ABSTRACT
Global Distribution A forest, according to Kimmins (2004), may refer to a stand-level ecosystem (e.g., 1-100 ha) or to a local (e.g., 100-1,000 ha) or regional landscape (1,000-100,000 ha or more), all dominated by trees. The AFPA (2001) defines “ forestland” as an area ≥ 0.4 ha (= 1 acre) and 10% forest cover. Forests occupy approximately 3.5 billion ha or about 30% of the world’s land area (Figure 13.2). Nearly two-thirds of the forests are in 10 countries (Table 13.1), whereas less than 10% of the area is forested in 53 countries (FAO 2005).
