Guinness Reforestation Record in 2015 for Ecuador

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 365-365

You often hear saddening statistics about the rate of deforestation from ecologically-minded friends and the news, but how often do you hear about the good that is being carried out to reverse environmental damage?

On May 16, 2015, thousands of people gathered to volunteer and reforest the Earth. They planted 220 different species of flora on almost 5,000 acres of land, setting a new Guinness World Record.

President Rafael Correa said the seedlings were planted all over Ecuador, which boasts varied geography from its Pacific coast, high Andean peaks and low Amazon basin areas.
 
Environment Minister Lorena Tapia said on Twitter that 44,883 people planted the trees on more than 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of land.

Guinness Records adjudicator Carlos Martinez, said hundreds of varieties were planted as part of the mass reforestation effort.
 

National Reforestation Day, also named “Siembratón”, was an initiative from the Minister of Environment Lorena Tapia to “show Ecuador is committed to the protection of the environment” and invite citizens to become positive contributors in the process, Tapia said. 

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address: 
 "http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Ecuador-Reforestation-Day-Breaks-Guinness-Record-20150516-0015.html". If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

National Reforestation Day, also named “Siembratón”, was an initiative from the Minister of Environment Lorena Tapia to “show Ecuador is committed to the protection of the environment” and invite citizens to become positive contributors in the process, Tapia said. 

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address: 
 "http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Ecuador-Reforestation-Day-Breaks-Guinness-Record-20150516-0015.html". If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

National Reforestation Day, also named “Siembratón”, was an initiative from the Minister of Environment Lorena Tapia to “show Ecuador is committed to the protection of the environment” and invite citizens to become positive contributors in the process, Tapia said. 

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address: 
 "http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Ecuador-Reforestation-Day-Breaks-Guinness-Record-20150516-0015.html". If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

"There is no record in history of similar events involving over 150 species,"

"I want to beat it once a month so the planet will be full of trees in very little time, which is what we need."

The Philippines holds the record for the most trees planted in an hour, with 3.2 million seedlings sown last September as part of a national forestation program.
 
Scientists believe planting trees helps offset carbon buildup in the atmosphere, as they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, helping to reduce global warming.

Ecuador holds several other world records, including the most plastic bottles recycled in one week.


 

Consciousness of a Tree

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 364-365

The inner senses of the tree have a strong affinity with the properties of the earth itself.
They feel their growing, as you listen to your hearth bit.

They also experience pain which while definite unpleasant and sometimes agonizing,  is not an emotional nature in the same way that you might feel pain.  

A tree knows human beings also, by the vibrations in the air as they pass, which hit the tree trunk from varying distances and even by such things as voices. The tree does not build up an image of man but a composite sensation which represents an individual. 

The same tree will recognize the same person who passes it by each day.  

Trees have their own consciousness. The consciousness of a tree is not as specifically focused as your own, yet to all intents and purposes the trees is conscious of 50 years before its existence and 50 years hence. 

Its sense of identity spontaneously goes beyond the changes of its own form, 

It has no ego to cut the I identification short. Creatures without the compartment of the ego can easily follow their own identity beyond any change of form.

A simple tree deals with the nature of probabilities as it trusts forward into new seeds. The tree knows the present and future history but it understands a future that is not preordained. It feels its own power in the present as it constructs that future. 

In deeper terms the tree's seeds also realize that there is a future there a variety of futures toward which they grope.

from "The Unknown Reality A Seth Book" By Jane Roberts and Robert F Butts

Year 1996 and Forests

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 363-365

What happen in 1996?
Somebody at the international level did something took a bad decision that affected the world climate and forested areas.

Madagascar forest started to disappear. 90% of the forests have been erased since that year. 

Romanian Forest lost 30% of the wood mass. A large amount of forests are still erased by a foreign company and Austrian Company.

England moved 49 power plant from coal to wood as if wood is renewable energy. They use wood from other countries since they have such a big empire.

USA has around 200 power plants using wood derivative products. 

Canada is loosing 45 sq km per year of forest. Logging companies sue for millions of dollars Green peace for bringing to attention of clear cutting practices which erase the ability of the forest to regenerate itself.

