Previous Page Table of Contents Next Page


Chapter 19. Asia

Figure 19-1. Asia: subregional division used in this report

Asia (see Figure 19-1[34] and Table 19-1) as a whole contains about 548 million ha of forests which corresponds to 14 percent of the world total. Asian forests amount to 0.2 ha per capita, which is low compared to the world average. Most forests are located in the tropical ecological domain and Asia has about 21 percent of all tropical rain forests. Subtropical forests are extensive and Asia has more subtropical mountain forests than any other region and more than one third of the world total. More than 60 percent of the world's forest plantations are located in Asia. The net change of forest area is relatively low, with an annual net loss, based on country reports, estimated at 364 000 ha, corresponding to 0.2 percent annually.

Table 19-1. Asia: forest resources by subregion

Subregion

 

Land area

Forest area 2000

Area change 1990-2000 (total forest)

Volume and above-ground biomass (total forest)

Natural forest

Forest plantation

Total forest

000 ha

000 ha

000 ha

000 ha

%

ha/ capita

000 ha/ year

%

m3/ ha

t/ha

Central Asia

545 407

29 536

384

29 920

5.5

0.5

208

0.7

62

40

East Asia

992 309

146 254

55 765

202 019

20.4

0.1

1 805

0.9

62

62

South Asia

412 917

42 013

34 652

76 665

18.6

0.1

-98

-0.1

49

77

Southeast Asia

436 022

191 942

19 972

211 914

48.6

0.4

-2 329

-1.0

64

109

West Asia

698 091

22 202

5 073

27 275

3.9

0.1

48

0.2

101

87

Total Asia

3 084 746

431 946

115 847

547 793

17.8

0.2

-364

-0.1

63

82

TOTAL WORLD

13 063 900

3 682 722

186 733

3 869 455

29.6

0.6

-9 391

-0.2

100

109


[34] The division into subregions was made only to facilitate the reporting at a condensed geographical level and does not reflect any opinion or political consideration in the selection of countries. The graphical presentation of country areas does not convey any opinion of FAO as to the extent of countries or status of any national boundaries.

Previous Page Top of Page Next Page