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Table 3 Opportunity costs of avoided deforestation as presented in UNFCCC report Investment and Financial Flows to Address Climate Change [65, 66].

From: An assessment of monitoring requirements and costs of 'Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation'

Main/Direct Drivers Area of deforestation/degradation [million ha] Share of total deforested/degraded area [%] Opportunity cost of forest conversion [US$/km2]
Commercial agriculture    
   Commercial crops 2.6 20% 224,700
   Cattle ranching (large-scale) 1.6 12% 49,800
Subsistence farming    
   Small scale agriculture/shifting cultivation 5.5 42% 39,200
   Fuel-wood and NTFP* gathering 0.75 6% 26,300
Wood extraction    
   Commercial (legal and illegal) 1.8 14% 175,100
   Fuel-wood/charcoal (traded) 0.7 5% 12,300
Total 12.9 100% -
  1. * NTFP are non-timber forest products.