In one province in Canada British Columbia

During the period 1992 to 1996, industry sales increased from $11 billion in 1992 to almost $18 billion in 1995 before falling to about $16 billion in 1996. During that period, net earnings ranged from a loss of about $250 million in 1992 to net earnings of about $1.3 billion in each of 1994 and 1995 before turning to an estimated loss of $250 million in 1996. 

Sand storms are sweeping Asia. South Korea started to plant trees in China to avoid sand storms in her country. 


Japan’s voracious consumption has been well documented, according to the report, as have the “exploitative activities of [Japanese] companies overseas.” Rather than reforming their purchasing and consumption patterns, however, “many companies have set up highly efficient public relations departments to counter allegations and deflect attention away from their activities.”

The report notes that, “rather than making more information publicly available, the sogo shosha, Japan Lumber Importers Association, and the Japanese government no longer release timber import figures for fear of further criticism.” In a similar move, these corporations have also reduced their direct logging operations, and instead buy from Chinese companies that have taken over the cutting and hauling.
  

Them machines that cut trees are more and more complex and efficient.


Worldwatch Institute confirms this in its 1999 State of the World report. “In industrial countries, where most of the world’s commercial wood is produced, timber harvest is the primary cause of forest degradation,” says the report. “In developing nations, land clearing for agriculture and grazing combine with timber harvesting to reduce forest area. It is often timber harvesting, accompanied by roads that penetrate the forest and provide access to otherwise inaccessible places, that precipitates land clearing.”

Links
http://www.globalforestwatch.org/map

Forests in Argentina

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 362-365

The forests of Argentina are being cleared at a rate of 40 football fields every hour. To stop the destruction we took to the trees - and to the streets. While our activists protested in the forest, we joined forces with other environmental groups, got 1.5 million signatures of support and pushed through Argentina's first federal forest protection law.  


The new law includes a nationwide one-year moratorium on clearing of native forests - to avoid a rush of deforestation while forest management regulations are put in place. After a year, any jurisdiction still lacking regulations will continue to be prohibited from issuing new logging and land clearing permits.

The Forest Law also establishes environmental impact studies and public hearings - measures that will help protect forests where indigenous people live and small scale farmers.  To pay for implementation, the law allocates funds from the national budget, plus income from a new export tax on genetically engineered soy.

Forest clearing to plant genetically engineered soy beans destroys 300,000 hectares of native forest per year.

Argentina currently does not have restrictions limiting the cultivation of forests in private properties. Only native forests are regulated by the government contingent upon the approval of the cultivation project by local government

An estimated 1.115 million hectares were planted as of 2005. There were also 33.2 million hectares (82 million acres) of native forest reserve.  

Argentina, often perceived as a vast fertile territory, is losing its native forests. Nearly 40% of animal and plant species in the country's arid and semi-arid ecosystems are in danger from habitat loss, a new study suggests.

The current plantation rate is estimated to be 50,000 hectares per year. It is also estimated that the consumption of wood products from cultivated forests is 5.3 million cubic meters, and sustainable wood supply to the year 2015 will be more than 20 million cubic meters. Argentina, however, is not a major consumer of wood products. 

Argentina’s exports of forestry products began in earnest in the 1990s. However, as a producer of primary goods with low value added, the country experienced an overall trade deficit that ran from US$500 million to US$1 billion from 1992 to 2002. 

With the sharp devaluation of the peso in 2002, exports of Argentine forest product were given a shot in the arm. Argentine goods became more attractive and exports began to increase, especially for high-value-added products. Between 2002 and 2004, exports increased from US$300 million to about US$700 million. 

So what started the sudden export of wood Money. Who decided that countries should cut their forests to make more and more money?

Who are the end users of these large amounts of money resulted from logging?

In terms of the major destinations of Argentina’s exports of wood and furniture products, the United States, Brazil, Spain, and Chile continue to be the most important markets. In 2005, both South Africa and the Dominican Republic emerged as markets for this sector.

