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GUINEA-BISSAU
Guinea-Bissau Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 2,072,000 ha % of land area: 73.7%
Primary forest cover: 940,000 ha % of land area: 33.4% % total forest area: 45.4%
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: -9,600 ha Annual deforestation rate: -0.5% Change in defor. rate since '90s: 4.5% Total forest loss since 1990: -144,000 ha Total forest loss since 1990:-6.5%
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 1990:0.0%
Forest ClassificationPublic: 84.2% Private: 15.8% Other: 0% Use Production: 39.6% Protection: 11.7% Conservation: 45.4% Social services: 3.4% Multiple purpose: n/a None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 2,072,000 ha Primary: 940,000 ha Modified natural: 1,132,000 ha Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: n/a Production plantation: n/a
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: 1,000 ha % of total forest cover: n.s.% Annual change rate (00-05): 34,000 ha
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: 98 M t Below-ground biomass: 24 M t
Area annually affected byFire: 30,000 ha Insects: n/a Diseases: n/a
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: 2,243 Critically endangered: 0 Endangered: 0 Vulnerable: 4
Despite its small land area, Guinea-Bissau has extensive natural resources including coastal mangrove swamps, rich tropical forests, and unexploited petroleum fields. More than 70 percent of the country is forested—more than 45 percent of which is primary forest. Guinea-Bissau has a monsoon-like climate with a distinct rainy season (June to November) and a dry season (December to May).
About 1,000 plants species are known to exist in Guinea-Bissau. The country is also home to 108 species of mammals, 459 species of birds, and 110 types of freshwater fish.
While Guinea-Bissau's net deforestation rate is relatively low at 0.5 percent per year between 2,000 and 2,005, there is concern about increasing development, especially in a new era of relative political stability. In particular, coastal mangrove swamps—some of
the most important in Africa—are giving way to rice fields and hydroelectric projects. Slash-and-burn
agriculture, coal production, fires, fuelwood cutting, and logging for timber have resulted in forest loss and subjected Guinea-Bissau to serious soil degradation and erosion in some areas. Hunting and poaching threaten wildlife in virtually all areas.
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.
