Australia Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 19.4% or about 149,300,000 ha of Australia is forested, according to FAO. Of this 3.4% ( 5,039,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Australia had 1,903,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Australia lost an average of 260,000 ha or 0.17% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Australia lost 3.4% of its forest cover, or around 5,200,000 ha.

Australia's forests contain - million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Australia has some 2336 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 67.5% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 8.9% are threatened. Australia is home to at least 15638 species of vascular plants, of which 90.0% are endemic. 6.7% of Australia is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

Australia Environmental profile | Australia pictures

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Australia

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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Australia: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 768228 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 149300 Percent Forest Cover 19 Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 5039 Primary Forest, % total forest 3 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 135367 Percent other wooded land 18 Australia: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 5039 3 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 142359 95 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 1903 1 Australia: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 154500 154920 153920 149300 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 42 -200 -924 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0.03 -0.13 -0.61 Australia: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 153477 153744 152292 147397 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 27 27 -635 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0.0 0.02 -0.41 Australia: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 - - 5233 5039 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - -39 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - -0.75 Australia: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 1023 1176 1628 1903 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 15 90 55 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 1.40 6.72 3.17 Australia: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 1 0 15 0 39 44 1 Australia: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 74 24 1 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 38 0 62 0 0 Australia: 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 - - Australia: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 6724 6702 6641 - CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 - ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 -2 -12 - ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 n.s. n.s. - Australia: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) 3903 78 EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area - - - - - - Australia: 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 16791 23035 26672 100 WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 3540 5547 - - Australia: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total 1255 - 288 - - Australia: 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 11 14 11 IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - Australia: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (1992) Sub-national forest policy: Yes National forest program (year) - status: Yes (-) In implementation National forest law (year): Incorporated in other law (-) Sub-national forest law: Yes Australia: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female - - - - - - Australia: 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 - - - - - - - Australia: 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] Australia: Environment Environment - current issues soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Natural hazards cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires Australia: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.41% (2001) Natural resources bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum Australia: Economy Economy - overview: Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence, and rising exports of raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion in 2003, $13 billion in 2004, and $16 billion in 2005. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to 2005. GDP - per capita $32,000 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 2.7% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 4%, industry: 26.4%, services: 69.6% (2004 est.) Industries mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Population below poverty line (%) NA Debt - external $509.6 billion (30 June 2005 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 3.7%, industry 26.4%, services 70% (2004 est.) Australia: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 20,090,437 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.87% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 2.6 Percent rural (2003) 8.0% Median age (years) total: 36.56 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.76 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% Largest Cities in Australia Cities and urban areas in Australia with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Sydney Australia 4280900 4280900 Melbourne Australia 3353300 3353300 Brisbane Australia 1544300 1544300 Perth Australia 1390800 1390800 Adelaide Australia 1130100 1130100 Newcastle Australia 485100 485100 Gold Coast Australia 381300 381300 Canberra Australia 322700 322700 Wollongong Australia 266200 266200 Sunshine Coast Australia 227800 227800 Hobart Australia 205200 205200 Geelong Australia 156200 156200 Townsville Australia 137300 137300 Cairns Australia 126000 126000 Launceston Australia 103700 103700 Australia: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 10.815 million (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 14.347 million (2003) Roadways (km) total: 811,601 km paved: 316,524 km unpaved: 495,077 km (2002) Australia: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 80.39 years male: 77.52 years female: 83.4 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 0.1% (2003 est.) Australia : 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