 China in 2005 also increased its demand for forestry products from Argentina, but they are mainly low-value-added products. Some of the most important exports goods from Argentina are fiber and particleboards, plywood, wood boxes and containers, and wood handles for tools 

In 1914, Argentina was estimated to have more than 106 million hectares of native forests; by 1996, when a national action programme against desertification began, only 36 million hectares remained. Today, the country's forests are vanishing at a rate of more than 829,000 hectares a year, mainly where agriculture is pushing into native forests.

In Argentina, 75 percent of our native forests have already disappeared, and every hour the equivalent of 20 football pitches (soccer fields, for you North Americans) of forest is destroyed to grow transgenic soya. 

The damage is irreversible, it is almost impossible to grow forest on the soil again - and today an area the size of Germany is at risk. In the last month, a provincial government has already sold off a natural reserve to companies planning to sow genetically engineered (GE) soya, an unprecedented act. This cannot carry on! That's why the Greenpeace Jaguars have gone into action to defend north-west Argentina's remaining forest.

The destruction of the forests in north-west Argentina means the loss of thousands of animal and plant species, the degredation of the soil and its contamination thanks to the use of pesticides, as well as hundreds of indigenous and local people losing their homes.

The forest had been destroyed for agriculture for years, but the rate of destruction has accelerated since 1996, when Monsanto introduced GE soya beans into Argentina. Since then, the country has extended its agricultural frontiers to grow GE soya for export as animal feed, at the expense of its threatened forests, wildlife and the homes and livelihoods of many people.

Protecting forests will not only preserve biodiversity and defend the rights of forest communities, it's also one of the quickest and cost effective ways of halting climate change.  

Medicinal Trees Noni Treats Over One Hundred Disease from Cancer to Back Pain

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 361-365

Scientific name

Morinda citrifolia is the scientific name for the noni tree

Description

It is in the family Rubiaceae.  Rubiaceae or occasionally called the Coffee Family is a group of flowering plants.  An interesting aspect to the noni tree Morinda citrifolia, is that it flowers on the outside of the fruit. There are relatively few fruits that produce flowers.  Usually plants will grow flowers, and then from the flower comes the fruit. Mulberrys also behave this way.

There are six total varieties of noni trees that produce noni fruit.  However, only one variety is medicinal.  The Polynesians knew this, so that is the type that they decided to introduce to Hawaii.  Noni contains over 165 compounds that are healthy for the human body. 

The adult tree can reach up to 40 feet in height, producing 20 lbs. of fruit by age five, and reaching 500 lbs. of fruit production thereafter. Noni fruit have been used as famine sustenance and as folk-medicine for centuries.

Medicinal Uses

Noni Treats Over One Hundred Disease from Cancer to Back Pain
Noni Fruit Lowers Cholesterol

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the roots, known as Ba Ji Tian, have been used to treat abdominal pain, impotence, and menstrual disorders

People with long-term chronic diseases sometimes see Noni Juice as a last resort. Even though we know that Noni juice seems to have helped many sufferers with their condition, we can only recommend that people start taking Noni as a healthy beverage to supplement their diet. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Noni Juice – Noni Drink Health Benefits : Energy, Sleep, well-being, Diabetes, CANCER, HIV-AID
Digestive Stimulant: Noni juice has traditionally been used as a laxative.
 
Anti-oxidants & Rejuvenation: Research has shown that Noni juice exhibits better antioxidant activity than grape seed extract and pycnogenol. To strengthen body system against allergic diseases like asthma, allergic rhinitis and skin eruptions.

Analgesic: The Noni tree is also knows as the ‘Painkiller and Headache tree’. Noni has been found to be 75% as effective as morphine sulphate in relieving pain without the toxic side effects.

Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antiparasitic: With the presence of active compounds like anthraquinones, scopoletin and terpenes, Noni is effective against bacteria and fungus.

Anti-inflammatory: Noni juice has shown similar results to the newer over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Anti-tumor/ anti-cancerous: Noni juice contains noni-ppt, which has shown anti-tumor activity.
 
