Showing posts with label In Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Canada. Show all posts

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Forests Versus Land

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 200-365

When prolonged drought  people remember to plant trees and forests.
Countries with large deserts have less water.
At this moment there are know how to transform deserts in Forests.
The technique name is Permaculture. And is proven to be functional.

Some countries remembers that the attention you pay to the forestation is in direct relation with the amount of rein it receives and the well being of the people.

Planet, continents and regions

Region Forested area (km2)
 % of land area
World 39,000,000
26.19%
Polar regions (Russia, Scandinavia and North America) 13,800,000

Latin America and the Caribbean 9,640,000
45.67%
East Asia and the Pacific 7,332,000
35.18%
Africa 6,500,000
21.80%
Canada and the United States 4,680,000
26.00%
 European Union 1,600,000
35.00%
 Australia 1,470,832
19.00%
West Asia (Middle East and Arabia) 36,600
01.00%

The extent, and type of land use directly affects wildlife habitat and thereby impacts local and global biodiversity. Human alteration of landscapes from natural vegetation (e.g. wilderness) to any other use typically results in habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, all of which can have devastating effects on biodiversity. Land conversion is the single greatest cause of extinction of terrestrial species


Rates and causes of deforestation vary from region to region around the world. In 2009, 2/3 of the world forests were in 10 top countries: 1) Russia, 2) Brazil, 3) Canada, 4) United States, 5) China, 6) Australia, 7) Congo, 8) Indonesia, 9) Peru and 10) India.

World annual deforestation is estimated as 13.7 million hectares a year, equal to the area of Greece. Only half of this area is compensated by new forests or forest growth. In addition to directly human-induced deforestation, the growing forests have also been affected by climate change, increasing risks of storms, and diseases.

Canada

In 2005, an estimated 56,000 hectares were deforested in Canada. Deforestation affected less than 0.02% of Canada’s forests in 2005. The agricultural sector accounted for just over half of the deforestation in 2005, the result of forests having been cleared for pasture or crops. The remainder was caused by urban development, transportation corridors, and recreation (19%); hydroelectric development (10%); the forest sector (10%); and other natural resource extraction industries (8%). About two thirds of this deforestation occurred in Canada’s boreal forest, mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba where the forest borders the Prairies

In Canada, prior to 2000, less than 8% of the boreal forest was protected from development and more than 50% has been allocated to logging companies for cutting

United States

Prior to the arrival of European-Americans, roughly half of the land area of the present-day United States was forest—about 4,000,000 square kilometres (990,000,000 acres) in 1600. For the next 300 years land was cleared, mostly for agriculture, at a rate that matched the rate of population growth. For every person added to the population, one to two hectares of land was cultivated. 

This trend continued until the 1920s when the amount of crop land stabilized in spite of continued population growth. As abandoned farmland reverted to forest, the amount of forestland increased from 1952, reaching a peak in 1963 of 3,080,000 square kilometres (760,000,000 acres). Since 1963 there has been a steady decrease of forest area with the exception of some gains from 1997.

Nigera

According to the FAO, Nigeria has the world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests. It has lost more than half of its primary forest in the last five years. Causes cited are logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuel wood. Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has been destroyed.

Romania

A high percentage (47% of the land area) of the country is covered with natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Since almost half of all forests in Romania (13% of the country) have been managed for watershed conservation rather than production, Romania has one of the largest areas of undisturbed forest in Europe. The integrity of Romanian forest ecosystems is indicated by the presence of the full range of European forest fauna, including 60% and 40% of all European brown bears and wolves, respectively. 

Germany

In Germany, reforestation is required as part of the federal forest law. 31% of Germany is forested, according to the second forest inventory of 2001–2003. The size of the forest area in Germany increased between the first and the second forest inventory due to forestation of degenerated bogs and agricultural areas. 

China

In China, extensive replanting programs have existed since the 1970s. Programs have had overall success. The forest cover has increased from 12% of China's land area to 16%. However, specific programs have had limited success. The "Green Wall of China", an attempt to limit the expansion of the Gobi Desert is planned to be 2,800 miles (4,500 km) long and to be completed in 2050.  

