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FOREST CONSERVATION NEWS TODAY

The Forest Myth and Coming Extinction of Large, Intact Forests

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org, Inc.

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Portal

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

April 3, 2002

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by Forests.org

Large, intact and fully operable forests are dangerously

threatened worldwide. A new report from the World Resources

Institute (WRI) highlights what we at Forests.org have been saying

for a decade - the World's large, primary forests are in rapid

decline and they could be totally lost much sooner than expected.

The report indicates that due to illegal logging and other

commercial activities, areas believed to exist as intact forest

wildernesses are in fact riddled with roads, logging and mining

activity. The report concludes that the notion of large,

pristine, untouched forests is largely a myth - and that virtually

all such forests are threatened with fragmentation and continued

dramatic ecological decline. It is heartening to see WRI embrace

these concerns. The report referred to in the article below was

not yet on their web site, we will pass it along later.

The World's large expanses of old-growth and primary forests are

threatened with extinction. Failure to halt deforestation and

ecological diminishment of what remains, and to begin restoration

to old-growth status of adjacent lands, will be an ecological

catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. Loss of large,

contiguous, intact and fully operable forests may well prove the

death knell for global ecological sustainability. We need these

forests to maintain global hydrological and atmospheric cycles,

and to maintain species diversity.

Remaining primary forests world wide must be the target of a

massive and concerted global rescue effort. NOW. In terms of

forest and biodiversity conservation impact, there is no

substitute for establishing protected areas in all such remaining

ancient forests, and adjacent areas suitable for regeneration.

However, the notion of protected areas must be enriched to include

benign and culturally appropriate small-scale management by local

communities. Protected status would preclude commercial scale

development, establish large strictly protected core areas, and

fully support zones of community and ecologically based

development. Even commercial scaled certified forestry is

unacceptable in the World's remaining primary forests.

Global ecological sustainability depends upon maintaining and/or

restoring complex and diverse ecosystems over the majority of the

Earth's land surface. The World is entering a period of spiraling

ecological decline that, if current trends continue, can only end

in collapse. The ability of the human family to stabilize and

reverse this course is dependent upon maintaining as many intact

ecological systems and biological materials as possible. Before

the era of global ecological restoration can commence, all

remaining primary forests must be protected as models of complex

and diverse ecosystems, and as sources of species and genetic

materials.

Let us leave our children sacred forests that exist as more than

mythic memories.

g.b.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Title: Forest survey shows big holes

The devastation threatens numerous species

Source: Copyright 2002 BBC

Date: April 3, 2002

Large expanses of the world's forests are in rapid decline and

could be lost much sooner than expected, a new report by an

environmental research group says.

INSET:

As we examined what we thought were still vast, untouched

stretches of intact forests in the world, we came to the

conclusion that they are fast becoming a myth

Jonathan Lash

WRI President

The report, written by Dirk Bryant for the Washington-based World

Resources Institute, says much of what is currently designated

intact forest is actually badly degenerated.

"A lot of it is illegal logging in areas of the tropics," Mr

Bryant told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"[There are] good rules on the books by governments who are really

making an effort, but they're just not implemented on the ground,"

he said.

Two-year survey

The WRI report is based on a two-year survey that covered North

America, Russia, Indonesia, Central Africa, Chile and Venezuela.

Logging is a major reason for the depletion of forests

It found that areas believed to have forest land intact were now

riddled with roads, logging and mining activity.

"As we examined what we thought were still vast, untouched

stretches of intact forests in the world, we came to the

conclusion that they are fast becoming a myth," WRI president

Jonathan Lash said.

"We've mapped about half the world's forests in detail and we're

finding that the closer we look, the less intact old growth and

primary forest we're finding," said Mr Bryant.

Russian loss

"[That is] considerably less in many places than we had estimated

during our original mapping several years ago," he added.

"Russia is a great example. [It is] the biggest forest area in the

world in a single country.

"We found only a quarter of forests today are intact in larger

tracts of old growth and primary forest," he said.

Such forest trees are important in counteracting climate change,

Mr Bryant said.

"They store vast amounts of carbon, which, if you clear them, burn

them and degrade them, then go into the atmosphere and contribute

to global warming," he said.

Industry role

Mr Bryant did, however, have some words of optimism about

deforestation.

"It's being offset to some extent by regenerating forests in

certain parts of the world.

He said companies were also playing a role.

"Industry is stepping to the fore and leading companies are

realising that through market investment decisions, they can make

a difference."

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