World forests Flashcards
what is the size of the world forests
the worlds forests area is estimated at 3952 million hectares which corresponds to about 30% of the land area in 2005
what are 3 broad groups of the worlds forests
tropical forest
temperate forest
boreal forest or taiga
what are characteristics of tropical forests
LOCATION near equator with 2 seasons rainy and dry (12 hours daylight)
TEMP rage from 20-25 degrees
PRECIP even distribution >2000mm rainfall
SOIL nutrient poor acidic and rapid decomp so soil may leach
CANOPY multilayered and continuous so little light penetration
FLORA diverse plants
what are characteristics of temperate forests
LOCATION latitude 30-50 degrees N well defined seasons
TEMPERATURE varies -30-30
PRECIPITATION 75-150cm evenly distributed
SOIL fertile with enriched decay
CANOPY dense with light penetration rich diversified understory vegetation
FLORA 34 tree species per square km (lots of trees)
Characteristics of boreal forests
LOCATION between 50-60 degree N w/ 2/3 in Siberia and rest in Canada Scandinavia and Alaska
TEMP very low
PRECIP snow 40-100cm
SOIL thin nutrient poor and acidic
CANOPY low light penetration and limited understory
FLORA cold tolerant conifers with needles
how man hectares of the world forest is lost annually
Total world forest area in 3.9 billion hectares and 15 million hectares are lost annually (tropics)
disappeared in 25 countries, 18 have lost more than 95% of their forests and another 11 have lost 90%
12.5% of plant species and 75% of mammals are threatened
what is the nature of the crisis in forests
remaining forests are impoverished and all are threatened
decline in forest cover and quality
crisis because importance for environment, economy, and society because of loss of forest cover and integrity
forest keep integrity for human habitat
what are the 5 roots of the crisis of forest
missing markets
timber concession policies and subsidies
land ownership and tenure
governance failure
international trade (globalization)
what are missing markets (crisis)
markets don’t reflect wider values of forests
Lack of economic incentives to preserve forests, landowners prefer to dedicate their lands to more financially rewarding uses
what is timber concession policies and subsidies (crisis)
Concessions are contracts that define property rights and rules for forest exploitation
Government timer concession terms routinely set stumpage prices at unrealistic low levels (private gains at public expense)
Subsides include direct payment from governments favourable tax polices and provision of good and services by governments below cost
what is land ownership and tenure (crisis)
Secure and enforce property rights are required to encourage sustainable use of forests
Forest users with uncertainty if they will have access to forests overt long term maximize, they immediate returns at the expense of the long term benefits that might arise from more sustainable uses
what is governance failure (crisis)
Governance relates to systems and processes, the legal framework and institution through which decision are made in a society
Forest communities are often excluded from decision making about forest sued and disposition of benefits
how can we sustain world forests
stop destruction
get prices of forests right to reflect their value
sustainable forest approaches (localized participatory decision making, landscape planning, best forest practice, etc.)
develop a Forest Capital Index FCI
develop a Forest Security Council FSC
What us a forest capital index FCI
dimensionless number from a suite of weighted indicators (biomass, biodiversity, soil organic matter, and surface area standing)
benchmark for assessing of forest capital is increasing or decreasing
can create market mechanisms to compensate countries for ecological services
What is a forest security council FSC
FSC proposed to complement intergovernmental processes
world forest commission suggested a preliminary group of 25 countries which FSC might happen
