[Index]
Europe’s forests are increasing,
says the most detailed and comprehensive
assessment ever of the world’s
forests: UNECE plays its role
Geneva, 15 November 2005 - FAO,
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,
has just presented the first results
of the latest Global Forest Resource
Assessment (FRA), a cooperative effort
by hundreds of the world’s
specialists to provide decision makers,
scientists and public opinion with comparable
information on all aspects of forests.
This work also helps to monitor one of
the Millennium Development Goals, reversing
deforestation. UNECE has played a leading
role in the work for Europe, which in
the global FRA 2005 definition covers
47 countries and territories, including
Russia.
Main results for Europe are:
- The area
of Europe’s forest
continues to expand, by about
660,000 ha/year in 2000-2005,
as does growing stock, which
increases by nearly 340 million
m3/year.
- Total forest area is just
over 1 billion hectares, which is 24%
of global forest area, and 44% of total
land area in Europe.
- Forest cover ranges
from 1.1% in Malta to 74% in Finland.
- Russia accounts for about 80%
of Europe’s
forests, and 20% of the world total.
- The largest forest areas (outside
Russia) are in Sweden, Finland, Spain,
and France.
- Primary forests, mostly in Russia,
account for about 25% of the
region’s
forests, plantations for less
than 3%.
- Europe’s forests have many
functions, often on the same area:
more than 70% of Europe’s
forests (not including those of
Russia) provide social services
such as recreation, tourism, education
or conservation of cultural and
spiritual sites. The area designated
for protection of soil and water
and for conservation of biodiversity
is increasing, while that designated
for wood production is decreasing.
- There
is a high proportion of private ownership
in many countries of Europe e.g.
about 80 % in Austria and Sweden, 72
% in Denmark and Slovenia, 68 % in Finland,
and more than 90 % in Portugal.
- Employment
in forest management and conservation
in Europe is decreasing, and now
stands at 761,000 people, compared
to just under a million in 1990.
Country details as well
as the global picture are available from
Christopher Prins and the Global FRA
team:
Mr. Christopher Prins
Chief, UNECE/FAO Timber Branch
Palais des Nations, room 456
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 2874
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0041
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra2005
Ref: ECE/TIM/05/P08