TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation rates tables and charts

Gambia Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 48.0% or about 480,000 ha of Gambia is forested, according to FAO. Of this 0.2% ( 1,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Gambia had 1,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Gambia lost an average of 1,900 ha or 0.43% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Gambia gained 8.6% of its forest cover, or around 38,000 ha.

Gambia's forests contain 32 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Gambia has some 740 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.3% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 0.8% are threatened. Gambia is home to at least 974 species of vascular plants. 0.0% of Gambia 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)0.140.040.02
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)10.30.1
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)0.40.10.1
Total forest carbon (Mt C)20.40.2
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)121212
M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values

Gambia Environmental profile

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Gambia

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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Gambia: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 ha)1000
Total Forest Area (1000 ha)480
Percent Forest Cover48
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha)1
Primary Forest, % total forestn.s.
Other wooded land (1000 ha)103
Percent other wooded land10




Gambia: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)1n.s.
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)478100
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)1n.s.


Gambia: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
442461471480
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
222
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
0.420.430.38


Gambia: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
441460470479
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
222
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
0.400


Gambia: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
1111
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
0n.s.n.s.
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
0-3.58-4.36


Gambia: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990200020052010
1111
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
n.s.00
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation
1990-20002000-20052005-2010
0.7400


Gambia: Primary designated function (percent)
ProductionProtection of soil and waterConservation of biodiversitySocial servicesMultiple useOtherNone or unknown
n.s.12905073


Gambia: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN
Public ownershipPrivate ownershipOther
9460


PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
IndividualsBusiness entities and institutionsLocal, indigenous and tribal communities
00100


HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS
Public administrationIndividualsBusiness entities and InstitutionsCommunitiesOther
1000000
Gambia: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total
(million m3)
Per hectare
(m3)
Coniferous
(million m3)
Broadleaved
(million m3)
% commercial species
1837---
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total (million m3)Per hectare (m3)Coniferous (million m3)Broadleaved (million m3)% commercial species
220


Gambia: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons)
1990200020052010
29303132
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons)
2000
66
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr)
1990200020052010
n.s.n.s.n.s.
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr)
1990200020052010
n.s.n.s.n.s.


Gambia: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE
1000 ha% wild fire (not managed burn)
-100


EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE
InsectsDiseasesOther biotic agentsAbiotic factorsTotal (excluding fire)% of 2005 forest area
00283---


Gambia: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
199020002005percent of which from forest 2005
80130130100
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
199020002005percent of which from forest 2005
522653744100


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


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


Gambia: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (1995)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2000) Under revision
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1998) Sub-national forest law: No

Gambia: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
200020052008
#% female#% female#% female
185118511943


Gambia: 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
9017108034082050


Gambia: 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] Gambia: Environment
    Environment - current issuesdeforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent
    Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
    signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
    Natural hazardsdrought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)


    Gambia: Land use / Resources
    Land use (%)arable land: 25%
    permanent crops: 0.5%
    other: 74.5% (2001)
    Natural resourcesfish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay, petroleum


    Gambia: Economy
    Economy - overview:The Gambia has no significant mineral or natural resource deposits and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The Gambia. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans have been made public that would indicate that the government intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, on continued technical assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth in the construction sector.
    GDP - per capita$1,900 (2005 est.)
    GDP - real growth rate (%)7.1% (2005 est.)
    Agriculture - productsrice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats
    GDP - composition by sector (%)agriculture: 35.5%, industry: 12.2%, services: 52.3% (2005 est.)
    Industries processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing
    Economic aid - recipient$59.8 million (2003)
    Debt - external$628.8 million (2003 est.)
    Population below poverty line (%)NA
    Labor force - by occupation (%)agriculture 75%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 6%


    Gambia: Population / Demographics
    Percent rural (2003)73.9%


    Largest Cities in Gambia

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

    CityCountryCity PopulationUrban Area Population
    SerekundaGambia207000207000


    Gambia: Infrastructure
    Telephones - main lines in use38,400 (2002)
    Telephones - mobile cellular100,000 (2002)
    Roadways (km)total: 3,742 km
    paved: 723 km
    unpaved: 3,019 km (2003)


    Gambia: Health
    Life expectancy at birth (years)total population: 53.75 years
    male: 51.91 years
    female: 55.64 years (2005 est.)
    Infant mortality rate72.02 deaths/1,000 live births
    HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)1.2% (2003 est.)
    Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high
    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
    vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations
    water contact disease: schistosomiasis
    respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)

    Gambia : 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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