Women Care
» To relive pre menstrual problems like depression, pain, mood swings and back ache.
» Can alter the Hormone replacement therapy for post menopausal syndrome
» For purifying blood and improves the texture of the skin.
» For Healthy & Shiny Hair Growth.
» To relive pre menstrual problems like depression, pain, mood swings and back ache.
» Can alter the Hormone replacement therapy for post menopausal syndrome
» For purifying blood and improves the texture of the skin.
» For Healthy & Shiny Hair Growth


Men Care
» Choice of daily tonic for highly skilled professionals like doctors, engineers, managers, business tycoons, advocates and IT Professionals
» Helps to enhance Sexual Activity
» Works as tonic and protector for regular smokers and drinkers
» Choice of health drink for the health conscious, who are regularly performing exercise or Yoga.

Senior Citizen
» To control diabetes and its complications.
» Depression, Insomnia & Other Mental Disorders.
» Problems of prostate, sexual weakness and urinary system.
» Before and after heart attack. Helps to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol & for Mild to Moderate blood pressure.
» As an Adjuvant in the therapy of Angina.
» To relive constipation & regularize bowel habits.

Cancer
» To slower the progress of the cancer.
» When chemotherapy, radio therapy or surgery is contra-indicated.
» To minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and radio therapy.

HIV-AIDS
» Immunity Promoter in HIV-AIDS.
» Helps to slower the viral load
» SKIN DISEASES
» To prevent and treat skin diseases like psoriasis, syphilis, acne, etc
This is an impressive list, but when you fully understand how Noni Juice works, you will begin to understand why so many aliments receive the Health Benefit of Noni.

History

This plant is known among the people of the tropics worldwide. For thousands of years, only the islanders have known about it. In Malaysia, it is known as Mengkudu, in Southeast Asia - Nhau, in Samoa and Tonga - Nonu, in Raratonga and Tahiti - Nono, and it is called Noni in the Marquises Islands and Hawaii.  Different people in  tropics have more than 70 names for this plant, but “Noni” is the most world-widespread name now.

Ancient manuscripts handed down from generation to generation, describe many uses for this plant.

The ancients revered and benefited from all the elements of the Noni plant - fruit, leaves, and seeds. It was an essential component of the Tahitian culture and folk healthcare that was used to sustain life and restore lost balance. 

Noni was first discovered and used long before recorded history in South East Asia and surrounded territiries, when ancient Indian scientists began examining the world of Nature and looking for plants good not only for food, but aslo to treat diseases and beneficial for health. They developed a medical system of using plants and natural treatments called Ayurveda, Sanskrit for "the science of life." A highly advanced system of natural medicine, Ayurveda is still being practiced today.

Noni was considered a sacred plant and is mentioned in ancient texts as Ashyuka, which is Sanskrit for "longevity." Noni was noted to be a balancing agent, stabilizing the body in perfect health.

When Europeans began exploring the islands of the South Pacific in the late 1700s, they noticed it was widely used by the native people. Captain Cook is his journals mentioned of his observation of the island natives using Noni for food and medicinally.

During World War II, U.S. soldiers based on Polynesian islands were instructed in their field manual that Noni was recognized as a safe food staple to eat to sustain their strength.

In the early 90s, food scientist John Wadsworth got wind of Noni fruit, and he went to Tahiti to find out more. What he found was a fruit high in antioxidants and rich in a history of helping people. He partnered with other scientists and spent nearly three years formulating Noni juice.

Since then, a new Noni’s  life began. Today, millions over the world are discovering the health balancing properties of this once hidden island secret.

Links

http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/noni.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morinda_citrifolia

Coconut Tree Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 360-365

Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. The oil of the nut (fruit) is used to make medicine.

Some coconut oil products are referred to as “virgin” coconut oil. Unlike olive oil, there is no industry standard for the meaning of “virgin” coconut oil. The term has come to mean that the oil is generally unprocessed. For example, virgin coconut oil usually has not been bleached, deodorized, or refined.

