About this site
Providing tropical forest news, statistics, photos, and information, rainforests.mongabay.com is the world's most popular rainforest site. [more]
Weekly Newsletter
Mongabay will never distribute your email address or send spam.
Share
GAMBIA
Gambia Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 471,000 ha % of land area: 41.7%
Primary forest cover: n/a % of land area: n/a % total forest area: n/a
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: 2,000 ha Annual deforestation rate: 0.4% Change in defor. rate since '90s: 0.9% Total forest loss since 1990: 29,000 ha Total forest loss since 1990:6.6%
Primary or "Old-growth" forests Annual loss of primary forests: n/a Annual deforestation rate: n/a Change in deforestation rate since '90s: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990:n/a
Forest ClassificationPublic: 100% Private: n.s.% Other: 0% Use Production: n/a Protection: n/a Conservation: n/a Social services: n/a Multiple purpose: 100% None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 471,000 ha Primary: n/a Modified natural: 471,000 ha Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: n/a Production plantation: n/a
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: n/a % of total forest cover: 0.1% Annual change rate (00-05): n/a
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: 53 M t Below-ground biomass: 13 M t
Area annually affected byFire: 150,000 ha Insects: n/a Diseases: 100,000 ha
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: 140 Critically endangered: 0 Endangered: 0 Vulnerable: 0
The Gambia, one of the world's poorest countries, is faced with rapid population growth which is putting tremendous
pressure on its few resources and remaining forests. The government has enacted laws to promote sustainable
development, but these are widely disregarded and not understood by the largely illiterate population. In addition,
the government lacks the funds and staff to enforce this legislation. Over the past generation the environment in Gambia suffered from fuelwood collection, subsistence agriculture, and clearing for livestock, as well as hunting and desertification.
In the past five years the situation in Gambia has changed. FAO figures show a net increase in forest cover, likely resulting from increased plantations. Nevertheless, Gambia no longer has any intact primary forests.
According to the World Resources Institute, 3.2 percent of Gambia's land area is under some form of protection. The country is home to 974 species of plants, 117 mammals, and 535 birds.
Indigenous people, forest communities in Africa control less than 2% of forest land
(05/28/2009) Less than 2 percent of Africa’s tropical forests are under community control, hindering efforts to slow deforestation and alleviate rural poverty, reports a new assessment from the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global coalition of non-governmental and community organizations.
Goodbye to West Africa's Rainforests
(01/22/2006) West Africa's once verdant and extensive rainforests are now a historical footnote. Gone to build ships and furniture, feed hungry mouths, and supply minerals and gems to the West, the band of tropical forests that once extended from Guinea to Cameroon are virtually gone. The loss of West Africa's rainforests have triggered a number of environmental problems that have contributed to social unrest and exacerbated poverty across the region.
