Guyana Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 77.2% or about 15,205,000 ha of Guyana was forested in 2010, according to FAO. Guyana's forests contain 1,629 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Guyana has some 1263 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 2.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.2% are threatened. Guyana is home to at least 6409 species of vascular plants. 2.3% of Guyana 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)	19	18	18
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)	2,401	2,293	2,261
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)	640	610	601
Total forest carbon (Mt C)	3,040	2,903	2,862
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)	158	161	162

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

Guyana Environmental profile

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Guyana

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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Guyana: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 19685 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 15205 Percent Forest Cover 77 Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 6790 Primary Forest, % total forest 45 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 3580 Percent other wooded land 18 Guyana: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 6790 45 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 8415 55 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 0 0 Guyana: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 15205 15205 15205 15205 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 Guyana: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 15205 15205 15205 15205 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 0.00 0.00 Guyana: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 - 6790 6790 6790 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - 0 0 Guyana: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 - 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - - Guyana: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 97 0 1 2 0 0 0 Guyana: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 80 20 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 Guyana: Growing stock in forest GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 2206 145 0 2206 - GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species - - Guyana: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 1629 1629 1629 1629 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 107 ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 Guyana: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) - - EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area - - - - - - Guyana: 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 - 363 395 100 WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 - 29 21 100 Guyana: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total 99 - n.s. - - Guyana: 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 - - 24 IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - Guyana: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (1997) Sub-national forest policy: No National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2001) In implementation National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1953) Sub-national forest law: No Guyana: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female 140 39 160 38 242 27 Guyana: 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 2552 2101 0 0 0 2101 0 Guyana: 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] Guyana: Environment Environment - current issues water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons Guyana: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 97.41% (2001) Natural resources bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish Guyana: Economy Economy - overview: The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Growth then slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings, and slowed again in 2005. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. GDP - per capita $3,900 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 0.5% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 36.8%, industry: 20.2%, services: 43% (2005 est.) Industries bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining Economic aid - recipient $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) Debt - external $1.2 billion (2002) Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% Guyana: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 765,283 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.26% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 3.9 Percent rural (2003) 62.4% Median age (years) total: 26.91 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2.05 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7% Largest Cities in Guyana Cities and urban areas in Guyana with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Georgetown Guyana 225800 225800 Guyana: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 80,400 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 87,300 (2002) Roadways (km) total: 7,970 km paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1999) Guyana: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 65.5 years male: 62.86 years female: 68.28 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 2.5% (2003 est.) Guyana : 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