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Forests, Grasslands and Drylands

COUNTRY PROFILE - Iran, Islamic Rep

View Technical and Source Notes
     
Forest Area and Change Islamic Republic of Iran Middle East & North Africa World
Total forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 7299 29104 3869455
Natural forest area, 2000 (000 ha) 5015 20448 3682722
Plantations area, 2000 (000 ha) 2284 6533 186733
Total dryland area, 1950-1981 (000 ha) {a} 146618 552621 5059984
Change in forest area:
  Total, 1990-2000 0 % 2 % -2 %
  Natural, 1990-2000 -11 % X -4 %
  Plantations, 1990-2000 3 % X 3 %
Original forest {b} as a percent of
  total land area {c} 43 % X 48 %
Forest area in 2000 as a percent of
  total land area {c} 4 % 2 % 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% 3038 33369 6537209
  Greater than 25% 2006 16375 4842071
  Greater than 50% 1468 7686 3143720
  Greater than 75% 828 4077 1945916
         
Ecosystem Areas by Type
Total land area 163319 1256964 13328979
Percent of total land area covered by:
  Forests 1 % 1 % 24 %
  Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands 49 % 25 % 37 %
 
  mosaic 9 % 7 % 20 %
  Urban and built-up areas 0.1 % 0.1 % 0.2 %
  Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice 40 % 66 % 16 %
  Wetlands and water bodies 1 % 0 % 3 %
         
Forests certified through the Forest Stewardship Council
Natural forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 0 11457393
Plantations, 2002 (hectares) 0 0 3324996
Mixed forests, 2002 (hectares) 0 0 11461154
         
Forest Protection
Percent of forests protected:
  Tropical forest, 1990s X 0 % 9 %
  Nontropical forest, 1990s 12 % 3.3 % 6 %
  Sparse trees and parkland, 1990s X 76.9 % 5.5 %
Number of tree species threatened, 1990s 1 X 5904
         
Wood Production and Trade
Annual roundwood production:
  Total, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 6881 44134 3261621
  Fuel, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 1997 25629 1739504
  Industrial, 1996-1998 (000 meters3) 4884 18505 1522116
 
  (000 meters3) 444 2998 151390
 
  (thousand metric tons) 30 X 313206
 
  (thousand metric tons) 80 X 126404
Average value of trade in forest products {d}:
  Imports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 344352 5479310 142932629
  Exports, 1996-1998 (thousand US$) 1273 232075 135313009
Forest product exports as a percent of the
  total value of all exports, 1997 X 0.2 % 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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