European & North American Deforestation Reversed

Europe and North America have reversed centuries of deforestation and are showing a net increase in wooded areas, while most developing countries continue to cut down their trees, a U.N. agency said Tuesday.

The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said in its biannual report on the State of the World's Forests that economic prosperity and careful forest management had positive effects.

However, poor or conflict-stricken countries where clear-cutting and uncontrolled fires are especially severe still face serious challenges in managing their wooded areas, the agency said.

Deforestation continues at an unacceptable rate'' of about 32 million acres a year, said Wulf Killmann, a forestry expert at the agency.
However, he noted in a positive sign that the net loss had decreased over the last decade from 22 million acres to 17 million acres.

Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are currently the regions with the highest losses of wood-covered regions, especially in tropical areas.

Forested area in most European countries is also increasing, while it is stable in Canada and the United States.


SOURCE:
LiveScience.com

This is a good thing to hear.
Forests produce a great amount of the oxygen on the planet, and
losing them is honestly a threat to humanity and life in general.

I hope that this trend of reversal continues worldwide.


Comments, Opinions?

That is good news... Unfortunately North America has the most fertile soil in the world. So in places such as the Middle East where it is desert the plant life is few to none. So it is kind of sad to see new subdivisions paving over all of this soil in North America. Home contractors (builders) used to make parks or reserve land for ravines est. for the new homes they build. But lately I have seen that they rather save there money and pack the houses. The trees they do plant around the new neighborhood usually always die because they are not planted with care and it takes the city to come in and replace them. But that rarely happens as well because that costs the city money too.

The United States has been increasing forest cover since 1970 -- the nadir year. The U.S. currently has about the same amount of forest now as in 1900, and the amount is increasing, albeit increasing at a decreasing rate. The last figures I saw estimated loss/consumption will overtake afforestation/growth around 2040.

Average tree diameter is increasing, and in the western U.S. the amount of old growth is increasing. In some areas current old growth exceeds historic average levels of old growth. (of course, as we all know, from a global warming/carbon sequestration argument old growth is a bad thing. From a biodiversity viewpoint old growth is neutral, neither good nor bad. From human aesthetics it is good).


Ireland is an interesting example. Net forest growth was declining steadily when the Ireland had a largely socialist economic system. Since moving to a more market oriented system forest cover began increasing. Russia has a similar experience.

Europe's forest recovery raises an interesting philosophical question. Douglas-Fir (DF) is being widely planted in Europe. Douglas-Fir is the archetypical tree of the American Pacific Northwest and a commercially valuable species, but was absent in Europe. DF was once the dominant forest tree in Europe pre ice-age, but the changing climate and advancing glaciers drove it to extinction in Europe. So is replanting DF in Europe producing a non-native forest or is it re-introducing a locally extinct species to its previous range? It is a matter of time viewpoint, isn't it?

So is replanting DF in Europe producing a non-native forest or is it re-introducing a locally extinct species to its previous range? It is a matter of time viewpoint, isn't it?

Well is there any significant genetic differences between the two regional types? If not, then I don't really see the harm in it. Of course if they are being planted on masse in a massively planned monoculture farming setup, then that might be prone to infestations and diseases. Might be a bad thing in the long run that way.

On the subject of introducing/removing species from ecosystems...

In one case I read of, Wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone Park I believe and the effects on the entire bioshpere was remarkable. The problem they were trying to fix was Overgrazing/Overpopulation by the Deer IIRC, the addition of Wolves to the park put them all on edge so they stopped staying in one place for too long allowing the underbrush to regrow and spread.

Here is another case in texas.

Blue Mountain Peak Ranch

It's a hunting lodge I believe.

[edit on 18-3-2007 by sardion2000]

[edit on 18-3-2007 by sardion2000]

The commentaries I read on this celebrated the reversal in the US and Europe, but pointed out that elsewhere the deforestation continues at an increased pace. This is particularly true in developing countries.

A Nova program last night sort of addressed this, mentioning the floods and other problems already being caused by deforestation, along with the really horrible pollution.

Originally posted by Byrd
The commentaries I read on this celebrated the reversal in the US and Europe, but pointed out that elsewhere the deforestation continues at an increased pace. This is particularly true in developing countries.

A Nova program last night sort of addressed this, mentioning the floods and other problems already being caused by deforestation, along with the really horrible pollution.

True, but who are actually taking advantage of "illegal deforestation" and causing this problem in developing countries?

Let's look at some interesting facts.

BRASILIA, Brazil - Brazilian police arrested at least 25 members of an illegal logging scheme in the Amazon rain forest on Friday as part of a crackdown on deforestation in the world's largest rain forest.

Loggers, government officials and truckers were arrested in the vicinity of Altamira in northern Para state, where Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S. nun, was gunned down by ranchers in 2005 for her defense of landless peasants and the environment.
Police have 35 arrest warrants.

The suspects "laundered wood" through a complex scheme of false shipping and bank documents, police agent Jorge Eduardo told Reuters by telephone from Altamira.

The group included officials of the environmental protection agency Ibama, who alerted timber mills to scheduled inspections.

www.planetark.org...

Meanwhile the above happens and people think that officials in countries like Brazil are doing eveything to combat illegal logging.

