E
cuador is a beautiful city home to the largest forest in the world, The Amazon forest.
What was the area under forest in 1900?
It is correct as the total forest cover in 1900 was around 4,128 million ha to 5,500 million ha.
The majority of forest biomass – approximately 9.8 million hectares – is in the Amazon region (80%), with about 13% near the coast and the remaining 7% in the Andean highlands.
The inter-Andean region was the first to undergo widespread deforestation, to a limited extent with the expansion of the Inca domain during the 1400s, and much more so after the arrival of the Spaniards beginning in the 1530s.
Ecuador Deforestation Rates & Statistics | GFW. In 2010, Ecuador had 19.1Mha of natural forest, extending over 75% of its land area. In 2020, it lost 48.2kha of natural forest, equivalent to 34.7Mt of CO₂ of emissions. Explore interactive charts and maps that summarize key statistics about forests in Ecuador.
CLOUD FOREST IN ECUADOR:
The Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve is located entirely within the Pichincha Province of Ecuador and is itself located on the North-Western slopes of the Andean mountain range, situated at 2000 meters altitude. It is located approximately 52 km from Quito, the central plaza of which is at 2800 meters altitude.
REASONS FOR DEFORESTATION:
The oil industry has been the main driver of deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon for decades. The most common pressures causing deforestation and severe forest degradation are agriculture, unsustainable forest management, mining, infrastructure projects, and increased fire incidence and intensity.
For its size, Ecuador has the highest annual deforestation rate of any country in the Western Hemisphere. Experts say they believe that slowing the spread of deforestation and improving water management systems should be national priorities in 2020
IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY:
Deforestation threatens our environment, impacts human lives, and kills millions of animals, every year. Deforestation destroys ecosystems that are vital to wildlife and humans alike, The World Bank estimates that governments lose about US$5 billion in revenues annually as a result of illegal logging while overall losses to the national economies of timber-producing countries add up to an additional US$10 billion per year.
REFORESTATION HELPS THE COUNTRY AND ITS ECONOMY:
We know that reforestation offers many benefits when carried out responsibly — like healthier habitats and soil, less erosion, increased groundwater retention, carbon sequestration, increased food security, and local economic benefits. Prompt reforestation allows for the accelerated development of forest structure, species composition, and canopy that provides many benefits including wildlife habitat, clean and abundant water, carbon sequestration, forest wood products for consumers, forested recreation opportunities, and maintenance of soil.
