Guest guest Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Formatted for wide margins! If you don't have wide margins use the weblog instead!Today for you 41 news items about Earth's trees. Location, number and subject listed below. Condensed / abbreviated article is listed further below.Can be viewed on the web at http://www.livejournal.com/users/olyecology or by sending a blank email message to earthtreenews---British Columbia: 1) 150 year old industrialist view on logging--Washington: 2) Conservation near Capitol forest, 3) After the fact victory on Eastside, --Oregon: 4) Appeal planned for Mt Ashland ski expansion, 5) Forests and climate change, 6) New groups to take over big tree hunt, --California: 7) Economics of ecosystems--Arkansas: 8) $9.4 million conservation partnership--Kansas: 9) Human induced Cedar invasion,--North Carolina: 10) New management plan for Uwharrie NF --Hawaii: 11) Nation's most threatened bird habitat--Canada: 12) Oil sand expansion threatens rivers and forests, 13) Greenpeace arrests, --Niger: 14) 7.4 million newly tree-covered acres --Mozambique: 15) Three to five years and there won't be any more hardwood resources --Cameroon: 16) Despite attempts at resuscitating economy it remains essentially fragile --Ethiopia: 17) 200,000 hectares of forest lost every year--Uganda: 18) Save South Busoga Forest Reserve from further encroachment--Sudan: 19) Turmoil of women firewood gatherers--Guyana: 20) FSC certification shenanigans --Belize: 21) About your Valentine's Day Chocolate--Brazil: 22) Defenders of Cristalino State Park, --Peru: 23) Impacts of Peru Free Trade Agreement--Kashmir: 24) Crackdown on timber smugglers and those who aide them --India: 25) Increase in smuggling in suburb areas of Khanpur, 26) Saving Mangroves,--China: 27) Plans to grow fuel trees on 32.9 million acres--Japan: 28) Nicol saves trees--Korea: 29) Forests found to be in bad shape as related to crown vitality --Brunei: 30) Promoting their country as an investment destination --Philippines: 31) Restoring Bayudan River with fruit trees, 32) Deforestation rates,--Borneo: 33) Heart of Borneo agreement signed--Indonesia: 34) World Bank project designed to empower local villages--Malaysia: 35) Complaints against FSC go unanswered --Australia: 36) Old plans for old growth revised, 37) Opening drought stricken Vulcan forest to cattle, 38) Tasmanian treesitter arrested, 39) Illegal onslaught on wild forests, --World-wide: 40) Poor are most dependent on ecosystem services, 41) Trees and carbon,British Columbia:1) Dallas Smith, chairman of the KNT First Nations group on the Central Coast, said his task is to create sustainable land use in an area that has seen industrial logging for 150 years, and do it in a way that provides employment for communities with unemployment rates of 80 per cent or more. "We're on third [logging] rotation in some areas of our territories," Smith said. "We had to look at that and say, where is our best opportunity to ensure that there is going to be monumental cedar 200 years from now? Where was our best potential to make sure that we could access canoe logs every 10 years for the next, well, for eternity?" Art Sterritt, executive director for North Coast First Nations, is from the Gitga'at community of Hartley Bay. His region from Rivers Inlet north has more pristine valleys, but also includes intensively logged areas on the coast and especially Haida Gwaii, or the Queen Charlotte Islands. Sterritt said he still has difficulty believing that the "war in the woods" over coastal logging ended with all sides working together, and a $120 million sustainable development fund with contributions from the federal and provincial governments as well as $60 million from major international foundations raised by the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy. "What was really different about the Great Bear, and the way it was handled, was the acceptance by British Columbia and Canada, and now the foundation world that there had to be an economy that would be unique, that could actually sustain this for millennia," Sterritt said. Bell said since 24 conservancy areas totalling 1.8 million hectares were set aside a year ago, pilot projects have used helicopter logging and other low-impact methods to refine ecosystem-based management for the region. The land use plan is expected to be finalized by March, 2009, based on the work of the pilot projects. http://www.theprogress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=39 & cat=23 & id=830597 & more=Washington: 2) Thurston County commissioners will vote Monday on spending $400,000 to save a corridor of land that provides important habitat for animals and would allow completion of the county's recreational trail network. The site is crucial because it is one of the only habitat corridors for elk, birds and other species to travel between Capitol State Forest and protected areas around the Black River. In addition, it adjoins an old railroad track pegged for a future 12-mile recreational trail that would be the last leg of the county's 49.5-mile network. " When this trail network is done, every urban and rural community in Thurston County will have a trail connection to the Puget Sound, " said Michael Welter, the county's director of development services. Elected officials and environmentalists are looking to save a key 228-acre site where the Black River meets Mima Creek in south Thurston County. If the acreage is preserved, the county will be able to offer the public a combined recreation trail and natural-habitat experience, Welter said. The commissioners will vote on whether to spend $400,000 toward acquiring a portion of the $2.3 million tract. Partners include the Capitol Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy. " All of the partners are coordinating efforts to leverage very limited resources to accomplish our goals, " said Eric Erler, executive director of the trust. The trust is negotiating with two property owners for $1 million worth of potential conservation easements on a 93-acre section of the site. Under the easements, the property owners would keep the land, but it could not be developed and would be preserved as open space. http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/64903.html3) A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that U.S. District Judge Lonny R. Suko in Spokane, Wash., erred when he failed to grant a preliminary injunction halting logging on 9,423 acres of salvage timber sales in an area burned by the 2005 School fire. The appeals court agreed with conservation groups that a prohibition against logging " live trees " larger than 21 inches in diameter, known as the Eastside Screens, applies to all trees that are not dead yet, even if the U.S. Forest Service has decided they will be dead soon. Neither the National Forest Management Act, nor the local forest plan defines the term " live trees, " so the common meaning that they are all trees that have not yet died applies, wrote Judge Susan Graber. " The Forest Service is free, of course, to amend the Eastside Screens to allow logging of old-growth dying trees, " the judge wrote. " Unless and until it does so, there is no basis to adopt its proposed definition. " The Eastside Screens were adopted on nine Northwest national forests east of the Cascade Range in 1994 to promote old growth forests and the species that live in them while a comprehensive management plan was being developed. About a third of the trees sold for logging after the School fire have been cut, including live trees that would have been protected by a temporary restraining order, said Mike Petersen, executive director of the Lands Council in Spokane, Wash., the lead plaintiff in the case. Snow has prevented logging the rest until spring. