Transcript Oct20WorldForestsNew

Environmental Science
PowerPoint Lecture
Principles of Environmental
Science - Inquiry and Applications,
2nd Edition, 2004
by William and Mary Ann Cunningham
Chapter 6 - Topics
• World Forests
•
•
•
•
Rangelands
Parks and Nature Preserves
World Parks and Preserves
Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges
Where collect
forest
products?
Where forests
located
globally?
HERE?
Human Disturbance Map
FAO 1999,
WRI 1998-1999
GLOBE
Forests,
woodlands
= 33%
land area
~ 66% area in
RESOURCE
EXTRACTION
Range,
Pastures =
23%
Ice, rock, desert
etc. = 32%
Ag =
10%
Built
land
= 2%
Who imports
wood, who
cuts trees?
South America
Oceania
3
Europe
4
14
25
15
Asia
Africa
24
Former
USSR
16
North/ Central
America
% of Total Area in Forests Globally
Main vegetation zones of the world’s forests
under natural conditions
Part 1: World Forests
70-80% of
original
~ 30% of
original
Global Wood Use , %
90%
80%
70%
86
60%
50%
40%
30%
World
USA
51
49
20%
10%
0%
14
Fuelwood -cook, heat
Wood products
World Consumption, 1994 (% of total)
Asia
Africa
South Am
former USSR
N/Cen Am
Europe
Oceania
TOTAL
Fuelwood
Fiber – paper
products
Non-fiber
roundwood
93
81
50
44
21
15
7
56
1
6
31
17
37
33
14
18
6
13
19
39
41
52
79
25
DEFORESTATION: Charcoal production – Northern Brazil
Outside New Delhi, India – houses made of cow piles
Himalayas - India
Harvesting resin
Collecting
leaves for fodder
Forest Products
India Himalayas –
cutting trees for
fire wood
Manikara zapota
(chicle), Belize
Wood Consumption
• Total annual world wood consumption is about
3.7 billion metric tons, more then steel and
plastic consumption together.
• Firewood accounts for slightly more than 50% of
all wood harvested worldwide.
• Developed countries produce less than half of all
wood used for industrial purposes, but account
for about 80% of its consumption.
• By 2025, demand for fuelwood may be twice the
available supply.
• About 25% of the world’s forests are
managed for wood production.
• Monoculture forestry - single species
• Ideal: scientific planning for
sustainable harvests
Some Causes of Tropical Deforestation
• Logging for valuable hardwoods such as
mahogany
• Clearing of land for cattle ranches and export
crop production (bananas, pineapples, palm oil
plantations etc.)
• Slash and burn agriculture – this is listed by
the text but is such a different level that it
should not be included in this list
• Mining - gold
Tropical Forest Issues
Estimated
rate of
tropical
forest
losses
North Brazil
Malaysia, palm oil
DEFORESTATION: Valued timber species - Indonesia
Cutting and burning of tropical
rainforest results in:
• Wildlife loss, over
hunting
• Habitat loss, species
changes
• Rapid water runoff
• Soil erosion
• Waste forest
resources
• Climate change
other parts of world
(Amazon)
Logging roads open up forest access to
landless settlers
Forest acres in USA between 1600 – 1992
(decrease 46% to 32%)
USA Forest Area
M illio n A c r e s
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
1630 1907 1920 1938 1953 1963 1970 1977 1987 1992
Year
Temperate Forest Issues
• Logging of oldgrowth
• Endangered species
vs. jobs
• Northern spotted
owl
• Salmon
• Natural resource
extractive
economies – rural
environments
Driving negative reactions to
forest management
 Clear-cutting
 Use
of single species in
monocultures
 Road construction to
harvest forests
Clear-cutting and Road Building
Fire Management and Forest Health
Solutions to Decrease Forest
Loss Rates
• Forest Certification
• Forest Protection (12% of forests protected
globally)
• Integrated Conservation and Sustainable
Development projects
• Debt-for-Nature Swaps (1st in Bolivia)
Rationales for Certification
• Social movement
in tropics
• Dislike of past land practices
• Mistrust of landowners
• Disjunction between production and
consumers
Why Consider Forest Certification?
• Public concern over globalization
• Public want more values/land
• Supply chain increasingly scrutinized
• Retailers prefer credible suppliers
• Consolidation strengthens buyers
• Non-Tariff trade barriers will increase
• Global markets impact US markets
• Gain market share and efficiency
• Improve market prices and stability
• Increase industry profitability