Some coconut oil products claim to be “cold pressed” coconut oil. This generally means that a mechanical method of pressing out the oil is used, but without the use of any outside heat source. The high pressure needed to press out the oil generates some heat naturally, but the temperature is controlled so that temperatures do not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Medicinal Uses

Coconut oil is used for diabetes, heart disease, chronic fatigue, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Alzheimer’s disease, thyroid conditions, energy, and boosting the immune system. Ironically, despite coconut oil’s high calorie and saturated fat content, some people use it to lose weight and lower cholesterol.

Coconut oil is sometimes applied to the skin as a moisturizer and to treat a skin condition called psoriasis.

Obesity. Some developing research shows that taking coconut oil 10 mL three times daily might reduce waist size after 1-6 weeks of use.

 For external uses, expeller pressed or other types of refined coconut oil will work, but for internal use, an unrefined virgin coconut oil is best.

 

• Dry skin. Developing research shows that applying coconut oil to the skin twice daily can improve skin moisture in people with dry skin.
• Alzheimer’s disease.
• Diabetes.
• Chronic fatigue.

Uses for Coconut Oil

1. In cooking as a great oil with a high smoke point. Great for baking, stir-frys or as a dairy free replacement to butter.
2. Added to foods or drinks daily for energy
3. As a coffee creamer when emulsified into coffee
4. On the skin as a basic lotion (or coconut oil lotion bar)
5. In homemade lotion bars for soft, smooth skin
6. In homemade deodorant or deodorant bars
7. As an eye-makeup remover
8. As a cloth diaper safe diaper cream (just rub on baby’s bottom)
9. In making your own Remineralizing Toothpaste
10. To lighten age spots when rubbed directly on the skin
11. To prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
12. To support healthy thyroid function
13. In homemade Mayo without the high PUFA vegetable oils
14. To help increase sun tolerance and avoid burning
15. As a naturally SPF 4 sunscreen
16. In homemade lotion recipes
17. To get rid of cradle cap on baby- just massage in to head, leave on for a few minutes and gently rinse with a warm wash cloth
18. Topically to kill yeast or yeast infections
19. As a delicious tropical massage oil
20. It’s high Lauric acid and MCFA content helps boost metabolism
21. A tiny dab rubbed on your hands and then through hair will help get rid of frizz
22. In homemade soap for laundry
23. Mixed with equal parts sugar for a smoothing body scrub (use in the shower)
24. Rubbed on lips as a natural chap stick
25. Topically, can help skin heal faster after injury or infection
26. Directly on the perineum to help heal after birth
27. As an incredibly intensive natural conditioner- Rub into dry hair, put a shower cap on and leave for several hours

