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Forests, Grasslands and Drylands

COUNTRY PROFILE - Brazil

View Technical and Source Notes
     
Forest Area and Change Brazil South America World
Total forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 543905 885618 3869455
Natural forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 538924 875163 3682722
Plantations area, 2000 (000 ha) 4982 10455 186733
Total dryland area, 1950-1981 (000 ha) {a} 130518 444102 5059984
Change in forest area:
  Total, 1990-2000 -4 % -4 % -2 %
  Natural, 1990-2000 -4 % -5 % -4 %
  Plantations, 1990-2000 3 % 7 % 3 %
Original forest {b} as a percent of
  total land area {c} 64 % 56 % 48 %
Forest area in 2000 as a percent of
  total land area {c} 64 % 50 % 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% 788169 1413785 6537209
  Greater than 25% 599846 1093233 4842071
  Greater than 50% 413706 770476 3143720
  Greater than 75% 346978 627911 1945916
         
Ecosystem Areas by Type
Total land area 854740 1785515 13328979
Percent of total land area covered by:
  Forests 48 % 40 % 24 %
  Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands 25 % 33 % 37 %
 
  mosaic 25 % 21 % 20 %
  Urban and built-up areas 0.1 % 0.1 % 0.2 %
  Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice 0 % 3 % 16 %
  Wetlands and water bodies 2 % 2 % 3 %
         
Forests certified through the Forest Stewardship Council
Natural forests, 2002 (hectares) 357913 1285176 11457393
Plantations, 2002 (hectares) 811521 811521 3324996
Mixed forests, 2002 (hectares) 13206 13206 11461154
         
Forest Protection
Percent of forests protected:
  Tropical forest, 1990s 6.9 % 12.2 % 9 %
  Nontropical forest, 1990s 6.9 % 15.8 % 6 %
  Sparse trees and parkland, 1990s 1.3 % 2.4 % 5.5 %
Number of tree species threatened, 1990s 351 X 5904
         
Wood Production and Trade
Annual roundwood production:
  Total, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 198402 296757 3261621
  Fuel, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 114052 167017 1739504
  Industrial, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 84350 129740 1522116
 
  (000 meters3) 3181 5373 151390
 
  (thousand metric tons) 6417 9677 313206
 
  (thousand metric tons) 2105 3569 126404
Average value of trade in forest products {d}:
  Imports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 1161443 3363786 142932629
  Exports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 2563218 4791504 135313009
Forest product exports as a percent of the
  total value of all exports, 1997 X 5 % 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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