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Sub-Topics
2002
2010
Forest Fires
Palm Oil
Also TryListsMultimedia
- Forest Conservation (ForestryDegree.net)
Provides a list of resources on forestry conservation. "The sites listed here are all about protecting woodlands and rainforests while still making efficient use of their resources."
News
- Biochar for Carbon Sequestration (Just Have a Think)
Describes reforestration as the most important solution for decarbonization. 12-22
- Brazilian Amazon Rainforest Gigantic Fires (MSNBC News)
"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took power this year promising to open the Amazon rainforest to industry, roll back environmental and indigenous protections and stack his Cabinet with ideologues who dismiss climate change as a Marxist hoax." 08-19
- Brazilian Amazon Rainforest Gigantic Fires (MSNBC News)
Provides news on Brazil's fires. 08-19
- Save the Rainforests, Follow the Frog (UpWorthy.com)
Provides a video on how you can help stop the ruin of the rainforests by buying products certified not to be from the rainforests.
Papers
- Environment News (Environment News Service)
Provides stories related to pollution, global warming, preservation of species, alternative energy, energy efficiency, saving forests, and similar topics.
Projects
- -20-16 Study: Main Causes of Deforestation (UCSUSA.org)
"At the global level, an important new study by Sabine Henders, Martin Persson and Thomas Kastner, published last December, made it clear which commodity is by far the world’s leading driver of deforestation: beef."
Editor's Note: The study indicates that beef represents about 65% of deforestation.
"And indeed, a recent study by Alexandra Tyukavina and colleagues that estimated the rates of loss of natural forests on a global scale, found that fully 54% of it—44 out of 77 ˝ million hectares—was in Latin America. This research, by Veronica DeSy and colleagues. was based on painstakingly detailed examination of satellite images taken from 1990 to 2005, systematically distributed across the continent. It found that fully 71% of the forest clearing was to create cattle pasture, versus just 12% to plant commercial crops (which include soybeans). Smallholder crops were responsible for just 2% of the deforestation."
"Brazil, even with its success over the past decade in reducing deforestation, is still the country where the majority of Latin America’s deforestation occurs, so let’s focus in on it." 05-16
- -Biochar to Resist Ash Dieback (TheGuardian.com)
"Trees could be protected from the devastating ash dieback disease with the help of a natural soil treatment, researchers have claimed." 02-16
- Africa - Covers the Trek of Michael Fay Along the Congo River Basin (National Geographic)
"For 15 months Wildlife Conservation Society biologist J. Michael Fay hiked across central Africa (map)—1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) through dense forests and remote villages—to Africa’s Atlantic coast." 9-02
- Africa - Top Rainforest Project in the World (CountryReports.org)
"At this week's United Nations meeting on sustainable development, held in South Africa, Gabon announced that it would soon create 13 new national parks on roughly 10,000 square miles of land." "When these parks are up and running, Gabon will leap from last to first in an important environmental category: As a percentage of total land mass, this will be the largest park system in the world." Also covers the travels of Michael Fay, conservationist. Visitors sometimes misspell as Fey. Gabon is sometimes mispelled as Gabbon. 9-02
- Arguments for Caution When Using Trees for Carbon Sequestration (Mongabay.com)
"Overall, about 20 percent more of the water provided by precipitation was removed by current tree farming, the study estimated. And additional planting of trees for carbon mitigation will likely have large impacts on water resources of many nations that net less than 30 percent of what precipitation provides for their total annual supplies of fresh water, the authors predicted." 07-08
- Bald Cypress Forests (MSNBC News)
"A tree can inspire awe better than any man-made structure, particularly one that has eclipsed its brethren and thumbed its 'knees' at man’s efforts to turn it into something useful. On Day 12 of our two-week journey down the Mississippi River, we came face-to-trunk with one such forest monarch and met some locals who, while they have very different perspectives on the best uses for trees, share a deep love for a special piece of Louisiana swamp." 8-04
- Basics of Carbon Sequestration (EPA.gov)
"There are three general means by which agricultural and forestry practices can reduce greenhouse gases:"
" (1) avoiding emissions by maintaining existing carbon storage in trees and soils;"
" (2) increasing carbon storage by, e.g., tree planting, conversion from conventional to conservation tillage practices on agricultural lands;"
" (3) substituting bio-based fuels and products for fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and energy-intensive products that generate greater quantities of CO2 when used."
"Forests and soils have a large influence on atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2)—the most important global warming gas emitted by human activities. Tropical deforestation is responsible for about 20% of the world's annual CO2 emissions (IPCC Special Report on LULUCF (2000)." 07-08
- Bush Record on Forests (TWS.org)
Describes how Bush administration policies have influenced protection of our forests and wilderness areas. 7-04
- Bush Strikes Out on the Environment (TWS.org)
Presents evidence that President Bush has not protected our air, water, or forests effectively. 7-04
- Climate Change May Make Forests Net Carbon Emitters (TheGuardian.com)
"Droughts and global temperature rises may mean that tropical forests flip from being a sink for human emissions of carbon from fossil fuels into a major new source of atmospheric carbon that threatens to increase inexorably. So warn scientists at the Climate Congress now under way in Copenhagen, Denmark."