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WST_LOGGING_RULING_OROL-?SITE=OREUG & SECTION=HOME & TEMPLAT E=DEFAULT4) Nearly five months after U.S. District Court Judge Owen Panner released a summary judgment to allow for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area to expand, a full written opinion came out Friday. In a 36-page opinion, Panner explained his reasons for approving the expansion. " I think this is a green light to go forward, " said Mt. Ashland Association President Bill Little. Little said the association plans to begin substantial work on the expansion May 1 with some preliminary work beginning April 1. The expansion will include 16 new trails, 200 additional parking spaces and two new chair lifts. In 2004, the Oregon Natural Resources Council, Rogue Group Sierra Club, Headwaters and Ashland resident Eric Navickas filed suit against Regional Forest Linda Goodman over the Forest Service's assessment of the proposed ski area expansion's environmental effects. Panner's opinion gives plaintiffs in the lawsuit until March 12 to appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. After that date, the ski area can legally begin construction, Panner ruled. Meanwhile, the Mt. Ashland Association waits for feedback from the City of Ashland. The city, who holds the special-use permit to operate the ski area, is dealing directly with the Forest Service on expansion-related issues. For plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Panner's ruling means the chance to appeal the case. Eric Navickas, a plaintiff and Ashland city councilor, said the judge's opinion could mean good news. " It didn't seem like it was that favorable to them, " he said. " It seemed pretty skeptical of the merits of the overall project. He extrapolated on the financial risks involved in the project that weren't brought forward in the case. " Navickas said he hoped the plaintiffs could get a preliminary injunction to stop construction by March 12. http://www.dailytidings.com/2007/0212/stories/0212mta.php5) The climate that created some of the world's greatest forests here in the Pacific Northwest is changing - fast. That point is quite clear in a new book: Forests, Carbon and Climate Change. Oregon is taking a leadership role on climate through Governor Ted Kulongoski's Global Warming Initiative. Oregon is also teaming with California and Washington to develop regional and state strategies for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The forestland parts of these strategies include reducing wildfire risk by thinning overly dense forests, creating markets for the woody biomass, taking greenhouse gas effects into consideration in farm and forest land use decisions, and returning under-producing former forestlands to healthy forest conditions. We still have a lot of learning to do, but these are good first steps. We already know enough to get started. http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23 & SubSectionID=783 & ArticleID=40088 & TM=83713.37 6) For a half century the Oregon Department of Forestry has been charged with finding a measuring Oregon's big trees, a program that keeps track in the state and has turned up 35 national champions. But with budget restraints, the task has fallen to the Ashland-based National Center for Conservation Science Policy, and Cindy Williams, its big-tree coordinator. From under a 242-foot-tall Western white pine, believed to be Oregon's tallest, she marveled at the birds it had sheltered and the fawns who had wobbled past it. Brian Ballou, who once coordinated the tree program for the state, thought of the fires it had survived. The Ashland center took over late last year and plans to promote the big trees on its Web site, telling people how nominate potential champions and giving GPS locations for those on public land. " We want to recruit big tree volunteers from around the state, " said Williams. A champ is determined by total points based on trunk circumference, height and average crown spread. American Forests, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, has documented the nation's largest known specimens since 1940. The western white pine Williams and Ballou visited on the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest was once a national champion. " Already a large mature tree when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the Butte Falls Western White Pine is probably at least 400 years old, " reads a sign near the giant. But it lost its title when a larger one was found in the El Dorado National Forest in California. The new champ is shorter at 151 feet but has a thicker trunk and broader average crown spread, beating out the Oregon entry on points. http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8N7MG4G6.htmlCalifornia:7) In her fourth-floor office in the Herrin Labs just off Stanford's main quad, Daily, a professor of biological sciences and director of the tropical research program at Stanford's Center of Conservation Biology, shows me what she means. She clicks open a series of digital maps compiled for a meeting in New York with Goldman Sachs. The maps' rich purple-and-blue hues convey information about California's Central Coast eco-region, which stretches from Santa Barbara north to Napa County and includes San Francisco Bay. Daily explains how each image tells a story of the terrain's value—not property value as a real estate agent would figure it but value in terms of service to mankind. Where the terrain offers a high degree of flood protection, for example, the map is the brightest purple; where the flood-protecting function is comparatively low, the color is light blue. The ecosystems providing the most overall value to people are shaded to indicate highest priority. If Daily and her colleagues can get Wall Street on board, the maps will also be shaded to indicate financial worth. This is the future of the environmental movement. Increasingly, economic measures are being used to assess ecosystems by way of the universally comprehensible currency of money. The calculations can be quite explicit: A recent study by the World Wildlife Fund reckoned that the bees that pollinate a Costa Rican coffee farmer's crop, and by extension the nearby forest where the bees live, are worth as much as $60,000 annually to the farmer. Last year, two entomologists, one from Cornell University and the other from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, figured that a $60-billion-a-year chunk of the U.S. economy is supported by wild bugs such as dung beetles and bees that pollinate plants, hasten the decomposition of manure, feed on crop pests and end up as dinner for birds, small mammals and fish. http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-greenies06feb11,0,7457674.story?coll=la-home -magazineArkansas:8) Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced a $9.4 million conservation partnership with Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe to restore more than 6,000 acres of hardwood tree forests and wetlands in the Cache River/Bayou Deview watersheds, located in the northeast counties of Monroe, Prairie and Woodruff. " Establishing native plantings through the Arkansas CREP will provide habitat for wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, " said Johanns. " The Arkansas CREP's additional goals of reducing soil erosion, improving water quality and sequestering carbon emphasizes USDA's and Arkansas's commitment to our environment. " The Arkansas Cache River/Bayou Deview Watershed CREP seeks to enroll 6,250 cropland or marginal pastureland acres to significantly restore bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands that wildlife use for breeding, foraging and survival. The CREP will decrease soil erosion and improve water quality in the watersheds by reducing sediments and nutrients entering streams from agricultural sources. USDA estimates the Arkansas CREP's total cost over a 15-year period will be $9.4 million, with USDA contributing $7.1 million and the State of Arkansas funding $2.3 million. