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Costa Rica
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
51.0% or about 2,605,000 ha of Costa Rica is forested, according to FAO. Of this 23.9% ( 623,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Costa Rica had 241,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Costa Rica lost an average of 2,050 ha or 0.08% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Costa Rica gained 1.6% of its forest cover, or around 41,000 ha.
Costa Rica's forests contain 238 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Costa Rica has some 1511 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 6.9% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 6.6% are threatened. Costa Rica is home to at least 12119 species of vascular plants, of which 7.8% are endemic. 9.3% of Costa Rica 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) | 4 | 3 | 3 | Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C) | 333 | 255 | 235 | Belowground forest carbon (Mt C) | 93 | 71 | 65 | Total forest carbon (Mt C) | 426 | 327 | 300 | Average Carbon Density (t C/ha) | 102 | 105 | 108 | M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values
Costa Rica Environmental profile | Costa Rica pictures
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Costa Rica
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Costa Rica: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 5106 |
Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 2605 |
Percent Forest Cover | 51 |
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 623 |
Primary Forest, % total forest | 24 |
Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 12 |
Percent other wooded land | n.s. |
Costa Rica: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 623 | 24 |
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1741 | 67 |
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 241 | 9 |
Costa Rica: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
2564 | 2376 | 2491 | 2605 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -19 | 23 | 23 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.76 | 0.95 | 0.90 | |
Costa Rica: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
2269 | 2173 | 2269 | 2364 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -10 | -10 | 19 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.4 | -0.42 | 0.88
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Costa Rica: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
623 | 623 | 623 | 623 | |
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 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Costa Rica: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
295 | 203 | 222 | 241 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -9 | 4 | 4 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -3.67 | 1.78 | 1.66 | |
Costa Rica: Primary designated function (percent)
Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
14 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 32 |
Costa Rica: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
45 | 55 | 0 |
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 |
100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Costa Rica: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
272 | 104 | - | - | - |
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
- | - | | | |
Costa Rica: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
233 | 217 | 227 | 238 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 91 |
ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| -2 | 2 | 2 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Costa Rica: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE |
1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
7 | - |
EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
Costa Rica: 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 |
1198 | 776 | 1006 | 75 |
WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
- | 468 | 468 | - |
Costa Rica: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals (million US$) | Value per ha forest (US$) |
Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
178 | - | 24 | - | - |
Costa Rica: 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 |
- | 7 | 5 |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
- | - | - |
Costa Rica: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2000)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2001) Under revision
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1996)
Sub-national forest law: No
Costa Rica: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
# | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
- | - | 1225 | 26 | 52 | 53 |
Costa Rica: 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 |
14 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 93 | 17 | 21
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Costa Rica: 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:
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Costa Rica: Environment
Environment - current issues | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | Natural hazards | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
Costa Rica: Land use / Resources
Land use (%) | arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 5.88% other: 89.71% (2001) | Natural resources | hydropower |
Costa Rica: Economy
Economy - overview: | Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate. | GDP - per capita | $10,000 (2005 est.) | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 3.2% (2005 est.) | Agriculture - products | coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 8.6%, industry: 28.3%, services: 63.1% (2005 est.) | Industries | microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products | Population below poverty line (%) | 18% (2004 est.) | Debt - external | $3.633 billion (30 June 2005 est.) | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.) |
Costa Rica: Population / Demographics
Population (July 2005) | 4,016,173 | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 1.48% | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 79.3 | Percent rural (2003) | 39.4% | Median age (years) | total: 26.03 years | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 2.28 (2005 est.) | Ethnic groups (%) | white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
Largest Cities in Costa Rica
Cities and urban areas in Costa Rica with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
San Jose | Costa Rica | 357600 | 1370800 |
Costa Rica: Infrastructure
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.132 million (2002) | Telephones - mobile cellular | 528,047 (2002) | Roadways (km) | total: 35,889 km paved: 8,075 km unpaved: 27,814 km (2003) |
Costa Rica: Health
Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 76.84 years male: 74.26 years female: 79.55 years (2005 est.) | Infant mortality rate | 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 0.6% (2003 est.) |
Costa Rica
: 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
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