STATUS AND TRENDS IN MANGROVE AREA EXTENT WORLDWIDE

Nicaragua

Vegetation description

Mangrove forests are found along parts of both the Atlantic and the Pacific coast. These stands are dominated by one of the following genera: Rhizophora, Avicennia, Conocarpus and Laguncularia. On the Atlantic coast they reach a height of 25 m, and on the Pacific coast 15 m.

Bégué, L. 1966. Les forêts du Nicaragua. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, No. 107, Nogent-sur-Marne, France, CIRAD-Fôret.

National level mangrove area estimates

Year

Area
(ha)

Source

Trend

Methodology/Comments

1979

115 190

Direna. 1983. Mapa Forestal de Nicaragua.

Remote sensing

1980

60 000

FAO, UNEP. 1981. Los Recursos Forestales de la America Tropical. Proyecto de Evaluación de los Recursos Forestales Tropicales (en el marco de SINUVIMA). FAO, UNEP, Rome 349 pp.

Updating and estimation of mangrove extent at the end of 1980, based on several sources of information. It is considered as an underestimate.

1983

155 000

Polanía, J. and Mainardi V. 1993. Mangrove forests of Nicaragua. Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. p. 139-146. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.

Figure based on information provided by INETER and the Ministry of Planning 1983. The "Year" is the publication year.

1988

71 670

MARENA. 1992. Mapa Forestal de Nicaragua.

Remote sensing. It is considered an underestimate.

1991

171 800

Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.

Map analysis. Scale: 1:1 000 000. It covers only the Pacific Coast.

1992

282 000

Arcia Dimas. 2001. Análisis del impacto de los programas forestales nacionales en siete países de América Central en el desarrollo económico global 1990/2000. Oficina Regional de la FAO para América Latina y el Caribe Santiago, Chile.

X

Remote sensing.

This figure provides the extent of mangroves according to the national classification.

Trends in mangrove area extent over time

The estimates for 1980, 1990 and 2000 have been calculated applying FRA 1990 (FAO, 1995) annual forest cover change rate for 1980-1990 (-2 percent) and FRA 2000 annual forest cover change rate for 1990-2000 (-3 percent) to the most recent, reliable figure.

Year	Area (ha)	Source	Trend	Methodology/Comments
1979	115 190	Direna. 1983. Mapa Forestal de Nicaragua.		Remote sensing
1980	60 000	FAO, UNEP. 1981. Los Recursos Forestales de la America Tropical. Proyecto de Evaluación de los Recursos Forestales Tropicales (en el marco de SINUVIMA). FAO, UNEP, Rome 349 pp.		Updating and estimation of mangrove extent at the end of 1980, based on several sources of information. It is considered as an underestimate.
1983	155 000	Polanía, J. and Mainardi V. 1993. Mangrove forests of Nicaragua. Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. p. 139-146. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.		Figure based on information provided by INETER and the Ministry of Planning 1983. The "Year" is the publication year.
1988	71 670	MARENA. 1992. Mapa Forestal de Nicaragua.		Remote sensing. It is considered an underestimate.
1991	171 800	Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D., eds. 1997. World Mangrove Atlas. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp.		Map analysis. Scale: 1:1 000 000. It covers only the Pacific Coast.
1992	282 000	Arcia Dimas. 2001. Análisis del impacto de los programas forestales nacionales en siete países de América Central en el desarrollo económico global 1990/2000. Oficina Regional de la FAO para América Latina y el Caribe Santiago, Chile.	X	Remote sensing. This figure provides the extent of mangroves according to the national classification.