SENEGAL

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Senegal Forest Figures

Forest Cover
Total forest area: 8,673,000 ha
% of land area: 45%

Primary forest cover: 1,598,000 ha
% of land area: 8.3%
% total forest area: 18.4%

Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005
Annual change in forest cover: -45,000 ha
Annual deforestation rate: -0.5%
Change in defor. rate since '90s: 5.1%
Total forest loss since 1990: -675,000 ha
Total forest loss since 1990:-7.2%

Primary or "Old-growth" forests
Annual loss of primary forests: -11000 ha
Annual deforestation rate: -0.7%
Change in deforestation rate since '90s: 10.4%
Primary forest loss since 1990: -55,000 ha
Primary forest loss since 1990:-9.2%

Forest Classification
Public: 100%
Private: n.s.%
Other: 0%
Use
Production: 59.6%
Protection: 0.4%
Conservation: 18.1%
Social services: n.s.%
Multiple purpose: 21.9%
None or unknown: n/a

Forest Area Breakdown
Total area: 8,673,000 ha
Primary: 1,598,000 ha
Modified natural: 6,710,000 ha
Semi-natural: n/a
Production plantation: 332,000 ha
Production plantation: 33,000 ha

Plantations
Plantations, 2005: 365,000 ha
% of total forest cover: 4.2%
Annual change rate (00-05): 11,800,000 ha

Carbon storage
Above-ground biomass: 566 M t
Below-ground biomass: 175 M t

Area annually affected by
Fire: 97,000 ha
Insects: n/a
Diseases: n/a

Number of tree species in IUCN red list
Number of native tree species: 315
Critically endangered: 0
Endangered: 0
Vulnerable: 4

Wood removal 2005
Industrial roundwood: 10,000 m3 o.b.
Wood fuel: 5,100,000 m3 o.b.

Value of forest products, 2005
Industrial roundwood: $601,000
Wood fuel: $16,320,000
Non-wood forest products (NWFPs): $3,199,000
Total Value: $20,120,000


More forest statistics for Senegal

About 45 percent of Senegal is forested. Of this, a little more than 18 percent is considered pristine primary forest—one of the higher rates in West Africa. While Senegal lost some 675,000 hectares of forest between 1990 and 2005, the country's deforestation rate has only increased by 5 percent since the 1990s. Deforestation is mostly the result of clearing for fuelwood, charcoal, and logging, though poaching, wildlife trafficking, and hydroelectric projects have further degraded forest areas. Government officials have blamed deforestation for increased soil erosion, flooding, and periodic drought which has had an adverse impact on regional agriculture.

To slow the encroaching Sahara desert, Senegal announced in 2005 that it planned to promote a "Great Green Wall" of trees stretching for nearly 7,000 km (4,375 miles), from Dakar to Djibouti along the Sahel. Other African countries said they will participate in the massive reforestation project as well.

As of 2003, 11 percent of land in Senegal was under some form of protection. The country is exceptionally biodiverse for its size—Senegal is home to more than 2,100 plant species and over 1,000 animal species (192 mammals, 612 birds, 91 reptiles, 22 amphibians, and 150 species of freshwater fish).

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Suggested reading - Books
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Last updated: 4 Feb 2006