1. In homemade slow cooker soap
2. In place of Lanolin cream on nursing nipples to sooth irritation (also great for baby!)
3. Can help sooth psoriasis or eczema
4. There is some evidence that regular ingestion of coconut oil can help prevent or reverse Alzheimers
5.  With apple cider vinegar as a natural treatment for lice that actually works
6. In natural Homemade Sunscreen
7. In healthy brain boosting snack for kids like Coconut Clusters
8. In a filling and energy boosting Brain Power Smoothie
9. Rub coconut oil on the inside of your nose to help alleviate allergy symptoms
10. Nursing moms often take 3-4 tablespoons a day (and Vitamin D) to increase milk supply and nutrients
11. In homemade shampoo bars
12. Mix a tablespoon with a tablespoon of chia seeds for an all-day energy boost (do NOT take this at night!)
13. Can help improve insulin levels
14. Oil pulling with coconut oil and a drop of oregano oil helps improve gum health
15. Can help improve cholesterol ratios
16. Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from cold or flu
17. In Homemade Natural Bug-Off Lotion Bars
18. As a replacement for vegetable oils in any recipe or in cooking
19. In coconut based grain free granola
20. Can help reduce appearance of varicose veins
21. After initial heat is gone, can help speed healing of sunburn
22. Is an immediate source of energy when eaten that isn’t stored as fat
23. As a natural personal lubricant that won’t disturb vaginal flora
24. To make a simple homemade soap
25. In natural homemade diaper cream
26. As a natural shave cream and after shave lotion
27. When used consistently on skin it can help get rid of cellulite
28. To season cast iron skillets
29. It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis
30. Can reduce the itch of mosquito bites
31. Can help resolve acne when used regularly
32. Can be rubbed into scalp daily to stimulate hair growth
33. I’ve used in kids ears to help speed ear infection healing
34. In clay and charcoal soothing soap
35. A small amount can be rubbed into real leather to soften and condition (shiny leather only… test a small area first)
36. By itself as a great tanning oil
37. Mixed with salt to remove dry skin on feet
38. Can help speed weight loss when consumed daily
39. Can help improve sleep when taken daily
40. To dilute essential oils for use on skin
41. A tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
42. To help sooth the itch of chicken pox or poison ivy
43. It has been shown to increase absorption of calcium and magnesium
44. Internally as part of the protocol to help remineralize teeth
45.  Some evidence shows that the beneficial fats in coconut oil can help with depression and anxiety
46. By itself as a natural deodorant
47. By itself or with baking soda as a naturally whitening toothpaste
48. For pets struggling with skin issues when used externally
49. In coconut oil pulling chews
50. In homemade vapor rub
51. In homemade peppermint lip balm
52. In magnesium body butter
53. In coconut oil dog treats
54. As a completely natural baby lotion
55. On hands after doing dishes to avoid dry skin
56. Mixed with catnip, rosemary, or mint essential oils as a natural bug repellent
57. In homemade meltaways (like candy)
58. Many use it as an anti-aging facial moisturizer
59. Use to make coconut cream concentrate for a brain boosting snack
60. Can be used internally and externally to speed recovery from UTIs
61. In a salve for cracked heels
62. When taken regularly, it can boost hormone production
63. Can relieve the pain of hemorrhoids when used topically
64. Can boost circulation and help those who often feel cold
65. On cuticles to help nails grow
66. Rub into elbows daily to help alleviate dry, flaky elbows
67. To help avoid chlorine exposure when swimming
68. Internally during pregnancy to help provide baby necessary fats for development (especially when taken with Fermented Cod Liver Oil)
69. With other oils as part of an oil cleansing regimen for beautiful skin
70. Whipped with shea butter for a soothing body balm
71. One reader swears by using coconut oil to treat yeast infection. She suggests soaking a tampon in it and inserting the tampon for a few hours.
72. Naturally clears up cold sores
73. Ingesting coconut oil daily can help with allergy symptoms
74. Ingesting coconut oil daily can increase mental alertness

 

Medicinal Trees Canelila

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 359-365

Aniba canelilla is an evergreen tree native to the Amazon rainforest. It has reddish bark and yellow flowers. Canelilla bark and leaves have a cinnamon odor due to1-nitro-2-phenylethane. 

Cardiovascular effects of intravenous (i.v.) treatment with the essential oil of the bark of Aniba canelilla were investigated in normotensive rats. In both pentobarbital-anesthetized and conscious rats, i.v. bolus injections of Aniba canelilla (1 to 20 mg/kg) elicited similar and dose-dependent hypotension and bradycardia.

 Our data show that i.v. treatment of rats with Aniba canelilla induces dose-dependent hypotension and bradycardia, which occurred independently. 

The bradycardia appears mainly dependent upon the presence of an operational and functional parasympathetic drive to the heart. However, the hypotension is due to an active vascular relaxation rather than withdrawal of sympathetic tone. 

This relaxation seems partly mediated by an endothelial L-arginine / nitric oxide pathway through peripheral muscarinic receptor activation (endothelium-dependent relaxation) and predominantly through an inhibition of calcium inward current (endothelium-independent relaxation). 


The essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from wood chippings and produces a colourless to pale yellow liquid. It has a floral spicy scent. Traditionally, rosewood oil is used for acne, colds, coughs, dermatitis, fevers, frigidity, headaches, infections, nausea, nervous tension, skin care and wounds. 

Antinociceptive effect - Antinociceptive activity of 1-nitro-2-phenylethane, the main component of Aniba canelilla essential oil.


Aphrodisiac effect
Mama Juana is a combination of several herbs sold as a sex potion. Mama Juana comes from the Dominican Republic. Aniba Canelilla is one of the herbs often found in Mama Juana. 