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true & contentid=2007/01/0017 ..xmlKansas:9) The green, fluffy cedar tree. Eastern red cedars threaten Kansas' water supply, cost ranchers millions in lost grazing grass and displace many kinds of wildlife. " If you ever take a drink of water, or have any interest in wildlife or the rural economy, you'd better be concerned about cedars, " said Terry Bidwell, an Oklahoma State University researcher. " If Kansans aren't concerned now, they're dang-sure going to be in a few years. " He and other experts say it's time to take the easy steps to control the problem, or suffer the consequences. Red cedars are Kansas' lone native evergreen, but were long found in only a few places. For centuries, they were confined to rocky bluffs where they escaped fires started by lightning or American Indians attempting to grow better grass for game. " Problems began when the Europeans came. They had fires in their houses but feared them outside, " said Ted Alexander, a Barber County rancher. " Fire's a natural part of the grasslands. " Prairie cedars also got some help proliferating. For decades, government agencies encouraged planting cedars for windbreaks and wildlife habitat. Thousands, if not millions, of cedar saplings were distributed. Songbirds aided the spread by feasting on cedar berries, then flying off and doing what little birds doo-doo. That has meant clusters of cedars under power lines and trees where birds roost, and in the middle of open grasslands. " We're (now) in the midst of a red cedar population explosion in Kansas, " state forester Ray Aslin said. Populations are growing rapidly in all areas. Some places in the Red Hills southwest of Wichita have more than 400 cedars per acre. http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/state/16669005.htmNorth Carolina: 10) The first new management plan in 20 years for the Uwharrie National Forest, east of Charlotte, went public Friday. The plan would increase logging as the 52,000-acre forest returns to its ecological roots, the U.S. Forest Service says. Over several decades, planted loblolly pines would be replaced by native longleaf pines and hardwoods. Trails would be improved to accommodate growing numbers of horse and off-road-vehicle riders. The plan also calls for protecting 32 areas with rare ecological, historic and scenic qualities. Humans have occupied the area for 14,000 years, archaeologists say, and old gold mines and homesteads dot the forest. A 90-day comment period for the plan, prepared after about a year of work with the public, begins Thursday. A final decision is expected this fall. The Uwharrie's trees are older than most in the Piedmont, with about 40 percent of them 80 years or older. The forest is home to 17 rare plant species and more than 200 mammal, reptile, amphibian and bird species. Logging peaked in the mid-1980s but has slowed as the Forest Service's focus shifted to recreation. But the new plan calls for a logging rebound as the service replaces thickly growing pine plantations. For the next 50 years, it says, annual harvests would roughly double the yearly average of the past 15 years. Logging would occur on 7,000 to 9,400 acres per decade. Terry Seyden, a Forest Service spokesman in Asheville, said the harvests could be substantially smaller. Logging levels depend on factors such as the outcome of environmental analyses and federal appropriations to the agency, he said. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/16668318.htmHawaii:11) HONOLULU - Hawaiian forests are the nation's most threatened bird habitats. That's according to a report released by American Bird Conservancy. Alan Lieberman is the director of the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program for the San Diego Zoo. He says saving species is important but meaningless if the habitats they come from are also not protected. Hawaiian forests were listed ahead of the open ocean and sea bird nesting islands, which ranked second. Third on the list was sagebrush areas found in Western states such as Washington, Oregon and Montana. The Hawaiian chain was home to about 140 native breeding species and subspecies before the arrival of humans. More than half of the bird species are now extinct. http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=10701Canada:12) Fort McMurray, Alberta – After completing a tour of the Suncor oil sands facilities north of here, Grand Chief Herb Norwegian of the Dehcho First Nations, called on Canada and Alberta to support a moratorium on further development of the massive oil producing Athabasca Tar Sands "until some sanity can be brought into this situation." Norwegian led a delegation of 11 chiefs and elders from the Dehcho to view the operations of Suncor, and meet with leaders of First Nations groups in northern Alberta to discuss what he called "the serious decline of the quantity and quality of water in Mackenzie River watershed." The Mackenzie River watershed flows through some 212,000 sq km of the land 5,500 Decho live on. Their claim to the land they have always lived on is currently being negotiated with Canada. "Our people who saw this massive development from the air as we flew in from the North and again today from the windows of a bus, were shocked," Norwegian told a press conference. He pointed out that 87 percent of the Mackenzie River flows through the Northwest Territories and yet the huge reductions in water levels and changes in the fish and wildlife come from here, south of the NWT, he told reporters while Suncor officials listened. Late last year, Norwegian told his people, Suncor, the oldest tar sands mine in the region was granted an expansion of its operations which already produce 225,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and will reach 500,000 bbd by 2012. During the tour, the Dehcho were accompanied by two Suncor public relations people who would not allow the group to take pictures. Questions about the impact of large tailing ponds bursting toxic waste on the land, the proximity of the mining operations to the Athabasca River, in some places an estimated 150 feet, and destruction of the boreal forest were not answered. The grand chief told his people of research done by pro-moratorium supporters across Canada that for every barrel of oil produced by Suncor that between four and eight barrels of water were used from the Athabasca River, which flows through the tar sands and is part of the Mackenzie Valley watershed. http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2007/02/08/896/13) Four Greenpeace activists have been arrested following a protest at Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Canadian headquarters Monday, Greenpeace said Monday. The activists were protesting the Irving-based manufacturer's use of virgin pulp from ancient rainforests to make its Kleenex products. " It is unacceptable that this huge American company continues to destroy Canada's Boreal Forest -- one of the largest intact ecosystems left on earth -- to make something that's used once and then thrown away, " said Christy Ferguson, one of the activists, in a statement. " Because of this company, forests that have stood for hundreds of years are literally being flushed down the toilet. " A spokesman for Kimberly-Clark was not immediatelty available for comment Monday. The activists say all of the Kleenex brand products sold in North America are made from 100 percent virgin tree fiber, much of it from unsustainably managed forests in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Greenpeace wants Kimberly-Clark to increase the use of recycled fiber in its products, and only buy virgin fiber from logging operations that are sustainable and certified to the standards set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council. http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2007/02/12/daily8.html?jst=b_ln_hl Niger: 14) Better conservation and improved rainfall have led to at least 7.4 million newly tree-covered acres in Niger, researchers have found, achieved largely without relying on the large-scale planting of trees or other expensive methods often advocated by African politicians and aid groups for halting desertification, the