Editing Belize (section)

===Vegetation and flora===

In Belize [[forest cover]] is around 56% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,277,050 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 1,600,030 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,274,670 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 59% of the forest area was found within protected areas.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Belize |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BLZ/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

Around 20% of the country's land is covered by cultivated land (agriculture) and human settlements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biological-diversity.info/Ecosystems.htm |title=Biodiversity in Belize – Ecosystems Map |publisher=Biological-diversity.info |date=23 August 2005 |access-date=29 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922195904/http://biological-diversity.info/Ecosystems.htm |archive-date=22 September 2010 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Belize had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.15/10, ranking it 85th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=6|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Savanna]], scrubland and [[wetland]] constitute the remainder of Belize's land cover. Important [[mangrove]] ecosystems are also represented across Belize's landscape.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00036-1|last1=Murray |first1=M. R. |last2=Zisman |first2=S. A. |last3=Furley |first3=P. A. |last4=Munro |first4=D. M. |last5=Gibson |first5=J. |last6=Ratter |first6=J. |last7=Bridgewater |first7=S. |last8=Mity |first8=C. D. |last9=Place |first9=C. J. |display-authors=6 |year= 2003|title=The Mangroves of Belize: Part 1. Distribution, Composition and Classification|journal=Forest Ecology and Management |volume=174|issue=1 |pages=265–279|bibcode=2003ForEM.174..265M }}</ref><ref>{{cite tech report |last1=Cherrington |first1=E. A. |last2=Hernandez |first2=B. E. |last3=Trejos |first3=N. A. |last4=Smith |first4=O. A. |last5=Anderson |first5=E. R. |last6=Flores |first6=A. I. |last7=Garcia |first7=B. C. |year=2010 |url=http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725142755/http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-25 |title=Identification of Threatened and Resilient Mangroves in the Belize Barrier Reef System |others=World Wildlife Fund |publisher=Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) / Regional Visualization & Monitoring System (SERVIR)}}</ref> Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within the country's borders – the [[Petén–Veracruz moist forests]], [[Belizian pine forests]], [[Belizean Coast mangroves]], and [[Belizean Reef mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=6|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> As a part of the globally significant [[Mesoamerican Biological Corridor]] that stretches from southern Mexico to Panama, Belize's biodiversity – both [[marine (ocean)|marine]] and [[Terrestrial ecoregion|terrestrial]] – is rich, with abundant [[flora]] and [[fauna]].

Belize is also a leader in protecting biodiversity and natural resources. According to the [[World Database on Protected Areas]], 37% of Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protection, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas.<ref name=ProtectedPlanetBZ>{{cite web|title=Belize|url=http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/BZ|website=ProtectedPlanet|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208071338/http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/BZ|url-status=dead}}</ref> By contrast, Costa Rica only has 27% of its land territory protected.<ref name=ProtectedPlanetCR>{{cite web|title=Costa Rica|url=http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/CR|website=ProtectedPlanet|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926191216/http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/CR|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Around 13.6% of Belize's [[territorial waters]], which contain the [[Belize Barrier Reef]], are also protected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10030 |title=Belize protected areas 26% – not 40-odd percent |work=Amandala |date=2 July 2010 |author=Ramos, Adele |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514200537/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10030 |archive-date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> The Belize Barrier Reef is a [[UNESCO]]-recognized [[World Heritage Site]] and is the second-largest barrier reef in the world, behind Australia's [[Great Barrier Reef]].

A [[remote sensing]] study conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) and [[NASA]], in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Land Information Centre (LIC) of the government of Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), and published in August 2010 revealed that Belize's [[forest cover]] in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.<ref name="servir.net">{{cite report |url=http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf |title=Forest Cover and Deforestation in Belize: 1980–2010 |last1=Cherrington |first1=E. A. |last2=Ek |first2=E. |publisher=Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean |location=Panama City, Panama |last3=Cho |first3=P. |last4=Howell |first4=B. F. |last5=Hernandez |first5=B. E. |last6=Anderson |first6=E. R. |last7=Flores |first7=A. I. |last8=Garcia |first8=B. C. |last9=Sempris |first9=E. |last10=Irwin |first10=D. E. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511134715/http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf |archive-date=11 May 2011 |url-status=dead |display-authors=6 |year=2010}}</ref> A similar study by Belize Tropical Forest Studies and Conservation International revealed similar trends in terms of Belize's forest cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm |title=Biodiversity in Belize – Deforestation |publisher=Biological-diversity.info |date=23 August 2009 |access-date=29 August 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100922193325/http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm| archive-date= 22 September 2010 | url-status=usurped}}</ref> Both studies indicate that each year, 0.6% of Belize's forest cover is lost, translating to the clearing of an average of {{convert|24835|acre|order=flip}} each year. The [[USAID]]-supported SERVIR study by CATHALAC, NASA, and the MNRE also showed that Belize's protected areas have been extremely effective in protecting the country's forests. While only some 6.4% of forests inside of legally declared protected areas were cleared between 1980 and 2010, over a quarter of forests outside of protected areas were lost between 1980 and 2010.

As a country with a relatively high forest cover and a low [[deforestation]] rate, Belize has significant potential for participation in initiatives such as [[REDD]]. Significantly, the SERVIR study on Belize's deforestation<ref name="servir.net"/> was also recognized by the [[Group on Earth Observations]] (GEO), of which Belize is a member nation.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Cherrington |last1=Emil |last2=Irwin |first2=Dan |url=http://www.earthobservations.org/art_010_002.shtml |title=SERVIR supports forest management in Belize |journal=GEO News |volume=10 |date=October 2010 |access-date=6 October 2010 |archive-date=8 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008224628/http://www.earthobservations.org/art_010_002.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref>