Forests are our most vital natural climate allies due to the tremendous ‘ecological values’ they bring, including carbon sequestration, oxygen production, atmospheric moisture, shade, wildlife habitat, and more.
The International Panel on Climate Change has indicated that land use, including deforestation, is climate change’s second most pressing driver (IPCC, 2019).
In addition, The Glasgow Declaration, signed by over 140 countries, calls for halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030 (UN Climate Change Conference, 2021).
While trees and forest lands have been declining steadily for hundreds of years, they are being more rapidly decimated by climate change impacts, fires, and mismanagement.
Forest thinning, a commonly used management practice, exacerbates climate change since logging emits more than five times what wildfires and tree mortality from insects combined emit. Commercial thinning in fire management releases around three times more carbon dioxide than wildfires.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, as forests and trees are not only Not our enemy when it comes to climate change, they are humankind’s greatest ally.
This is because plants created our atmosphere, terraformed our planet, and continue to play a critical role in maintaining the ecological balance of our world.
That balance is desperately needed now.
This guide provides important scientific information often overlooked in management decisions in a different world from a hundred years ago and suggests best practices and alternatives to ineffective dominant and antiquated forest management methods and perspectives.
İçerik tablosu
Introduction – Forests in Peril
Forests Are Essential
Shade, Ground Level Cooling, and protection from UV Radiation
Forest Management Must Account for Present Planetary Conditions
UV Damage
Loss of Biodiversity
Pests and Diseases
Declining Regeneration
‘The Land Feeds the Animals & the Animals Feed the Land’
Forest Management: Not in the Spring
A Growing Problem: Human Ignited Fires
Forest Professionals & Policy Makers Must Address Ecological Realities, Not Just Economic Factors
Forest Policies & Management Protocols Must Address New Scientific Data
Vegetation Drought Index
Fires Are No Longer ‘Normal’ Due to 50-Year Increase in Global Temperatures.
Increased UV Radiation Is Damaging Forests: Thinning Makes Them More Susceptible
The New Arctic Ozone Hole
UV B & C Radiation can be Harmful to Planetary Life
Logging Releases the Highest Amount of Carbon
Forest Thinning Can Increase Fire Speed and Temperature, Leading to Faster, Hotter Fires
To Save Lives & Protect Property: Property Owners Need Better Advice & Financial Support
Improve Communication Systems to Prevent Loss of Life
Anthropogenic Climate Change Is A Fact: The Problem is Not Population Density!
Climate Change Facts
Time to Go Beyond Dinosaur Technologies
Conclusion