It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts generally located in the southern regions. The forests are highly diverse and include commercially important species of Ayous, Sapelli and Sipo. The deforestation rate is about 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace.  The Central African Republic had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.28/10, ranking it 7th globally out of 172 countries.