the estimates since FAO considers oil palm an agricultural crop, rather than a ‘planted forest’.

Socio-economic findings

FAO’s assessment finds that the forestry sector is generally a money-losing proposition for governments. Public expenditure on forestry averaged $7.50 per hectare worldwide, but exceeded $20 per hectare in Asia. Total forest revenue collection was about $4.50 per hectare globally. Forest management and conservation directly employs about 10 million people worldwide, although many more depend on forests for informal livelihoods. The total value of forest products was estimated at $122 billion for 2005. Timber accounted for 71 percent of the value, followed by non-wood forest products (15 percent) and fuelwood (14 percent). Industrial roundwood (logs) had an average value of $51 per cubic meter.

About 80 percent of the global forest area is publicly owned, while 18 percent is privately held.

Logging of old-growth or primary forests is a hot-button issue for environmentalists. While selective logging can preserve most of the ecological functions and biodiversity of untouched forests, logged forests are more likely to eventually be cleared entirely for agriculture. Still, loss of primary forest does not necessarily reflect “deforestation”.

Forest fires

FAO reports fire is significantly under-appreciated as a threat to forests. An average of 1 percent of forest cover was reported to be “significantly affected” each year by forest fires, but this figure likely represents a significant underestimate since many countries did not report data. More than 90 percent of fires are classified as wildlifes, rather than prescribed burns.

Forest Resources Assessment 2010

The Forest Resources Assessment 2010 contains data from 233 countries. More than 900 experts from 178 countries contributed to the report, which was four years in preparation.

While the FAO remains the standard for statistics on forest cover, the data collection process suffers from self-reporting: some countries report more accurately than others. FAO is working with partners on a global remote sensing survey of forests that will help better monitor changes in forest cover and land use. Furthermore, rising interest in the proposed reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) mechanism, has sparked new independent efforts to track forests.

Forest cover data