Nicaragua Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 25.7% or about 3,114,000 ha of Nicaragua is forested, according to FAO. Of this 37.9% ( 1,179,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Nicaragua had 74,000 ha of planted forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Nicaragua lost an average of 70,000 ha or 1.55% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Nicaragua lost 31.0% of its forest cover, or around 1,400,000 ha.

Nicaragua's forests contain 349 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Nicaragua has some 1052 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.8% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.0% are threatened. Nicaragua is home to at least 7590 species of vascular plants, of which 0.5% are endemic. 6.0% of Nicaragua is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

2011 Update

In May 2011, Sassan Saatchi of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab and colleagues published a paper in PNAS with new carbon stock estimates for global tropical forests.

Forest definition (canopy cover %)	10% tree cover	25% tree cover	30% tree cover
Forest Area (M ha)	8	5	5
Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C)	674	479	444
Belowground forest carbon (Mt C)	188	133	122
Total forest carbon (Mt C)	862	612	566
Average Carbon Density (t C/ha)	102	113	119

M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values

Nicaragua Environmental profile

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Nicaragua

Previous version of this profile (2009)

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Deforestation | Primary forest | Planted forest | Forest designation | Forest ownership | Growing stock | Carbon stock | Disturbances affecting forest land | Removals | Removals Value | Employment | Forest policy | Human resources | Revenue | Agreements | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

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Nicaragua: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 12140 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 3114 Percent Forest Cover 26 Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 1179 Primary Forest, % total forest 38 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 2219 Percent other wooded land 18 Nicaragua: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 1179 38 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 1861 60 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 74 2 Nicaragua: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 4514 3814 3464 3114 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -70 -70 -70 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -1.67 -1.91 -2.11 Nicaragua: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 4514 3814 3390 3040 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -70 -70 -77 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 -1.6 -2 -2 Nicaragua: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 - - 1315 1179 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - -27 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - -2.16 Nicaragua: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 - - 74 74 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - 0 Nicaragua: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 20 6 65 0 2 1 7 Nicaragua: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 11 88 2 PRIVATE OWNERSHIP Individuals Business entities and institutions Local, indigenous and tribal communities 41 2 56 HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS Public administration Individuals Business entities and Institutions Communities Other - - - - - Nicaragua: Growing stock in forest GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 461 148 14 447 17 GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species - - Nicaragua: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 506 428 389 349 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 112 ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 -8 -8 -8 ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 n.s. n.s. n.s. Nicaragua: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) 63 100 EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area - - - - - - Nicaragua: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005 INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 - 112 216 100 WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 - 11 33 - Nicaragua: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total 17 n.s. - - - Nicaragua: Employment in forestry 1990-2005 TOTAL (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 15 30 35 IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 - - - Nicaragua: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (2008) Sub-national forest policy: No National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2008) In implementation National forest law (year): Specific forest law (2003) Sub-national forest law: Yes Nicaragua: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female - - - - 332 38 Nicaragua: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005 Forest revenue Public expenditure (1000 US$) Domestic funding External funding Total (1000 US$) Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments 1442 1801 - 1622 - 3423 - Nicaragua: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010 CbD: UNFCCC: Kyoto Protocol: UNCCD: ITTA: CITeS: Ramsar: World Heritage Convention: NlbI: [an error occurred while processing this directive] Nicaragua: Environment Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification Natural hazards destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes Nicaragua: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 15.94% permanent crops: 1.94% other: 82.12% (2001) Natural resources gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish Nicaragua: Economy Economy - overview: Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, widespread underemployment, and a heavy external debt burden. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative because of its earlier successful performance under its International Monetary Fund policy program and other efforts. In October 2005 Nicaragua ratified the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and deepen economic development. High oil prices helped drive inflation to 10% in 2005, leading to a fall in real GDP growth to 3.5% from over 5% in 2004. GDP - per capita $2,800 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 3.5% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 16.8%, industry: 27.6%, services: 55.6% (2005 est.) Industries food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood Economic aid - recipient $541.8 million (2003) Debt - external $4.054 billion (2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 50% (2001 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 30.5%, industry 17.3%, services 52.2% (2003 est.) Nicaragua: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 5,465,100 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 1.92% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 45.4 Percent rural (2003) 42.7% Median age (years) total: 20.56 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2.81 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5% Largest Cities in Nicaragua Cities and urban areas in Nicaragua with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Managua Nicaragua 1106600 1342200 Leon Nicaragua 158600 158600 Chinandega Nicaragua 124700 124700 Masaya Nicaragua 113900 113900 Nicaragua: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 171,600 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 202,800 (2002) Roadways (km) total: 18,712 km paved: 2,126 km unpaved: 16,586 km (2002) Nicaragua: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 70.33 years male: 68.27 years female: 72.49 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 29.11 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 0.2% (2003 est.) Nicaragua : 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 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 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 Select a Country or Region INDEX Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Caribbean Cayman Islands Central African Republic Central America Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote d�Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic DR Congo East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oceania Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Lucia Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States of America United States Virgin Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Vietnam Virgin Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Tropical rainforest information  World Rainforests  Rainforest Structure  Rainforest Biodiversity  Canopy  Forest Floor  Rainforest Waters  Indigenous People  Deforestation  Global Importance  Rainforest Conservation  Country Reports update soon  References  Deforestation Tables  The Amazon Rainforest update soon  The Congo Rainforest update soon  Deforestation in Brazil  Rainforest Images   Web mongabay.com Mongabay Rainforests Mongabay News Mongabay Photos