The indicator is a state indicator and represents the total size of forest areas. The total forest area of Turkey in 2020 was 22,933,000 ha. This forest area represents 29,4 % of the total area of the country. However, 58% of this area is normal closed areas, 42% is degraded closed areas (sparsely vegetated or unvegetated) [69].
As of 2020, the tree cover of Turkish forests is 1,697,055 thousand m3. Of these, 95.9% are normalclosed forest areas and 4.1% are closed forest areas with gaps. Between 1973 and 2020, the tree cover of the country’s forests increased by 761,543 thousand m3[70].
While the forest area in Turkey accounted for 26.7% of the country’s surface area in 1999, this percentage increased to 29% in 2020.
TABLE 25- FOREST AREA THROUGH YEARS
|
YEARS |
1973 |
1999 |
2005 |
2010 |
2012 |
2015 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Forest Area (hectare) |
20,199,296 |
20,763,248 |
21,188,747 |
21,537,091 |
21,678,134 |
22,342,935 |
22,621,935 |
22,740,297 |
22,933,000 |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Forestry, https://www.ogm.gov.tr/ekutuphane/ Sayfalar/Istatis- tikler.aspx
GRAPH 104- DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST LAND BY FOREST FORM
GRAPH 105- DISTRIBUTION OF FOREST WEALTH BY FOREST FORM
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Forestry, http://www.ogm.gov.tr/ekutuphane/ Sayfalar/Istatistikler.aspx
42% of forests in Turkey are degraded closed forest areas, and they are inefficient. It is important to rehabilitate inefficient forest areas and convert them into productive areas. More rehabilitation studies were conducted especially between 2006 and 2012. In 2020, forest rehabilitation activities were carried out on a total of 131,062 ha, including afforestation on 28,632 ha area, rehabilitation on 56,576 ha area, erosion control on 20,902 ha, pasture improvement on 10,438 ha area, private afforestation on 4,374 ha area and artificial tensile work on 10,140 ha area.[71]
GRAPH 106- FOREST ESTABLISHMENT ACTIVITIES (ha) (1990-2020)
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Forestry, “Forest Statistics 2020”, https://www. ogm.gov.tr/ekutuphane/Pages/Statistics.aspx, 2021
