Bibliography and Analysis

http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/ (this site taught me about what organisations are doing for rainforests, this also provided basic information)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_rainforest (the typical site which many use, it was quite helpful but did not provide much information other than the location of temperate rainforests)

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/rainforests/ (this site gave very in depth details regarding all rainforests, i also trusted it quite a bit as it seemed like a credible site (e.g. .org)

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomerainfor5.htm (This site was of average use, but I have previously used it before so it was one of my first options for a site on information about rainforests.)

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/d_forest/td_forest.htm (this was one of my less favoured sites, the information was mainly concerning American rainforests and coniferous ones in detail, meaning that I did not get much information. But it provided me with ideas for some ways to reduce deforestation)

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=impact&topic=tempforest&subtopic=environmental&subsubtopic=logging (This site provided detailed information for logging and its effects, this was very helpful in many parts of the research)

http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=3 (this page had very basic information, much which I did not use)

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/deforestation3.htm (this site was very helpful in the search for strategies, it also had many other links and information regarding deforestation.)

Biomes of the earth- Temperate Forests, 2006: Allaby, M (this book was very detailed and was extremely informative. However, it mostly talked about temperate forests in general; meaning there was little bits of information for me.)

Images are from google images :D

My opinion :D

 I personally find that many of these options are quite smart and worth doing. However some of them are not options suitable for immediate change. The one which I find has the best short term option would be eco-forestry. This idea of choosing only a selected amount of trees to cut down and allowing minimal impact on the rest of the habitat seems like a good idea. After all, it is illogical to completely stop logging and deforestation, at least during this process there is less damage.

A long term strategy would be reforestation, the opposite of deforestation. However as I have stated in many previous posts the regrowth of trees is a long process.

Overall, I think that we should all do some of the small yet worthwhile things like reduce global warming, which basically means more rain for the forests which require a lot!

Recycling

Eco forestry

Reforestation

 

What is done reduce deforestation?

As time goes on, more and more people are beginning to understand the importance  temperate rainforests. The United Nations had a conference press regarding climate change, eventually forming a roadmap which was signed by numerous countries, which includes the reduction of deforestation.

There are also many non-profitable organisations which work to fight against this issue, like the WWF, which works to shape policies and teams with communities to preserve forests (for more information about this organisation, or to find out how to help out go to: (https://secure.wwf.org.au/about/ ).

In Australia, regional forest agreements have been formed in four of Australia’s states this provides “certainty for forest- based industries, forest-dependent communities and conservation. They are the result of years of scientific study, consultation and negotiation covering a diverse range of interests.”(Quote from http://www.environment.gov.au/land/forestpolicy/index.html).

Some ideas and approaches to reduce deforestation (mostly applicable to large government areas and organisation) are:

•      Reforestation- planting more trees
• Eco- forestry- only a carefully selected amount of trees are cut down and transported with the minimal amount of damage to the forest area.
•  Green business- focuses on recycled products and wood alternatives.
• Land use planning- plans environmentally friendly development techniques
• Community forestry- citizens come together to participate  in activities to help sustain local forests.

What you can do:

First of all we should do our best to reduce global warming. Everyone can do this by recycling, saving electricity and walking or using public transport more often.  The use of recyclable objects is a very simple ways to play a part in the conservation of temperate forests. Another important and vital thing is to spread awareness, all you need is to stand up and talk.

some other notable sites are: 

• www.daffa.gov.au/rfa
• http://forests.org/ 

Extent of deforestation

Deforestation is a process which is basically irreversible in a human’s lifetime; the rainforests areas affected by it are only left with a small percentage of what it originally was, as shown in figure 2. In the 20^th century there was heavy logging and agricultural clearance, which was basically rubbing salt on an open wound. Due to this problem, there is a possibility of around one quarter of the earth’s species extinct within 50 years. In general all rainforests in general, are affected by this issue.

This problem is so severe that in some countries, especially Brazil, deforestation has been declared a national emergency. In a report from WWF (world wide fund for nature) it has been said that deforestation could possibly wipe out or severely damage roughly 60% of the Amazon rainforest, by 2030.




(Figure 2. a map of the current distribution of temperate rainforests in the world) (source:Wikipedia.org, scale unknown)

 

What are threats to temperate rainforests?

There are many threats to rainforests in general, most of which are human. Some of these threats consist of mining, introduction of new animals to the ecosystem, global warming, acid rain and most importantly, deforestation.

Simply put, deforestation is the clearance of forests. This is mainly caused by the human need for land and resources. Rainforest timber is of great value for its beauty and usefulness. However the growing process is slow, making it not economical to grow them in plantations. Another reason for the clearing of forests relates to the need of land. Such land is cleared so that people can farm, build roads and buildings. Only few remote forests have been left untouched, due to the impossibility of farming and logging.

Deforestation does not on only effects the trees but it destroys the balance of the biome. Due to the loss of habitat and food, some animals have become close to extinction and some even disappearing from the earth forever. Logging also ruins the soil of the land, removing trees loosens up the soil which was once held together by the trees. This can pollute fresh water rivers, endangering the fish species which live there. In addition, many plants are unable to grow in the disturbed land. Overall destroying the entire habitat, such damage takes millions of years to repair.

What is a temperate rainforest?

Forests which are coniferous and broad leaf, with a temperate climate, are categorized as temperate rainforest. Temperate rainforests are located along the Pacific coast of Canada and America, New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, Scotland and Norway. There are two types of temperate rainforests, warm and cool. Depending on the type, they can receive 1300mm to 3000mm rainfall yearly, as shown in the graph (figure 1). Such forests have an annual temperature between 4^oC and 12^oC.

 Graph of average temperature and annual precipitation (Figure 1) Source: http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/temprain.htm