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SENEGAL
Senegal Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 8,673,000 ha % of land area: 45%
Primary forest cover: 1,598,000 ha % of land area: 8.3% % total forest area: 18.4%
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: -45,000 ha Annual deforestation rate: -0.5% Change in defor. rate since '90s: 5.1% Total forest loss since 1990: -675,000 ha Total forest loss since 1990:-7.2%
Primary or "Old-growth" forests Annual loss of primary forests: -11000 ha Annual deforestation rate: -0.7% Change in deforestation rate since '90s: 10.4% Primary forest loss since 1990: -55,000 ha Primary forest loss since 1990:-9.2%
Forest ClassificationPublic: 100% Private: n.s.% Other: 0% Use Production: 59.6% Protection: 0.4% Conservation: 18.1% Social services: n.s.% Multiple purpose: 21.9% None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 8,673,000 ha Primary: 1,598,000 ha Modified natural: 6,710,000 ha Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: 332,000 ha Production plantation: 33,000 ha
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: 365,000 ha % of total forest cover: 4.2% Annual change rate (00-05): 11,800,000 ha
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: 566 M t Below-ground biomass: 175 M t
Area annually affected byFire: 97,000 ha Insects: n/a Diseases: n/a
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: 315 Critically endangered: 0 Endangered: 0 Vulnerable: 4
About 45 percent of Senegal is forested. Of this, a little more than 18 percent is considered pristine primary forest—one of the higher rates in West Africa. While Senegal lost some 675,000 hectares of forest between 1990 and 2005, the country's deforestation rate has only increased by 5 percent since the 1990s. Deforestation is mostly the result of clearing for fuelwood, charcoal, and logging, though poaching, wildlife trafficking, and hydroelectric projects have further degraded forest areas. Government officials have blamed deforestation for increased soil erosion, flooding, and periodic drought which has had an adverse impact on regional agriculture.
To slow the encroaching Sahara desert, Senegal announced in 2005 that it planned to promote a "Great Green Wall" of trees stretching for nearly 7,000 km (4,375 miles), from Dakar to Djibouti along the Sahel. Other African countries said they will participate in the massive reforestation project as well.
As of 2003, 11 percent of land in Senegal was under some form of protection. The country is exceptionally biodiverse for its size—Senegal is home to more than 2,100 plant species and over 1,000 animal species (192 mammals, 612 birds, 91 reptiles, 22 amphibians, and 150 species of freshwater fish).
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.