process by which soil loses its fertility. Recent studies of vegetation patterns, based on detailed satellite images and on-the-ground inventories of trees, have found that Niger, a place of persistent hunger and deprivation, has recently added millions of new trees and is now far greener than it was 30 years ago. These gains, moreover, have come at a time when the population of Niger has exploded, confounding the conventional wisdom that population growth leads to the loss of trees and accelerates land degradation, scientists studying Niger say. The vegetation is densest, researchers have found, in some of the most densely populated regions of the country. "The benefits are so many it is really astonishing," Dr. Larwanou said. "The farmers can sell the branches for money. They can feed the pods as fodder to their animals. They can sell or eat the leaves. They can sell and eat the fruits. Trees are so valuable to farmers, so they protect them." http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/world/africa/11niger.html?ex=1328850000 & en=6f7869852a389205 & e i=5088 & partner=rssnyt & emc=rssMozambique:15) Worldwide demand for hardwood is stripping Mozambique's forests, cutting down livelihoods and any hope of developing a sustainable timber industry. " If they carry on at the rate they are going it will be probably three to five years and there won't be any hardwood resources sufficient to sustain continued production, " Simon Norfolk, of Terra Firma, a forest governance group in Mozambique, told IRIN. Mozambique has 19 million hectares of productive woodland, including very high-value species, such as Panga Panga (Millettia stuhlmannii) and Chanfuta (Afzelia quanzensis); tropical hardwoods used for flooring, general construction and specialty items, like sporting goods and furniture. Timber is a resource Mozambique can't afford to squander, but increasing demand means its prized wood species are being sold off at wholesale prices. " They [loggers] don't care about the forests. Timber is giving a good price and all you need is a couple of litres of petrol and a chainsaw and you can have a big tree, " said Pedro Mangue, director of the Law Enforcement Department at the National Directorate of Land and Forests (DNTF). Prices fluctuate but for some species one cubic meter can fetch up to US$500 - a fortune in a country where almost 40 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/34d2ea168a0eab6e603055c6f1b5249d.htmCameroon: 16) The country has vast deposits of mineral resources, an unending terrain of unspoiled flora and fauna and a vibrant youthful population at the base of its human resources- all indicative of the fact that it has enchanting potentials for sustainable development in the Central African sub region. Cameroon has one of the most diversified production and resource bases–producing and exporting coffee, cocoa, oil, banana, palm oil, natural rubber, timber, to name a few. It is a net exporter of oil, and though oil production has been declining steadily since 1986, it still amounted to 37 million metric tons in 2002, representing 13 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Occupying a surface area of 465,400 square kilometers–half principally made up of forests, Cameroon represents a microcosm of climates and ecosystems, from the tropical moist forest with an equatorial climate in the south, to the dry steppes of the Sahel in the north (Neba, 1992)–making it a wealth of biological diversity (CFAN, 2005).The country is an Eden of mineral resources, petroleum, and cupper–to name a few, with a strong and intellectually vibrant youthful population to act as locomotive to sustainable development. The Structural Adjustment Programme in Cameroon, in spite its gains, was more of a curse than a blessing, leading to the rapid deterioration of Cameroon's debt burden indicator. Panoramically, the stock of debt grew on average by estimated 17 percent per year, while export growth virtually stagnated, catapulting the debt-to-export and debt-to-GDP ratios astronomically from 219 percent and 32 percent in 1987 to 369 percent and 113 percent in 1997 respectively,–ushering Cameroon into the college of highly indebted poor countries. Despite all attempts at resuscitating the economy and ushering in sustainable development, the Cameroon economy has remained essentially fragile, hopping on one leg. The environment's integrity is continually being sabotaged by reckless and irrational efforts of exploitation and personal aggrandizement. Living standards have soared low and massive suffering, destitution and despondency now have a perennial status in the country. http://africapublisheronline.blogspot.com/2007/02/unfinished-agenda-critical-appraisal-of.html Ethiopia:17) The Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute says Ethiopia loses up to 200,000 hectares of forest every year, and warned that if the trend continues the country would lose all of its forest resources by the year 2020. The warning was given here Monday at a day-long symposium on 'Functional Ecology and Sustainable Management of Mountain Forests in Ethiopia,' organized by the Institute in collaboration with the German Research Foundation (DFG). Dr. Alemu said the stated area of forest has been destroyed due to deforestation, select logging, and other human activities. Dr. Alemu said special emphasis should be given to strengthen forestry research capabilities of the nation to institutionalize sustainable use of forest resources across the nation. A research conducted in forests of Shashemene town in Oromia State clearly shows that there is a possibility of institutionalizing sustainable utilization of forests in the country, he said. According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, forests cover 30 per cent of the total land of the world. The total forest area of the world in 2005 was just less than 4 billion hectares, according to the report. http://allafrica.com/stories/200702080477.htmlUganda:17) The Minister for Water and Environment Jesca Eriyo has cautioned residents near the South Busoga Forest Reserve against further encroachment. She said it is contrary to the 2006 presidential executive directive. During last year's Presidential campaigns, President Yoweri Museveni issued a directive to halt evictions in all forest reserves and wet lands in the country. The directive also banned fresh encroachment, erection of new structures and cultivation of perennial crops on the forest reserves. Ms Eriyo was speaking to residents and members of the National Forestry Task Force at Mayuge district headquarters last week. The group was on a fact finding mission about the present status of the South Busoga Forest Reserve. http://allafrica.com/stories/200701240598.htmlSudan:19) As the afternoon sun beats down and despite their heavy loads, their pace is fast and unrelenting. The three women are hurrying back to the safety of the camp. On their heads they carry bundles of wood. What they can carry will cook today and tomorrow's meals. The dangers associated with the collection of firewood for internally displaced women in Darfur are all too well documented. " We don't know where they are, but we are afraid of these people. They are living in the forest with their camels and horses, and they have weapons and we don't, " says Hawa, 45 years old. " A relative of mine in another camp went to get firewood and was attacked by one of them. When she refused him, he tried to stab her with a knife and she took several days to recover from her injuries, " [she] adds. It's a risky business, but these women have little alternative. They depend on wood in order to cook their families' meals. " If I have 100SD (US$0.50) I can buy a small bundle from the market which will last me one day. If I do not have any money or anything to sell, then I have to go and collect it myself. Mostly I go every other day. " http://platform.blogs.com/passionofthepresent/2007/01/firewood_and_pr.htmlGuyana:20) The Guyanese people are not surprised that the PR Dept