By Liliana Usvat
Blog 178-365
Over the past half century the earth's vast green mantle of forests has been reduced to tattered remnants. As the world's population has grown from 2.3 billion in 1950 to over 7 billion today, some 3 billion hectares (ha) of the world's original forest cover - nearly half - has been lost. The destruction continues: in each of the last dozen years, about 14.6 million hectares of forest - an area the size of Nepal - has been cut, bulldozed, or burned.
Forests cover 31 percent of the world’s land surface, just over 4 billion hectares. (One hectare = 2.47 acres.)
This is down from the pre-industrial area of 5.9 billion hectares. According to data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, deforestation was at its highest rate in the 1990s, when each year the world lost on average 16 million hectares of forest—roughly the size of the state of Michigan.
Forest Loss
Overall, deforestation has been taking place at a pace of about 130 000 km2 (13 million hectares) per year during the period 1990–2005 (an area the size of Greece), with few signs of a significant decrease over time. Though deforestation continues at an alarming rate, the annual net loss of forest area is decreasing due to tree planting and natural expansion of forests in some countries and regions.
At the same time, forest area expanded in some places, either through planting or natural processes, bringing the global net loss of forest to 8.3 million hectares per year. In the first decade of this century, the rate of deforestation was slightly lower, but still, a disturbingly high 13 million hectares were destroyed annually.
Net Loss of the Forest
As forest expansion remained stable, the global net forest loss between 2000 and 2010 was 5.2 million hectares per year.
Global rates of deforestation do not capture the full damage done to the world’s forests. Forest degradation from selective logging, road construction, climate change, and other means compromises the health of remaining forests.
Each year the world has less forested area, and the forests that remain are of lower quality. For example, replacing natural old-growth forests with a monoculture of an exotic species greatly reduces biodiversity.
USA and Europe
The United States added a net 7.7 million hectares of trees between 1990 and 2010, around 380,000 hectares per year. Although the United States has experienced impressive forest regeneration within its own borders, it still contributes to deforestation as an importer of forest products—some $20 billion worth in 2011.
The case in Europe is similar, where 2011 imports of forest products totaled $110 billion. Led by Spain, Italy, France, Norway, and Sweden, this region added a net 16 million hectares of forested area from 1990 to 2010.
The general trend is that areas of primary forest and modified natural forest are decreasing, while the areas of semi-natural forest and forest plantation are increasing.
Estimates indicate that about 60 000 km2 per year of primary forest have been lost or modified by logging or other human interventions since 1990 (not considering losses in the Russian Federation), and there is no indication that the loss of primary forests is slowing down.
In Brazil and Indonesia alone 49 000 km2 of primary forest are lost on average per year. However, a number of countries which have been setting aside natural forest areas have registered increases in primary forest area, since with time, these areas evolve into forests which fit the definition of primary forests.
Protective Forests
Recognizing the important protective role of forests, many countries have planted substantial areas of forests and trees for this purpose, for example to stabilize sand dunes or provide windbreaks.
In 2005, the global area of protective forest plantations was 301 000 km2 (a little less than 1% of global forest area). The ten countries with the largest area of protective forest plantations accounted for 85% of the global protective forest plantation area
Questions:
Some countries reforest on their own. South Korea is in many ways a reforestation model for the rest of the world in this respect. When the Korean War ended half a century ago, the mountainous country was largely deforested, much as Haiti is today. Beginning around 1960, under the dedicated leadership of President Park Chung Hee, the South Korean government launched a national reforestation effort. Today forests cover nearly 65 percent of the country, an area of more than 15 million acres.
Sad Example of Countries that need intervention
International environmental groups such as Greenpeace and WWF have negotiated agreements to halt deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and in parts of Canada’s boreal forests. Daniel Nepstad and colleagues reported in Science in 2009 on two recent developments that together may halt deforestation in the Amazon basin. One is Brazil’s Amazon deforestation reduction target that was announced in 2008, which prompted Norway to commit $1 billion if there is progress toward this goal. The second is a marketplace transition in the beef and soy industries to avoid Amazon deforesters in their supply chains.
Tips for Reforestation
1. Work with what you have. For the highest chance of satisfaction, aim for a natural looking forested area and not an artificially idyllic tree garden, working in harmony with what nature has presented you rather than in spite of it.
2. Think long term. . Choose varieties that are pest resistant, low maintenance and proven survivors in your area. Building a forest in an investment for a lifetime—treat it like one!
3. Choose ordinary over exotic. Look to see what types of plants and trees are already thriving in your area. This is Mother Nature giving you advice. While it might be tempting to plant some more unusual greenery, the safest bet is to mimic the already established ecosystems of your region.
4. Consider maintenance. While a well-established forest will basically take care of itself, young plants will need some care and attention beyond the work of planting and soil prep. Think about installing a drip irrigation system for the first years of your reforestation project, and use plenty of mulch.
5. Establish variety. Choose a number of different trees and shrubs, and plant some mature and some as seedlings. Forests are made up of plants and animals of all ages and types. While your woods will eventually self-perpetuate, you’ll need to give it something to work from.
Blog 178-365
Over the past half century the earth's vast green mantle of forests has been reduced to tattered remnants. As the world's population has grown from 2.3 billion in 1950 to over 7 billion today, some 3 billion hectares (ha) of the world's original forest cover - nearly half - has been lost. The destruction continues: in each of the last dozen years, about 14.6 million hectares of forest - an area the size of Nepal - has been cut, bulldozed, or burned.
