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Forests, Grasslands and Drylands

COUNTRY PROFILE - Bhutan

View Technical and Source Notes
     
Forest Area and Change Bhutan Asia (excl. Middle East) World
Total forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 3016 504180 3869455
Natural forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 2995 375824 3682722
Plantations area, 2000 (000 ha) 21 110953 186733
Total dryland area, 1950-1981 (000 ha) {a} 0 1078121 5059984
Change in forest area:
  Total, 1990-2000 0 % -1 % -2 %
  Natural, 1990-2000 0 % -1 % -4 %
  Plantations, 1990-2000 5 % 5 % 3 %
Original forest {b} as a percent of
  total land area {c} 67 % X 48 %
Forest area in 2000 as a percent of
  total land area {c} 64 % 20 % 29 %
         
Forest Area by Crown Cover (000 ha), 2000
Note: Crown cover data are gathered using different methodologies than the forest
area calculated above. The two estimates may differ substantially.
Area of forest with crown cover:
  Greater than 10% 3408 920164 6537209
  Greater than 25% 3213 699058 4842071
  Greater than 50% 2866 509247 3143720
  Greater than 75% 2218 336266 1945916
         
Ecosystem Areas by Type
Total land area 4700 2494475 13328979
Percent of total land area covered by:
  Forests 73 % 17 % 24 %
  Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands 17 % 37 % 37 %
 
  mosaic 5 % 34 % 20 %
  Urban and built-up areas 0 % 0.2 % 0.2 %
  Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice 4 % 10 % 16 %
  Wetlands and water bodies 0 % 2 % 3 %
         
Forests certified through the Forest Stewardship Council
Natural forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 145323 11457393
Plantations, 2002 (hectares) 0 61936 3324996
Mixed forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 25702 11461154
         
Forest Protection
Percent of forests protected:
  Tropical forest, 1990s 22.9 % 16.4 % 9 %
  Nontropical forest, 1990s 37.6 % 5.3 % 6 %
  Sparse trees and parkland, 1990s X 7 % 5.5 %
Number of tree species threatened, 1990s 4 X 5904
         
Wood Production and Trade
Annual roundwood production:
  Total, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 1655 1111958 3261621
  Fuel, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 1610 863316 1739504
  Industrial, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 45 268470 1522116
 
  (000 meters3) 13 39057 151390
 
  (thousand metric tons) X 88859 313206
 
  (thousand metric tons) X 36539 126404
Average value of trade in forest products {d}:
  Imports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 2039 37114499 142932629
  Exports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 94 16434017 135313009
Forest product exports as a percent of the
  total value of all exports, 1997 X 2.1 % 2 %
         
Other Resources:
Country Profiles of the Food and Agriculture Organization
 
 
         
         
Footnotes:
a.Areas are presented as long-term average covering the years from 1950 to 1981.
b.Original forest refers to estimated forest cover about 8,000 years ago assuming current climatic conditions.
c."Forest area in 2000 as a percent of total land area" and "Original forest as a percent of total land area" are not directly comparable; data are from two different sources.
d.Includes trade in industrial roundwood, wood fuel, sawnwood, wood-based panels, pulp, paper and paperboard, recovered paper, chips, particles, & wood residues.
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