"Previously climate modellers have assumed that rising levels CO2 in the atmosphere will increase the growth of forest trees under the carbon fertilisation effect. But according to David Hilbert of research organisation CSIRO, they have left out one key factor - trees also die younger as their metabolic rate is increased." 12-14
- Deforestation Causes (Union of Concerned Scientists)
"Just four commodities—beef, soy, palm oil, and wood products—drive the majority of tropical deforestation." 04-16
- Global Patterns of Forests (World Resources Institute)
Provides maps and factsheets regarding forests and deforestation globally. 1-01
- Leave No Trace
- Logging - Advocates Against Logging Public Forests (National Forest Council)
Argues against logging public forests. 1-01
- Native Activists and the Future (Massa and Cascadia Planet - LaDuke)
Provides statements from Winona LaDuke about "White" views of the environment compared to the Native views. She also discusses the difference between Native Activists and Environmentalists.
- Oregon Forest to be "Salvaged" (OregonLive.com - Kitzhaber)
"After a yearlong study, the U.S. Forest Service has concluded that the Siskiyou National Forest land burned by last year's Biscuit Fire needs a massive restoration effort including reforestation, road and stream rehabilitation and timber salvage. If implemented, this will be one of the largest timber sales in Oregon history, more timber than has been produced from all the public lands in the Northwest in some years."
"Unfortunately, the Forest Service's plan is misguided at its very foundation, and we will likely never see these benefits." 12-03
- Plant a Tree...the Right Kind (ABC News)
"Syracuse researchers found that if they could replant their city with trees that are great at sequestering carbon compounds, especially carbon dioxide, they could increase the removal of carbon by more than 300 percent. But they also found that air quality would actually suffer from an increase in volatile compounds."
"So they looked at mixing the forest, emphasizing trees that are good performers when it comes to carbon sequestration and don't emit a lot of junk. They came up with a list of 31 species, including American basswood, dogwood, Eastern white pine, Eastern red cedar, gray birch, red maple and river birch. That combination, they found, would increase carbon sequestration by 86 percent, and reduce the emission of volatile compounds by 88 percent." 12-06
- Plant the Right Trees for Better Carbon Sequestration (ABC News)
""Syracuse researchers found that if they could replant their city with trees that are great at sequestering carbon compounds, especially carbon dioxide, they could increase the removal of carbon by more than 300 percent. But they also found that air quality would actually suffer from an increase in volatile compounds."
"So they looked at mixing the forest, emphasizing trees that are good performers when it comes to carbon sequestration and don't emit a lot of junk. They came up with a list of 31 species, including American basswood, dogwood, Eastern white pine, Eastern red cedar, gray birch, red maple and river birch. That combination, they found, would increase carbon sequestration by 86 percent, and reduce the emission of volatile compounds by 88 percent."
Editor's Note: Trees also increase oxygen in the air, of course. 02-07
- Rainforest Facts (Rain-Tree.com)
Describes how rainforests are being lost and why they need to be preserved. 11-04
- Rainforest People (ChristianAnswers.net)
Provides information about the daily lives, such as food, clothes, and environment, of the rainforest people of South America near the Amazon River. 11-04
- Rainforests - The Value (Raintree Nutrition)
Provides a description of the benefits of rainforests. 12-00
- Rainforests Are Full of Life (Rainforest Action Network)
Provides reasons for keeping our rainforests and describes the rate of destruction.
12-00
- Research: Amazon Forest Crisis Can Create "Incalculable Consequences" for Earth (The Independent)
"The vast Amazon rainforest is on the brink of being turned into desert, with catastrophic consequences for the world's climate, alarming research suggests. And the process, which would be irreversible, could begin as early as next year."
"Scientists say that this would spread drought into the northern hemisphere, including Britain, and could massively accelerate global warming with incalculable consequences, spinning out of control, a process that might end in the world becoming uninhabitable." 07-06
- Saving Forests (PBS - Bill Moyers Reports Earth on Edge)
Discusses how forests, not just timber, can be promoted in ways that make sense economically. 11-01
- Saving Forests of the World (Forests.org)
Provides a search engine just for conservation topics, such as forests, rainforests, biodiversity, and climate change. Also provides discussions, papers, sources, and more. 3-00
- Scientist: Man May Have Settled North America 50,000 Years Ago (CNN News)
"Archaeologists say a site in South Carolina may rewrite the history of how the Americas were settled by pushing back the date of human settlement thousands of years."
