Forest Area
From Wikiprogress.org
Contents |
How this measures progress
Measuring forest area is a key environmental indicator in terms of providing data on the level of forest resources and the intensity of their use.
Definition
The forest area of a country is defined as the percentage of land surface covered by forests.[1]
Policy Issues
Main concerns relate to the impacts of human activities on forest diversity and health, on natural forest growth and regeneration, and to their consequences for the provision of economic, environmental and social forest services. The main pressures from human activities include agriculture expansion, transport infrastructure development, unsustainable forestry, air pollution and intentional burning of forests. Many forest resources are threatened by degradation, fragmentation and conversion to other types of land uses.
The main challenge is to ensure a sustainable management of forest resources, avoiding overexploitation and degradation, so as to maintain adequate supply of wood for production activities, and to ensure the provision of essential environmental services, including biodiversity and carbon sinks. This implies integrating environmental concerns into forestry policies, including eco-certification and carbon sequestration schemes.[1]
