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Nicaragua
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
25.7% or about 3,114,000 ha of Nicaragua is forested, according to FAO. Of this 37.9% ( 1,179,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Nicaragua had 74,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Nicaragua lost an average of 70,000 ha or 1.55% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Nicaragua lost 31.0% of its forest cover, or around 1,400,000 ha.
Nicaragua's forests contain 349 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Nicaragua has some 1052 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.8% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.0% are threatened. Nicaragua is home to at least 7590 species of vascular plants, of which 0.5% are endemic. 6.0% of Nicaragua 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) | 8 | 5 | 5 | Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C) | 674 | 479 | 444 | Belowground forest carbon (Mt C) | 188 | 133 | 122 | Total forest carbon (Mt C) | 862 | 612 | 566 | Average Carbon Density (t C/ha) | 102 | 113 | 119 | M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values
Nicaragua Environmental profile
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Nicaragua
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Nicaragua: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 12140 |
Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 3114 |
Percent Forest Cover | 26 |
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 1179 |
Primary Forest, % total forest | 38 |
Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 2219 |
Percent other wooded land | 18 |
Nicaragua: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1179 | 38 |
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1861 | 60 |
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 74 | 2 |
Nicaragua: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
4514 | 3814 | 3464 | 3114 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -70 | -70 | -70 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -1.67 | -1.91 | -2.11 | |
Nicaragua: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
4514 | 3814 | 3390 | 3040 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -70 | -70 | -77 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -1.6 | -2 | -2
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Nicaragua: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
- | - | 1315 | 1179 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | -27 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | -2.16 | |
Nicaragua: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
- | - | 74 | 74 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | 0 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | 0 | |
Nicaragua: Primary designated function (percent)
Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
20 | 6 | 65 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
Nicaragua: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
11 | 88 | 2 |
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP |
Individuals | Business entities and institutions | Local, indigenous and tribal communities |
41 | 2 | 56 |
HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS |
Public administration | Individuals | Business
entities and Institutions | Communities | Other |
- | - | - | - | - |
Nicaragua: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
461 | 148 | 14 | 447 | 17 |
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
- | - | | | |
Nicaragua: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
506 | 428 | 389 | 349 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 112 |
ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| -8 | -8 | -8 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Nicaragua: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE |
1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
63 | 100 |
EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
Nicaragua: 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 |
- | 112 | 216 | 100 |
WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
- | 11 | 33 | - |
Nicaragua: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals (million US$) | Value per ha forest (US$) |
Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
17 | n.s. | - | - | - |
Nicaragua: 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 |
15 | 30 | 35 |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
- | - | - |
Nicaragua: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2008)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2008) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (2003)
Sub-national forest law: Yes
Nicaragua: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
# | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
- | - | - | - | 332 | 38 |
Nicaragua: 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 |
1442 | 1801 | - | 1622 | - | 3423 | -
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Nicaragua: 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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Nicaragua: Environment
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution | 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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification | Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
Nicaragua: Land use / Resources
Land use (%) | arable land: 15.94% permanent crops: 1.94% other: 82.12% (2001) | Natural resources | gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish |
Nicaragua: Economy
Economy - overview: | Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, widespread underemployment, and a heavy external debt burden. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative because of its earlier successful performance under its International Monetary Fund policy program and other efforts. In October 2005 Nicaragua ratified the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. High oil prices helped drive inflation to 10% in 2005, leading to a fall in real GDP growth to 3.5% from over 5% in 2004. | GDP - per capita | $2,800 (2005 est.) | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 3.5% (2005 est.) | Agriculture - products | coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 16.8%, industry: 27.6%, services: 55.6% (2005 est.) | Industries | food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood | Economic aid - recipient | $541.8 million (2003) | Debt - external | $4.054 billion (2005 est.) | Population below poverty line (%) | 50% (2001 est.) | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 30.5%, industry 17.3%, services 52.2% (2003 est.) |
Nicaragua: Population / Demographics
Population (July 2005) | 5,465,100 | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 1.92% | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 45.4 | Percent rural (2003) | 42.7% | Median age (years) | total: 20.56 years | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 2.81 (2005 est.) | Ethnic groups (%) | mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5% |
Largest Cities in Nicaragua
Cities and urban areas in Nicaragua with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
Managua | Nicaragua | 1106600 | 1342200 |
Leon | Nicaragua | 158600 | 158600 |
Chinandega | Nicaragua | 124700 | 124700 |
Masaya | Nicaragua | 113900 | 113900 |
Nicaragua: Infrastructure
Telephones - main lines in use | 171,600 (2002) | Telephones - mobile cellular | 202,800 (2002) | Roadways (km) | total: 18,712 km paved: 2,126 km unpaved: 16,586 km (2002) |
Nicaragua: Health
Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 70.33 years male: 68.27 years female: 72.49 years (2005 est.) | Infant mortality rate | 29.11 deaths/1,000 live births | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 0.2% (2003 est.) |
Nicaragua
: 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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