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government reduces deforestation ... the role

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Report - July 6, 2010

Although on paper the federal government insures that deforestation is decreasing and are lost each year 155 000 hectares of woods and forests, on the facts and in accordance with data from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), published by the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), the loss of forests in our country is three times what is required by other parameters analysis to take into account all types of vegetation existing in Mexico, says Greenpeace.

Greenpeace said that the Mexican government's criteria for measuring deforestation under the national report that gave the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) to the United Nations Organization for Agriculture and (FAO) for the Evaluation of Forest Resources 2010. The report states that in 2007 we had a coverage of 65 million 267 thousand hectares of forest. This means that between 1990 and 2007 were lost 3 million 749 thousand hectares at a rate of 288 000 hectares annually. However, in the same report estimated that between 2005 and 2010 only lost 155 000 hectares of forest per year. That is, according to the report, shows a marked downward trend in the loss of forests in our country.

Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico indicate that each year 290 000 693 hectares lost coniferous forest; 95 000 096 hectares of oak forests, and 93 000 133 hectares of evergreen forests. That is, each year are deforested 478 000 922 hectares of woods and forests. Likewise, studies of the UNAM, CONABIO published report that the rate of deforestation in Indonesia is around 484 000 hectares annually. Both institutions reported a deforestation rate of more than three times higher than the Mexican government reported to the FAO. Overall, since 2005, Mexico is among the five fastest losing its forests and jungles.

With these data in a "supposed" to reduce deforestation in the country, the Mexican government is promoting its international image as a nation to combat deforestation and climate change, but in reality is not explaining what the reasons for the loss of forests in Mexico. No details about the different types of ecosystems that exist, what is the state where they are, and what are the places where it is deforested and what are their causes.

The parameters for carrying out the Evaluation of Forest Resources, FAO defines forests as land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees taller than 5 meters and a canopy cover 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ . Does not include land subject to a predominantly agricultural or urban use.

This definition includes only forested areas so that it leaves out very important ecosystems in our country and the bushes that cover 26.2 percent of the country, chaparral, mesquite, wetland vegetation as popal and bulrush, and dune coastal. All these are ecosystems of great importance due to the high biodiversity that house but as they are characteristic of our country, a global definition of forest is not necessarily included.

According to the definition FAO, National Park areas Zempoala Lakes, for example, that have been devastated by illegal logging, deforestation is not considered because they have the potential to develop trees that meets the standard definition of forests the world body. Although this area is completely cleared 408 hectares between 2005 and 2007, the report submitted to the FAO as forests are still occurring, and not even considered as degraded forest.

is essential to know not only how many forests we have but the state found. For example, according to research at UNAM in 2002, only 67 percent of the area covered by rainforests consisted of continuous areas of more than 80 square kilometers, most of which was secondary vegetation. That is, much of this vegetation type is found in most areas was fragmented and degraded. Moreover, for this year's primary rainforests, is well preserved, with an area equivalent to only 15.7 percent of its original extent and probable agricultural land and livestock in these areas had risen to 10 million hectares.

Greenpeace calls for urgent federal government to establish a reliable and transparent monitoring that allows us to understand what happens to our forests and plan a strategy to stop loss. For this requires that Conafor to agree with government and academic institutions such as the INEGI, the National Institute of Ecology, CONABIO, the Institute of Geography and the Center for Research in Environmental Geography at UNAM, inter alia, to develop a system that we do is useful.