"An archaeologist from the University of South Carolina on Wednesday announced radiocarbon tests that dated the first human settlement in North America to 50,000 years ago -- at least 25,000 years before other known human sites on the continent." 11-04
- Seed Project to Preserve Species (PlanetArk.org)
Describes the British project to save many species of plants from extinction by development of a huge seed bank. 11-00
- Seeds for Diversity (Journey to Forever)
Describes projects to save the diversity of plants on our planet. 12-00
- Solar Cooking Boxes (JourneytoForever.org)
Shows how to build a solar cooker using a cardboard box. "Research has found that 36% of the world's fuelwood needs (or 350 million tonnes of wood per year, according to UNICEF) could be replaced by solar box cookers, saving 500 kg of wood per family per year, equalling millions of trees."
"Indoor smoke pollution now ranks 8th in health burden worldwide (lost years of healthy life), and ranks fourth in the "least-developed" countries (which make up about 40% of the world population) according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2002."
- Solar Cooking Facts (SolarCooking.org)
Provides basic facts for efficient solar cooking and boiling water. (Water can also be made safe by heating it to only 150 degrees for 20 minutes, pasteurizing it rather than boiling it.)
- Solicitations - How to Remove Your Name from Phone and Mail Advertising Lists (NativeForest.org)
Provides you with information to remove your name from mail and phone solicitations. Explains the limitations and conditions of removal. Other junk mail may also be reduced. 2-00
- Solutions for the Environment (Awesome Library - Adams)
Provides a summary of key activities necessary to reduce air and water pollution, reduce the rate of global warming, and more. 1-01
- Study: Old-Growth Forests Moderate Temperature (OPB.org)
"The research showed differences as much as 4.5 degrees on warm days. Old growth forests also held in heat during cold weather. Overall, these forests have a moderating effect on temperature extremes."
"Old-growth forests in the Northwest have the potential to make the extremes of climate change less damaging for wildlife." 04-16
- Supporting Small Family-Owned Forests (CNN News)
"Unfortunately, the [Copenhagen] summit's forest initiatives provided little help to the more than 10 million people like me who manage family-owned forest land in the United States. Since such forests make up more than a third of all forests in the nation, they have the potential to play a huge -- and growing -- role in reducing carbon emissions. Any government action on climate change in this country needs to pay attention to them."
"Family forest owners like me provide about 60 percent of all U.S. lumber supplies. With the slow housing construction market, and timber prices near record lows, it's a great time to direct forest owners toward conservation-minded forest practices."
"Providing forest owners with a modest income stream for carbon-enhancing forest activities is the key." 02-09
- Tree Diseases (Forestry.About.com)
Provides information from "the Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet Series, USDA Forest Service." 6-07
- Tree Loss Responsible for Carbon Emissions (Time.com)
"Tree loss accounts for at least 20% of global carbon emissions. What would help cap that output is an international market — similar to that in the power industry or manufacturing — that allows tropical nations to preserve their rainforests in exchange for selling the carbon emissions contained within them. That doesn't exist, in part because major tropical countries like Brazil and Indonesia have been reluctant to accept international carbon finance, for fear of losing control over their natural resources. But Indonesia — the world's third biggest carbon emitter, thanks chiefly to its high deforestation rates — now seems ready to open up. At California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's climate summit in November, Indonesian officials announced their government would set up a regulatory framework for carbon forestry programs, and signed an agreement with California to help shepherd those projects. Translation: Indonesia appears ready to help wealthy California help Indonesia preserve its rapidly dwindling rainforests — and the climate will benefit." 02-09
- Tree Production of Oxygen (Captain Jack Communications)
Claims that an acre of Christmas trees produce oxygen for 18 people. Does not provide the source for the claim. 12-00
- Trees, Water, and Soil (Journey to Forever)
Shows how loss of trees destroys the topsoil and how the topsoil can be built again. 12-00
- Adopt a Tree (ILoveThatTeachingIdea.com)
Provides a project to help children appreciate trees through getting to know one tree well. 2-02
- National Wildlife Federation
Provides programs to protect endangered habitats, wetlands, endangered species, and more.
- Rainforests (AtoZKidsStuff.com)
Provides over a dozen projects for appreciation of rainforests. 1-02
- Solar Cooking Design for Villages (SolarCooking.org)
Provides the design for a very effective solar oven, using foil, cardboard, and plastic.
- Solar Cooking Designs for Villages (SolarCooking.org)
Provides a variety of designs for a very effective solar ovens, using primarily foil, cardboard, and plastic.
- Tree Planting - Carbon Calculator (American Forests)
Shows how many trees are needed to counterbalance your use of fossil fuel energy. 7-02
- World's Oldest Tree (ScienceDaily.com)
"The world's oldest recorded tree is a 9,550 year old spruce in the Dalarna province of Sweden. The spruce tree has shown to be a tenacious survivor that has endured by growing between erect trees and smaller bushes in pace with the dramatic climate changes over time." 07-09
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