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French Guiana
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
98.3% or about 8,082,000 ha of French Guiana is forested, according to FAO. Of this 95.1% ( 7,690,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. French Guiana had 1,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, French Guiana lost an average of 5,300 ha or 0.06% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, French Guiana lost 1.3% of its forest cover, or around 106,000 ha.
French Guiana's forests contain 1,651 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: French Guiana has some 1064 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 1.9% are threatened. French Guiana is home to at least 5625 species of vascular plants, of which 2.6% are endemic. 15.4% of French Guiana 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) | 3 | 2 | 2 | | Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C) | 328 | 310 | 305 | | Belowground forest carbon (Mt C) | 87 | 82 | 81 | | Total forest carbon (Mt C) | 416 | 393 | 386 | | Average Carbon Density (t C/ha) | 159 | 160 | 160 |
M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values
French Guiana Environmental profile
The following contains data relating to forest cover in French Guiana
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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French Guiana: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 8220 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 8082 |
| Percent Forest Cover | 98 |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 7690 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 95 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 0 |
| Percent other wooded land | 0 |
French Guiana: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 7690 | 95 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 391 | 5 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1 | n.s. |
French Guiana: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 8188 | 8118 | 8100 | 8082 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -7 | -4 | -4 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.09 | -0.04 | -0.04 | |
French Guiana: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 8187 | 8117 | 8099 | 8081 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -7 | -7 | -4 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.1 | 0 | 0
| |
French Guiana: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 8006 | 7816 | 7738 | 7690 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -19 | -16 | -10 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.24 | -0.20 | -0.12 | |
French Guiana: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
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 | |
French Guiana: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 18 |
French Guiana: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| 100 | n.s. | 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 |
French Guiana: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| 2829 | 350 | 0 | 2829 | - |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| 0 | - | | | |
French Guiana: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 1672 | 1657 | 1654 | 1651 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 204 |
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| -2 | -1 | -1 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
French Guiana: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
| FOREST FIRE |
| 1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
| 0 | - |
| EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
| Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
French Guiana: 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 |
| 91 | 60 | 62 | 100 |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
French Guiana: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| 1 | 0 | - | - | - |
French Guiana: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
French Guiana: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2007)
Sub-national forest policy: Yes
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2006) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (2001)
Sub-national forest law: Yes
French Guiana: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| - | - | 65 | 20 | 76 | 18 |
French Guiana: 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 |
| 1318 | 3999 | 0 | 0 | 1525 | 3999 | 1525
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French Guiana: 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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French Guiana: Environment
| Environment - current issues | NA | | Environment - international agreements | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
French Guiana: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 0.14%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 99.81% (90% forest, 10% other) (2001) | | Natural resources | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay |
French Guiana: Economy
| Economy - overview: | The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. | | GDP - per capita | $8,300 (2003 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | NA% | | Agriculture - products | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: NA%, industry: NA%, services: NA% (2001 est.) | | Industries | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining | | Economic aid - recipient | NA | | Debt - external | $1.2 billion (1988) | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 18.2%, industry 21.2%, services, government, and commerce 60.6% (1980) |
French Guiana: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 195,506 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 2.10% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 2.2 | | Percent rural (2003) | 24.6% | | Median age (years) | total: 28.45 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 3.01 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
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French Guiana: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (2001) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 138,200 (2002) | | Roadways (km) | total: 817 km (1998) |
French Guiana: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 77.09 years
male: 73.77 years
female: 80.58 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 12.07 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | NA% |
French Guiana
: 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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