of the State of Barama within Guyana sees that its interests are threatened and has therefore put its Public Relations Dept in full gear. In response, all Guyanese (especially the knowledgeable and the brilliant ones in the Diaspora) have a responsibility to examine the issues and see that Guyanese interests are fairly represented. There are a lot more formidable Guyanese out there who are better equipped than the courageous few and I to speak out on Guyana's behalf. In addition, our high school kids should examine and discuss these issues. They should learn about what is going on in their own country. The Accreditation Services International GmbH (ASI) was the company that did the audit to see if Barama was in compliance with the Principles of Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). Please visit: http://www.accreditation-services.com/Public Summaries.htm then go to the third document ASI - Forest Managment Audit - Guyana - SGS 2006.pdf The ASI team found that there were 9 major violations, 7 minor violations, and 4 observations of non-conformities. What did the ASI team conclude and recommend? The answer is: " The certified company (Barama) could not demonstrate compliance with FSC certification requirements at the time of the ASI surveillance audit. This lack of appropriate evaluation against FSC certification requirements has resulted in systematic major nonconformities which had not been addressed. " Based on the findings of this audit, the ASI audit team proposes a number of major CARs (Corrective Action Requested) which will need to be addressed by SGS within the timeframe specified. Failure to demonstrate compliance with all the major nonconformities within the specified timeframe will result in a report to FSC Executive Director recommending disciplinary measures. " http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_letters?id=56513870Belize:21) On Valentine's Day, millions of Americans will say, " I love you, " with chocolate. Yet the international cocoa industry has paradoxically led to negative impacts on tropical environments and economies, from deforestation to child labor. This summer, Earthwatch volunteers will explore how cacao farming in Belize can benefit both farmers and tropical biodiversity. America is the world's largest chocolate consumer, eating more than 3 billion pounds of chocolate each year and spending $13 billion on it. Cacao farmers receive a mere 5 percent of these profits, and most cacao growing areas do not feel the benefit of this lucrative market. Meanwhile, cacao farming is responsible for an estimated 14 percent of the deforestation that has destroyed rainforests in West Africa, and a large percentage in South America as well. Earthwatch teams plan to help things go differently in the Central American nation of Belize. " Shade grown cacao can create forest-like habitat for tropical biodiversity in a rapidly deforested landscape, while simultaneously providing a lucrative crop for agricultural communities, " said Dr. Jorge Cowich, principal investigator of Earthwatch's Sustainable Cacao Farming project. " The threats to biodiversity in Belize are unquestionably rooted in poverty, rated at a staggering 79 percent in the Toledo District. " In July, Cowich (Tropical Agricultural Research Centre) will be leading Earthwatch volunteers into the forests of Belize to determine how organic cacao farms can help turn the local economy around. Teams will work near some of the most pristine rainforest in Belize, and experience a degree of natural and cultural diversity few tourists ever see. The Earthwatch project is just one of more than 100 around the globe providing volunteers the unique opportunity to work alongside leading scientists. http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_51027.shtmlBrazil:22) Efforts by the State Government of Mato Grosso, Brazil, to drastically reduce the size of Cristalino State Park, one of the Amazon's most biodiverse reserves, have been stymied by exemplary on the ground organizing by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), many local groups and supportive international protests by Ecological Internet's (EI) Earth Action network. An important precedent has been set regarding the strength and permanence of protected status for ancient rainforests under Brazilian law. The Cristalino State Park is a world-renowned ecotourism destination, whose 184,000 hectares are home to over 550 species of birds, and protects endangered species like the white- whiskered spider monkey. Some 27,000 hectares of forest were to lose protection by a vote of the state government; becoming vulnerable to logging, cattle ranching and agribusiness. In total 4,237 participants in EI's network sent 137,800 protest emails to Brazilian officials, including Brazil's Ministerio Publico, which has now ruled that the proposed reduction of the park by the Mato Grosso State Government is illegal. An FFI spokesperson states " I am convinced the alert played a big part in saving the park. Thank you. I think Ecological Internet is a fantastic creation. " The announcement effectively grants the park a reprieve from destruction, but FFI, EI and the Cristalino Ecological Foundation (CEF) will continue to monitor the situation. http://www.ecoearth.info/Peru:23) The Peru Free Trade Agreement would sanction the destruction of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest -- home to jaguars, long-haired spider monkeys, blue-headed macaws, giant river otters and other endangered species -- by failing to address the illegal harvest and trade in mahogany. This rampant, illegal logging is taking its toll on endangered jaguars and other creatures in Peru. Not only does it destroy Peru's Amazonian habitat, but logging routes expose endangered jaguars and other rainforest animals to hunting and capture. Peru exports thousands of cubic meters of mahogany that is illegally and unsustainably harvested -- over 90% of it imported to the United States. Free trade shouldn't mean illegal trade! Send a message to your Representative and Senators urging them to reject the Peru Free Trade Agreement: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/717993716Kashmir:24) Jammu: While police today claimed to have arrested a timber smuggler wanted by it for the past six months, and booked him under Public Safety Act, the minister for Forest Qazi Mohammad Afzal ordered suspension of range officer, forester and two forest guards of Peer Panchal forest division Range Shopian following the disclosure of large scale illegal felling of green Deodar in various compartments of the division. Sources said that Qazi has taken serious note of the green felling at compartment no. 23, 24, 25 and 26 as reported by a private news channel. Sources said that scores of trees have been cut down in the four compartments adding that four officials including the Range officer of the division has been put under suspension. Commissioner Secretary Forests, Atul Dulloo, said that four officials of the Division have been put under suspension on the directions of the Minister. He said that a departmental inquiry has also been ordered to fix the responsibility for the wanton felling of green trees. Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that the notorious timber smuggler, Mudasir War alis Bilal alias Beta, a resident of Warpora was evading his arrest since last six months. He was apprehended by Sopur police after a long chase, early this morning. District Magistrate Varmul had issued PSA warrants against the accused but he was dodging authorities and evading arrest since last six months, the spokesman said. He was caught in the police net today and detained as per the orders of District Magistrate, he added. