Forests

Forests are common in the Highveld and Lubombo mountains. Forests originally accounted for 5% of the country’s land area.

  • Significance: Forests provide traditional medicine, timber, fuel and food.
  • Status: Swaziland’s forests have been reduced by more than 26%. 5% of this ecosystems is under formal protection and an additional 3% is under informal protection.
  • Threats: The Forest ecosystem is threatened by:
    • Unsustainable resource utilization,
    • Urbanization
    • Invasion by alien plant species.