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Solomon Islands
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
79.1% or about 2,213,000 ha of Solomon Islands is forested, according to FAO. Of this 49.9% ( 1,105,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Solomon Islands had 27,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Solomon Islands lost an average of 5,550 ha or 0.24% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Solomon Islands lost 4.8% of its forest cover, or around 111,000 ha.
Solomon Islands's forests contain 182 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Solomon Islands has some 402 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 20.9% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 11.7% are threatened. Solomon Islands is home to at least 3172 species of vascular plants, of which 0.9% are endemic. 0.0% of Solomon Islands is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Solomon Islands
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Solomon Islands: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 2799 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 2213 |
| Percent Forest Cover | 79 |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 1105 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 50 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 129 |
| Percent other wooded land | 5 |
Solomon Islands: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1105 | 50 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1081 | 49 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 27 | 1 |
Solomon Islands: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 2324 | 2268 | 2241 | 2213 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -6 | -5 | -6 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.24 | -0.24 | -0.25 | |
Solomon Islands: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 2280 | 2240 | 2214 | 2186 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -4 | -4 | -5 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.2 | 0 | 0
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Solomon Islands: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 1105 | 1105 | 1105 | 1105 | |
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 | |
Solomon Islands: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 44 | 28 | 27 | 27 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -2 | n.s. | 0 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -4.64 | -0.51 | 0 | |
Solomon Islands: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 17 | 28 | 22 | n.s. | 0 | 0 | 33 |
Solomon Islands: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| n.s. | 100 | 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 |
Solomon Islands: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| 208 | 94 | - | - | 51 |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| - | - | | | |
Solomon Islands: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 191 | 186 | 184 | 182 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 82 |
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. |
Solomon Islands: 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Solomon Islands: 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 |
| 371 | 761 | 1151 | - |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 158 | 159 | 159 | - |
Solomon Islands: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
Solomon Islands: 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 |
| - | - | - |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| - | - | - |
Solomon Islands: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2008)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (-) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (-)
Sub-national forest law: Yes
Solomon Islands: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| - | - | 59 | 18 | 116 | 25 |
Solomon Islands: 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | -
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Solomon Islands: 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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Solomon Islands: Environment
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | | Natural hazards | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity |
Solomon Islands: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 0.64%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 97.36% (2001) | | Natural resources | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel |
Solomon Islands: Economy
| Economy - overview: | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds. | | GDP - per capita | $1,700 (2002 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 5.8% (2003 est.) | | Agriculture - products | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 42%, industry: 11%, services: 47% (2000 est.) | | Industries | fish (tuna), mining, timber | | Economic aid - recipient | $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.) | | Debt - external | $180.4 million (2002) | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) |
Solomon Islands: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 538,032 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 2.68% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 19.5 | | Percent rural (2003) | 83.5% | | Median age (years) | total: 18.63 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 4.04 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census) |
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Solomon Islands: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,600 (2002) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,000 (2002) | | Roadways (km) | total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km
unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.) |
Solomon Islands: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 72.66 years
male: 70.16 years
female: 75.28 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 21.29 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | NA |
Solomon Islands
: 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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