UN FAO has released the main findings of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020). This assessment examines the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. The information provided by FRA presents a comprehensive view of the world’s forests and the ways in which the resource is changing. Such a clear global picture supports the development of sound policies, practices and investments affecting forests and forestry.
The data in FRA 2020 have been obtained through a transparent, traceable, reporting process and a well- established network of officially nominated national correspondents. The information provided by FRA presents a comprehensive picture of the world's forests and the ways the resource is changing. Such a clear global picture supports the development of sound policies, practices and investments affecting forests and forestry.
Main Findings
Forest Cover:
· Forests cover nearly 1/3 of land globally, that is, 4.06 billion ha. In other words, there is around 0.52 ha of forest for every person on the planet.
· More than half (54%) of the world’s forests are in only five countries:–Russian Federation (20%), Brazil (12%), Canada (9%), the US (8%) and China (5%).
The percentage distribution by climatic domain is as follows:
· Tropical 45%
· Boreal 27%
· Temperate 16%
· Subtropical 11%
Naturally regenerating forest and planted forest
Naturally regenerating forest is a forest predominantly composed of trees established through natural regeneration. Planted forest is a forest predominantly composed of trees established through planting and or/deliberate seeding.
93% of the forest area worldwide is composed of naturally regenerating forests and 7% is planted. The area of naturally regenerating forests has decreased since 1990 (at a declining rate of loss), but the area of planted forests has increased by 123 million ha.
Plantation forests cover about 131 million ha, which is 3% of the global forest area and 45% of the total area of planted forests. The highest share of plantation forest is in South America with 99% of the total planted-forest area and 2% of the total forest area. The lowest share of plantation forest is in Europe, where it represents 6% of the planted forest estate and 0.4% of the total forest area. Globally, 44% of plantation forests are composed mainly of introduced species.
Primary forests cover about one billion hectares
The world still has at least 1.11 billion ha of primary forest. Combined, three countries – Brazil, Canada and the Russian Federation – host more than half (61%) of the world’s primary forest. The area of primary forest has decreased by 81 million ha since 1990, but the rate of loss more than halved in 2010–2020 compared with the previous decade.
Losses and gains: Where is forest being lost and where is it being gained?
· Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 million ha.
· The rate of net forest loss has increased in Africa in each of the three decades since 1990.
· Annually South America had a net forest loss of 2.6 million ha in 2010–2020.
· The rate of net forest loss has declined substantially in South America, to about half the rate in 2010–2020 compared with 2000–2010.
· Asia had the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020.
· Oceania experienced net losses of forest area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010.
Deforestation
· Deforestation continues, but at a lower rate.
· An estimated 420 million ha of forest has been lost worldwide through deforestation since 1990, but the rate of forest loss has declined substantially. In the most recent five-year period (2015–2020), the annual rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million ha, down from 12 million ha in 2010–2015.
What risks do forests face?
· Forests face many disturbances that can adversely affect their health and vitality and reduce their ability to provide a full range of goods and ecosystem services.
· About 98 million ha of forest were affected by fire in 2015; this was mainly in the tropical domain, where fire burned about 4% of the total forest area in that year. More than two-thirds of the total forest area affected was in Africa and South America.
· Insects, diseases and severe weather events damaged about 40 million ha of forests in 2015, mainly in the temperate and boreal domains.
Protecting and managing our forests
· More than 700 million ha of forest are in legally established protected areas
· There is an estimated 726 million ha of forest in protected areas worldwide. The area of forest in protected areas globally has increased by 191 million ha since 1990.
· More than 2 billion ha of forest has management plans. The area and proportion of forests with long-term management plans that are documented and periodically revised is an important indicator of the intention to sustainably manage forest resources.
· Most of the forests in Europe have management plans; on the other hand, management plans exist for less than 25% of forests in Africa and less than 20% in South America.
· The area of forest under management plans is increasing in all regions – globally, it has increased by 233 million ha since 2000, reaching 2.05 billion ha in 2020.
Ownership of forests (as of 2015, the latest year for which global data are available)
· The world’s forests are mostly publicly owned.
· 73% of the world’s forests is under public ownership, 22% is privately owned, and the ownership of the remainder is categorized as either ‘unknown’ or ‘other’ (mainly comprising forests where ownership is disputed or in transition).
· Public ownership is predominant in all world regions and most subregions. Of the regions, Oceania, North and Central America and South America have the highest proportions of private forests.
· Globally, the share of publicly owned forests has decreased since 1990 and the area of forest under private ownership has increased.
The area of forest designated primarily for soil and water protection is increasing
· An estimated 399 million ha of forest is designated primarily for the protection of soil and water, an increase of 119 million ha since 1990. The rate of increase in the area of forest allocated for this purpose has grown over the entire period but especially in the last ten years.
· About 10% of the world’s forests is allocated for biodiversity conservation.
· Globally, 424 million ha of forest is designated primarily for biodiversity conservation. In total, 111 million ha has been so designated since 1990, of which the largest part was allocated between 2000 and 2010.
· The rate of increase in the area of forest designated primarily for biodiversity conservation has slowed in the last ten years.
Forest used for production and social services
· About 30% of all forests is used primarily for production.
· Globally, about 1.15 billion ha of forest is managed primarily for the production of wood and non-wood forest products. In addition, 749 million ha is designated for multiple use, which often includes production.
· Worldwide, the area of forest designated primarily for production has remained relatively stable but the area of multiple-use forest has decreased by about 71 million ha since 1990.
· An area of 186 million ha of forest worldwide is allocated for social services such as recreation, tourism, education research and the conservation of cultural and spiritual sites. The area designated for this forest use has increased at a rate of 186,000 ha per year since 2010.
