COMOROS

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Comoros Forest Figures

Forest Cover
Total forest area: 5,000 ha
% of land area: 2.9%

Primary forest cover: n/a
% of land area: 0.0%
% total forest area: n/a

Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005
Annual change in forest cover: -600 ha
Annual deforestation rate: -7.4%
Change in defor. rate since '90s: 125.0%
Total forest loss since 1990: -7,000 ha
Total forest loss since 1990:-58.3%

Primary or "Old-growth" forests
Annual loss of primary forests: n/a
Annual deforestation rate: n/a
Change in deforestation rate since '90s: n/a
Primary forest loss since 1990: n/a
Primary forest loss since 1990:n/a

Forest Classification
Public: 100%
Private: 0%
Other: 0%
Use
Production: 26.6%
Protection: 73.4%
Conservation: 0%
Social services: 0%
Multiple purpose: 0%
None or unknown: 0

Forest Area Breakdown
Total area: 5,000 ha
Primary: n/a
Modified natural: 4,000 ha
Semi-natural: n/a
Production plantation: 1,000 ha
Production plantation: n/a

Plantations
Plantations, 2005: 1,000 ha
% of total forest cover: 26.6%
Annual change rate (00-05): -110,000 ha

Carbon storage
Above-ground biomass: 1 M t
Below-ground biomass: n/a M t

Area annually affected by
Fire: n/a
Insects: n/a
Diseases: n/a

Number of tree species in IUCN red list
Number of native tree species: 62
Critically endangered: 2
Endangered: 2
Vulnerable: 1

Wood removal 2005
Industrial roundwood: 9,000 m3 o.b.
Wood fuel: 197,000 m3 o.b.

Value of forest products, 2005
Industrial roundwood: $1,600,000
Wood fuel: $2,338,000
Non-wood forest products (NWFPs): $366,000
Total Value: $4,304,000


More forest statistics for Comoros

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Comoros is one of the world's poorest countries with few natural resources and a high population growth rate. Islanders are dependent on forest lands for subsistence cultivation and fuelwood. Since the close of the 1990s, deforestation rates have more than doubled, while the country lost 58 percent of its forest cover between 1990 and 2005. Today forests cover less than 3 percent of Comoros.

Currently, 24 percent of the land area of Comoros is under some form of protection. The islands have 138 species of birds and 721 species of plants.

Suggested reading - Books
Unless otherwise specified, this article was written by Rhett A. Butler [Bibliographic citation for this page]

Other resources

Contact me if you have suggestions on other rainforest-related environmental sites and resources for this country.


Image copyright Google Earth, MDA EarthSet, DigitalGlobe 2005

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Last updated: 4 Feb 2006