New Science Indicates Selective Logging of Amazon Highly Destructive Forests.org calls upon mainstream environmental organizations and funders to heed this warning and embrace the goal of ending old-growth logging in all ancient forests
By Anabelle E. Plantilla A RECENT study conducted by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Indonesian-based Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has been quoted as saying that deforestation is not a cause of flooding.
Thousands of fox hunting supporters are meeting for the first day of the new season - the first since a ban on using dogs in England and Wales. The Countryside Alliance said around 200 hunts were taking place, some using birds of prey and others following a scent trail to exercise their hounds.
News GSP has received an award for its computerised forestry management system (ForMS) Agribusiness investment manager, Great Southern Plantations, has been recognised for innovation in managing its diverse plantation estate through unique new technology.
News ForestPress - November 4, 2005 New Rule will Balance Best Possible Care of Land with Public's Enjoyment of Recreational Vehicles through Local Collaboration WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service today announced a new regulation for recreational motor vehicle use in national forests and grasslands which will forge a sustainable system of routes and areas designated for motorized use in the future. "OHV and other motorized vehicles are fun and exciting ways to experience national forests and we've seen dramatic increases in their popularity in the last decade," said Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. "Land managers will use the new rule to continue to work with motorized sports enthusiasts, conservationists, state and local officials and others to provide responsible motorized recreational experiences in national forests and grasslands for the long run. The new travel management policy requires each national forest and grassland to identify and designate those roads, trails and areas that are open to motor vehicle use. Local units will seek public input and coordinate with federal, state, county and other local governmental entities as well as tribal governments
After the severe storm that hit Southern Sweden in the beginning of the year many forest owners are looking for alternatives to the dominant spruce. Scientists believe that fast growing larch trees may be an interesting alternative. Not only does hybrid larch grow very fast, but in older and properly thinned forests it is also relatively resistant to storm damage.
News Authors E. MÄKI-SIMOLA – K.PANAGOPOULOS The EU is the world number one producer of sawnwood, wood-based panels and paper and paperboard. The European Union (EU-25) has a total area of forests and other wooded land of 160 million hectares, covering 42% of its land area. Among the many functions of forests, one of the most important is the raw material function: whilst offering a renewable source of wood and other products, forests have a great role in creating economic welfare and employment. But besides their economic aspects, forests offer many other benefits which are highly valued but not easy to measure in monetary terms.
News white-footed mice by Alister Doyle Better protection for the diversity of the planet's creatures and plants could help shield humans from diseases like AIDS, Ebola or bird flu and save billions of dollars in health care costs, researchers said on Tuesday. They said human disruptions to biodiversity – from roads through the Amazon jungle to deforestation in remote parts of Africa – had made people more exposed to new diseases that originate in wildlife.
News Korea Forest Research Institute is seeking applicants for a Post Doctoral Fellow position in forest management planning. Qualifications : A Ph.D. degree in forest management or related field; demonstrated research experience in forest management, timber supply modelling, forest management planning, and/or system analysis; young scientist preferably be not more than 40 years of age; be recommended by the head of organization(if the applicant is working for research institution) or the PhD advisor; have a good command of spoken and written English; be in good health, both physically and mentally.
News BEIJING — A program that promotes Canadian wood exports will receive continued support for its activities from the Government of Canada. The Honourable John McCallum, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Natural Resources, today announced that approximately $2.5 million in funding for the Canada Wood Export Program (known as Canada Wood) will be targeted to the Chinese market in 2005–2006. The contribution to the program, which is administered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), will be matched by funding from the Canadian wood-products industry as well as the provinces of British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario.
News Shaoni Bhattacharya Elephants may pay homage to the bones of dead relatives in their home ranges, a study of the creatures’ responses to skulls and ivory suggests. Humans apart, only a few animals show any interest in their own dead.
On 25 October 2005 the first ever multilateral treaty in South East Europe was signed in Athens. Signing the Energy Community Treaty, the European Union and nine partners of South East Europe – Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo – will create the legal framework for an integrated energy market.
OSLO - Greenland's ice-cap has thickened slightly in recent years despite wide predictions of a thaw triggered by global warming, a team of scientists said on Thursday. The 3,000-metre (9,842-feet) thick ice-cap is a key concern in debates about climate change because a total melt would raise world sea levels by about 7 metres. And a runaway thaw might slow the Gulf Stream that keeps the North Atlantic region warm.
News A bridge of 80 meters length and made of glued wood has been opened in Steinkjer on the European highway E6. This is the first time that a bridge on a European highway is built from wood and it will be the world's most frequented wooden bridge.
Information about the project “Institutional development and capacity building for the National Forest Programme of Serbia” After long period of isolation, Serbian forestry was faced with the need for changes. Changes were needed in all aspects of forestry due to outdated organizational concept and economic devastation in the past decade. Since the forestry sector in Serbia was not capable of bringing about changes on its own, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management – Directorate of Forests requested assistance from the FAO.
News Climate Policy 2005 and Beyond - Japanese-German Impulses "Climate Policy 2005 and Beyond: Japanese-German Impulses" will be held on 1 November 2005 in Tokyo as part of the events taking place during the Germany year in Japan 2005/2006.
News LUXEMBOURG - EU agriculture ministers endorsed plans on Monday to crack down on the lucrative illegal timber trade by making exporters obtain licences to prove their wood does not come from endangered rainforests, officials said. The EU will now create a voluntary scheme for licensing timber imports that might lead to a global agreement to clean up the $150 billion global forest product trade.
News Thailand – The massive flooding this week in Central America has prompted the press and well-intentioned advocacy groups to blame the flooding following heavy rain from Hurricane Stan on excessive runoff caused by “extensive deforestation. ” But in a report that seeks to separate fact from fiction when it comes to forests and floods, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) say there is no scientific evidence linking large-scale flooding to deforestation. The same holds true, according to the report, for recent flooding in China, Thailand and Viet Nam.
