FAO Forestry country profiles - forest management

Issues and concerns

Primary concerns relating to forests in French Polynesia surround human activities that are leading to forest degradation. Agricultural encroachment, repeated fires and overgrazing have significantly degraded forests, and are resulting in soil erosion and sedimentation. Extensive areas of forests have also been converted to agricultural plantations. In general, however, a focus on tourism, the territory's largest economic sector, means that increased attention is being paid to environmental maintenance and conserving forests as an integral part of French Polynesian landscapes.