Forests cover 31 percent of the world’s land surface, just over 4 billion hectares. (One hectare = 2.47 acres.)
This is down from the pre-industrial area of 5.9 billion hectares. According to data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, deforestation was at its highest rate in the 1990s, when each year the world lost on average 16 million hectares of forest—roughly the size of the state of Michigan.
Forest Loss
Overall, deforestation has been taking place at a pace of about 130 000 km2 (13 million hectares) per year during the period 1990–2005 (an area the size of Greece), with few signs of a significant decrease over time. Though deforestation continues at an alarming rate, the annual net loss of forest area is decreasing due to tree planting and natural expansion of forests in some countries and regions.
At the same time, forest area expanded in some places, either through planting or natural processes, bringing the global net loss of forest to 8.3 million hectares per year. In the first decade of this century, the rate of deforestation was slightly lower, but still, a disturbingly high 13 million hectares were destroyed annually.
Net Loss of the Forest
As forest expansion remained stable, the global net forest loss between 2000 and 2010 was 5.2 million hectares per year.
Global rates of deforestation do not capture the full damage done to the world’s forests. Forest degradation from selective logging, road construction, climate change, and other means compromises the health of remaining forests.
Each year the world has less forested area, and the forests that remain are of lower quality. For example, replacing natural old-growth forests with a monoculture of an exotic species greatly reduces biodiversity.
USA and Europe
The United States added a net 7.7 million hectares of trees between 1990 and 2010, around 380,000 hectares per year. Although the United States has experienced impressive forest regeneration within its own borders, it still contributes to deforestation as an importer of forest products—some $20 billion worth in 2011.
The case in Europe is similar, where 2011 imports of forest products totaled $110 billion. Led by Spain, Italy, France, Norway, and Sweden, this region added a net 16 million hectares of forested area from 1990 to 2010.
The general trend is that areas of primary forest and modified natural forest are decreasing, while the areas of semi-natural forest and forest plantation are increasing.
Estimates indicate that about 60 000 km2 per year of primary forest have been lost or modified by logging or other human interventions since 1990 (not considering losses in the Russian Federation), and there is no indication that the loss of primary forests is slowing down.
In Brazil and Indonesia alone 49 000 km2 of primary forest are lost on average per year. However, a number of countries which have been setting aside natural forest areas have registered increases in primary forest area, since with time, these areas evolve into forests which fit the definition of primary forests.
Protective Forests
Recognizing the important protective role of forests, many countries have planted substantial areas of forests and trees for this purpose, for example to stabilize sand dunes or provide windbreaks.
In 2005, the global area of protective forest plantations was 301 000 km2 (a little less than 1% of global forest area). The ten countries with the largest area of protective forest plantations accounted for 85% of the global protective forest plantation area
Questions:
- Can we do something to change the forest destruction?
- What should be done to make logging should be a thing of the past.?
- How can we convince generation of people that the climate depend of the forested areas?
- Can schools have an impact against the forest destruction?
- How can the governments change their perception about the forest. The forest is not sourse of lumber but source of life, and oxigen.
- How can we change the idea that is not ok to cut the forest in other countries while preserving our forests.
- How can innovations and engineering modify t
he need for wood? In the present there are power plants in USA and England that use wood as source of elecricity
- It is possible in our life time to have mandatory 1000 tree plantation per person the way some countries enforce mandatory participation to the army?
- What about mandatory ownership of the land that a person plant trees and care for them?
Some countries reforest on their own. South Korea is in many ways a reforestation model for the rest of the world in this respect. When the Korean War ended half a century ago, the mountainous country was largely deforested, much as Haiti is today. Beginning around 1960, under the dedicated leadership of President Park Chung Hee, the South Korean government launched a national reforestation effort. Today forests cover nearly 65 percent of the country, an area of more than 15 million acres.
Sad Example of Countries that need intervention
International environmental groups such as Greenpeace and WWF have negotiated agreements to halt deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and in parts of Canada’s boreal forests. Daniel Nepstad and colleagues reported in Science in 2009 on two recent developments that together may halt deforestation in the Amazon basin. One is Brazil’s Amazon deforestation reduction target that was announced in 2008, which prompted Norway to commit $1 billion if there is progress toward this goal. The second is a marketplace transition in the beef and soy industries to avoid Amazon deforesters in their supply chains.
Tips for Reforestation
1. Work with what you have. For the highest chance of satisfaction, aim for a natural looking forested area and not an artificially idyllic tree garden, working in harmony with what nature has presented you rather than in spite of it.
2. Think long term. . Choose varieties that are pest resistant, low maintenance and proven survivors in your area. Building a forest in an investment for a lifetime—treat it like one!
3. Choose ordinary over exotic. Look to see what types of plants and trees are already thriving in your area. This is Mother Nature giving you advice. While it might be tempting to plant some more unusual greenery, the safest bet is to mimic the already established ecosystems of your region.
4. Consider maintenance. While a well-established forest will basically take care of itself, young plants will need some care and attention beyond the work of planting and soil prep. Think about installing a drip irrigation system for the first years of your reforestation project, and use plenty of mulch.
5. Establish variety. Choose a number of different trees and shrubs, and plant some mature and some as seedlings. Forests are made up of plants and animals of all ages and types. While your woods will eventually self-perpetuate, you’ll need to give it something to work from.