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/Home/Newsdetails.asp?newsid=3579 & Issueid=136 & Arch= India:25) KHANPUR - Public circles have protested over immense increase in smuggling of precious wood in the suburb areas of Khanpur. It has been observed that wood valued million of rupees is being cut illegally from Makhnial forests adjoined with capital and is being smuggled to different areas of Punjab. The unfortunate part is that the olive forests are also being eliminated and the deforesting is on fast pace in the areas of Khanpur. Citizens have demanded Forest Department NWFP and District Forest Officer (DFO) Haripur to take immediate action for stopping elimination of trees from the areas as it is vital for saving environment, they added. http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=hn & nid=1047 & ad=10-02-200726) An area of 22 square kilometres covered by mangroves in and around Mumbai and Navi Mumbai has been declared 'protected forests' by a government notification. This means mangroves in Kandivli, Dahisar, Gorai, Vashi, Nerul and Juhu among other places will now be protected under the Indian Forest Act and any violation will be a criminal offence. So far, these areas were in the Coastal Regulation Zone, which prohibits any construction on land within 500 metres of the High Tide Line. Environmental Action Group (BEAG), an NGO, which filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court in 2003 for protection of mangroves. It was in response to BEAG's PIL that the HC in October 2005 had put a total freeze on the destruction and cutting of mangroves in the state and stopped all construction within 50 metres on all sides of mangroves. The order designated Deputy Commissioners of Police of various areas as well as District Magistrates and Collectors to look into complaints of mangrove destruction. According to the HC order, mangroves were to be mapped by using satellite remote sensing by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC). These details were to be submitted to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and the mangrove details were to be transferred on city survey/village maps. All this was completed last November. The state's 720 km-long coastline is indented with rivers, estuaries, creeks and bays—very suitable for ecosystems like mangroves essential for protecting the coastline. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=219523China:27) China, the world's third-largest ethanol maker, will use 32.9 million acres (13.3 million hectares) of forestland, equivalent to the size of England, to grow trees that can be harvested to make bio-fuels. China plans to grow trees bearing nuts or fruits high in oil content to produce alternative fuels and boost farmers' incomes, Cao Qingyao, a spokesman at the state forestry administration said, according to a transcript of a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. The world's second-biggest energy user may spend 1.5 trillion yuan ($192 billion) in the next 15 years to increase the use of renewable resources to cut the nation's reliance on oil. The government will subsidize biomass projects, especially those in bio-diesel and ethanol, the ministry of finance said in November. "The project will help resolve challenges to find replaceable energy and ensure the preservation of the environment," Cao said in the transcript, which was posted on the agency's web site on Wednesday. "It is a great channel for farmers and bio-fuel makers to make money." Rising food demand in China competes with bio-fuels for farmland. China's capacity for processing corn surged to 70 million tonne in 2006 from 50 million tonne in 2005, partly due to rising ethanol production. http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news & doc_id=14396 & start=1 & control=218 & p age_start=1 & page_nr=101 & pg=1Japan:28) " My grandmother is an old style Celt, who believes that you can get spirit power from trees when you hold the tree, " he said. " The trees have energy and healing power, " he said. So when Nicol heard that the Japanese government was planning to remove trees in Kurohime Heights to build roads, he approached them with a rather interesting offer. " Please sell me a hundred trees in the forest, " he told a government official. " That way you will not have to cut down those trees and they [will be] able to stay here forever. " " No way, " said the official, shaking his head. The answer failed to deter Nicol. Rather than continue negotiating with the Japanese government, he figured out that the best way to preserve the trees would be to buy the entire forest. Since 1985, through his savings and money he has made selling books and appearing on Japanese TV shows, Nicol has managed to buy woodlands piece by piece from corporations and government alike. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/02/05/2003347739Korea: 29) Korea's forests were found to be in especially bad shape when looking at their so-called crown vitality, an indicator of health of the crowns of a forest's trees, or their upper leaves and branches. The areas with a crown vitality of Class 1 (healthy), in which less than 10 percent of the leaves or branches are dead during the peak time of the forests turning green, barely passed half, at 51 percent. Those areas suffering light deterioration (11-25 percent dead), or Class 2 crown vitality, stood at 30 percent of the total. Those areas in which 26-50 percent of the trees' crowns were dead, or Class 3, encompassed 10 percent of the studied areas. Classes 4 and 5, where more than half of the tree crowns in a forest were heavily deteriorated and/or dead, turned out to be a total of 9 percent of all areas. The study also found that the amount of Class 1 forests in urban areas (41 percent) was far lower than those in ordinary forests (60 percent) and forests found on islands (56 percent). Soil acidity, another indicator that shows the health of a forest, also posed concerns. Of the surveyed areas, 14 percent, including Mt. Sangdang in Cheongjoo, Mt. Moak in Jeonjoo, Mt. Inwang and Mt. Dobong in Seoul, Mt. Cheongryang in Incheon, Mt. Mudeung and Mt. Geumdang in Gwangju, Mt. Gaya in Gwangyang, and forests along the Han River in Seoul, were evaluated to be strongly acidic, with a pH rate at or below 4.5. The coniferous forest in Mt. Inwang was found to be the most acidic, with a 4.0 pH rate. The average of all surveyed areas was a 4.97 pH level. Experts say that 5.5 is the optimal pH rate for the growth of plants in Korea. Acidity renders the soil infertile by preventing it from storing nutrients. It also makes conditions difficult for trees to grow by reducing the number of microbes in the soil that help plants to absorb nutrients. Jo Hyeon-je, the head of the forest health monitoring team at the Korea Forest Conservation Movement, said that " the forests in cities are largely affected by air pollution and acid rain, for they are the forests that are highly deteriorated. We need to pay special attention to maintain the health of our forests. " http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/187161.htmlBrunei:30) His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam granted an audience to five German parlimentarians yesterday at Istana Nurul Iman. The five members of the German Bundestag are on a working visit to Brunei offering to extend a helping hand in promoting the sultanate as an investment destination for German companies wishing to locate their businesses in Southeast Asia. " Brunei needs to advertise more to develop the country's economy, and Brunei will have the support of the Bundestag in this endeavour, " said Holger Ortel, of the Bundestag's Committee on Transport, Building and Urban Affairs. Brunei's Legislative Council have made similar visits abroad to other parliamentary bodies, such as to the People's General Assembly in Beijing recently. " We have also learnt points and views from the Legislative Council here that we have not heard of at home, " he added. He said such visits to different countries expose them to different ways of discovering inputs in terms of the parliament, politics and economy, adding that: " The visit is also aimed to strengthen parliamentarian and political ties, and we want to be able to asses the political ties and ways of maintaining them in Asean, learn and then carry the knowledge to our European Union. " The EU is a well-established organisation where he hopes Asean could also learn from. