Slovakia

40.1% —or about 1,929,000 hectares—of Slovakia is forested. Of this, 1.2% —or roughly 24,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Slovakia lost an average of 100 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 0.01%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change decreased by 1700.8% to 0.08% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Slovakia gained 0.4% of its forest cover, or around 7,000 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, Slovakia gained 0.6% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Slovakia has some 450 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.2% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 4.2% are threatened. Slovakia is home to at least 3124 species of vascular plants, of which 2.9% are endemic. 7.3% of Slovakia 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

Slovakia: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 4,808,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 1,929,000 Percent Forest Cover 40.12% Primary Forest Cover (ha) 24,000 Primary Forest, % total forest 1.24% Primary Forest, % total land 0.50% Other wooded land (ha) - Slovakia : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 0% Subtropical (% forest area) 0% Temperate (% forest area) 100% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Slovakia: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) 24,000 1.2% Modified natural (ha | %) 946,000 49.0% Semi-natural (ha | %) 940,000 48.7% Production plantation (ha | %) 17,000 0.9% Production plantation (ha | %) 2,000 0.1% Slovakia: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 1,922,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 1,921,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 1,929,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (100) -0.01% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 1,600 0.08% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 7,000 0.36% Change in rate (%) -1700.83% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) 24,000 Primary 2000 (ha) 24,000 Primary 2005 (ha) 24,000 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) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) 23,000 Other 2000 (ha) 20,000 Other 2005 (ha) 19,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (300) -1.30% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (200) -1.00% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (4,000) -17.39% Change in rate (%) -23.33% TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 1,899,000 Other 2000 (ha) 1,901,000 Other 2005 (ha) 1,910,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 200 0.01% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 1,800 0.09% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 11,000 0.58% Change in rate (%) 799.05% Slovakia: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 24,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) - Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 24,000 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 0.50% Slovakia: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 52.4% Private (%) 43.2% Other (%) 4.4% Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 9.5% Protection (%) 17.8% Conservation (%) 5.0% Social Services (%) 12.6% Multiple Services (%) 55.1% None of Unknown (%) 0.0% Slovakia: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) 0.00% Insects (ha) 0.42% Diseases (ha) 0.36% Other (ha) 0.88% Slovakia: Protected areas 4 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 13 World Heritage sites, 2004 5 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 7.3% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 7.03% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.25% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Slovakia: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 17 endemic species 0 threatened species 0 Birds total species 332 endemic species 1 threatened species 11 Mammals total species 87 endemic species 0 threatened species 7 Reptiles total species 14 endemic species 0 threatened species 1 Wildlife diversity total species 450 endemic species 1 threatened species 19 Slovakia: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 76.80% Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock 97.80% Number of Native tree species Native tree species 59 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 0 Endangered 0 Vulnerable 1 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 3124 Number endemic 92 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 2 Slovakia: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 334 Below-ground biomass (M t) 73 Dead wood (M t) 32 Total (M t) 438 Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 167 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 36 Carbon in dead wood (M t) 16 Carbon in litter (M t) 21 Soil carbon (M t) 270 Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 6,160 2000-2005 6,240 Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 3.22 2000-2005 3.03 Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 6,372 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 360 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 6,732 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) 1 Plant products 2005 Food (t) 1,155 Fodder (t) 140 Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) 160 Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) 10 Ornamental plants (t) 255 Exudates (t) - Other plant products (t) - Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) 10,200 Hides, skins and trophies (units) 22,470 Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) 1,688 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$) $308,304,000 Wood fuel (US$) $5,341,000 Non-wood forest products (US$) $11,611,000 Total value (US$) $325,256,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $169 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed 27,000 Slovakia : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 1,650 Imports 0 Exports 99 Consumption 1,551 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 5,506 Imports 134 Exports 1,184 Consumption 4,456 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 1,265 Imports 50 Exports 864 Consumption 451 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 159 Imports 242 Exports 281 Consumption 120 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 454 Imports 84 Exports 101 Consumption 437 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 994 Imports 242 Exports 480 Consumption 756 Slovakia: Environment Environment - current issues air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, 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 NA Slovakia: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 30.16% permanent crops: 2.62% other: 67.22% (2001) Natural resources brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land Slovakia: Economy Economy - overview: Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in 2001-05, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003-04, dropped to 11.5% in 2005, but remains the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004. GDP - per capita $15,700 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 5.1% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 3.6%, industry: 29.7%, services: 66.7% (2005 est.) Industries metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products Economic aid - recipient $2.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06) Debt - external $25.81 billion (2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003) Slovakia: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 5,431,363 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.15% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 111.3 Percent rural (2003) 42.6% Median age (years) total: 35.43 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.32 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) [an error occurred while processing this directive] Slovakia: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 1,294,700 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 3,678,800 (2003) Roadways (km) total: 42,970 km paved: 37,698 km (including 302 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,272 km (2002) Slovakia: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 74.5 years male: 70.52 years female: 78.68 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 7.41 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) less than 0.1% (2001 est.) Slovakia : 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