UGANDA

Please note, this page is not longer being updated. For more recent information, please see news.mongabay.com and use the search function to find the country feed. For more up-to-date data on forest cover and loss, check out Global Forest Watch.

Uganda Forest Figures

Forest Cover
Total forest area: 3,627,000 ha
% of land area: 18.4%

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

Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005
Annual change in forest cover: -86,400 ha
Annual deforestation rate: -2.2%
Change in defor. rate since '90s: 21.2%
Total forest loss since 1990: -1,297,000 ha
Total forest loss since 1990:-26.3%

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: 29.8%
Private: 70.2%
Other: n/a
Use
Production: 14.9%
Protection: n/a
Conservation: 14.8%
Social services: n/a
Multiple purpose: n/a
None or unknown: 70.2

Forest Area Breakdown
Total area: 3,627,000 ha
Primary: n/a
Modified natural: 3,591,000 ha
Semi-natural: n/a
Production plantation: 36,000 ha
Production plantation: n/a

Plantations
Plantations, 2005: 36,000 ha
% of total forest cover: 1%
Annual change rate (00-05): 200,000 ha

Carbon storage
Above-ground biomass: 218 M t
Below-ground biomass: 59 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: n/a
Critically endangered: 3
Endangered: 4
Vulnerable: 33

Wood removal 2005
Industrial roundwood: 4,408,000 m3 o.b.
Wood fuel: 42,041,000 m3 o.b.

Value of forest products, 2005
Industrial roundwood: n/a
Wood fuel: $70,000
Non-wood forest products (NWFPs): n/a
Total Value: $70,000


More forest statistics for Uganda

Before the rule of Idi Amin, Uganda had a relatively sound environmental record. During his reign (1971-1979), the forests suffered from civil and political strife. From 1971 to 1987, Uganda lost 50 percent of its forests, including virtually all of its primary forests.

Between 1990 and 2005, Uganda lost 26.3 percent of its remaining forest cover, and deforestation continues today at a rate of 2.2 percent per year, mostly due to subsistence farming, cutting for fuelwood, and colonization by the burgeoning population.

While Uganda is famous for its mountain gorillas, it is home to some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in Africa. More than 5,000 plant species are found in the country along with 345 mammals, 1,015 birds, 165 reptiles, and 43 amphibians.

Today very little of Uganda's forest cover is considered primary forest by the U.N. In spite of this, more than 25 percent of the country is under some form of protection.

Pictures of Uganda

Recent articles | Uganda news updates | XML



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

CIA-World Factbook Profile
FAO-Forestry Profile World Resources PFD


Last updated: 4 Feb 2006