The Status of Tropical Forests

Abstract

An overview of the situation of tropical forests worldwide is provided on the basis of the findings of the Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations Environment Programme (FAO/UNEP) Tropical Forest Resources Assessment Project coordinated by the author between 1979 and 1982. The main concepts and classes used in the assessment are presented briefly. Following an overall review of the relative importance, continentwide and worldwide, of tropical versus nontropical forests, a presentation is made on a subregional basis of (1) the extent in 1980 of natural forests and plantations in the tropics classified according to broad types and management classes and (2) the estimated annual reafforestation and deforestation rates around 1980. The latter are briefly reviewed in light of the deforestation trends observed recently. Finally, information is provided on the Tropical Forest Resources Assessment 1990 project started by FAO in early 1989 with the financial assistance of several donor countries, which is to update and expand the results of the 1980 assessment within the framework of the Tropical Forestry Action Plan.

Since the author presented this paper, the FAO’s 1990 Tropical Forest Resources Assessment Programme (referred to below), which describes the situation of tropical forests in 1990 and trends during the period 1981–1990, has been completed (see FAO Forestry Paper no. 112, “Forest Resources Assessment 1990-Tropical Countries”).