Mexico

33.7% —or about 64,238,000 hectares—of Mexico is forested. Of this, 51.1% —or roughly 32,850,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Mexico lost an average of 347,600 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 0.50%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 21.1% to 0.40% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Mexico lost 6.9% of its forest cover, or around 4,778,000 hectares. Mexico lost -5,925,000 hectares—0—of its primary forest cover during that time. Deforestation rates of primary cover have decreased 15.3% since the close of the 1990s. 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, Mexico lost 7.4% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Mexico has some 2765 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 34.0% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 12.3% are threatened. Mexico is home to at least 26071 species of vascular plants, of which 47.9% are endemic. 0.6% of Mexico is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

Mexico Environmental profile | Mexico pictures

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

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Mexico: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 190,869,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 64,238,000 Percent Forest Cover 33.66% Primary Forest Cover (ha) 32,850,000 Primary Forest, % total forest 51.14% Primary Forest, % total land 17.21% Other wooded land (ha) 19,908,000 Mexico : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 70% Subtropical (% forest area) 30% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Mexico: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) 32,850,000 51.1% Modified natural (ha | %) 30,330,000 47.2% Semi-natural (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) 72,000 0.1% Production plantation (ha | %) 986,000 1.5% Mexico: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 69,016,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 65,540,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 64,238,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (347,600) -0.50% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (260,400) -0.40% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (4,778,000) -6.92% Change in rate (%) -21.11% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) 38,775,000 Primary 2000 (ha) 34,825,000 Primary 2005 (ha) 32,850,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (395,000) -1.02% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (395,000) -1.13% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (5,925,000) -15.28% Change in rate (%) 11.34% OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) 20,705,000 Other 2000 (ha) 20,174,000 Other 2005 (ha) 19,908,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (53,100) -0.26% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (53,200) -0.26% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (797,000) -3.85% Change in rate (%) 2.83% PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) - Other 2000 (ha) 1,058,000 Other 2005 (ha) 1,058,000 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) 89,721,000 Other 2000 (ha) 84,656,000 Other 2005 (ha) 83,088,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (506,500) -0.56% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (313,600) -0.37% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (6,633,000) -7.39% Change in rate (%) -34.38% Mexico: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 32,850,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 17,482,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 50,332,000 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 26.37% Mexico: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 58.8% Private (%) - Other (%) 41.2% Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) 28.0% Private (%) - Other (%) 72.0% Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 0.1% Protection (%) 1.5% Conservation (%) 6.8% Social Services (%) - Multiple Services (%) 91.5% None of Unknown (%) - Mexico: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) 0.30% Insects (ha) 0.01% Diseases (ha) 0.00% Other (ha) 0.00% Mexico: Protected areas 16 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 55 World Heritage sites, 2004 23 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 0.6% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 0.61% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.01% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 4.44% Mexico: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 358 endemic species 226 threatened species 190 Birds total species 1026 endemic species 125 threatened species 57 Mammals total species 544 endemic species 155 threatened species 72 Reptiles total species 837 endemic species 435 threatened species 21 Wildlife diversity total species 2765 endemic species 941 threatened species 340 Mexico: 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 1,130 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 0 Endangered 7 Vulnerable 23 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 26071 Number endemic 12500 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 261 Mexico: 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) 7,667 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 684 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 