Samoa

60.4% —or about 171,000 hectares—of Samoa is forested.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Samoa gained an average of 4,100 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual reforestation rate of 3.15%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 100.0% to 0.00% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Samoa gained 31.5% of its forest cover, or around 41,000 hectares. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 interval, Samoa gained 23.9% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: 0.0% of Samoa is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

Samoa: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 283,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 171,000 Percent Forest Cover 60.42% Primary Forest Cover (ha) - Primary Forest, % total forest - Primary Forest, % total land - Other wooded land (ha) 22,000 Samoa : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 100% Subtropical (% forest area) 0% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Samoa: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) - - Modified natural (ha | %) 110,000 64.3% Semi-natural (ha | %) 29,000 17.0% Production plantation (ha | %) 21,000 12.3% Production plantation (ha | %) 11,000 6.4% Samoa: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 130,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 171,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 171,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 4,100 3.15% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 41,000 31.54% Change in rate (%) -100.00% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) - Primary 2000 (ha) - Primary 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) 22,000 Other 2005 (ha) 22,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) 32,000 Other 2005 (ha) 32,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 130,000 Other 2000 (ha) 161,000 Other 2005 (ha) 161,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 3,100 2.38% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - 0.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 31,000 23.85% Change in rate (%) -100.00% Samoa: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) - Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) - Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 0 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 0.00% Samoa: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 98.2% Private (%) 1.8% Other (%) - Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) 90.9% Private (%) 9.1% Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 47.1% Protection (%) 20.4% Conservation (%) 16.7% Social Services (%) 4.2% Multiple Services (%) 5.0% None of Unknown (%) 6.7% Samoa: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) - Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) - Other (ha) - Samoa: Protected areas Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 1 World Heritage sites, 2004 0 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 0.0% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 0.00% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.49% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Samoa: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 0 endemic species threatened species 0 Birds total species 49 endemic species 11 threatened species 7 Mammals total species endemic species 0 threatened species 3 Reptiles total species 0 endemic species 0 threatened species 1 Wildlife diversity total species - endemic species 11 threatened species 11 Samoa: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Number of Native tree species Native tree species - Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered - Endangered - Vulnerable - Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total Number endemic 0 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 2 Samoa: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) - Below-ground biomass (M t) - Dead wood (M t) - Total (M t) - Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) - Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) - Carbon in dead wood (M t) - Carbon in litter (M t) - Soil carbon (M t) - Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 - 2000-2005 - Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 - 2000-2005 - Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 11 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) - Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 11 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) - Plant products 2005 Food (t) - Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) - Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) - Other plant products (t) - Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) - Hides, skins and trophies (units) - Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Other edible animal products (t) - Other non-edible animal products (t) - Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (US$) $32,000 Wood fuel (US$) - Non-wood forest products (US$) - Total value (US$) $32,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $n.s. Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed n.s. Samoa : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 70 Imports 0 Exports - Consumption 70 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 61 Imports 0 Exports 6 Consumption 55 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 21 Imports 1 Exports 1 Consumption 21 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 0 Imports 1 Exports - Consumption 1 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production - Imports 0 Exports 0 Consumption 0 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production - Imports 0 Exports 0 Consumption 0 Samoa: Environment Environment - current issues soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards occasional typhoons; active volcanism Samoa: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 21.2% permanent crops: 24.38% other: 54.42% (2001) Natural resources hardwood forests, fish, hydropower Samoa: Economy Economy - overview: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low. GDP - per capita $5,600 (2002 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 5% (2002 est.) Agriculture - products coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 14%, industry: 23%, services: 63% (2001 est.) Industries food processing, building materials, auto parts Economic aid - recipient $42.9 million (1995) Debt - external $197 million (2000) Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) NA Samoa: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 177,287 Population growth rate (%) (2005) -0.23% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 60.4 Percent rural (2003) 77.7% Median age (years) total: 24.59 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 3.01 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4% [an error occurred while processing this directive] Samoa: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 11,800 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 2,700 (2002) Roadways (km) total: 790 km paved: 332 km unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.) Samoa: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 70.72 years male: 67.93 years female: 73.65 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 27.71 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) NA Samoa : 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) and the State of the World�s Forests (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