SPAIN FORESTAL EN LA PENÍNSULA IBÉRICA

THE IBERIAN PENINSULA IN A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

Spain boasts a surface area of some 13.695.000 has of forests. With a further 12.265.000 has suitable for plantation, which would bring the total to 51% of Spanish soil.

If we consider the Iberian Peninsula as one unit within the E.U., and add Portugal's 2,755,000 has of forest we arrive at a grand total of 28.715.000. Some 48% of the surface area of the two countries and the forth major producer behind Sweden, Finland and France, but in front of some important producers such as Germany.

Although the 8.852.000 has exploited for forestation on the peninsula is less than those countries mentioned this figure is above the rest of the U.E..

Forest ownership is largely private (68,4%), although this figure is lower than in other countries such as Finland, France and Sweden.

It is calculated that Spain's forests contain some 500 million m³ of wood with a further 167 m³ million in Portugal, bringing the peninsula's total to 667 m³ million. The calculated wood volume per hectare is 140 m³ with bark. These statistics are similar to those countries leading the sector, Italy, and Austria for example.

With regards to cut and stripped wood, the peninsula is among those at the top of the U.E. list with 25.512.000 m³ entering the community market from Spain.

To get a clearer picture of the peninsulas forestry sector we will make a comparison with Sweden. Sweden is the number one timber producer with a timber volume or 56,5 million m³ extracted annually from a surface area of 22.048 which represents 48,8% of Swedish soil.

The Iberian Peninsula possesses an exploited surface area of 8.852.000 only 15% of Spanish soil. From that area 25,5 million m³ is extracted annually, double that of the Swedes annual harvest.

We can forecast that with a forest surface area on the peninsula equivalent to that of Sweden some 63,5 million m³ could be harvested from Spanish soil annually. Indeed this figure would exceed that of other U.E. countries.

Comparative between quota and potential quota:

Currently the net annual forestry growth is calculated to be 39.543.000 m3 with bark. This figure places the peninsular in 5th place in the European Union after Sweden, Germany, Finland, and France.

Another comparison with Sweden is their surface area of forest 24,5 million hectares, in which annually 91 million m³ is reaped. Whilst the peninsula harvest some 39,5 million m³, it is harvested from a mere 8,5 million hectares.

With an equivalent sized forestry area to Sweden the peninsula would have an estimated annual net growth of 114,5 million, exceeding that of Sweden, Finland, etc.