TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation rates tables and charts

El Salvador Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 13.9% or about 287,000 ha of El Salvador is forested, according to FAO. Of this 1.7% ( 5,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. El Salvador had 15,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, El Salvador lost an average of 4,500 ha or 1.19% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, El Salvador lost 23.9% of its forest cover, or around 90,000 ha.

El Salvador's forests contain - million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: El Salvador has some 707 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.5% are threatened. El Salvador is home to at least 2911 species of vascular plants, of which 0.6% are endemic. 0.0% of El Salvador is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

2011 Update

In May 2011, Sassan Saatchi of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab and colleagues published a paper in PNAS with
new carbon stock estimates for global tropical forests.

Forest definition (canopy cover %)10% tree cover25% tree cover30% tree cover
Forest Area (M ha)111
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)463426
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)14108
Total forest carbon (Mt C)604534
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)474951
M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values

El Salvador Environmental profile

The following contains data relating to forest cover in El Salvador

Previous version of this profile (2009)

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Deforestation | Primary forest | Planted forest | Forest designation | Forest ownership | Growing stock | Carbon stock | Disturbances affecting forest land | Removals | Removals Value | Employment | Forest policy | Human resources | Revenue | Agreements | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books










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El Salvador: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 ha)2072
Total Forest Area (1000 ha)287
Percent Forest Cover14
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha)5
Primary Forest, % total forest2
Other wooded land (1000 ha)204
Percent other wooded land10




El Salvador: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)52
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)26793
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)155


El Salvador: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
377332309287
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
-5-5-4
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
-1.26-1.43-1.47


El Salvador: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
367319295272
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
-5-5-5
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
-1.3-1.31-1.47


El Salvador: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
5555
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
000
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
000


El Salvador: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
10131415
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
n.s.n.s.n.s.
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
2.362.001.68


El Salvador: Primary designated function (percent)
ProductionProtection of soil and waterConservation of biodiversitySocial servicesMultiple useOtherNone or unknown
2451106000


El Salvador: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN
Public ownershipPrivate ownershipOther
31690


PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
IndividualsBusiness entities and institutionsLocal, indigenous and tribal communities
---


HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS
Public administrationIndividualsBusiness entities and InstitutionsCommunitiesOther
1000000
El Salvador: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total
(million m3)
Per hectare
(m3)
Coniferous
(million m3)
Broadleaved
(million m3)
% commercial species
-----
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total (million m3)Per hectare (m3)Coniferous (million m3)Broadleaved (million m3)% commercial species
--


El Salvador: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons)
1990200020052010
----
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons)
2000
-
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr)
1990200020052010
---
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr)
1990200020052010
---


El Salvador: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE
1000 ha% wild fire (not managed burn)
--


EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE
InsectsDiseasesOther biotic agentsAbiotic factorsTotal (excluding fire)% of 2005 forest area
1---1n.s.


El Salvador: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
199020002005percent of which from forest 2005
162760784-
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
199020002005percent of which from forest 2005
434351964814-


El Salvador: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$)
Value per ha forest
(US$)
Industrial roundwoodWoodfuelNWFPTotal
--12--


El Salvador: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees)
199020002005
889
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY
(1000 full-time employees)
199020002005
789
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees)
199020002005
n.s.n.s.n.s.


El Salvador: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2000)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2003) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (2002) Sub-national forest law: No

El Salvador: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
200020052008
#% female#% female#% female
842482288424


El Salvador: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005
Forest revenuePublic expenditure (1000 US$)
Domestic fundingExternal fundingTotal
(1000 US$)Operational expenditureTransfer paymentsOperational expenditureTransfer paymentsOperational expenditureTransfer payments
4343040004430


El Salvador: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010
  • CbD:
  • UNFCCC:
  • Kyoto Protocol:
  • UNCCD:
  • ITTA:
  • CITeS:
  • Ramsar:
  • World Heritage Convention:
  • NlbI: [an error occurred while processing this directive] El Salvador: Environment
    Environment - current issuesdeforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
    Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
    signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
    Natural hazardsknown as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes


    El Salvador: Land use / Resources
    Land use (%)arable land: 31.85%
    permanent crops: 12.07%
    other: 56.08% (2001)
    Natural resourceshydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land


    El Salvador: Economy
    Economy - overview:The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16% of GDP in 2004 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy.
    GDP - per capita$5,100 (2005 est.)
    GDP - real growth rate (%)2% (2005 est.)
    Agriculture - productscoffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products
    GDP - composition by sector (%)agriculture: 9.8%, industry: 30.3%, services: 60% (2005 est.)
    Industries food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
    Economic aid - recipient$125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003)
    Debt - external$8.273 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
    Population below poverty line (%)36.1% (2003 est.)
    Labor force - by occupation (%)agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003 est.)


    El Salvador: Population / Demographics
    Population (July 2005)6,704,932
    Population growth rate (%) (2005)1.75%
    Population density (people/sq km) (2005)323.6
    Percent rural (2003)40.4%
    Median age (years)total: 21.57 years
    Total fertility rate (children born/woman)3.16 (2005 est.)
    Ethnic groups (%)mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%


    Largest Cities in El Salvador

    Cities and urban areas in El Salvador with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.

    CityCountryCity PopulationUrban Area Population
    San SalvadorEl Salvador4960001760700
    Santa AnaEl Salvador164500164500
    San MiguelEl Salvador143500143500


    El Salvador: Infrastructure
    Telephones - main lines in use752,600 (2003)
    Telephones - mobile cellular1,149,800 (2003)
    Roadways (km)total: 10,029 km
    paved: 1,986 km
    unpaved: 8,043 km (1999)


    El Salvador: Health
    Life expectancy at birth (years)total population: 71.22 years
    male: 67.61 years
    female: 75.01 years (2005 est.)
    Infant mortality rate25.1 deaths/1,000 live births
    HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)0.7% (2003 est.)

    El Salvador : References & Data Sources
     Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
     Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)
     Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
     Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
     RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
     World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
     The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
     Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
     With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com



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