THE EFFECT FORESTS HAVE ON CLIMATE
FORESTS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE BY STORING LARGE VOLUMES OF CARBON DIOXIDE. THEY ARE SECOND ONLY TO THE OCEANS IN SERVING AS GLOBAL STOREHOUSES OF CARBON, BUT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS ADD CARBON BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. LARGE WILDFIRES PRODUCE A RAPID RELEASE OF CARBON, AND THE DECAY OF DEAD WOOD FIBER RELEASES CARBON AT A SLOW RATE. WE ARE ALL SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS, WHERE THE PLANT ABSORBS CARBON DIOXIDE AND THEN MIXES IT WITH WATER AND MINERALS TO FORM A SUGAR SOLUTION NEEDED TO FEED THE PLANT. THE PROCESS TAKES IN A LITTLE OVER ONE POUND OF CARBON TO PRODUCE A POUND OF WOOD FIBER AND THEN RELEASES 1.47 POUNDS OF OXYGEN BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, ALONG WITH MINOR AMOUNTS OF OTHER GREENHOUSE GASES. IN REALITY, ONE TREE PRODUCES ENOUGH OXYGEN IN TWELVE MONTHS TO KEEP TWO HUMANS ALIVE FOR A FULL YEAR. WITH CARBON DIOXIDE BEING A POISONOUS GAS, THE MAIN CONTRIBUTION TREES MAKE IS THE GLOBAL STORAGE OF THIS GAS. THE TROPICAL FORESTS ABSORB ALMOST 2 GIGATONS OF CARBON EVERY YEAR. SCIENCE ESTIMATES THAT IF WE COULD RESTORE A SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THE FORESTS THAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, IT WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF ABSORBING UP TO A THIRD OF THE GREENHOUSE GASES CURRENTLY BEING EMITTED WORLDWIDE.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOREST RESTORATION IS THE USE OF OUTDATED MANAGEMENT METHODS. OUR FIRST GOAL HAS TO BE REDUCING THE RATE OF DEFORESTATION THAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING. TODAY, WE ARE DEFORESTING THE EQUIVALENT OF 20 FOOTBALL FIELDS EVERY MINUTE WORLDWIDE, WHICH IS AN AREA THE SIZE OF PORTUGAL EVERY YEAR. THE REASONS FOR THE LOSS OF FOREST COVER IS THE NEED FOR CLEARED LAND FOR OTHER USES SUCH AS URBANIZATION, SHIFTING AGRICULTURAL NEEDS AND WOOD PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS. THE CLEARING OF 14,500 SQUARE MILES OF FORESTED LANDS EVERY YEAR WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SLOW, BUT SLOW WE MUST! OUR RAPIDLY EXPANDING WORLD POPULATION WILL REQUIRE MORE CLEARED LAND SPACE FOR FOOD, SHELTER AND SERVICES IN THE FUTURE.
THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION, WHICH IS TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENT FUNCTIONING OF OUR REMAINING FORESTS. WITH THE MAJORITY OF LIVING ORGANISMS DEPENDING ON THE ELEMENTS PROVIDED BY FORESTS AND TREES, WE MUST INTENSIFY THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR REMAINING FORESTS WITH NEW MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT FOCUS ON THE HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY; NOT WHAT WE CAN TAKE FROM FORESTS.
THE QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHAT MUST WE DO TO HELP SLOW THE CHANGING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ADVERSELY EFFECTING LIVE ON EARTH? BY KEEPING OUR FOREST HEALTHY AND VIGOROUS WE INCREASE THEIR STORAGE CAPACITY OF CARBON. REDUCING THE FUEL BUILDUP OF DEAD AND DYING VEGETATION AND TREATING INDIVIDUAL FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES, DISEASE AND INSECT INFESTATIONS.