Liliana Usvat - Reforestation and Medicinal use of the Trees : Dominican Republic Forests

Liliana Usvat - Reforestation and Medicinal use of the Trees : Dominican Republic Forests

Dominican Republic Forests

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 358-365

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the Dominican Republic now has a near zero deforestation rate, reflecting a significant recovery from the high rates of deforestation and degradation that the country experienced in the 1980s (FAO, 2010). 

HIiIt has however been noted that the abovementioned deforestation rate does not identify which type of forest has been lost or gained and that much reforestation has been achieved by the creation of plantations where natural forests previously stood (USAID, 2012, p.19). The major drivers of deforestation in the Dominican Republic have been slash and burn agricultural practices, clearing forest for cattle-grazing, the extraction of charcoal, rubber and firewood, forest fires and urban expansion.

The wet forests of Hispaniola maintain exceptionally distinct insular flora and fauna, with many unique species, genera and families that have maintained various relict taxons. Many of the relictual species that survive in these forests are extinct on the nearby continents . 

The status of conservation of this ecoregion is endangered in that it has gone from representing more than half of the island’s original vegetation to less than 15% at present. The major threats include illegal forestry operations, migratory agricultural expansion, gathering of firewood, grazing and illegal hunting

The Hispaniolan pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The ecoregion covers 11,600 km² (4,500 sq mi), or about 15% of the island.

These wet forests originally occupied more than half (~60%) of the original vegetation on the island of Hispaniola, from the lowlands particularly on the eastern coast of the island to the valleys, plateaus, slopes and foothills of the many mountain ranges, up to an altitude of about 2,100 meters. 

In the Dominican Republic, moist forest frequently occur covering most of the eastern half of the country all along these shores till ending at the higher elevations of the mountains. Between the slopes of the eastern range and along the northern range in Haiti, the moist forests continue across the entire island of Hispaniola only lacking distinct presence in the southern extension of the island. They also exist on most of the Tiburón peninsula, in southern Haiti (Tasaico 1967; Dominican Republic 1998; WWF-US 2000).

In this ecoregion, ecological conditions are the result of a complicated climate system, influenced primarily by the presence of subtropical anticyclones, the direction of the trade winds that predominate for most of the year, as well as altitudinal conditions. The period of most frequent rainfall is from April to December, varying in intensity depending on the orographic effects to which the areas of these forests are subject. 

Average annual precipitation varies between 1,000 to 2,000 mm for the wet zones, to more than 4,000 mm per year in the rainforest zones. In open areas near the coast, average annual temperature is from 23° to 24°C. In higher areas or areas closer to the mountain ranges, average annual temperature is about 20ºC and in the highest zones there are frosts (temperatures below 0º C) at certain times of the year.

More than half of the ecoregion's area has been lost to clearing for agriculture, pasture, or plantations of exotic trees. The Haitian portion of the ecoregion is more deforested than the Dominican portion

The Dominican Republic is the second largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean with in 2011, a GDP of 93 million US dollars and a GDP per capita of US$ 9,600. The country is also one of the fastest growing economies in the Caribbean region. Over the past 20 years, there has been an annual average increase in GDP of 4 per cent, compared to a 1.8 per cent average for Central America and the Caribbean region.

This high growth has yet to translate into decreased income disparities with the poorest half of population receiving less than a fifth of GDP, while the richest 10 per cent receive nearly 40 per cent of GDP (CIA Factbook, 2013). Unemployment is 14.7 % according to national statistics, but the Dominican definition of unemployment differs from the international classification and when adjusted for it, is only about 5 % (IMF, 2013, p.7).

Urban Native Plant Food and Medicine Forest

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 357-365

I never Understood why cities with large areas in their property do not plant Native Fruit Trees in Parks and bare land.

Why the sidewalks do not have fruit trees planted? It is not Hard to choose between a tree that produce fruits and a tree that produce nothing. Or even worse have no trees on the side walks.

Native and endemic plants provide habitat for other native species which may be endangered. The expression “build it and they will come” applies here. In this way, permaculturists can play the role of restoration conservationist while building a community around food sovereignty and re-skilling. 

