The study, authored by William Anderegg of Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University and Jeffrey Kane and Leander Anderegg of Northern Arizona University, reviews dozens of scientific papers dealing with the ecological impacts of climate change on forests.

Although forests reflect more light and decrease local temperatures, there are a host of other issues that are exacerbated by global warming. Forests reduce the impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen, however, less trees means more carbon and less oxygen. This constitutes a dangerous feedback loop. Declining forests are being impacted by global warming and this is interfering with the natural processes that mitigate climate change.

As reviewed in a Mongabay article, “Forests cover 42 million square kilometers or 30 percent of Earth’s land surface…Forests store 45 percent of the carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems and sequester as much as 25 percent of annual carbon emissions from human activities, helping mitigate a key driver of climate change…clear-cutting of forests in the tropics accounts for 8-15 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.”

As stated in Science Daily, “From an ecosystem perspective, forest die-off will also likely affect hydrological processes and nutrient cycles…decomposition of fallen trees releases carbon into the atmosphere, thus producing a warming effect…Debris from fallen trees could also increase a forest’s fire risk.”

These impacts have a very real economic costs. Forests account for trillions of dollars of annual economic activity. Mass tree mortality will incur substantial losses to the timber industry and could cause declines in real-estate property values.

Forests cover 42 million square kilometers or 30 percent of Earth’s land surface. Every continent on Earth is being impacted by forests loss with the exception of Antarctica. In the US, there has been an increase in the incidence and severity of forest fires since 2000. A wide range of forest are being impacted including the Redwood forest in Marin, CA. Rainforest in Borneo. Forests in Southeast Asia, the Russian Far East, and the Amazon has been particularly affected by drought over the past 20 years. Roughly a million hectares of Amazon rainforest suffered from severe drought stress in 2010.

Although more research is required, the study suggest a troubling global trend that could cost billions of dollars and substantially accelerate climate change.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://www.thegreenmarketoracle.com
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

Prof Fredrick Owino, a forest policy and science specialist said in Nairobi at the ongoing first International Union of Forestry Research Organisation conference that for Africa to meet the UNFF expectations, “the continent has to revamp its forestry education and research.”

However, education and research remain very low in priority in both national budgets and donor support.

According to Prof Owino, only a few academic institutions in the continent have achieved continental and international repute.

Even those like the University of Khartoum (Sudan), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), Makerere University (Uganda), Sokoine University of Agriculture and Forestry (Tanzania) which have made some repute, they are however all under resourced as compared to institutions in developing countries. Further, he said, their uptake of new knowledge and skills is very slow and unpredictable in African institutions.

Education and research programmes are not development oriented with frequent reports of the products of education and research institutions being misfits in development arena.

Worse, said Prof Owino, practical education is particularly limited.

Most of practitioners educated up to 1970s received general and specialized education from other continents – mainly Europe, North America and Australia.

The education offered to African practitioners during those early periods was mainly based on temperate climate forestry experiences.

However, the education proved relevant for plantation management with exotic tree species in Africa.

The result is that present day forest practitioners who are alumni of these institutions exhibit deficiencies.

“Weaknesses in practical education results in “arm chair” forest practitioners of little value in forestry development,” said Prof Owino.

Moreover, he adds, the present tertiary level education are narrowly structured to offer minimum education package with few engaging in effective research and extension.

To help the situation, the African Forest Forum has identified the above weaknesses and is addressing them through strengthening post-graduate education and research programmes.

Research

If Africa is devoid of quality training institutions, the overall impact is that only a few countries in Africa have vibrant forestry research institutions.

The few existing institutions run programmes which do not address development needs, they have weak technical capacities and are underfunded.

Experts at the meeting pointed out that while in the past, institutions like EAAFRO, South Africa, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria had strong research programmes , they however had wrong focus.

“They focused on plantation forestry with exotic species while the scenario showed dwindling land sizes, and a tropical environment that did not favour temperate-kind of forests,” said Prof Owino.

These institutions made important influence in timber production in respective countries.

Similarly, research institutions in countries like Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, etc. had research programmes focused on management of tropical high forests which had strong influence on forest management and conservation in Africa.

Since 1980s, some African countries have benefited from regional research networks driven by organizations such as World Agroforestry Centre, CIFOR, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

These more recent research initiatives have been unique in being development focused as they have been designed to address identified development needs.

Indigenous knowledge

Prof Owino decried lack of documentation of indigenous knowledge given that had existed in Africa over the years.

He said in many African countries, there exist valuable indigenous knowledge base on management of forests and tree resources – particularly for minor forest products. “However with passing on of older generation with this knowledge, it is rapidly being lost,” he said.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

“Individually both governments and business have already mobilized significant resources to address the challenge of deforestation but we all recognize that much more can be achieved if we align our efforts and work in partnership,” said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever.

The US Government invited other countries, companies, and civil society leaders to join the effort to develop joint policy recommendations and an action plan to promote sustainable food production, while also protecting and conserving forests.

“I am so pleased to see the United States Government and major companies beginning to take a leadership role in protecting the environment. We environmentalists can only do so much. It truly takes all of us working together to heal the planet,” said Jane Goodall, co-Chair of the event.

“The private sector needs to put people and the planet at the center of all we do,” said Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group. “Together we need to face critical challenges, including finding ways to harness and protect our natural assets—including the last remaining tropical forests. The planet won’t wait.”

Ted Turner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the second largest landowner in the United States, also voiced support. “The message of this event is very timely. Our land-based resources are dwindling, and so we must be responsible stewards by reducing wasteful consumption and agricultural practices and promoting sustainable uses that protect the environment while continuing to feed growing populations,” he said.

Jeff Horowitz, founder of Avoided Deforestation Partners who organized the event was “extremely pleased to see governments and corporations make such extraordinary commitments”. He added, “We believe this partnership can be a game changer with the potential to transform how we grow our food, fuel and fiber, with immediate and dramatic effects on efforts to slow, halt and reverse deforestation.”

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

Source: unknown

Between 7-12 May, NL-Aid is enjoying a spring recess. From 13 May, you can read articles of our authors again. Untill that time, we have selected Youtube videos in which the strength of people is centered;). In this episode: Deforestation.

AUTHOR: Hans Sluijter
URL: www.NL-Aid.org
E-MAIL: info [at] www.NL-Aid.org

This video deals with the crucial role that forests play to reduce emissions and manage climage change. Specifically the video offers a simplified understanding of REDD which is an abbreviation for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.” This video explains the workings of REDD, the key mechanism to reduce forest loss which significantly contributes to climate change.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

Forests contribute to the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people worldwide. Forests provide a home to more than 300 million people worldwide and they sustain economic growth. Forests also provide homes, security and livelihoods for 60 million Indigenous peoples. Today people who depend on forests for their livelihoods are struggling to survive.

But this trend is not irreversible. It’s not too late to transform life as we know it into a greener future where forests are at the heart of sustainable development and green economic growth.

Conserving and expanding forests need to be recognized as a business opportunity. When we add it up, an investment of US$30 billion fighting deforestation and degradation could provide a return of US$2.5 trillion in new products and services.

Furthermore, targeted investments in forestry could generate up to 10 million new jobs around the world. Already, many leaders are glimpsing the potential for renewable energy and nature-based assets, but for transformation to happen, forests need to become a universal political priority.

The services forests provide are essentially to every aspect of our quality of life. And the answer to sustainable forest management, moving towards a green economy, lies in our hands.

Despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to live and breathe.

Continued and uncontrolled deforestation has devastating consequences for the environment, wildlife, communities, and economies around the world.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com