Health of Europe's Forests Deteriorating
http://forests.org/state/-- Rainforest Portal
10/7/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
Europe's forests are in abysmal shape--only 35% of trees in a recent
continental study were "healthy". Europe has been extensively
cultivated and deforested. In most areas, only very small patches of
"natural" vegetation remain--and these are adversely effected by air
pollution problems. Efforts to restore ecological sustainability to
industrialized and over-developed landscapes in Europe and elsewhere
will require expanded forest cover and natural forest reserves that
are larger and more connected. Europe has a massive rewilding and
ecological restoration effort before it, whose likelihood of success
will depend upon how soon it is embarked upon. Civilizations fall
when their ecosystems fail.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Health of Europe's forests deteriorating - report
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 7, 1999
BRUSSELS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The condition of Europe's forests is
continuing to deteriorate, despite measures to reduce air pollution,
a new report said on Thursday.
Throughout Europe, 35 percent of trees assessed in the survey can be
classified as ``healthy,'' about 40 percent are in the ``warning
stage,'' while about a quarter of trees are rated ``damaged,''
meaning they have lost more than 25 percent of their leaves, said the
report from the European Commission and the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe.
``The results of the 1998 forest health survey show a general
deterioration of the crown condition of the main tree species,'' it
said. ``The main causes of the vitality losses and damage are air
pollution and extreme droughts.''
While the condition of pine forests in parts of eastern Europe has
recovered gradually, the health of oak forests in western Europe has
deteriorated in recent years.
This is mainly down to pollution from gases such as ozone and is
particularly bad in the Mediterranean region.
The report found that 20 percent of soils in Europe are very acid,
with the greatest problem in eastern Europe. Half of the areas
surveyed -- mostly in western Europe -- showed increased nitrogen
deposits. There was a general increase in ozone pollution.
The 15 member European Union has introduced a number of pieces of
legislation over the past few years to reduce air pollution.
Environment ministers are scheduled next week to debate proposals to
reduce emissions of the main gases that lead to acid rain, one of the
principal causes of forest degradation.