forester News
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Controlled forest fires could kill invasive tree disease
In a new study, researchers examined the potential influence of human-driven changes in land-use on disease establishment in forests. The research suggests that changes in forest management, which encourage greater and more dense forest cover, are creating environmental conditions that promote disease. The invasive, fungal-like Phytophthora ramorum causes Sudden Oak Death (SOD), which is ...
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Planting forests at high latitudes can have a cooling effect
A new study based on high-resolution satellite observations of forests suggests the 'albedo', or reflectivity, of a forest needs to be carefully considered in afforestation schemes designed to mitigate climate change, i.e. carbon balance alone is not a good indicator of mitigation value. The authors argue that the Kyoto Protocol carbon accounting rules grossly overestimate the cooling caused by ...
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No Climate Benefit Gained by Planting Temperate Forests
SAN FRANCISCO, California, (ENS) - Planting forests in temperate regions such as the United States and Europe may not yield any benefit for the global climate, and may instead contribute to warming, according to a new study set for presentation Saturday at the American Geophysical Society annual meeting in San Francisco. By contrast, trees planted in tropical rainforests could indeed help to ...
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2 New tools can cut deforestation and support sustainable palm oil in Indonesia
Can the world have its palm oil and forests, too This is an issue that my colleague and I discussed a while back. I am pleased to say that we recently moved a step toward ensuring that the answer is “yes.” At the 10th Annual Meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), WRI launched two new online mapping applications designed to help the palm oil industry grow while ...
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Erosion of forests and grasslands triggers alarm bells in Asia and the Pacific
Forest loss and degradation remain major problems confronting the Asia-Pacific region which, if not addressed, will leave future generations a legacy of damaged ecosystems and irrecoverable losses of biodiversity, FAO is warning. Forest and grasslands cover 57.5 percent of Asia-Pacific’s massive land surface and provide vital ecosystems that support agriculture and livelihoods, which in ...
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Commercial forestry – benefits for biodiversity?
Commercial forestry, often slated as monoculture, may have an important role to play in maintaining biodiversity. This beneficial effect occurs in nearby fields grazed by livestock, rather than the forest itself. This surprising finding could be important for the conservation of grassland species, which have declined dramatically over the past 100 years as agriculture has intensified in Europe. ...
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Rise in CO2 could restrict growing days for crops
The positive consequences of climate change may not be so positive. Although plants in the colder regions are expected to thrive as average global temperatures rise, even this benefit could be limited. Some tropical regions could lose up to 200 growing days a year, and more than two billion rural people could see their hopes wither on the vine or in the field. Even in temperate zones, there will ...
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Predicting the spread of plant invasions across Europe
For the first time, a map has been produced that can be used to predict the level of invasion by alien plants across Europe, which could help policy makers design conservation policies suited to different habitats and landscapes. Areas dominated by farming and urban land are among those identified as particularly at risk. Alien plants are non-native species introduced into foreign areas, ...
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Slovenia: A green leader of the European Union
Slovenia has signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration to halt the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Ministers Janez Podobnik and Iztok Jarc plan to use sustainable forest management as the key to this commitment With nearly 60% forested area, Slovenia recognized the value of forests as a natural resource, not only in terms of wood production, but also for their ecological functions and their ...
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Details on the new additions to the Union lists of Natura 2000 sites
The latest update of the Natura 2000 lists concerns 20 Member States: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia and the UK. The number of "Sites of Community Importance" has increased by 235 to 22 793, expanding the SCI network by 3.4 %, i.e. nearly 24 900 ...
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Nitrogen mysteries in urban grasslands
Areas of turf-forming species created and maintained by humans for aesthetic and recreational (not grazing) purposes, i.e. “urban grasslands” are an extremely common, but poorly studied ecosystem type. There are over 150,000 km2of urban grasslands in the U.S. and many receive high rates of fertilizer, creating concerns about nutrient runoff to streams, lakes, and estuaries and emissions of ...
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Uganda registers first forestry project in Africa to reduce global warming emissions
Uganda has become the first country in Africa to undertake a reforestation project that will help reduce global warming emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. The Nile Basin Reforestation Project in Uganda is a ground-breaking project being implemented by Uganda's National Forestry Authority (NFA) in association with local community organizations. The growing trees absorb carbon dioxide from the ...
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Natural Competitive Advantage of Bioregions
PORTLAND, Oregon, October 1, 2007 (ENS) - In the decades ahead, in the face of global warming, increasing energy prices, and a growing global disparity between rich and poor, bioregions have a natural competitive advantage. Everything is changing in the face of global warming. The industrial economy is an artifact of cheap oil. There will be a transition from an industrial to an ecological ...
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Abandoned farmlands are key to sustainable bioenergy
Biofuels can be a sustainable part of the world's energy future, especially if bioenergy agriculture is developed on currently abandoned or degraded agricultural lands, report scientists from the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University. Using these lands for energy crops, instead of converting existing croplands or clearing new land, avoids competition with food production and preserves ...
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50+ Groups Urge Congress to Reject $1 Billion in Cuts to USDA Conservation Programs
A coalition of more than 50 agriculture and conservation groups representing millions of Americans today are urging lawmakers to reject nearly $1 billion in proposed cuts to farm bill conservation programs. The organizations are asking the House Appropriations Committee to "ensure that reasonable funding levels are continued" when the committee meets today at 5 p.m. to vote on these huge cuts in ...
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Pesticides may harm wild bees but natural areas can mitigate effects
The use of pesticides in orchards may be threatening populations of wild bees, which are important pollinators that increase crop productivity, a new study concludes. However, the damage was mitigated in areas where the orchards were surrounded by natural landscapes, such as deciduous forests. Pollinators, such as bees, provide an important and often underappreciated ecosystem service to ...
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European Parliament strengthens accounting rules for agricultural emissions
Wetlands International welcomes the European Parliament’s vote on rules for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from agriculture and forestry. Emissions and removals from cropland and grazing land management will have to be accounted for, but accounting for wetland drainage and rewetting remains voluntary. The European Parliament voted today to establish common ...
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The effects of agricultural land use change on farmland birds in Sweden
The effects of changing agricultural practices on farmland birds are explored in a recently published study from Sweden. Overall abundance of 16 common species declined by 23% between 1994 and 2004, which may be partly caused by changes in land use, such as an increase in the amount of wheat cropland. However, effects vary between species, and some species increased or stayed stable in number. ...
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Paying farmers to protect the environment?
Carefully targeted payments to farmers could serve as an approach to protect the environment and to address growing concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss and water supply, FAO said today in its annual publication The State of Food and Agriculture. The report however cautions that payments for environmental services are not the best solution in all situations, and that significant ...
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Irish agriculture faces emissions dilemma
Ireland is facing a classic conflict, pitching economic growth targets against the need for action on climate change. On one hand, Ireland’s planners want to see significant growth in its food and agriculture industry – a sector that is one of the main pillars of the country’s economy, accounting for about 8% of gross domestic product. On the other hand, the country − ...
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