A photo from open sources
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Earth has been destroyed by humans, fires and pests of almost one and a half million square kilometers of forest. it less than at the end of the last century, but still more than a planet can afford, experts warn
The process of tree felling is in parallel with development civilization. But in the era of industrialization he truly accepted menacing proportions. And even when at the end of the last century ecologists and scientists sounded the alarm, the situation could not be reversed to for the best.
Arithmetic is simple. Out of 87 million square kilometers of forest over the past 12 years, one and a half million have been destroyed on the planet. Such at the pace after seven centuries there will not be a tree on Earth. However, humanity may not even see this. After all, with less forests in the atmosphere will have less oxygen, more carbon dioxide, there will be nothing to breathe, the climate will change. Population the planet will most likely not adapt to such changes.
Now almost everywhere there are government programs on restoration and conservation of forests. Somewhere they work quite successfully. For example, Brazil today ranks first in reduce the rate of loss of forests: if in 2003 there were 40 thousand square kilometers were destroyed, then in 2010 – two times less. However nearby, in Paraguay, as well as in Malaysia and Cambodia has the highest rates of deforestation. Leader in tree elimination rate – Indonesia. In Europe is observed some increase in forest land.
A rather difficult situation in China. However recently Beijing spends tens of billions of dollars on reforestation. IN Enormous forest areas are still being destroyed in Russia. But with us everything is not as bad as environmentalists are trying to imagine, argues expert of the State Forestry University. Kirov Vladimir Petrov.
“If the area of clear-cutting in Russia today is compared with the areas, which are restored, then we find ourselves in good standing. Then we have restoration areas that exceed clear-cutting areas. But the question arises: and the quality of the restoration corresponds to the desired or not? Unfortunately, not always. ”
The problem is that in the economic sense, coniferous forest is more profitable. But pines and spruce trees grow slower than deciduous trees. To that while the coniferous trees are small, deciduous literally clog. This is especially noticeable during natural recovery. forest, notes the rector of the Research Institute forestry and forestry mechanization Anatoly Petrov.
“Notice there’s always a forest at the felling site. But we want coniferous forest grew, and instead deciduous grows. But believe me after 60 years, deciduous forest itself is replaced by coniferous. It’s normal process. It’s just that the Russian economy is so oriented that we interested in coniferous forests. But for ecology, the best forest is foliar. Carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen evolution deciduous forests are doing better. Coniferous needles do not possess such a great ability. ”
But if industrial logging can be regulated, then spontaneous disasters, fires and pest infestations are difficult to control. However, they damage nature no less than activity person. However, such data is not always reflected in official reports in full. No reports and data on illegal logging.
Keep track of how the situation is in reality green cover of the planet, will help the first interactive global forest map created by american scientists. Based on hundreds satellite imagery from 2000 to 2012 can be traced change in the state of the forests of the planet. In addition, the card allows detect large-scale illegal logging, which is important for many regions, including Russia.
Natalya Kovalenko
China Fires Russia