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is remodelling itself around the EU, by recently implementing the Asean Charter and setting a deadline to establish the Asean Community by 2020. The Bundestag members are also finding out about Brunei's scientists, environmental institutions and ways of preserving the tropical rainforest. " We realise that the rainforest is definitely a valuable factor in Brunei's efforts of diversifying its economy, " Dr Klaus said. http://www.bruneitimes.com.bn/details.php?shape_ID=20311Philippines:31) NIA Regional Director Abraham Akilit said they have earmarked over 200,000 fruit-bearing and water-based trees along the river to jumpstart the watershed rehabilitation project during the tree planting season. He pointed out that the Bayudan River was prioritized over the Upper Bauko area and Buguias, Benguet, both of which have been considered by the NIA as the most denuded because the environmental awareness of people living along its banks is already high which could contribute to the easy acceptance of the watershed plan. The Bayudan River serves as a pilot area or showcase site in the implementation of the master plan, especially for the Buguias, Benguet and Mount Data areas where stiff opposition is expected to the planned re-greening of the denuded forests due to misconceptions. The NIA watershed master plan is based on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) " Adopt a Forest " system and it anchored the plan on a reward system where those who plant trees for the watershed would get the fruits of the trees they will plant. Added to this is the encouragement of agro-forestry for farmers which would instill to them the need to take care of the trees because they will surely get economic benefits from them and it would dissuade farmers from further encroaching into the forests. At present, Akilit said the NIA is putting up a system using the geographic information system (GIS) to monitor the activities at the Bayudan watershed and other tree planting sites in Cordillera. Under this technology, loggers, checkpoints leading to the area, and agricultural activities among others could be easily monitored from a computer that would be put up in a strategic area. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2007/02/09/news/bauko.folks.renew.support.to.watershed.re hab.plan.html32) Every year from 1990 to year 2000, the Philippines lost about 100,000 hectares of forest reserves - or totally 1 million hectares (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2001). More recent data on forest destruction is not yet available, but FAO and other forest-related institutions also cite that the Philippines has only 800,000 hectares of old-growth forest left. It is alarming to note that under various TLA, IFMA and ITPLA companies are still allowed to harvest timber in natural forests and residual forests. We can imagine the further depletion of the 7.168 million remaining forests under these tenurial instruments. Haribon mapped watersheds in selected areas of the country which showed the conflicting land use pattern evident even in critical watershed areas such as the Agno, Cagayan, Pampanga, Rio Pulanggi, Buayan-Malungan and the Bicol Watersheds, including the Angat Watershed which feeds the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa dams, Metro Manila's sources of water supply. Numerous logging, mining, quarrying, and poaching activities race to divest the forests of its biodiversity. The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) report on January 2007 quoted National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Cordillera manager, Abraham Akilit citing the Agno and Chico rivers as the most critically endangered due to rapid forest destruction, increased land conversion for agriculture, soil erosion and siltation. Several mining companies are located within the Agno Watershed while the Chico River basin is under threat from logging interests. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=66282Borneo:33) A tri-nation deal has been signed to protect 200,000 square kilometres of rainforest on the island of Borneo. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam pledged to protect the area, known as the " Heart of Borneo " . It is considered one of the most important sites of biodiversity in the world, home to thousands of species. It is threatened by plantation and logging companies, as well as farmers, and researchers say half of the original forest has already been lost. The agreement, known as the Heart of Borneo declaration, aims to put an end to this, and protect an area prized by conservationists. But the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta says the declaration is more a statement of intent rather than a commitment to concrete actions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6355413.stmIndonesia:34) Bruce Carlisle has visited the island of Buton four times to assess damage to the island's vegetation as part of a $1 million World Bank project designed to empower local villagers to lead more sustainable lives and protect their rainforest. Bruce, a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management from the School of Applied Sciences, uses satellite imagery to record the state of the rainforest over a period of time. Fieldwork involves counting trees, measuring their size and recording their type to get a picture of how good the forest is and determine if it being adversely affected. In recent years the island, which is just off Sulawesi, has seen a rapid increase in population thanks to the Indonesian Government's policy of moving people out of densely populated areas to less populated regions which has had a negative impact on the rainforest. " There's quite a lot of clearing going on as people cut down trees for firewood and build homes,'' he said. " Also because new families are being moved in, they need to clear space for farmland. The result is that the rainforest is gradually being eaten away around the edges although there is evidence that the centre of the rainforest is healthy and animal species are thriving.'' One of the animals this project, run by Operation Wallacea, is keen to save from extinction is the " anoa'' – a dwarf buffalo. Only about 2,000 exist in the world yet, until recently, they were still regularly hunted for their meat on the island of Buton. However, thanks to the conservation project funded by the World Bank, villagers are getting paid more for their agricultural produce enabling them to buy animals for meat rather than hunting the anoa. Under the project they are also encouraged to grow trees in plantations rather than clear rainforest. " It's all about giving villagers responsibilities so that they can protect the rainforest in the future,'' said Bruce. http://northumbria.ac.uk/insight/598381Malaysia:35) In 2004 the Papua New Guinea Eco-Forestry Forum ( " The Forum " ) instigated complaints against the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of the plantation management operations of Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau (RH) in New Zealand. Rimbunan Hijau has been internationally criticised for the poor quality of its logging operations across three continents and the seriously negative environmental, social and political consequences of its forest management (see for example The Untouchables: Rimbunan Hijau's world of forest crime and political patronage, GPI. 2004). Despite the wide criticism of Rimbunan Hijau, both Smartwood and SGS choose to issue FSC certificates for the plantation management operations of RH subsidiary Ernslaw One. In early 2004, the Eco-Forestry Forum issued complaints to both certifying bodies. The Forum pointed out that Ernslaw One could not demonstrate the requisite commitment to the Principles of the FSC as its wholly owned subsidiary company, The