Puerto Rico Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 62.2% or about 552,000 ha of Puerto Rico is forested, according to FAO.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Puerto Rico lost an average of 13,250 ha or 4.62% per year. In total,
its forest cover, or around 265,000 ha.

Puerto Rico's forests contain 28 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas:
amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these,
country, and 8.0% are threatened. Puerto Rico is home to at least 2493 species of vascular plants, of which 9.4% are en
categories I-V.
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Forest Cover, 2010

Total Land Area (1000 square kilometers)

887

Total Forest Area (1000 ha)

552

Percent Forest Cover

62

Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha)

Primary Forest, % total forest

Other wooded land (1000 ha)

Percent other wooded land

Puerto Rico: Breakdown of forest types, 2010

Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area)

552

100

Puerto Rico: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010

TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990

2000

2005

2010

287

464

508

552

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

18

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)

Negative number represents deforestation

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)

Negative number represents deforestation
1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

4.92

1.83

1.68

Puerto Rico: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010

FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha)
1990

2000

2005

2010

287

464

508

552

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

18

18

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

6.2

6.17

1.90

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)

Negative number represents deforestation

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)

Negative number represents deforestation

Puerto Rico: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010

PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990

2000

2005

2010

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)

Negative number represents deforestation

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)

Negative number represents deforestation

Puerto Rico: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010

PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha)
1990

2000

2005

2010

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)

Negative number represents deforestation

1990-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)

Negative number represents deforestation

Puerto Rico: Primary designated function (percent)

Production

Protection of soil and

water

Conservation of
biodiversity

Social
services

Multiple
use

Other

None or
unknown

Puerto Rico: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)

OWNERSHIP PATTERN
Public ownership

Private ownership

Other

PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
Individuals

Business entities and institutions

Local, indigenous and tribal communities

HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS

Public administration

Individuals

Business entities and Institutions

Communities

Other

Puerto Rico: Growing stock in forest

GROWING STOCK IN FOREST
Total
(million m3)

Per hectare
(m3)

Coniferous
(million m3)

Broadleaved
(million m3)

% commercial species

19

35

19

Total (million m3)

Per hectare (m3)

Coniferous (million m3)

Broadleaved (million m3)

% commercial species

GROWING STOCK IN FOREST

Puerto Rico: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010

CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons)
1990

2000

2005

2010

14

23

26

28

CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS

(per hectare in tons)
2000
51
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr)
1990

2000

2005

2010

n.s.

n.s.

2000

2005

2010

n.s.

n.s.

n.s.

ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE

(t/ha/yr)
1990

Puerto Rico: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE
1000 ha

% wild fire (not managed burn)

EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE

Insects

Diseases

Other biotic agents

Abiotic factors

Total (excluding fire)

% of 2005 forest area

Puerto Rico: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005

INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
1990

2000

2005

percent of which from forest 2005

WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark)
1990

2000

2005

percent of which from forest 2005

Puerto Rico: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005

Value of removals
(million US$)

Value per ha forest

(US$)

Industrial roundwood

Woodfuel

NWFP

Total

Puerto Rico: Employment in forestry 1990-2005

TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees)
1990

2000

2005

1990

2000

2005

1990

2000

2005

IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY

(1000 full-time employees)

IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION

(1000 full-time employees)

Puerto Rico: Forest policy and legal framework 2008

National forest policy (year): - (-)
Sub-national forest policy: National forest program (year) - status: - (-) National forest law (year): - (-) Sub-national forest law: Puerto Rico: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
2000

2005

2008

% female

% female

% female

Puerto Rico: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005

Forest
revenue

Public expenditure (1000 US$)

Domestic funding

External funding

Total

(1000 US$)

Operational
expenditure

Transfer
payments

Operational
expenditure

Transfer
payments

Operational
expenditure

Transfer
payments

Puerto Rico: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1

January 2010

CbD:
UNFCCC:
Kyoto Protocol:
UNCCD:

ITTA:
CITeS:
Ramsar:
World Heritage Convention:
NlbI: [an error occurred while processing this directive] Puerto Rico: Environment

Environment - current issues

erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Environment - international agreements

periodic droughts; hurricanes

Puerto Rico: Land use / Resources

Land use (%)

arable land: 3.95%

permanent crops: 5.52%
other: 90.53% (2001)

Natural resources

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Puerto Rico: Economy

Economy overview:

Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial
sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income.
Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in
Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy
production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector.
Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5
million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US
economy, and has recovered in 2004-2005.

GDP - per capita

$18,500 (2005 est.)

GDP - real
growth rate (%)

2.5% (2005 est.)

Agriculture products

sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens

GDP composition by
sector (%)

agriculture: 1%, industry: 45%, services: 54% (2002 est.)

Industries

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism

Economic aid recipient

NA (2001)

Debt - external

NA

Population
below poverty
line (%)

NA

Labor force - by
occupation (%)

agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)

Puerto Rico: Population / Demographics

Population (July 2005)

3,916,632

Population growth rate (%) (2005)

0.47%

Population density (people/sq km)

(2005)

437.2

Percent rural (2003)

3.3%

Median age (years)

total: 34.23 years

Total fertility rate (children

born/woman)

1.91 (2005 est.)

white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%,
mixed and other 10.9%

Ethnic groups (%)

Largest Cities in Puerto Rico

Cities and urban areas in Puerto Rico with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for
2002.
City

Country

City Population

Urban Area Population

San Juan

Puerto Rico

429900

1991900

Bayamon

Puerto Rico

207300

207300

Carolina

Puerto Rico

171300

171300

Ponce

Puerto Rico

158000

158000

Puerto Rico: Infrastructure

Telephones - main lines in use

1,329,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,211,111 (2001)

Roadways (km)

total: 25,328 km
paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,363 km (2004)

Puerto Rico: Health

Life expectancy at birth (years)

Infant mortality rate
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)

total population: 78.29 years

male: 74.35 years
female: 82.43 years (2005 est.)
8.24 deaths/1,000 live births
NA

"Puerto Rico Forest Information and Data." Puerto Rico Forest Information and
Data. 2010. Web. 22 May 2015.
<http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Puerto_Rico.htm>.