The Most Re-Forested Global Countries


Country Continent(s) km2 Forested
- 1990
km2 Forested
- 2007
% Change






1 Bahrain Asia 2 5 +150.0
2 Iceland Europe 250 492 +96.8
3 Uruguay South America 9,050 15,448 +70.7
4 Tunisia Africa 6,430 10,948 +70.3
5 Rwanda Africa 3,180 5,344 +68.1
6 Lesotho Africa 50 84 +68.0
7 Kuwait Asia 35 58 +65.7
8 Egypt Asia 440 702 +59.5
9 Ireland, Republic of Europe 4,410 6,930 +57.1
10 Cape Verde Africa 578 845 +46.2
11 Vietnam Asia 93,630 134,134 +43.3
12 Spain Europe 134,790 185,066 +37.3
13 Cuba North America 20,580 28,242 +37.2
14 Samoa Oceania 1,300 1,710 +31.5
15 China Asia 1,571,410 2,054,056 +30.7
16 Algeria Africa 17,898 23,299 +30.2
17 United Arab Emirates Asia 2,450 3,128 +27.7
18 Syria Asia 3,720 4,726 +27.0
19 Portugal Europe 30,990 38,630 +24.7
20 Italy Europe 83,830 101,918 +21.6
21 Swaziland Africa 4,720 5,504 +16.6
22 Greece Europe 32,990 38,124 +15.6
23 St. Vincent & Grenadines North America 95 109 +14.7
24 Lebanon Asia 1,210 1,387 +14.6
25 Denmark Europe 4,450 5,056 +13.6
26 Israel Asia 1,540 1,738 +12.9
27 Bulgaria Europe 33,270 37,250 +12.0
28 Hungary Europe 18,010 20,036 +11.2
29 United Kingdom Europe 26,110 28,658 +9.8
30 Lithuania Europe 19,450 21,306 +9.5
31 Uzbekistan Asia 30,450 33,282 +9.3
32 Cyprus, Republic of Asia / Europe 1,611 1,750 +8.6
33 New Zealand Oceania 77,200 83,422 +8.1
34 France Europe 145,380 156,352 +7.5
35 Gambia Africa 4,420 4,750 +7.5
36 Slovenia Europe 11,880 12,745 +7.3
37 Belarus Europe 73,760 79,124 +7.3
38 Palau Oceania 380 406 +6.8
39 Latvia Europe 27,750 29,634 +6.8
40 Switzerland Europe 11,550 12,298 +6.5
41 Netherlands Europe 3,450 3,670 +6.4
42 Chile South America 152,630 162,358 +6.4
43 Estonia Europe 21,630 23,004 +6.4
44 Liechtenstein Europe 65 69 +6.2
45 Bhutan Asia 30,350 32,166 +6.0
46 India Asia 639,390 677,598 +6.0
47 Turkey Asia / Europe 96,800 102,242 +5.6
48 Kyrgyzstan Asia 8,360 8,737 +4.5
49 Poland Europe 88,810 92,452 +4.1
50 Cook Islands Oceania 149 155 +4.0
51 Ukraine Europe 92,740 96,010 +3.5
52 Moldova Europe 3,190 3,302 +3.5
53 Norway Europe 91,300 94,214 +3.2
54 Germany Europe 107,410 110,760 +3.1
55 Austria Europe 37,760 38,716 +2.5
56 Iraq Asia 8,040 8,236 +2.4
57 Fiji Oceania 9,790 10,000 +2.1
58 Ivory Coast Africa 102,220 104,358 +2.1
59 Morocco Africa 42,890 43,784 +2.1
60 Albania Europe 7,890 8,040 +1.9
61 United States North America 2,986,480 3,034,070 +1.6
62 Finland Europe 221,940 225,100 +1.4
63 Puerto Rico North America 4,040 4,084 +1.1
64 Croatia Europe 21,160 21,374 +1.0
65 Luxembourg Europe 860 868 +0.9
66 Czech Republic Europe 26,300 26,524 +0.9
67 Sweden Europe 273,670 275,496 +0.7
68 Micronesia Oceania 630 634 +0.6
69 Slovakia Europe 19,220 19,322 +0.5
70 Tajikistan Asia 4,080 4,100 +0.5


Global Countries With No Change In Overall Forested Area Between 1990 & 2007

Country Continent(s) km2 Forested in both 1990 & 2007 
Andorra Europe 160
Anguilla North America 55
Antigua & Barbuda North America 94
Aruba North America 4
Azerbaijan Asia / Europe 9,360
Bahamas North America 5,150
Barbados North America 17
Belize North America 16,530
Bermuda North America 10
British Virgin Islands North America 37
Canada North America 3,101,340
Cayman Islands North America 124
Channel Islands Europe 8
Djibouti Africa 56
Dominican Republic North America 13,760
Faroe Islands Europe 1
Falkland Islands South America 0
French Polynesia Oceania 1,050
Georgia Asia / Europe 27,600
Gibraltar Europe 0
Greenland North America 2
Guam Oceania 259
Guyana South America 151,040
Iran Asia 110,750
Isle of Man Europe 35
Jordan Asia 830
Kiribati Oceania 22
Libya Africa 2,170
Macedonia Europe 9,060
Maldives Asia 9
Malta Europe 3
Martinique North America 465
Montserrat North America 35
Nauru Oceania 0
Netherlands Antilles North America 12
New Caledonia Oceania 7,170
Oman Asia 20
Palestine Asia 90
Pitcairn Oceania 35
Qatar Asia 0
Romania Europe 63,710
Russia Asia / Europe 8,089,500
Saint Helena Africa 20
Saint Kitts & Nevis North America 53
Saint Lucia North America 170
Saint Pierre y Miquelon North America 30
San Marino Europe 1
Sao Tome & Principe Africa 274
Saudi Arabia Asia 27,280
Seychelles Africa 400
Singapore Asia 23
South Africa Africa 92,030
Suriname South America 147,760
Tokelau Oceania 0
Tonga Oceania 36
Turkmenistan Asia 41,270
Turks & Caicos Islands North America 344
Tuvalu Oceania 10
Vanuatu Oceania 4,395
Western Sahara Africa 10,110
Yemen Asia 5,490