Previous | Next

Box 4.2 FRA 2005 thematic study on forest pests

Figures are rarely available on losses attributed directly to infestations of forests, trees and forest products by insects and diseases, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition. Thus, in addition to seeking quantitative information for FRA 2005, FAO compiles qualitative profiles of individual pest problems by country. Information is collated from many sources, through expert contacts in the countries, via the Internet and in literature searches. The study is ongoing and constantly updated.

Data are indexed, making it possible to highlight information on pest distribution that could indicate potential invasiveness between neighbouring countries. Information on the host preference of individual causative agents can be extracted, as well as breakdowns of pests at the country level.The impact of pests on the forest sector is often underestimated, as illustrated in the following examples:

• Since an infestation of Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle) was first detected in interior British Columbia in 1994, an estimated 240 million m³ of timber on 11.3 million hectares have been lost, at an estimated cost of US$1.7 million per year. The beetle is spreading fast across Canada and threatens to move south into United States forests. Huge investments in control are now necessary, with more than US$82 million recently committed by the Canadian Government (Wilent, 2005).
• In eastern and southern Africa, three accidentally introduced aphids were the first specific conifer pests to invade the region, and they became the most damaging pests of these species. Since their initial introduction, the pine wooly aphid, Pineus boerneri, the pine needle aphid, Eulachnus rileyi, and the cypress aphid, Cinara cupressivora, have proliferated throughout southern and eastern Africa and continue to spread. It was conservatively estimated that, by 1990, C. cupressivora had killed trees worth approximately US$44 million and was causing a loss in annual growth increment of a further US$14.6 million per year. In addition, the two pine aphids were causing a further loss of approximately US$2.4 million per year to annual growth increment in pine forest plantations in the region. This economic data was instrumental in securing resources to mount a biological control programme, which led to substantial reductions of incidence of at least the cypress aphid (Murphy, 1996).
• In New Zealand it is estimated that the forest industry spends US$0.60/ha on the monitoring of diseases and pests, in comparison with US$3.50/ha on fire defence. Yet average annual losses to disease amount to some US$137 million, whereas losses to fire are just US$682 000 (Hocking, 2003).

At this time, 19 profiles have been completed from four regions. As more countries are included, there will be more opportunities for comparison. This information should not only increase awareness of the importance of forest health, but also encourage countries to collect data that will enhance the accuracy of future global forest resources assessments

Source & © FAO  Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005, Progress towards sustainable forest management,
Chapter 4: Forest Health and Vitality, p.68

Forests

Table 1.1: FRA 2005 reporting tables

Table 1.2: Indicative linkages among reporting tables and thematic elements of sustainable forest management

Table 1.3: Key statistics for regions and subregions used in FRA 2005

Table 2.1: Distribution of forests by subregion

Table 2.3: Forest cover by subregion 2005

Table 2.8: Carbon stock per hectare 2005

Table 2.10: Trends in carbon stocks in forest biomass 1990–2005

Table 3.3: Area of forest designated primarily for conservation of biodiversity 2005

Table 4.1: Average area of forest annually affected by fire 1998–2002

Table 4.3: Average area of forest annually affected by insects 1998–2002

Table 4.4: Average area of forest annually affected by diseases 1998–2002

Table 4.7: Average area of forest annually affected by other disturbances 1998–2002

Table 5.1: Area of forest designated primarily for production 2005

Table 5.7: Forest area and growing stock 2005

Table 5.13: Removals of four categories of Non-Wood Forest Products 2005 (tonnes)

Table 6.2: Area of forest designated primarily for protection 2005

Table 5.8: Commercial growing stock 2005

Table 6.3 Total area of forest designated for protection 2005

Table 7.2: Value of wood removals 2005

Table 7.4: Value of Non-Wood Forest Products removals 2005

Table 7.6: Number of people employed in forestry in 2000

Table 7.8: Ownership of forest area 2000

Table 8.2: Trends towards sustainable forest management at the global level

Table 8.3 Trends towards sustainable forest management in Africa

Table 8.4: Trends towards sustainable forest management in Asia

Table 8.5: Trends towards sustainable forest management in Europe

Table 8.6: Trends towards sustainable forest management in North and Central America

Table 8.7: Trends towards sustainable forest management in Oceania

Table 8.8: Trends towards sustainable forest management in South America

Table 8.9: Trends towards sustainable forest management by subregion

Table 5.10: Trends in commercial growing stock 1990–2005

Figure 1.1: Regional and Subregional breakdown used in FRA 2005

Figure 2.2: The world’s forests

Figure 2.3: Ten countries with largest forest ares 2005 (million ha)

Figure 2.5: Forest Change Dynamics

Figure 2.9: Forest characteristics 2005 (%)

Figure 2.12: Total Carbon Stock (C) in forests by region 2005

Figure 3.3: Ten countries with the largest area of primary forest 2005 (%)

Figure 3.11: Number of native forest tree species

Figure 3.13: Average number of threatened tree species by region

Figure 5.5: Ten countries with largest area of productive forest plantations 2005 (%)

Figure 5.8: Five countries with greatest total growing stock 2005 (%)

Figure 5.10: Five countries with largest volume of wood removal 2005 (%)

Figure 6.1: Information availability – protective functions of forest resources

Figure 7.7: Ownership of forests by subregion 2000

Figure 8.1: Designated functions of forests globally 2005 (%)

Figure 8.2 Distribution of subregional trends

Forest cover by subregion 2005 and distribution

Box 1.1 Thematic elements of sustainable forest management

Box 2.1 FRA 2005 thematic study on planted forests

Box 2.2 FRA 2005 thematic study on mangroves

Box 2.3 FRA 2005 thematic study on bamboo

Box 4.1 FRA 2005 thematic study on forest fires

Box 4.2 FRA 2005 thematic study on forest pests

Box 6.1 FRA 2005 thematic study on forests and water

Box 7.1 FRA 2005 thematic study on forest ownership and resource tenure