MANAGEMENT ACTIONS MUST SUPPORT THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS BY MAINTAINING TREE COVER SHADE AND KEEPING THE TREES HEALTHY. THE TREES DURING LEAF-ON PERIODS PROVIDE COOLING SHADE, BUT ALSO RETURN VAST QUANTITIES OF WATER BACK TO THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE IT FORMS CLOUDS THAT PREVENT HEAT FROM REACHING EARTH’S SURFACE. TREES ABSORB LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER USE 3% OF IT, AND EVAPORATING THE REMAINING 97% INTO THE ATMOSPHERE TO FORMING CLOUDS AND MUCH NEEDED RAIN. TREE COVER IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PERIODIC RAINS ON EARTH AND THE PREVENTION OR REDUCTION OF DROUTH CONDITIONS. CLEAR-CUTTING LARGE AREAS OF TREES EXPOSES THE SURFACE TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HEAT AS WELL AS RELEASING LARGE VOLUMES OF GREENHOUSE GASES BACK INTO TO ATMOSPHERE. CLEAR-CUTTING MUST BE PUT BACK IN THE TOOL BOX AND SELDOM USED!
FOREST COVER PRESENTS A ROUGH SURFACE WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES WIND VELOCITY AND CAN EVEN EFFECT WIND DIRECTION. THIS HELPS REDUCE THE SEVERE HIGH WIND STORM DAMAGE, SOIL EROSION AND EVAPORATION OF SURFACE WATER SOURCES. WE MUST ALSO BE AWARE THAT FOREST COVERED LANDS HAVE A DARK SURFACE WHICH TENDS TO ABSORB MORE HEAT AND ENERGY THEN LIGHT-COLORED SURFACES. THIS IS CALLED THE ALBETO PROCESS AND CAUSES SOME INCREASE IN SURFACE TEMPERATURES. THIS PROCESS AMPLIFIES THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF NATURES’ WAY.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT FORESTS HAVE A STRONG INFLUENCE ON CLIMATE. THEY SERVE AS STORE HOUSES FOR MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBON, PROVIDE AIR-CONDITIONING FOR EARTH, ARE BARRIERS AGAINST WIND VELOCITIES AND ARE THE WORLD MAJOR WATER PUMP. THE BENEFICIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FORESTS MAKE FAR OUT WEIGHT THE LIMITED AMOUNTS OF GREEN HOUSE GASES THAT ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE THOUGH THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS. OUR FUTURE DEPENDS UPON LIMITING DEFORESTATION AND DEGRADATION OF OUR REMAINING FORESTED LANDS!
WHAT TYPE OF MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES WE APPLY TO OUR REMAINING VALUABLE FORESTS IS CRUCIAL. ONCE WE ACCEPT THAT WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF NATURE’S WAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS WE CAN INITIATE? WITH OVER 70% OF OUR ORIGINAL FORESTED LANDS GONE, WE MUST LIMIT FURTHER CLEARING OF FOREST COVERED LANDS. THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY MASSIVE WILDFIRES MUST BE REDUCED. WE CANNOT ELIMINATE WILDFIRES, BUT A MAJOR FOCUS ON TREATING FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS, WILL IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN FOREST BIO-DIVERSITY WHILE REDUCING THE MAGNITUDE AND INTENSITY OF FUTURE WILDFIRES. DIVERSITY IS IMPROVED BY TREATING INDIVIDUAL FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS, RATHER THAN LARGE TIMBER HARVESTING PROJECTS THAT IGNORE THE UNIQUE NATURALLY OCCURRING COMMUNITIES. THE EXPANDING WORLD POPULATION WILL ALSO REQUIRE FURTHER CLEARING OF FORESTED AREAS TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DEVELOPMENTS FOR HOUSING. IT WILL NOT BR EASY, BUT MUST BE DONE!
EVEN-AGED MANAGEMENT, USING CLEAR-CUTTING TECHNIQUES, IS DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE WOOD FIBER PRODUCTION. REMOVING ALL TREES DOES REFLECT MORE HEAT, BUT THE REMAINING VOLUME OF FOREST DEBRIS MUST BE BURNED OR ALLOWED TO DECAY, CAUSING THE RELEASE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON. USING FIRE AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL RELEASES LARGE QUANTITIES OF CARBON, AND ALL TO FREQUENTLY ESCAPES CONTROL CAUSING PROPERTY DESTRUCTION AND EVEN OCCASIONAL LOSS OF LIFE. RESTORING CLEARED ACREAGE WITH NURSERY GROWN STOCK IS BETTER THAN NO TREES, BUT FOLLOWS AN AGRICULTURAL CONCEPT OF GROWING FOOD CROPS. THE SINGLE AGE SINGLE SPECIES PLANTATIONS TOTALLY DESTROY BIO-DIVERSITY AND SET THE STAGE FOR FUTURE CYCLIC CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, SUCH AS WILDFIRES.
