Lesotho Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 1.4% or about 44,000 ha of Lesotho is forested, according to FAO. Lesotho had 10,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Lesotho lost an average of 200 ha or 0.50% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Lesotho gained 10.0% of its forest cover, or around 4,000 ha.

Lesotho's forests contain 2 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Lesotho has some 417 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.0% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.4% are threatened. Lesotho is home to at least 1591 species of vascular plants, of which 0.1% are endemic. 0.0% of Lesotho 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 cover	25% tree cover	30% tree cover
Forest Area (M ha)	1	1	1
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)	18	13	7
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)	6	4	2
Total forest carbon (Mt C)	24	17	10
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)	19	19	19

M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Lesotho

Previous version of this profile (2009)

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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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Lesotho: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 3035 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 44 Percent Forest Cover 1 Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 0 Primary Forest, % total forest 0 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 97 Percent other wooded land 3 Lesotho: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 0 0 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 34 76 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 10 24 Lesotho: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 40 42 43 44 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0.49 0.47 0.46 Lesotho: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 34 34 34 34 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0.0 0 0 Lesotho: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - - Lesotho: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 6 8 9 10 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 3.17 2.55 2.26 Lesotho: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 24 0 0 0 76 0 0 Lesotho: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 14 0 86 PRIVATE OWNERSHIP Individuals Business entities and institutions Local, indigenous and tribal communities - - - HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS Public administration Individuals Business entities and Institutions Communities Other 100 0 0 0 0 Lesotho: Growing stock in forest GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 3 65 - - - GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 1 10 Lesotho: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 2 2 2 2 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 53 ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. Lesotho: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) - - EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area - - - - - - Lesotho: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005 INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 - - n.s. 100 WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 1771 2227 2362 100 Lesotho: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total n.s. 8 - - - Lesotho: Employment in forestry 1990-2005 TOTAL (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 n.s. n.s. 2 IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - Lesotho: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (2008) Sub-national forest policy: No National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2009) Temporarily suspended National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1998) Sub-national forest law: Yes Lesotho: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female - - 80 10 115 8 Lesotho: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005 Forest revenue Public expenditure (1000 US$) Domestic funding External funding Total (1000 US$) Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments - - - - - - - Lesotho: 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] Lesotho: Environment Environment - current issues population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Natural hazards periodic droughts Lesotho: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 10.87% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2001) Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone Lesotho: Economy Economy - overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue, but the government has strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The garment industry has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. GDP - per capita $3,300 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 2% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 15.4%, industry: 44.2%, services: 40.4% (2005 est.) Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) Debt - external $735 million (2002) Population below poverty line (%) 49% (1999) Labor force - by occupation (%) 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa Lesotho: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 1,867,035 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.08% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 61.5 Percent rural (2003) 82.1% Median age (years) total: 20.19 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 3.35 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Largest Cities in Lesotho Cities and urban areas in Lesotho with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Maseru Lesotho 169200 169200 Lesotho: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 28,600 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 92,000 (2002) Roadways (km) total: 5,940 km paved: 1,087 km unpaved: 4,853 km (1999) Lesotho: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 34.47 years male: 35.49 years female: 33.42 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 28.9% (2003 est.) Lesotho : 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 Select a Country or Region INDEX Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Caribbean Cayman Islands Central African Republic Central America Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote d�Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic DR Congo East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oceania Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Lucia Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States of America United States Virgin Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Vietnam Virgin Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Tropical rainforest information  World Rainforests  Rainforest Structure  Rainforest Biodiversity  Canopy  Forest Floor  Rainforest Waters  Indigenous People  Deforestation  Global Importance  Rainforest Conservation  Country Reports update soon  References  Deforestation Tables  The Amazon Rainforest update soon  The Congo Rainforest update soon  Deforestation in Brazil  Rainforest Images   Web mongabay.com Mongabay Rainforests Mongabay News Mongabay Photos