Algeria

1.0% —or about 2,277,000 hectares—of Algeria is forested.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Algeria gained an average of 35,400 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual reforestation rate of 1.98%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 37.3% to 1.24% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Algeria gained 27.2% of its forest cover, or around 487,000 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, Algeria gained 3.6% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Algeria has some 582 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.0% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 4.5% are threatened. Algeria is home to at least 3164 species of vascular plants, of which 7.9% are endemic. 5.1% of Algeria 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

Algeria: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) - Total Forest Area (ha) 2,277,000 Percent Forest Cover - Primary Forest Cover (ha) - Primary Forest, % total forest - Primary Forest, % total land - Other wooded land (ha) 1,595,000 Algeria : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 0% Subtropical (% forest area) 100% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Algeria: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) - - Modified natural (ha | %) 1,206,000 53.0% Semi-natural (ha | %) 316,000 13.9% Production plantation (ha | %) 12,000 0.5% Production plantation (ha | %) 742,000 32.6% Algeria: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 1,790,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 2,144,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 2,277,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 35,400 1.98% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 26,600 1.24% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 487,000 27.21% Change in rate (%) -37.27% 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) 1,840,000 Other 2000 (ha) 1,662,000 Other 2005 (ha) 1,595,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (17,800) -0.97% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (13,400) -0.81% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (245,000) -13.32% Change in rate (%) -16.66% PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) 620,000 Other 2000 (ha) 652,000 Other 2005 (ha) 754,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 3,200 0.52% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 20,400 3.13% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 134,000 21.61% Change in rate (%) 506.21% TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 3,010,000 Other 2000 (ha) 3,154,000 Other 2005 (ha) 3,118,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 14,400 0.48% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (7,200) -0.23% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 108,000 3.59% Change in rate (%) -147.72% Algeria: 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) - Algeria: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 83.7% Private (%) 16.3% Other (%) - Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) 100.0% Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 32.9% Protection (%) 63.0% Conservation (%) 4.0% Social Services (%) 0.1% Multiple Services (%) - None of Unknown (%) - Algeria: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) 0.65% Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) 6.06% Other (ha) - Algeria: Protected areas 6 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 26 World Heritage sites, 2004 7 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 5.1% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 4.96% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.02% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Algeria: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 13 endemic species 0 threatened species 1 Birds total species 372 endemic species 1 threatened species 11 Mammals total species 100 endemic species 2 threatened species 12 Reptiles total species 97 endemic species 3 threatened species 2 Wildlife diversity total species 582 endemic species 6 threatened species 26 Algeria: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 55.20% Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 65.60% Number of Native tree species Native tree species 20 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 0 Endangered 1 Vulnerable 1 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 3164 Number endemic 250 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 2 Algeria: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 183 Below-ground biomass (M t) 44 Dead wood (M t) - Total (M t) - Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 92 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 22 Carbon in dead wood (M t) - Carbon in litter (M t) - Soil carbon (M t) 86 Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 2,708 2000-2005 2,031 Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 n.s. 2000-2005 n.s. Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 150 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 45 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 195 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) n.s. 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) 2,000 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$) $4,400,000 Wood fuel (US$) $184,000 Non-wood forest products (US$) $13,333,000 Total value (US$) $17,917,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $8 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed 29,000 Algeria : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 7,305 Imports - Exports - Consumption 7,305 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 208 Imports 23 Exports 0 Consumption 231 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 13 Imports 935 Exports 0 Consumption 948 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 50 Imports 133 Exports 0 Consumption 183 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 2 Imports 17 Exports 0 Consumption 19 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 41 Imports 180 Exports 0 Consumption 221 Algeria: Environment Environment - current issues soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season Algeria: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 3.22% permanent crops: 0.25% other: 96.53% (2001) Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc Algeria: Economy Economy - overview: The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. Structural reform within the economy moves ahead slowly. GDP - per capita $7,300 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 7.1% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 10%, industry: 59.5%, services: 30.5% (2005 est.) Industries petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing Economic aid - recipient $122.8 million (2002 est.) Debt - external $21.54 billion (2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 23% (1999 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.) Algeria: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 32,531,853 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 1.22% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 13.7 Percent rural (2003) 41.2% Median age (years) total: 24.36 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.92 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1% Largest Cities in Algeria Cities and urban areas in Algeria with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. Urban Area Rank City Pop Rank City Country City Population Urban Area Population 76 121 Algiers Algeria 1696000 3815900 541 382 Oran Algeria 732000 772900 615 582 Constantine Algeria 515800 669700 1273 1187 Batnah Algeria 270700 270700 1412 1344 Annaba Algeria 240100 240100 1434 1366 Setif Algeria 236500 236500 1680 1640 Sidi bel Abbes Algeria 201200 201200 1776 1739 Biskara Algeria 190800 190800 1933 1904 Djelfa Algeria 172200 172200 1946 1917 Tebessa Algeria 171000 171000 1948 1920 Blida Algeria 170900 170900 1958 1930 Sakikdah Algeria 170000 170000 2018 1992 Bejaia Algeria 164200 164200 2041 2015 Tiyarat Algeria 162200 162200 Algeria: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 2,199,600 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 1,447,310 (2003) Roadways (km) total: 104,000 km paved: 71,656 km unpaved: 32,344 km (1999) Algeria: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 73 years male: 71.45 years female: 74.63 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 31 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) Major infectious diseases degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some locations (2004) Algeria : 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