WE MUST INVEST IN OUR REMAINING FORESTS AND NOT RELY ON COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVESTING FOR THE JUSTIFICATION FOR MANAGEMENT TREATMENTS. THE PROCESS STARTS WITH ASSURING FOREST SCIENTISTS CAN “READ THE LAND” BY ON-SIGHT VISITATION TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, PLACING MAJOR LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF CLEAR-CUTTING TECHNIQUES AND A RETURN TO ALL-AGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES. IT WILL CREATE MANY JOBS BY HIRING LOCAL CONTRACTORS TO COMPLETE THE ON-THE -GROUND WORKLOAD. PROJECTS WOULD INCLUDE TREE THINNING, DEAD AND DYING TREE REMOVAL, FIREWOOD PRODUCTION AND TREATMENTS FOR INSECT AND DISEASE INFESTATIONS. IT WOULD MEAN RELYING ON THE MOTHER TREES FOR NATURAL REGENERATION, THEREBY IMPROVING THE DIVERSITY OF VEGETATION AGES AND TYPES. CERTAINLY, WE MUST AVOID THE INTRODUCTION OF NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES AND THEIR ADVERSE IMPACTS ON NATIVE SPECIES.
OUR GOAL MUST BE TO AID IN THE RECOVERY OF THE NATURAL WORLD AND ITS INDIVIDUAL ECOSYSTEMS, BY COPYING NATURE’S WAY. WE HAVE TAKEN FAR TO LONG, AND EVEN WASTED, THE VALUABLE RESOURCES OF MOTHER EARTH. IT IS TIME TO ASSIST NATURE IN RESTORING ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE ELEMENTS HUMANS REQUIRE FOR THE SUSTENANCE OF LIFE! THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEFORE US! ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS?
FORESTS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE BY STORING LARGE VOLUMES OF CARBON DIOXIDE. THEY ARE SECOND ONLY TO THE OCEANS IN SERVING AS GLOBAL STOREHOUSES OF CARBON, BUT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS ADD CARBON BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. LARGE WILDFIRES PRODUCE A RAPID RELEASE OF CARBON, AND THE DECAY OF DEAD WOOD FIBER RELEASES CARBON AT A SLOW RATE. WE ARE ALL SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS, WHERE THE PLANT ABSORBS CARBON DIOXIDE AND THEN MIXES IT WITH WATER AND MINERALS TO FORM A SUGAR SOLUTION NEEDED TO FEED THE PLANT. THE PROCESS TAKES IN A LITTLE OVER ONE POUND OF CARBON TO PRODUCE A POUND OF WOOD FIBER AND THEN RELEASES 1.47 POUNDS OF OXYGEN BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, ALONG WITH MINOR AMOUNTS OF OTHER GREENHOUSE GASES. IN REALITY, ONE TREE PRODUCES ENOUGH OXYGEN IN TWELVE MONTHS TO KEEP TWO HUMANS ALIVE FOR A FULL YEAR. WITH CARBON DIOXIDE BEING A POISONOUS GAS, THE MAIN CONTRIBUTION TREES MAKE IS THE GLOBAL STORAGE OF THIS GAS. THE TROPICAL FORESTS ABSORB ALMOST 2 GIGATONS OF CARBON EVERY YEAR. SCIENCE ESTIMATES THAT IF WE COULD RESTORE A SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THE FORESTS THAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, IT WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF ABSORBING UP TO A THIRD OF THE GREENHOUSE GASES CURRENTLY BEING EMITTED WORLDWIDE.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOREST RESTORATION IS THE USE OF OUTDATED MANAGEMENT METHODS. OUR FIRST GOAL HAS TO BE REDUCING THE RATE OF DEFORESTATION THAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING. TODAY, WE ARE DEFORESTING THE EQUIVALENT OF 20 FOOTBALL FIELDS EVERY MINUTE WORLDWIDE, WHICH IS AN AREA THE SIZE OF PORTUGAL EVERY YEAR. THE REASONS FOR THE LOSS OF FOREST COVER IS THE NEED FOR CLEARED LAND FOR OTHER USES SUCH AS URBANIZATION, SHIFTING AGRICULTURAL NEEDS AND WOOD PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS. THE CLEARING OF 14,500 SQUARE MILES OF FORESTED LANDS EVERY YEAR WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SLOW, BUT SLOW WE MUST! OUR RAPIDLY EXPANDING WORLD POPULATION WILL REQUIRE MORE CLEARED LAND SPACE FOR FOOD, SHELTER AND SERVICES IN THE FUTURE.
THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION, WHICH IS TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENT FUNCTIONING OF OUR REMAINING FORESTS. WITH THE MAJORITY OF LIVING ORGANISMS DEPENDING ON THE ELEMENTS PROVIDED BY FORESTS AND TREES, WE MUST INTENSIFY THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR REMAINING FORESTS WITH NEW MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT FOCUS ON THE HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY; NOT WHAT WE CAN TAKE FROM FORESTS.
THE QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHAT MUST WE DO TO HELP SLOW THE CHANGING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ADVERSELY EFFECTING LIVE ON EARTH? BY KEEPING OUR FOREST HEALTHY AND VIGOROUS WE INCREASE THEIR STORAGE CAPACITY OF CARBON. REDUCING THE FUEL BUILDUP OF DEAD AND DYING VEGETATION AND TREATING INDIVIDUAL FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRES, DISEASE AND INSECT INFESTATIONS.
MANAGEMENT ACTIONS MUST SUPPORT THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS BY MAINTAINING TREE COVER SHADE AND KEEPING THE TREES HEALTHY. THE TREES DURING LEAF-ON PERIODS PROVIDE COOLING SHADE, BUT ALSO RETURN VAST QUANTITIES OF WATER BACK TO THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE IT FORMS CLOUDS THAT PREVENT HEAT FROM REACHING EARTH’S SURFACE. TREES ABSORB LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER USE 3% OF IT, AND EVAPORATING THE REMAINING 97% INTO THE ATMOSPHERE TO FORMING CLOUDS AND MUCH NEEDED RAIN. TREE COVER IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PERIODIC RAINS ON EARTH AND THE PREVENTION OR REDUCTION OF DROUTH CONDITIONS. CLEAR-CUTTING LARGE AREAS OF TREES EXPOSES THE SURFACE TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HEAT AS WELL AS RELEASING LARGE VOLUMES OF GREENHOUSE GASES BACK INTO TO ATMOSPHERE. CLEAR-CUTTING MUST BE PUT BACK IN THE TOOL BOX AND SELDOM USED!
FOREST COVER PRESENTS A ROUGH SURFACE WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES WIND VELOCITY AND CAN EVEN EFFECT WIND DIRECTION. THIS HELPS REDUCE THE SEVERE HIGH WIND STORM DAMAGE, SOIL EROSION AND EVAPORATION OF SURFACE WATER SOURCES. WE MUST ALSO BE AWARE THAT FOREST COVERED LANDS HAVE A DARK SURFACE WHICH TENDS TO ABSORB MORE HEAT AND ENERGY THEN LIGHT-COLORED SURFACES. THIS IS CALLED THE ALBETO PROCESS AND CAUSES SOME INCREASE IN SURFACE TEMPERATURES. THIS PROCESS AMPLIFIES THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF NATURES’ WAY.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT FORESTS HAVE A STRONG INFLUENCE ON CLIMATE. THEY SERVE AS STORE HOUSES FOR MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBON, PROVIDE AIR-CONDITIONING FOR EARTH, ARE BARRIERS AGAINST WIND VELOCITIES AND ARE THE WORLD MAJOR WATER PUMP. THE BENEFICIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FORESTS MAKE FAR OUT WEIGHT THE LIMITED AMOUNTS OF GREEN HOUSE GASES THAT ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE THOUGH THE TRANSPIRATION PROCESS. OUR FUTURE DEPENDS UPON LIMITING DEFORESTATION AND DEGRADATION OF OUR REMAINING FORESTED LANDS!
