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Forests, Grasslands and Drylands

COUNTRY PROFILE - Bulgaria

View Technical and Source Notes
     
Forest Area and Change Bulgaria Europe World
Total forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 3690 1035344 3869455
Natural forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 2722 1007236 3682722
Plantations area, 2000 (000 ha) 968 32015 186733
Total dryland area, 1950-1981 (000 ha) {a} 5886 488478 5059984
Change in forest area:
  Total, 1990-2000 6 % 0 % -2 %
  Natural, 1990-2000 X 1 % -4 %
  Plantations, 1990-2000 X 0 % 3 %
Original forest {b} as a percent of
  total land area {c} 92 % 73 % 48 %
Forest area in 2000 as a percent of
  total land area {c} 33 % 45 % 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% 7247 1459015 6537209
  Greater than 25% 4521 1093661 4842071
  Greater than 50% 3209 715261 3143720
  Greater than 75% 1689 349387 1945916
         
Ecosystem Areas by Type
Total land area 11091 2301873 13328979
Percent of total land area covered by:
  Forests 25 % 41 % 24 %
  Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands 0 % 22 % 37 %
 
  mosaic 73 % 27 % 20 %
  Urban and built-up areas 0.8 % 0.4 % 0.2 %
  Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice 0 % 4 % 16 %
  Wetlands and water bodies 1 % 6 % 3 %
         
Forests certified through the Forest Stewardship Council
Natural forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 4830994 11457393
Plantations, 2002 (hectares) 0 828507 3324996
Mixed forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 10595766 11461154
         
Forest Protection
Percent of forests protected:
  Tropical forest, 1990s X X 9 %
  Nontropical forest, 1990s 5.9 % 3 % 6 %
  Sparse trees and parkland, 1990s X 1 % 5.5 %
Number of tree species threatened, 1990s 0 X 5904
         
Wood Production and Trade
Annual roundwood production:
  Total, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 3096 498667 3261621
  Fuel, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 1181 92596 1739504
  Industrial, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 1915 394664 1522116
 
  (000 meters3) 233 48003 151390
 
  (thousand metric tons) 135 94389 313206
 
  (thousand metric tons) 80 38790 126404
Average value of trade in forest products {d}:
  Imports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 78463 63820670 142932629
  Exports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 69908 64793747 135313009
Forest product exports as a percent of the
  total value of all exports, 1997 X X 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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