Deforestation statistics for South Africa

Tree cover loss data for South Africa

"Tree cover threshold" is used for defining the tree cover area. For example, 75% includes only areas with more than 75% tree cover, whereas 10% includes all areas with more than 10% tree cover. 75% tree cover reflects a dense canopy.

Tree cover threshold (%)	Total area (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2000 (ha)	% land area	Tree cover Extent in 2010 (ha)	% land area	Tree cover Extent in 2018 (ha)	% land area	Tree cover loss 2001-2018 (ha)	% tree cover loss since 2000	Avg tree cover loss/year (ha)	Avg loss/year 2001-2010 (ha)	Avg loss/year 2011-2018 (ha)
10	122076538	22232544	18.20%	22453580	18.40%	21574670	17.70%	1713957	7.70%	95220	83505	109864
15	122076538	13493873	11.10%	14664430	12.00%	13871663	11.40%	1614587	12.00%	89699	82182	99096
20	122076538	7716210	6.30%	7319539	6.00%	6657082	5.50%	1450227	18.80%	80568	78777	82807
25	122076538	7127974	5.80%	6481428	5.30%	5845942	4.80%	1416246	19.90%	78680	78076	79436
30	122076538	5988694	4.90%	5287019	4.30%	4704716	3.90%	1340262	22.40%	74459	75796	72788
50	122076538	3165577	2.60%	3117399	2.60%	2709848	2.20%	1092124	34.50%	60674	68457	50944
75	122076538	1082881	0.90%	958323	0.80%	778866	0.60%	560774	51.80%	31154	38132	22432

Biomass and land use carbon emissions data for South Africa

Tree cover threshold (%)	Total area (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2000 (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2010 (ha)	Carbon biomass (Mt)	Biomass loss 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg biomass loss/year (Mt)	Carbon emissions 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg carbon emissions/year (Mt)
10	122076538	22232544	22453580	2984359635	281740824	15652268	516524837	28695824
15	122076538	13493873	14664430	2325508217	276850300	15380572	507558871	28197715
20	122076538	7716210	7319539	1776569247	267812883	14878494	490990300	27277239
25	122076538	7127974	6481428	1711392011	265667097	14759283	487056358	27058687
30	122076538	5988694	5287019	1576101035	260496698	14472039	477577301	26532072
50	122076538	3165577	3117399	1099378935	235797886	13099883	432296146	24016453
75	122076538	1082881	958323	508275823	147253579	8180754	269964899	14998050

Tree cover data for subnational administrative areas in South Africa

"This data is based on a definition of 30% tree cover. Areas with less than 30% canopy cover are excluded.

Administrative area	Total area (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2000 (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2010 (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2018 (ha)	% cover in 2018	Loss 2001-2018 (ha)	% loss since 2000	Avg loss/year since 2000 (ha)	Loss 2001-2010 (ha)	loss between 2000-2010	Avg loss/year 2001-2010 (ha)	Loss 2011-2018 (ha)	loss between 2011-2018	Avg loss/year 2011-2018 (ha)
Eastern Cape	16906054	1639457	1453613	1376363	8%	133735	8%	7,430	56485	3%	5,649	77250	5%	9,656
Free State	12994053	14178	12708	12118	0%	2189	15%	122	1599	11%	160	590	5%	74
Gauteng	1823110	6395	8001	7311	0%	1326	21%	74	636	10%	64	690	9%	86
KwaZulu-Natal	9340606	2236076	2264383	2040937	22%	549439	25%	30,524	325993	15%	32,599	223446	10%	27,931
Limpopo	12585007	400995	373201	343724	3%	52693	13%	2,927	23216	6%	2,322	29477	8%	3,685
Mpumalanga	7657245	906492	853415	695407	9%	438370	48%	24,354	280362	31%	28,036	158008	19%	19,751
North West	10497509	15118	4824	4253	0%	2326	15%	129	1755	12%	176	571	12%	71
Northern Cape	37313717	4629	3049	2981	0%	357	8%	20	289	6%	29	68	2%	9
Western Cape	12959237	765354	313825	221622	2%	159827	21%	8,879	67624	9%	6,762	92203	29%	11,525

Carbon dioxide emissions data for subnational administrative areas in South Africa

"This data is based on a definition of 30% tree cover. Areas with less than 30% canopy cover are excluded.

Administrative area	Total area (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2000 (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2010 (ha)	Carbon biomass (Mt)	Carbon emissions 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg carbon emissions/year 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg carbon emissions/year 2001-10 (Mt)	Avg carbon emissions/year 2011-18 (Mt)
Eastern Cape	16906054	1639457	1453613	420635024	42173370	2342965	2012434	2756129
Free State	12994053	14178	12708	2534985	484491	26916	36878	14464
Gauteng	1823110	6395	8001	993095	267461	14859	13868	16097
KwaZulu-Natal	9340606	2236076	2264383	569475230	201409937	11189441	13171202	8712239
Limpopo	12585007	400995	373201	87907434	16855206	936400	822888	1078291
Mpumalanga	7657245	906492	853415	285552221	167858401	9325467	11110358	7094353
North West	10497509	15118	4824	2216787	483206	26845	38054	12833
Northern Cape	37313717	4629	3049	778185	79851	4436	6702	1605
Western Cape	12959237	765354	313825	206008074	47965378	2664743	2281876	3143327

Biomass data for subnational administrative areas in South Africa

This data is based on a definition of 30% tree cover. Areas with less than 30% canopy cover are excluded.

Administrative area	Total area (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2000 (ha)	Tree cover Extent in 2010 (ha)	Carbon biomass (Mt)	Avg biomass per ha (Mt)	Carbon emissions 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg annual emissions 2001-18 (Mt)	Avg annual emissions 2001-10 (Mt)	Avg annual emissions 2011-18 (Mt)
Eastern Cape	16906054	1639457	1453613	229437285	140	23003653	1277981	1097691	1503343
Free State	12994053	14178	12708	1382720	97	264268	14682	20115	7890
Gauteng	1823110	6395	8001	541687	85	145886	8105	7565	8780
KwaZulu-Natal	9340606	2236076	2264383	310622853	139	109859960	6103331	7184292	4752130
Limpopo	12585007	400995	373201	47949508	119	9193751	510764	448848	588159
Mpumalanga	7657245	906492	853415	155755757	172	91559126	5086618	6060195	3869647
North West	10497509	15118	4824	1209157	80	263566	14643	20757	7000
Northern Cape	37313717	4629	3049	424463	92	43559	2420	3656	875
Western Cape	12959237	765354	313825	112368040	147	26162929	1453496	1244659	1714542

Archived forest data for South Africa | Forest data for South Africa

Data Source: Tree cover loss: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA via Global Forest Watch. Administrative boundaries: Global Administrative Areas database (GADM), version 3.6.

Citation: Mongabay. "Deforestation statistics for [selected country name]". Accessed on [date] from worldrainforests.com.

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