Forest Monitoring News
-
Conserving the genetic diversity of Europe’s forests
Conserving genetic diversity is vital to allow populations to adapt in the face of changing conditions. A new study, assessing the conservation of genetic diversity of trees across Europe, has identified areas for improvement that could help maintain the genetic diversity of Europe’s forests. Without a diverse gene pool, whole populations of animals and plants may be unable to adapt to new ...
-
A conversation with Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi on Indonesia’s Forests
How can Indonesia—the world’s fourth-most populous country and an emerging economic powerhouse—reduce deforestation and promote sustainable development across its vast, rapidly changing landscape? That was a question recently posed by Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi, Deputy for the Indonesian President’s Delivery Unit on Development Monitoring and Oversight and Chair ...
-
Polluted urban soil damages lime trees
The impact of polluted urban soil on trees is highlighted in a recent study from Latvia. The researchers found that high salt levels from de-icing chemicals and nutrient imbalance in soil damaged lime trees growing in the city of Riga. Trees planted in cities are an important part of the urban landscape, providing a range of benefits, from enhancing biodiversity to promoting a feeling of ...
-
Redlines hinder REDD+ progress
The first week of COP18 is over, and so is the SBSTA – the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. After a relatively slow start, REDD+ negotiators really started feeling the time pressure, as the closure of the week drew nearer and several unresolved issues remained. After long negotiation marathons lasting until 5 am on Friday, and after repeated extensions on Saturday, ...
-
An inside look at Latin America’s Illegal Logging – Part Two
This post was co-authored with Eduardo Arenas Hernández Jr. and Ana Domínguez, who work for Reforestamos Mexico. This is the second post in a two-part series on illegal logging in Latin America, with key insights coming from the Forest Legality Alliance’s recent event, “Legal Forest Products and International Trade: A Regional Perspective.” The first installment ...
-
How we can make progress on forests during Rio+20
When it comes to the fate of forests, Rio+20 and the official negotiations risk becoming a side event. Instead, the main show is playing out in countless boardrooms, communities, parliaments, and villages around the world. From Brazil to Bangladesh, Canada to Cambodia, these organizations have made dramatic progress with efforts to reverse forest decline. Of course, much remains to be done: ...
-
Building the foundation for REDD+: Recommendations for Durban on Forest Monitoring
Though forests play an essential role in international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the development of systems to monitor deforestation and forest degradation has been slow. This is due to the demanding technical requirements and the large capacity gaps in many countries. Measuring and monitoring change on the ground and via satellite in a consistent way is no easy task. Countries ...
-
Forests and REDD+ in COP17 Durban
With all its complex processes and acronyms, it’s easy to forget that the international climate change negotiations are supposed to lead to changes on the ground. There have been several developments this year, however, which should remind us of the urgency of the task and the importance of getting each piece of the puzzle right, including incentives for developing countries to reduce their ...
-
Top ten counties losing forests to development in the U.S. South
Today, WRI releases a new map that identifies the hotspots where urban and suburban development are putting forests at risk in the southern United States. Areas experiencing the most forest loss to development between 2001 and 2006 (the most recent years for which data are available) were counties near Houston, Atlanta, Raleigh, and Charlotte. Counties around San Antonio, Jacksonville, and ...
-
Alcoa Employees Join Expedition to Brazil and China as Earthwatch Fellows
Alcoa Foundation announced today thatit will sponsor25 employees from the Company’s operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Spain, Suriname and the United States on Earthwatch Institute expeditions to Brazil and China. The employees, who volunteered to become Earthwatch Fellows, will venture to Rio Cachoeira Natural Reserve in Paraná State, ...
-
WWF and kimberly-clark corporation announce new global commitment to responsible forestry
Today, Kimberly-Clark and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced the expansion of Kimberly-Clark's membership in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and conserve the world's most valuable and threatened forests. Kimberly-Clark will now include its worldwide operations in the initiative, building on its existing GFTN membership in select ...
-
Promoting small-scale planting of trees in dryland areas
This policy brief, published by the research network NCCR North-South, argues for policies that promote planting trees in drylands on a small scale, because large-scale projects can negatively affect local ecosystems. International aid agencies and governments have been promoting large-scale planting for more than a century. But the practice is becoming increasingly controversial. Advocates say ...
By SciDev.Net
-
New map viewer shows development in the forests of the democratic republic of congo
WRI and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, and Tourism (MECNT) are pleased to announce the release of the interactive map viewer for the Forest Atlas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. En Français The Government of DRC faces many challenges in developing comprehensive forest management and zoning processes, as well as the ...
-
The interchange of art and nature: a greener welcome
Six miles of I-70 to temporarily close for safety From sunup to sundown October 7, 2010, more than 8,000 volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company and six partner companies will use shovels, trowels, and rakes to transform the western gateway to Indianapolis into 'A Greener Welcome.' The project is a part of the 2010 Lilly Global Day of Service in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) ...
-
4th annual green grades report card finds FedEx, staples and office depot leading and Amazon and Costco lagging on key eco-issues
Major office supply companies and retailers received their report cards today, and while the sector saw overall progress on critical sustainability issues such as Endangered Forest protection, several prominent brands continue bad habits that harm the world's forests, air, and water. Now in its 4th year, the Green Grades report card informs American consumers and large purchasers of paper ...
-
Model predicts shifts in carbon absorption by forest canopies
An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist participated in a project to fine-tune computer models that can indicate when forest 'carbon sinks' become net carbon generators instead. The results will help pinpoint the effectiveness of trees in offsetting carbon releases that contribute to higher atmospheric temperatures and global climate change. ARS plant physiologist Erik Hamerlynck ...
-
SGS Fforestry Monitoring Programme is awarded a five-year contract in DRC
SGS Forestry Monitoring Programme (GIS) is pleased to announce that, on January 20, 2010, it signed a five year contract with the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism (MECNT) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to initiate implementation of an integrated forest control system to monitor and verify forest logging, timber chain-of-custody and forest product exports. DRC’s ...
By SGS
-
Forest rehabilitation: benefits for carbon and biodiversity banking
According to researchers, opportunities for carbon sequestration and benefits for biodiversity offered by forest rehabilitation schemes mean they should be given greater value as a tool for carbon offsetting. A new study demonstrates the value of forest rehabilitation for rainforest birds. Globally, 7 million hectares of monoculture forest are planted each year, but 13 million hectares of ...
-
Profile probe saves time and money for forest monitoring team
FutMon project: Delta-T Profile Probes have been installed at four sites across the U.K. to provide soil moisture data as part of FutMon, an EU Life+ project. The aim of FutMon is to create a Europe-wide long term forest monitoring system. The FutMon partner organisation in the UK is Forest Research (Centre for Forestry and Climate Change). The data required for FutMon are being collected at ...
-
Sustaining forest ecosystem services: lessons for REDD
A recent report has demonstrated that paying people to avoid clearing forests in developing countries can be a low-cost and effective way to tackle climate change and preserve valuable ecosystem services, providing governments are able to manage their forests effectively. Forests provide a wide range of services: food, fuel, building materials, freshwater, climate regulation, flood control, ...
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you