Asphalt and Soya Dreams: Two Oceans, Two Countries and the Transoceanica
Chinese economy drives road-building and deforestation in the Amazon
Paving the Amazon rainforest to bring soybeans to China
Tina Butler, mongabay.com
April 17, 2005
...............
The big push to reach the Peruvian ports is the economic allure of the Asian market. Brazil already sends 18 percent of its exports to Asia, with this figure likely to increase at a rapid rate. China is literally inhaling soybeans from Brazilian soya farms in the country’s central and western areas, especially in the state of Mato Grosso. These former rainforest regions are increasingly being converted into farmland, all to supply the growing Asian demand, particularly with China’s exploding urban population.
Brazil has big plans for expansion in order to keep supplying this lucrative market. The agricultural minister, Roberto Rodrigues, has said there is another 90 million hectares available for planting, a significant increase over the current 62 million hectares being used for agriculture in Mato Grosso. In addition to soya, cattle ranching is also a leading use of land in the state.

Recently, Brazilian president,Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led a delegation of several government representatives and hundreds of business leaders to China to encourage closer ties. After five days of talks on trade and diplomacy, a growing alliance was in the works. Brazil will supply the goods China requires and in return, China’s companies are positioning themselves to provide capital to help Brazil achieve massive expansion in its crumbling road, rail and port infrastructures. The Chinese interest is not limited to Brazil however, and this is where Peru, the Transoceanica and the controversy come in.

news.mongabay.com...

They are actually taking care of most illegal logging, by making it "legal".

Let's check some more about countries where illegal and legel deforestation is happening.

China fuels illegal logging in Burma
Global Witness release
October 31, 2005


A new report, launched today by Global Witness at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Bangkok , “A Choice for China – Ending the destruction of Burma’s northern frontier forests” , details shocking new evidence of the massive illicit plunder of Burma’s forests by Chinese logging companies. Much of the logging takes place in forests that form part of an area said to be “very possibly the most bio-diverse, rich, temperate area on earth.”

In 2004, more than 1 million cubic meters of timber, about 95% of Burma’s total timber exports to China were illegally exported from northern Burma to Yunnan Province. This trade, amounting to a $250 million loss for the Burmese people, every year, takes place with the full knowledge of the Burmese regime, the government in Beijing and the rest of the international community. Chinese companies, local Chinese authorities, regional Tatmadaw and ethnic ceasefire groups are all directly involved.

news.mongabay.com...

Let's keep researching a bit more.

Myanmar gets a friend, China gets its forests
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK - An environmental disaster unfolding along the border that military-ruled Myanmar shares with China has all the elements of hypocrisy written large. In this case, the guilty party is China.

Yangon's junta finds itself trapped into silence due to the political capital Beijing has spent to protect the regime from increasing charges of oppression and human-rights violations leveled against Yangon by the international community.

The price of that silence has meant an army of Chinese loggers moving into Myanmar's northern Kachin state to strip that rugged mountainous area of its timber-rich forests.

"In 2004, more than one million cubic meters of timber, about 95% of Myanmar's total timber exports to China, were illegally exported from northern Myanmar to [China's southern] Yunnan province," states Global Witness (GW), a non-governmental organization.

www.atimes.com...

Is anyone seeing the bigger picture here? China is the country responsible for 95% of illegal deforestation in other countries, but this is not only happening in other countries, it also happens in China.

www.worldwatch.org...

While it is true that the United States, alongside Europe and Japan are the main markets of such products. However i do have to wonder why the U.S. is always the one being blamed for this problem.

Europe has a population of 809,624,686, which is almost three times the amount of people in the U.S., which as of July 2006 were 298,444,215.

www.internetworldstats.com...

More people means more illegal wood production is going to the European people. So I do have to wonder why the U.S. is always blamed for "being the main market", when there are more people in Europe and they are the real main market of such products.

24/03/2006
China is black hole of Asia’s deforestation

Jakarta, Indonesia – China is the main channel for illegal logging in Asia while the United States, Europe and Japan are the key markets for timber products and furniture coming from countries where the illicit practice is widespread and human rights are ignored.

www.illegal-logging.info...

Does anyone remember which countries would benefit from the Kyoto protocol, and would be allowed not only to maintain but to increase their production and greenhouse gas emissions?


[edit on 19-3-2007 by Muaddib]

I'm glad the Amazon has been added to the conversation. This is really where deforestation needs to be reversed. The Amazon has often been described as the "lungs of the Earth".

The trends in Europe and America are encouraging however. Can anyone tell me how this is affecting the bio-diversity of the continents?

Cheers!

Originally posted by Muaddib
...Does anyone remember which countries would benefit from the Kyoto protocol, and would be allowed not only to maintain but to increase their production and greenhouse gas emissions?


[edit on 19-3-2007 by Muaddib]

Russia, for one. The treaty required to return to 1990 level emissions -- when Russian factories were still vastly inefficient polluters operating at near max capacity. Since then, their economy collapsed and carbon output correspondingly reduced. They are still way under the 1990 target figure and under the language of the treaty are allowed to return to that level.

Why do you think Russia was so happy to sign on? They could advertise themselves as 'good global citizens' and criticize other nations for not doing their part while Russia could continue expanding their economy without restriction. A shrewd political move on their part.