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Iceland
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
0.3% or about 30,000 ha of Iceland is forested, according to FAO. Iceland had 27,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Iceland lost an average of 1,050 ha or 11.67% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Iceland gained 233.3% of its forest cover, or around 21,000 ha.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Iceland has some 305 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.3% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.3% are threatened. Iceland is home to at least 377 species of vascular plants, of which 0.3% are endemic. 4.7% of Iceland is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Iceland
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Iceland: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 10025 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 30 |
| Percent Forest Cover | n.s. |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 0 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 0 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 86 |
| Percent other wooded land | 1 |
Iceland: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 0 | 0 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 3 | 10 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 27 | 90 |
Iceland: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 9 | 18 | 25 | 30 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 7.78 | 6.66 | 3.32 | |
Iceland: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
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 | 0
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Iceland: 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 |
| - | - | - | |
Iceland: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 6 | 15 | 22 | 27 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 10.45 | 7.78 | 3.73 | |
Iceland: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 20 | 13 | n.s. | 19 | 44 | 4 | 0 |
Iceland: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| 30 | 70 | 0 |
| PRIVATE OWNERSHIP |
| Individuals | Business entities and institutions | Local, indigenous and tribal communities |
| 73 | 27 | 0 |
| HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS |
| Public administration | Individuals | Business
entities and Institutions | Communities | Other |
| 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Iceland: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| n.s. | 15 | n.s. | n.s. | - |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| 1 | 9 | | | |
Iceland: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 9 |
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Iceland: 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 |
| n.s. | - | - | - | - | - |
Iceland: 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 |
| n.s. | n.s. | 1 | 100 |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | 100 |
Iceland: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | 1 | n.s. |
Iceland: 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 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
Iceland: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): No (-)
Sub-national forest policy: Yes
National forest program (year) - status: No (-) -
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1955)
Sub-national forest law: No
Iceland: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| 54 | 29 | 58 | 24 | 60 | 30 |
Iceland: 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 |
| 0 | 10338 | 4260 | 61 | 45 | 10399 | 4305
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Iceland: 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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Iceland: Environment
| Environment - current issues | water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation | | Natural hazards | earthquakes and volcanic activity |
Iceland: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2001) | | Natural resources | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
Iceland: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007, slowly dropping until the end of the decade. | | GDP - per capita | $34,600 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 5.9% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 11.8%, industry: 22.3%, services: 65.9% (2005 est.) | | Industries | fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Debt - external | $3.073 billion (2002) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture, fishing and fish processing 10.3%, industry 18.3%, services 71.4% (2003) |
Iceland: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 296,737 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 0.91% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 3.0 | | Percent rural (2003) | 7.2% | | Median age (years) | total: 34 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 1.92 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6% |
Largest Cities in Iceland
Cities and urban areas in Iceland with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Reykjav�k | Iceland | 114200 | 114200 |
Iceland: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 190,700 (2003) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 279,100 (2003) | | Roadways (km) | total: 13,004 km
paved/oiled gravel: 4,331 km
unpaved: 8,673 km (2004) |
Iceland: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 80.19 years
male: 78.13 years
female: 82.34 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 0.2% (2001 est.) |
Iceland
: 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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