8,351 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) - Plant products 2005 Food (t) - Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) 1,393 Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) 0 Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) 34,733 Other plant products (t) 149,169 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$) $545,479,000 Wood fuel (US$) $19,216,000 Non-wood forest products (US$) $32,134,000 Total value (US$) $596,829,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $9 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed - Mexico : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 37,913 Imports 0 Exports 0 Consumption 37,913 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 7,420 Imports 48 Exports 8 Consumption 7,460 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 3,387 Imports 1,473 Exports 44 Consumption 4,816 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 518 Imports 690 Exports 36 Consumption 1,172 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 385 Imports 642 Exports 37 Consumption 990 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 4,056 Imports 1,681 Exports 165 Consumption 5,572 Mexico: Environment Environment - current issues scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts Mexico: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 12.99% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 85.7% (2001) Natural resources petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber Mexico: Economy Economy - overview: Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. The Fox administration is cognizant of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy sector, but has been unable to win the support of the opposition-led Congress. The next government that takes office in December 2006 will confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico's international competitiveness, and reducing poverty. GDP - per capita $10,000 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 3% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 4%, industry: 26.5%, services: 69.5% (2005 est.) Industries food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism Economic aid - recipient $1.166 billion (1995) Debt - external $174.3 billion (30 June 2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 40% (2003 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 18%, industry 24%, services 58% (2003) Mexico: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 106,202,903 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 1.17% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 55.2 Percent rural (2003) 24.5% Median age (years) total: 24.93 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2.45 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1% Largest Cities in Mexico Cities and urban areas in Mexico with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Mexico City Mexico 8589600 21027200 Guadalajara Mexico 1797600 3847800 Ecatepec Mexico 1688600 1688600 Nezahualcoyotl Mexico 1430800 1430800 Puebla Mexico 1308700 2540900 Monterrey Mexico 1236900 3469000 Tijuana Mexico 1182900 1182900 Ciudad Ju�rez Mexico 1126700 2006700 Leon Mexico 994700 1397700 Naucalpan Mexico 953800 953800 Zapopan Mexico 936000 936000 Tlalnepantla Mexico 821200 821200 Guadalupe Mexico 703200 703200 Merida Mexico 698200 875400 Chihuahua Mexico 694400 824600 Acapulco Mexico 648400 879500 San Luis Potos� Mexico 629600 936200 Mexicali Mexico 618400 830800 Aguascalientes Mexico 594500 734500 Hermosillo Mexico 590000 657300 Culiacan Mexico 567900 765500 Saltillo Mexico 554300 657900 Morelia Mexico 537000 537000 Queretaro Mexico 533300 825700 Torreon Mexico 523200 1135500 Tlaquepaque Mexico 478500 478500 Toluca Mexico 427300 427300 Durango Mexico 414000 414000 Veracruz Mexico 404500 607100 Cancun Mexico 402300 402300 Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico 397000 397000 Matamoros Mexico 370800 780800 Reynosa Mexico 367000 367000 Cuernavaca Mexico 352500 739200 Villahermosa Mexico 344100 625700 Xalapa Mexico 343900 343900 Mazatlan Mexico 340200 340200 Tampico Mexico 319400 775500 Irapuato Mexico 316500 316500 Nuevo Laredo Mexico 313600 534300 Ciudad Obregon Mexico 285600 285600 Celaya Mexico 265900 265900 Ciudad Victoria Mexico 263800 263800 Tepic Mexico 261400 261400 Oaxaca Mexico 257300 257300 Ensenada Mexico 235800 235800 Coatzacoalcos Mexico 235600 697100 Pachuca Mexico 228800 228800 Uruapan Mexico 225900 225900 Los Mochis Mexico 211600 211600 Monclova Mexico 205200 205200 Campeche Mexico 204500 204500 Tehuacan Mexico 195000 195000 La Paz Mexico 171800 171800 Tapachula Mexico 171400 171400 Poza Rica Mexico 163000 163000 Chetumal Mexico 155900 155900 Nogales Mexico 154000 154000 Cuautla Mexico 145900 145900 Salamanca Mexico 143500 143500 Cordoba Mexico 140200 582000 San Luis R�o Colorado Mexico 135300 135300 Chilpancingo Mexico 135100 135100 Puerto Vallarta Mexico 134100 134100 Colima Mexico 133800 133800 Ciudad del Carmen Mexico 131200 131200 Zamora Mexico 127100 127100 Piedras Negras Mexico 124300 124300 Orizaba Mexico 121300 121300 Hidalgo Mexico 111300 111300 Navajoa Mexico 111000 111000 Ciudad Valles Mexico 109700 109700 Zacatecas Mexico 108100 108100 Iguala Mexico 107500 107500 Guaymas Mexico 106500 106500 Delicias Mexico 106400 106400 San Cristobal de las Casas Mexico 104200 104200  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