STATISTICS: El Salvador


El Salvador

14.4% —or about 298,000 hectares—of El Salvador is forested. Of this, 2.0% —or roughly 6,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, El Salvador lost an average of 5,100 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 1.36%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change increased by 18.0% to 1.60% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, El Salvador lost 20.5% of its forest cover, or around 77,000 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, El Salvador lost 13.5% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: El Salvador has some 707 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 2.5% are threatened. El Salvador is home to at least 2911 species of vascular plants, of which 0.6% are endemic. 0.0% of El Salvador is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

El Salvador Environmental profile






Books

El Salvador: Forest Cover, 2005
Total Land Area (ha)2,072,000
Total Forest Area (ha)298,000
Percent Forest Cover14.38%
Primary Forest Cover (ha)6,000
Primary Forest, % total forest2.01%
Primary Forest, % total land0.29%
Other wooded land (ha)201,000


El Salvador : Forest types
Tropical (% forest area)100%
Subtropical (% forest area)0%
Temperate (% forest area)0%
Boreal/polar (% forest area)0%


El Salvador: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
Primary forest (ha | %)6,0002.0%
Modified natural (ha | %)286,00096.0%
Semi-natural (ha | %)--
Production plantation (ha | %)6,0002.0%
Production plantation (ha | %)--


El Salvador: Change in Forest Cover
TOTAL FOREST COVER
Forest 1990 (ha)375,000
Forest 2000 (ha)324,000
Forest 2005 (ha)298,000
Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %)(5,100)-1.36%
Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %)(5,200)-1.60%
Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %)(77,000)-20.53%
Change in rate (%)18.01%
PRIMARY FOREST COVER
Primary 1990 (ha)6,000
Primary 2000 (ha)6,000
Primary 2005 (ha)6,000
Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %)-0.00%
Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Change in rate (%)#DIV/0!
OTHER WOODED LAND
Other 1990 (ha)201,000
Other 2000 (ha)201,000
Other 2005 (ha)201,000
Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %)-0.00%
Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Change in rate (%)#DIV/0!
PLANTATIONS
Other 1990 (ha)6,000
Other 2000 (ha)6,000
Other 2005 (ha)6,000
Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %)-0.00%
Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %)-0.00%
Change in rate (%)#DIV/0!
TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations
Other 1990 (ha)570,000
Other 2000 (ha)519,000
Other 2005 (ha)493,000
Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %)(5,100)-0.89%
Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %)(5,200)-1.00%
Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %)(77,000)-13.51%
Change in rate (%)11.98%


El Salvador: Primary
Primary or "old-growth" vegetation
Primary Forest 2005 (ha)6,000
Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha)-
Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha)6,000
Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area)0.29%


El Salvador: Forest designation
Ownership of forest land, 2000
Public (%)72.5%
Private (%)25.3%
Other (%)2.2%
Ownership of other wooded land, 2000
Public (%)72.6%
Private (%)25.4%
Other (%)2.0%
Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005
Production (%)2.0%
Protection (%)-
Conservation (%)2.3%
Social Services (%)-
Multiple Services (%)-
None of Unknown (%)95.6%


El Salvador: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
Forest Area annually affected by
Fire (%)0.31%
Insects (ha)-
Diseases (ha)-
Other (ha)-


El Salvador: Protected areas
Protected areas
Biosphere reserves, 2005
Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 20051
World Heritage sites, 20041
Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land0.0%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land0.00%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 20040.00%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 20041.92%


El Salvador: Biodiversity - Wildlife
Amphibians
total species30
endemic species0
threatened species8
Birds
total species434
endemic species5
threatened species3
Mammals
total species137
endemic species0
threatened species2
Reptiles
total species106
endemic species3
threatened species5
Wildlife diversity
total species707
endemic species8
threatened species18


El Salvador: 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 Endangered1
Endangered6
Vulnerable19
Vascular Plant Species, 2004
Total2911
Number endemic17
Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004
Species threatened25


El Salvador: 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)682
Wood fuel (1000 cubic m)4,519
Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m)5,201
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$)-
Wood fuel (US$)-
Non-wood forest products (US$)-
Total value (US$)-
Total value ($USD/ha)$-
Employment in forestry 2000
Total people employed-


El Salvador : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002
Production4,518
Imports0
Exports-
Consumption4,518
Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002
Production682
Imports3
Exports0
Consumption685
Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002
Production58
Imports72
Exports2
Consumption128
Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002
Production-
Imports27
Exports0
Consumption27
Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002
Production-
Imports18
Exports-
Consumption18
Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002
Production56
Imports129
Exports12
Consumption173
El Salvador: Environment
Environment - current issuesdeforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Natural hazardsknown as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes


El Salvador: Land use / Resources
Land use (%)arable land: 31.85%
permanent crops: 12.07%
other: 56.08% (2001)
Natural resourceshydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land


El Salvador: Economy
Economy - overview:The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16% of GDP in 2004 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy.
GDP - per capita$5,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate (%)2% (2005 est.)
Agriculture - productscoffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products
GDP - composition by sector (%)agriculture: 9.8%, industry: 30.3%, services: 60% (2005 est.)
Industries food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
Economic aid - recipient$125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003)
Debt - external$8.273 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line (%)36.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation (%)agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003 est.)


El Salvador: Population / Demographics
Population (July 2005)6,704,932
Population growth rate (%) (2005)1.75%
Population density (people/sq km) (2005)323.6
Percent rural (2003)40.4%
Median age (years)total: 21.57 years
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)3.16 (2005 est.)
Ethnic groups (%)mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%


Largest Cities in El Salvador

Cities and urban areas in El Salvador with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.

CityCountryCity PopulationUrban Area Population
San SalvadorEl Salvador4960001760700
Santa AnaEl Salvador164500164500
San MiguelEl Salvador143500143500




 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



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