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Facts on Forests and Forestry

 
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1 Introduction – Measuring progress towards sustainable forest management
2 How much forest is there on the planet and at what rate is it disappearing?
3 How can forests affect climate change?
4 What is the biological diversity of the world’s forests?
5 How healthy are the world’s forests?
6 What products are extracted from forests?
7 What are the protective effects of forests?
8 What are the economic and social benefits of forests?
9 Are forests managed in a sustainable way?
10 Conclusions

 
  A faithful summary of the "Global Forest Resources Assessment"
  produced in 2005 by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). More...
 

 

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1. What is a forest?

1.1. What are the definitions of a forest?
1.2. What are the different types of forest?
1.3. What is meant by natural or ‘frontier’ forests?

 
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1.1. What are the definitions of a forest?

Forests can be defined in several ways. The main differences concern:

1.1.1. The legal classification of land uses in a country (forest / agriculture / urban). Some definitions of ‘forest’ depend on the actual vegetation on the ground. Other definitions are based on a legally defined land area (which could have no vegetation at all) under the jurisdiction of the national agency managing forests. More…

1.1.2. The kind of vegetation that constitutes a forest. Each country in the European Union has its own definition of a forest and the European Commission has defined forestland as having at least 20% canopy closure (10% in the Mediterranean forests) and a minimum area of 0.5 ha. (1 ha. = 0.01 km²). Elsewhere, the definition of a tree can vary. More…

 
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1.2. What are the different types of forest?

Forests are classified by biomes so that each forest type corresponds to a climatic region. Within the main three forest biomes (tropical, temperate or boreal) one can find multiple forest types. More…

1.2.1. Tropical forests (rainforests but also others) occur near the equator and are the most ecologically rich of all forest types. They regenerate very rapidly but they are the most threatened forests, primarily by logging (reforestation is rare but it has been successfully achieved in some places) and clearance for agriculture (which is often permanent and leads to soil erosion). More…

They are characterized by 25-35 m tall trees with a multi-layered and continuous canopy, a highly diverse flora, and a fauna including numerous birds, bats, small mammals, and insects. More…

There are four tropical forest types: evergreen rainforest, seasonal rainforest, semi-evergreen forest and moist/dry deciduous forest. More…

1.2.2. Temperate forests occur in eastern North America, northeastern Asia, and western and central Europe. Regeneration is slower because the growing season is short. Their total area has not changed much in recent years but plantations have steadily replaced old-growth forests. More…

Temperatures vary from –30°C to 30°C and precipitation (75-150cm) is evenly distributed throughout the year. The soil is fertile and the canopy moderately dense. There are some 3-4 species of flora per square kilometer and fauna is represented by squirrels, rabbits, birds and deer among others. More…

There are five temperate forest types: moist conifer forest, dry conifer forest, Mediterranean forest, temperate coniferous and temperate broad-leaved rainforest. More…

1.2.3. Boreal forests, or taiga, represent the largest terrestrial biome. They are found in areas with shorter, warm summers and long winters. Hence the growing season is very short, and regeneration occurs slowly. There are boreal forests in Europe, Asia, Siberia, and North America. Because of the cold climates, plant life in the boreal forest is sturdy, consisting mainly of evergreens and other resilient vegetation. The forest canopy is so dense that little light reaches the forest floor. More…

Temperatures are very low and annual precipitations (mostly snow) range from 40 to 100 cm. The soil is nutrient-poor and acidic. Flora is mostly cold-tolerant evergreen conifer and fauna includes woodpeckers, bear, lynx, fox and wolf among others. More…

 
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1.3. What is meant by natural or ‘frontier’ forests?

There are few remnants of untouched forests. Most forests have either been directly affected by human activities such as cutting, planting and drainage; or indirectly by grazing regimes, air pollution or other factors. These have affected the distribution of natural species and influenced the evolution of the landscape.

1.3.1. The term ‘natural forest’ is very controversial because of the divergent interests of stakeholders. One definition of a ‘natural forest’ is a forest in which naturally immigrant tree species have reproduced themselves spontaneously—i.e., no replanting. Another definition, given by the FAO, describes ‘naturalness’ as the degree of resemblance a forest has to a forest free from human intervention. More…

1.3.2. A forested area that is relatively undisturbed by human activity and large enough to maintain its biodiversity is referred to as a ‘frontier forest’. According to the WRI, frontier forests account for 40% of the total forest area in the world. More…

1.3.3. Contrary to the prevailing idea that the Amazon is ‘pristine’, there is a growing consensus that very few parts have never been subject to human influence. In fact, estimates of the human population around 1500 range from 1 to 6 million people. It seems that at that time the area of cleared land was close to the prevailing level of the 1990s, and smaller scale forest fires were also present. More…

 
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23-Oct-2007

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