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:

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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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 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: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 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% [an error occurred while processing this directive]--> 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 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