Forest Blues: Green Cover Diminishing Fast
Forest Blues: Green Cover Diminishing Fast
The state of the world's primary forests are now abysmal. Scientists have just discovered that the world's forest cover is in a precarious state. In a study that uncovers just how much forest cover we have left, the scientists have reached not-so-encouraging conclusions. The study indicates that only about 22% of the forests are situated in protected areas adding around only 5% of the original ones.
Brendan Mackey who is currently the Director of the Climate Change Response Programme at Griffith University in Australia's Queensland area has indicated that the situation is far from satisfactory. He has been quoted as saying that the world's primary forests are losing their green cover in the absence of specific policies for primary forest protection. Biodiversity and climate change treaties have failed to protect the loss of green cover in these forests.
Unique biodiversity values and ecosystem services are now on the decline in developed and developing countries. The climate change rhetoric has been reduced to dollars rather than human values and both developed and developing nations seem to be caught in a debate rather than collaborating to defeat loss of green cover.
The study has demonstrated that primary forest that is currently home to varied richness of biodiversity adds up to 57% of the tropical forest species and ecological processes as well as protection are the collaborative responsibility of both the developed as well as the developing nations. This is an issue of global concern and leaders cannot ignore it if they want to consider the state earth is currently headed.
The analysis has shown that around 98% of the primary forest is located within 25 nations. Around half the primary forest are now located in the 5 developed nations namely the US, Russia, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The researchers have also indicated that policies are critically needed to lower pressure for misuse of primary forest.
The research investigators who conducted this study identified 4 new actions which would lead to the formation of a good policy foundation for global negotiations. This includes forest related multilateral agreements to protect the survival of primary forest covers into the twenty-first century. Since developed countries have better resources and finances, they have no excuse for neglecting primary forest cover.
Moreover, developed as well as developing nations need to collaborate better if they are to combat this problem well. The experts have indicated that this includes incorporating primary forests into environmental accounting for special contributions of ecosystem services including freshwater as well a watershed services.
They have also emphasised that what is needed is a science-based definition for the purpose of distinguishing primary forests. The scientists also indicated that the principle of avoided loss has to be prioritised. This will guard against further biodiversity loss and primary forest emissions leading to deforestation and degradation. The livelihood of forest dwelling persons as well as the balance of the world's ecological system now rests on the state of the primary forest.