Many species need a specific habitat in which to nest or harvest food. There could be species that are native to your area which pollinate crops in my area, and if they don’t have anywhere to live, my part of the world would suffer.
 
Biodiversity is a critical aspect of the discussions surrounding food security, environmental conservation, and the health of our planet in the years to come. Permaculture is on the cutting edge of agriculture in that it considers biodiversity in planning systems. As Bill Mollison classically puts it, “you don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency.” 

A dynamic, resilient, productive, thriving system that has the power to provide for the people and restore the health of the planet.

With droughts, wildfires, and temperatures on the rise, precious forests are disappearing at a mind boggling rate. We know permaculture is a solution to this, as far as water catchment, soil building, and shade-creation are concerned. 

There is something to be said for restoring the plants which originated in your place of residence–because as we lose those forests, we lose the animals too, which exacerbates the problem.

Since native forests are environmental balancers and regulators, we might as well give them some leverage. Native plants are well suited for the area you live in, and will require less babying and human input as a result.  

The native plant food and medicine forests can sequester carbon, produce rain, and lower temperatures, and the planet finds its equilibrium. 

The end result: neighborhoods with yards full of native and endemic species, with the cultural knowledge of their uses revitalized.

When planning an endemic and native plant food and medicine forest, there’s no better way to learn than getting out into the woods, observing, and harvesting.

Planting, observing, and harvesting plants is an activity people of all ages, ability levels, and beliefs can enjoy together. It has the power to bring people together, cross-culturally, beyond the language barrier. It can unite people beyond the invisible walls that differences in income, religion, identity, and so on. 

What better way to gain a sense of place, belonging, and community than to come to know the original inhabitants? 

 Edible forest gardening 


 Edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants together in woodlandlike patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts. You can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, other useful plants, and animals in a way that mimics natural ecosystems. You can create a beautiful, diverse, high-yield garden. If designed with care and deep understanding of ecosystem function, you can also design a garden that is largely self-maintaining. In many of the world's temperate-climate regions, your garden would soon start reverting to forest if you were to stop managing it. We humans work hard to hold back succession—mowing, weeding, plowing, and spraying. If the successional process were the wind, we would be constantly motoring against it. Why not put up a sail and glide along with the land's natural tendency to grow trees? By mimicking the structure and function of forest ecosystems we can gain a number of benefits.
Why Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
While each forest gardener will have unique design goals, forest gardening in general has three primary practical intentions:

• High yields of diverse products such as food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizer, 'farmaceuticals' and fun;
• A largely self-maintaining garden and;
• A healthy ecosystem.

These three goals are mutually reinforcing. For example, diverse crops make it easier to design a healthy, self-maintaining ecosystem, and a healthy garden ecosystem should have reduced maintenance requirements. However, forest gardening also has higher aims.


Where Can You Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
  Anyone with a patch of land can grow a forest garden. They've been created in small urban yards and large parks, on suburban lots, and in small plots of rural farms. The smallest we have seen was a 30 by 50 foot (9 by 15 m) embankment behind an urban housing project, and smaller versions are definitely possible.

Architecture
  Contrary to the prevailing wisdom on forest gardening, vegetation layers are only one of the architectural features important in forest garden design. Soil horizon structure, vegetation patterning, vegetation density, and community diversity are also critical. All five of these elements of community architecture influence yields, plant health, pest and disease dynamics, maintenance requirements, and overall community character. For example, scientific research indicates that structural diversity in forest vegetation, what we call "lumpy texture," appears to increase bird and insect population diversity and to balance insect pest populations—independent of plant species diversity. Learning how and why plants pattern themselves in nature and about the effects of the diverse kinds of diversity on ecosystem function can add great richness to the tool box of the forest gardener.

 Links

http://www.wildernesscollege.com/plants-used-for-medicine.html 

http://www.urbanecology.ca/documents/Student%20Technical%20Series/KingH.pdf

http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/about_gardening

https://nakazora.wordpress.com/category/natural-farming-forest-gardening/