Benin Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 41.2% or about 4,561,000 ha of Benin is forested, according to FAO. Benin had 19,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Benin lost an average of 60,000 ha or 1.04% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Benin lost 20.8% of its forest cover, or around 1,200,000 ha.

Benin's forests contain 263 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Benin has some 755 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.0% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 1.2% are threatened. Benin is home to at least 2500 species of vascular plants. 6.7% of Benin 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)	2	0	0
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)	48	6	1
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)	16	2	0
Total forest carbon (Mt C)	64	8	1
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)	26	29	30

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

Benin Environmental profile

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Benin

Previous version of this profile (2009)

SECTIONS:

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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Benin: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 11062 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 4561 Percent Forest Cover 41 Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 0 Primary Forest, % total forest 0 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 2889 Percent other wooded land 26 Benin: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 0 0 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 4542 100 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 19 n.s. Benin: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 5761 5061 4811 4561 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -70 -50 -50 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -1.29 -1.01 -1.06 Benin: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 5751 5048 4796 4542 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -70 -70 -51 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -1.2 -1.22 -1 Benin: 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 - - - Benin: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 10 13 15 19 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 n.s. n.s. 1 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 2.66 2.90 4.84 Benin: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 31 0 28 n.s. 40 0 0 Benin: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 99 1 0 PRIVATE OWNERSHIP Individuals Business entities and institutions Local, indigenous and tribal communities 59 - - HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS Public administration Individuals Business entities and Institutions Communities Other 100 0 0 0 0 Benin: Growing stock in forest GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 161 35 0 161 67 GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species - - Benin: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 332 291 277 263 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 58 ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 -4 -3 -3 ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. Benin: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) 47 40 EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area - - - - - - Benin: 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 317 380 404 100 WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 6396 4132 4284 100 Benin: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total - - - - - Benin: 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 - - - IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - n.s. n.s. Benin: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (1994) Sub-national forest policy: No National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2007) In implementation National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1993) Sub-national forest law: No Benin: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female 243 n.s. 573 2 749 5 Benin: 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 3886 2451 410 15925 - 18376 410 Benin: 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] Benin: Environment Environment - current issues inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March Benin: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 18.08% permanent crops: 2.4% other: 79.52% (2001) Natural resources small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber Benin: Economy Economy - overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region. GDP - per capita $1,200 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 4.2% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 33.9%, industry: 13.6%, services: 52.5% (2004 est.) Industries textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement (2001) Economic aid - recipient $342.6 million (2000) Debt - external $1.6 billion (2000) Population below poverty line (%) 33% (2001 est.) Benin: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 7,460,025 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.82% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 67.4 Percent rural (2003) 55.4% Median age (years) total: 16.56 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 5.86 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 Largest Cities in Benin Cities and urban areas in Benin with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Cotonou Benin 761900 761900 Porto Novo Benin 225400 225400 Parakou Benin 198000 198000 Djougou Benin 176300 176300 Bohicon Benin 147300 147300 Kandi Benin 134800 134800 Abomey Benin 114600 114600 Natitingou Benin 105000 105000 Benin: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 66,500 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 236,200 (2003) Roadways (km) total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km unpaved: 5,430 km (1999) Benin: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 52.66 years male: 51.53 years female: 53.82 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 85 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 1.9% (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004) Benin : 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