Turks and Caicos Islands

79.1% —or about 34,000 hectares—of Turks and Caicos Islands is forested.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Turks and Caicos Islands had no significant change or no reported in forest cover.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Turks and Caicos Islands has some 207 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 4.3% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.9% are threatened. Turks and Caicos Islands is home to at least 448 species of vascular plants, of which 2.0% are endemic. 7.3% of Turks and Caicos Islands 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

Turks and Caicos Islands: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 43,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 34,000 Percent Forest Cover 79.07% Primary Forest Cover (ha) - Primary Forest, % total forest - Primary Forest, % total land - Other wooded land (ha) - [an error occurred while processing this directive] Turks and Caicos Islands: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) - - Modified natural (ha | %) - - Semi-natural (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) - - Production plantation (ha | %) - - Turks and Caicos Islands: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 34,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 34,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 34,000 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! 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) - 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) - Other 2000 (ha) - Other 2005 (ha) - Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) - - Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) - - Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) - - Change in rate (%) - TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 34,000 Other 2000 (ha) 34,000 Other 2005 (ha) 34,000 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! Turks and Caicos Islands: 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% Turks and Caicos Islands: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) - Private (%) - Other (%) - Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) - Protection (%) - Conservation (%) - Social Services (%) - Multiple Services (%) - None of Unknown (%) - Turks and Caicos Islands: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) - Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) - Other (ha) - Turks and Caicos Islands: Protected areas Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 0 World Heritage sites, 2004 0 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 0.93% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 5.12% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Turks and Caicos Islands: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 1 endemic species 0 threatened species 0 Birds total species 186 endemic species 4 threatened species 3 Mammals total species 6 endemic species 0 threatened species 0 Reptiles total species 14 endemic species 5 threatened species 5 Wildlife diversity total species 207 endemic species 9 threatened species 8 Turks and Caicos Islands: 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 0 Endangered 0 Vulnerable 2 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 448 Number endemic 9 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 2 Turks and Caicos Islands: 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) - Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) - Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) - 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 - Turks and Caicos Islands : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production Imports - Exports 0 Consumption 0 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 0 Imports - Exports 2 Consumption - Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 2 Imports - Exports 4 Consumption 0 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 4 Imports - Exports 1 Consumption 0 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 1 Imports - Exports - Consumption - Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 0 Imports 0 Exports - Consumption 0 Turks and Caicos Islands: Environment Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater Environment - international agreements frequent hurricanes Turks and Caicos Islands: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001) Natural resources spiny lobster, conch Turks and Caicos Islands: Economy Economy - overview: The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. GDP - per capita $11,500 (2002 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 4.9% (2000 est.) Agriculture - products corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: NA%, industry: NA%, services: NA% Industries tourism, offshore financial services Economic aid - recipient $4.1 million (1997) Debt - external NA Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services Turks and Caicos Islands: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 20,556 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.90% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 47.8 Median age (years) total: 27.35 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 3.08 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% [an error occurred while processing this directive] Turks and Caicos Islands: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 5,700 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 1,700 (1999) Roadways (km) total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) Turks and Caicos Islands: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 74.51 years male: 72.28 years female: 76.84 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) NA Turks and Caicos Islands : 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