Vital Forest Graphics

Decreases and increases in forest area in Costa Rica, 1940-2005

NICARAGUA

1940

Caribbean Sea

Conversion of original biomes, 1950-2050

San José

Fraction of potential area converted

0 10 – 10

20

30 40 50 60 70

80 90 100

%

PANAMA

MEDITERRANEAN FOREST,

Pacific Ocean

WOODLAND, AND SCRUB

COSTA RICA

TEMPERATE FOREST STEPPE AND WOODLAND

TEMPERATE BROADLEAF AND MIXED FOREST

NICARAGUA

TROPICAL AND SUB-TROPICAL DRY BROADLEAF FOREST

1961

Caribbean Sea

FLOODED GRASSLAND AND SAVANNA

TROPICAL, SUB-TROPICAL, GRASSLAND, SAVANNA, AND SHRUBLAND

San José

TROPICAL AND SUB-TROPICAL CONIFEROUS FOREST

PANAMA

Pacific Ocean

DESERTS

MONTANE GRASSLAND AND SHRUBLAND TROPICAL AND SUB-TROPICAL MOIST BROADLEAF FOREST

NICARAGUA

1977

TEMPERATE CONIFEROUS FOREST

Caribbean Sea

BOREAL FOREST

San José

TUNDRA

PANAMA

Conversion of original biomes Loss by 1950

Loss between 1950 and 1990

Projected loss by 2050 a

Pacific Ocean

a According to four scenarios. For 2050 projections, the average value of the projections under the four scenarios is plotted and the error bars (black lines) represent the range of values from the different scenarios. Source: MA 2005.

1997

NICARAGUA

2005

NICARAGUA

Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

San José

San José

PANAMA

PANAMA

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Sources: EOSL/CCT/FONAFIFO 2002; FONAFIFO 2007.

VITAL FOREST GRAPHICS 13