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Trinidad and Tobago
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
44.1% or about 226,000 ha of Trinidad and Tobago is forested, according to FAO. Of this 27.4% ( 62,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Trinidad and Tobago had 18,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Trinidad and Tobago lost an average of 750 ha or 0.31% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Trinidad and Tobago lost 6.2% of its forest cover, or around 15,000 ha.
Trinidad and Tobago's forests contain 19 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Trinidad and Tobago has some 678 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 2.2% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.5% are threatened. Trinidad and Tobago is home to at least 2259 species of vascular plants, of which 10.4% are endemic. 4.8% of Trinidad and Tobago is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Trinidad and Tobago
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Trinidad and Tobago: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 513 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 226 |
| Percent Forest Cover | 44 |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 62 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 28 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 84 |
| Percent other wooded land | 16 |
Trinidad and Tobago: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 62 | 28 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 146 | 64 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 18 | 8 |
Trinidad and Tobago: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 241 | 234 | 230 | 226 | |
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 |
| -0.30 | -0.31 | -0.32 | |
Trinidad and Tobago: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 226 | 218 | 213 | 208 | |
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 |
| -0.4 | -0.35 | -0.46
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Trinidad and Tobago: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | |
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 | |
Trinidad and Tobago: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 0.65 | 1.22 | 1.15 | |
Trinidad and Tobago: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 34 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
Trinidad and Tobago: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| 76 | 24 | 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 |
Trinidad and Tobago: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| 24 | 105 | 1 | 23 | 87 |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| 2 | 19 | | | |
Trinidad and Tobago: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 85 |
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. |
Trinidad and Tobago: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
| FOREST FIRE |
| 1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
| 3 | 100 |
| EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
| Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trinidad and Tobago: 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 |
| 52 | 59 | 54 | 100 |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 46 | 42 | 40 | 100 |
Trinidad and Tobago: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| 6 | - | n.s. | - | - |
Trinidad and Tobago: 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 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| - | - | - |
Trinidad and Tobago: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (2008)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: No (-) -
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1918)
Sub-national forest law: No
Trinidad and Tobago: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| 783 | 15 | 824 | 17 | 946 | 19 |
Trinidad and Tobago: 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 |
| 1178 | 13870 | 113 | - | - | 13870 | 113
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Trinidad and Tobago: 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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Trinidad and Tobago: Environment
| Environment - current issues | water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | | Natural hazards | outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Trinidad and Tobago: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2001) | | Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, asphalt |
Trinidad and Tobago: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus. Prospects for growth in 2006 are good as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas are expected to remain high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime. | | GDP - per capita | $12,700 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 6.5% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 0.7%, industry: 57%, services: 42.3% (2005 est.) | | Industries | petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles | | Economic aid - recipient | $24 million (1999 est.) | | Debt - external | $2.986 billion (2005 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | 21% (1992 est.) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.) |
Trinidad and Tobago: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 1,088,644 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | -0.74% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 212.3 | | Percent rural (2003) | 24.6% | | Median age (years) | total: 30.91 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 1.75 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census) |
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Trinidad and Tobago: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 325,100 (2002) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 361,900 (2002) | | Roadways (km) | total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.) |
Trinidad and Tobago: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 66.73 years
male: 65.6 years
female: 67.91 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 3.2% (2003 est.) |
Trinidad and Tobago
: 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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