Mitigation Analysis

Forest Resources and The Forest Sector

The last comprehensive study of the extent of vegetation cover in Venezuela was completed more than ten years ago. According to the Venezuelan Vegetation Map, the forested area of the country is roughly 58 million hectares (MARNR, 1982), which represents more than 60% of the national territory. About 75% of this forested land is classified as closed forests and more than 70% is located in the southern region of Venezuela, where the Amazonian Basin is also located. The amount of forest land in this southern region has not changed significantly compared to the northern region of the country where most of the population is concentrated. Because of the higher population density in the northern part of Venezuela, many large forest areas have been cleared for agriculture and pasture activities.

Policies for managing forest resources in Venezuela control wood production through two administrative approaches: annual permits and large concessions. Annual permits are provided to individuals on private and state lands for wood harvesting in woodlot smaller than 5,000 ha. Although tree harvesting is done selectively, with low roundwood production per unit area (about 4 m3/ha), this option does not guarantee sustainable management, and is frequently viewed as the first step in the process of land conversion, once the forest has lost its commercial value. The contribution of annual permits to national wood production has declined significantly, from more than 80% in 1983 to about 50% in 1990.

Large concessions are granted in wood lots located in forests that are legally protected for sustainable timber production. Of the 20 million ha of forests protected by law for this purpose nationwide, more than 2 million have already been given in concession to private companies for commercial forest management on areas ranging from 20,000 to 140,000 ha. The concessions are usually given for a period of 20 to 25 years. This implies that each year, about 240,000 ha on average are harvested and subject to different silvicultural treatments. Under this scheme, the forest companies are requested to prepare a forest management plan (Plan de Ordenaci—n y Manejo Forestal), which is subject to reviews and final approval by the Venezuelan Forest Service (Seforven). Strong emphasis is put on silvicultural treatments as an effort to ensure sustainable production. Tree harvesting is also done selectively and, although higher than annual permits, wood production per unit area is still rather low, about 10 M3/ha. The contribution of managed forests to national wood production has fluctuated between 40% and 50% in the last five years.

Forest plantations have reached nearly 500,000 hectares, of which about 95% are commercial plantations. The remaining 5% have been established for protective purposes, especially in mountain regions for watershed rehabilitation. The commercial plantations are almost all concentrated in the eastern region of the country and are based on only one species, caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea). A state-owned company is in charge of these plantations, which were initially established for pulp and paper production. However, the plantation objectives have been redefined in the last few years, and now include lumber and other uses. The contribution of forest plantations to wood production has only become significant in the last few years, as the penetration of caribbean pine in the national market has reached 10% (SEFORVEN, 1994).

Index    Next
If you have any questions or comments please contact us at VEBHM7SL@IBMMAIL.COM.