WHAT TYPE OF MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES WE APPLY TO OUR REMAINING VALUABLE FORESTS IS CRUCIAL. ONCE WE ACCEPT THAT WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF NATURE’S WAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS WE CAN INITIATE? WITH OVER 70% OF OUR ORIGINAL FORESTED LANDS GONE, WE MUST LIMIT FURTHER CLEARING OF FOREST COVERED LANDS. THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY MASSIVE WILDFIRES MUST BE REDUCED. WE CANNOT ELIMINATE WILDFIRES, BUT A MAJOR FOCUS ON TREATING FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS, WILL IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN FOREST BIO-DIVERSITY WHILE REDUCING THE MAGNITUDE AND INTENSITY OF FUTURE WILDFIRES. DIVERSITY IS IMPROVED BY TREATING INDIVIDUAL FOREST COMMUNITIES OR ECOSYSTEMS, RATHER THAN LARGE TIMBER HARVESTING PROJECTS THAT IGNORE THE UNIQUE NATURALLY OCCURRING COMMUNITIES. THE EXPANDING WORLD POPULATION WILL ALSO REQUIRE FURTHER CLEARING OF FORESTED AREAS TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DEVELOPMENTS FOR HOUSING. IT WILL NOT BR EASY, BUT MUST BE DONE!
EVEN-AGED MANAGEMENT, USING CLEAR-CUTTING TECHNIQUES, IS DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE WOOD FIBER PRODUCTION. REMOVING ALL TREES DOES REFLECT MORE HEAT, BUT THE REMAINING VOLUME OF FOREST DEBRIS MUST BE BURNED OR ALLOWED TO DECAY, CAUSING THE RELEASE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON. USING FIRE AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL RELEASES LARGE QUANTITIES OF CARBON, AND ALL TO FREQUENTLY ESCAPES CONTROL CAUSING PROPERTY DESTRUCTION AND EVEN OCCASIONAL LOSS OF LIFE. RESTORING CLEARED ACREAGE WITH NURSERY GROWN STOCK IS BETTER THAN NO TREES, BUT FOLLOWS AN AGRICULTURAL CONCEPT OF GROWING FOOD CROPS. THE SINGLE AGE SINGLE SPECIES PLANTATIONS TOTALLY DESTROY BIO-DIVERSITY AND SET THE STAGE FOR FUTURE CYCLIC CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, SUCH AS WILDFIRES.
WE MUST INVEST IN OUR REMAINING FORESTS AND NOT RELY ON COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVESTING FOR THE JUSTIFICATION FOR MANAGEMENT TREATMENTS. THE PROCESS STARTS WITH ASSURING FOREST SCIENTISTS CAN “READ THE LAND” BY ON-SIGHT VISITATION TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, PLACING MAJOR LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF CLEAR-CUTTING TECHNIQUES AND A RETURN TO ALL-AGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES. IT WILL CREATE MANY JOBS BY HIRING LOCAL CONTRACTORS TO COMPLETE THE ON-THE -GROUND WORKLOAD. PROJECTS WOULD INCLUDE TREE THINNING, DEAD AND DYING TREE REMOVAL, FIREWOOD PRODUCTION AND TREATMENTS FOR INSECT AND DISEASE INFESTATIONS. IT WOULD MEAN RELYING ON THE MOTHER TREES FOR NATURAL REGENERATION, THEREBY IMPROVING THE DIVERSITY OF VEGETATION AGES AND TYPES. CERTAINLY, WE MUST AVOID THE INTRODUCTION OF NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES AND THEIR ADVERSE IMPACTS ON NATIVE SPECIES.
OUR GOAL MUST BE TO AID IN THE RECOVERY OF THE NATURAL WORLD AND ITS INDIVIDUAL ECOSYSTEMS, BY COPYING NATURE’S WAY. WE HAVE TAKEN FAR TO LONG, AND EVEN WASTED, THE VALUABLE RESOURCES OF MOTHER EARTH. IT IS TIME TO ASSIST NATURE IN RESTORING ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE ELEMENTS HUMANS REQUIRE FOR THE SUSTENANCE OF LIFE! THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEFORE US! ARE WE WILLING TO MAKE THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS?