LumberBank, was importing sawn timber from the illegal and unsustainable harvesting operations of Rimbunan Hijau in Papua New Guinea. In June/July 2004, both SGS and Smartwood rejected the complaints by the Eco-Forestry Forum. The Forum then submitted appeals through the certifiers' own 'independent' processes. In November 2004 the Forum was informed by Smartwood that its appeal had been unsuccessful (SGS took a further 12 months before it communicated a similar decision). Neither Smartwood nor SGS disputed the fact that Ernslaw One's subsidiary company was importing illegal and unsustainably harvested timber from the Papua New Guinea operations of Ernslaw mother company, Rimbunan Hijau. Instead they upheld the Forest Management Certificates on their interpretation of the relationship between Ernslaw One and its wholly owned subsidiary as that of 'sister' companies with no hierarchical responsibility. They also rejected the argument that the certifications were bringing discredit on the FSC. http://www.fsc-watch.org/archives/2007/02/09/Update_on_complaint_to_FSC_about_SmartWood_certifi cation_of_Rimbunan_Hijau_subsidiaryAustralia:36) Forestry Minister Eric Abetz said Labor's new environment spokesman and Latham recruit Peter Garrett appeared to be championing the former leader's proposal to protect large swathes of Tasmania's forests from logging. The Latham policy, announced when he visited Tasmania with Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, sparked outrage among the state's traditionally Labor-voting timber workers and cost the opposition crucial ground in the 2004 election. Mr Latham's successor Kim Beazley, scotched the policy in an effort to win back support in the Apple Isle. " The problem is Labor's environment spokesman, Mr Garrett, wants to shut down the Tasmanian timber industry, " Senator Abetz said, referring to a newspaper article which quoted Mr Garrett as saying Labor's forests policy for the 2007 election would be guided by the principle of " further protection " . " This was Mr Latham's 2004 Tasmanian forests policy which Mr Beazley sensibly dumped, but which has now been regurgitated and resurrected under Mr Rudd's leadership by the new environment spokesman for Labor. http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Garrett-resurrecting-forests-policy/2007/02/06/11705240869 80.html37) The NSW Government has opened up areas of Vulcan State Forest near Oberon and Canobolas State Forest near Orange for droving cattle that have been affected by the drought. Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, said today fire and drought had been big issues in the region and this was one way the State Government, through Forests NSW, could help address both problems. " Allowing cattle to graze among the pine trees will help reduce dry fuels, " he said. " At the same time, it will assist farmers who are struggling to feed their stock during the ongoing drought. " Minister Macdonald said it was a trial commercial arrangement and Forests NSW had limited areas that were suitable for droving stock. The cattle are being driven mainly by horseback. Droving agreements are short-term - for a month or two. One of the farmers who approached Forests NSW has been on the road for three-and-a-half years. http://batemansbay.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=national%20news & subclass=general & story_id= 550930 & category=general38) A south Australian man has been arrested while tree-sitting during a protest at a Tasmanian logging coupe today. The man, 21, was charged with trespass within a Forestry Tasmania exclusion zone in the Florentine Valley at Maydena, west of Hobart, about 3pm (AEDT) today, police said. The man climbed from the tree following negotiations with police and was arrested. He was taken to Bridgewater police station where he was charged and bailed to appear at the Hobart Court of Petty Sessions at a later date. http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,21214592%255E421,00.html 39) "Forestry Tasmania has expanded an illegal onslaught against wild forest containing threatened species habitat in the Lower Weld and Upper Florentine Valleys. Community activists have stopped logging in these World Heritage value forests today," Huon Valley Environment Centre Jenny Weber said. "For the past two years, activists have halted expansion into wilderness forests in the Weld Valley. This week Forestry Tasmania has commenced logging in two forest areas on both sides of the world-heritage valued valley. Forestry Tasmania has signalled its intention to ignore the ruling of the Federal court and the advice of numerous international and local experts," Jenny Weber said. "A tree sit in the Weld Valley, Coupe WR12C has today highlighted threats to an oldgrowth forest area within 200 metres of the World Heritage boundary in the South Weld. It is set to be cable logged. Across the Weld river, threatened forest in Coupe BBO21C contains habitat for endangered Wedge-Tailed Eagles, White Goshawks and the Mt Mangana Stag Beetle. Logging in the area has been stopped for 18 months by community blockades. Meanwhile, a tree-sit has been suspended off logging machinery in Coupe FO42F in the Upper Florentine, with the World Heritage boundary less than two kilometres to the west and east.These actions are taking place on the eve of the arrival in Tasmania of the Director General of the World Heritage Centre. The Australian Government was asked by the World Heritage Bureau to prepare a report, by February 2007, responding to concerns raised by conservationists about threats to the Tasmanian World Heritage Area.," Jenny Weber said. http://www.huon.orgWorld-wide:40) We lack a robust theoretical basis for linking ecological diversity to ecosystem dynamics and, in turn, to ecosystem services underlying human well-being. We all need this information to understand the limits and consequences of biodiversity loss and the actions needed to maintain or restore ecosystem functions. The most catastrophic changes in ecosystem services identified in the MA involved nonlinear or abrupt shifts. We lack the ability to predict thresholds for such changes, whether or not a change may be reversible, and how individuals and societies will respond. Thus, the risks of ecosystem catastrophes are poorly quantified. Major ecosystem degradation tends to occur as syndromes of simultaneous failure in multiple services. For example, the populous dry lands of the world are facing a combination of failing crops and grazing, declining quality and quantity of fresh water, and loss of tree cover. Similarly, many rivers and lakes have experienced increases in nutrient pollution (eutrophication), toxicity, and biodiversity loss. Relations between ecosystem services and human well-being are poorly understood. One gap relates to the consequences of changes in ecosystem services for poverty reduction. The poor are most dependent on ecosystem services and vulnerable to their degradation. Empirical studies are needed. http://www.sciencemag.org41) How efficient is a forest in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere? While a cubic meter of wood contains about 250 kg of carbon, a cubic meter of air contains about 0.117 grams of carbon. This means that a cubic meter of wood contains the same amount of carbon as 1.4 million cubic meters of air. Trees are not only capable of fixing carbon but also of concentrating it to an incredible extent. A forest growing at the rate of 10 m3 wood per hectare per year is absorbing the carbon from 14 million m3 of air (a column of air 1400 meters high on one hectare). The combination of photosynthesis and a tree's ability to lay down wood (cellulose and lignin) acts as a powerful concentrator of carbon from the atmosphere into a fixed form. There is no parallel human technology that is capable of performing this kind of carbon concentration. http://www.kfoa.co.nz/faqs.htm#4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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