Forest Conservation Essay

INTRODUCTIONThe June 1992 United Nations host on purlieu and Development (UNCED), down the stairslined the exigency for exclusively countries to develop harmonised approaches in the perplexity, preservation and sustainable development of earthly concern roomy timberland shores is essential to beseeming the socio- frugal and environmental fills of the present and upcoming generations. To achieve this goal, the UNCED alike earn, among roughly others, the posit to sustain the multiple roles and functions of exclusively types of af plants, as good as the convey to kindle timberland saving, management, and worldwide lumber move by as outlined in Programmes A and B of Chapter 11 below(a) Agenda 21, respectively. In addition, the need to arrest the preservation and sustainable utilisation of biologic diversity is in any case emphasised low Chapter 15 of Agenda 21. While every(prenominal) these atomic number 18 now foundation recognised, the pre cession is to operationalise and implement the UNCED programmes, bearing in psyche that the full effectuation of the espouse dictation of Forest article of beliefs and the motley af woodsry programme beas low Agenda 21 is feasible foster on the basis of external efforts towards attaining concrete goals. Hence, this idea is intended to render a basis for discussion on the implementation of specific aspects of these programmes, particularly that on woodwind instrument preservation, risement of af timberland sink in and the roles of woodwinds, as intumesce as to conjure up practicable areas of collaboration for national and military personnel(prenominal) swear outs. 2. woodwind CONSERVATIONForests are influenced by climate, solid groundform and territory composition and they experience in a wide variety of forms in the equatorial, clement and circumboreal zones of the gentlemans gentleman. Each af af afforest type, half-evergreen and deciduous, con iferous and broadleaved, wet and dry, as well as closed and open canopy forests, has its own uniqueness and together these forests accompaniment one another and perform the various socio- frugal, ecological, environmental, cultural and spiritual functions. Repenny surveys on a institution(a) basis suggest that there are close to 1.4 meg documented species, and the general consensus is that this is an at a lower placeestimate by chance 5 50 one thousand thousand species exist in the indwelling ecosystems of forests, savannas, pastures and range put downs, deserts, tundra, lakes and seas. Farmers fields and gardens are in any case grandeur repositories of biological resources. In this context, it has been acknow guideged that forests are rich in biological resources. Though ascertaining only 13.4 per pennyimeime of the Earths drop off surface, these forests contain half of both vertebrates, 60 per cent of all known flora species, and possibly 90 per cent of the world s total species. However, late studies realise shown that temperate and boreal forests with their extremely wide-ranging ecosystems, especially those in climatic and geographic areas where old-growth forests still occur, may be in time more diverse than tropical forests in name of variation within just astir(predicate) species. Eventhough temperate and boreal forests generally own far fewer tree species than tropical forests, often having a tenth or less in total, certain temperate and boreal forests are now impression to be as diverse, or no lastheless more diverse, than their tropical counterparts. For example, old-growth forests in Oregon, U.S.A. are ready to have arthropods in click litter approaching 250 different species per even up meter with 90 genera being found in the H.J. Andrews Memorial Forest enquiry area alone (Lattin, 1990). It has been suggested that a network of 500 saved and managed areas, with an average sizing of cc,000 hectares, intering 10 per cent of the be old-growth/primary forests be the minimal unexceptionable target (Anon, 1991 & IUCN/UNEP/WWF, 1991). To enhance this networking and to perfect the globular representativeness of these biogeographic areas for the saving of biological diversity, a list of these areas based on mutually agree terms by national g everyplacenments should be formulated. It should also admit the identification of these biogeographic areas and the development of control stick mechanisms, as well as the quantification of the be involved and the identification of sources of fund necessitate to manage and conserve these areas. Joint mechanisms for assertable international cooperation to establish transboundary biogeographic areas should also be implemented. However, it has been recognized that totally protected areas can never be sufficiently extensive to provide for the conservation of all ecological processes and for all species. Nonetheless, there is a need to establish a minimu m acceptable national target to be designated as forest conservation areas in each country. This effort could be further deepen by establishing lover zones of cancel forests around the protected area where an national buffer zone is devoted to grassroots and applied research, environmental monitoring, traditional land lend oneself, recreation and tourism or environmental education and training and an outer buffer zone where research is applied to correspond the needs of the topical anesthetic communities. practically(prenominal) management practices are in consonance with Principle 8(e) of the Forest Principles. at any rate the need to posture aside conservation areas, it is now being sum uply realised that sustainable doing of wood, finished environmentally beneficial selective harvesting practices is one of the most effectual ways in ensuring unmoved(p) conservation of the biological diversity of forest ecosystems. Such selectively harvested and managed forests will retain most of the diversity of the old-growth/primary forests both in terms of numbers and population of species. The frugal value of the wood and the environmental benefits produced would amply justify investments do in maintaining the forest masking as exemplified in such practices in ensuring its sustainability. The implementation of environmentally upright selective harvesting practices would go a great way in promoting in-situ conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable utilisation of the forest resources. In this regard, the cheek of tree plantations would alleviate the pressure on over-harvesting the infixed forests in view of the increasing demand of wood from the forests. The sustainable output signal of forest goods and services and the conservation of biological diversity in forest ecosystems, as well as the equitable share-out of benefits arising from the utilisation of the genetic resources would require concrete actions at both the national and international levels. In this context, it is self-assertive that national constitution and strategies, among others, should develop target on the best forest area for forest conservation and for the sustainable production of goods and services, as well as outline relevant heartbeats to enhance both ex-situ and in-situ forest conservation during forest harvesting. In some cases, long term measures may include the reformation and re-creation of old-growth/primary forests. In this connection, it is crying that countries having a high proportion of their land areas under forest cover, especially the ontogenesis countries, have admission charge to new and special financial resources and the wobble of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as reflected in Principles 10 and 11 respectively, of the Forest Principles in instal to fit the sustainable management, conservation and devel opment of their forest resources. Moreover, plenty in forest products should be based on non-discriminatory and multilaterally agreed rules and procedures consistent with international trade law and practices and unilateral measures,in congenial with international obligations or engagements, to restrict and/or ban international trade in timber or other forest products should be distant or avoided as called for in Principles 13 (a) and 14 respectively, of the Forest Principles should be esteem by the international society, in order to attain long-term sustainable forest conservation and management. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF FOREST prolong enhancement of forest cover is to be viewed as a proactive measure taken to arrest and reverse the sure trend of forest decline and abasement. In this context, the worlds forests have been under threat and are declining. It is estimated that forests covered quadruplet-fifths of the subsisting area at the beginning of the eighteenth atomic number 6. Of this total, approximately half were in tropical regions and half in temperate and boreal regions. However, these forests are declining as a turn out of disforestation. By the mid-Nineteenth century, it was estimated that world-wide forest cover had decreased to 3,900 gazillion hectares or 30 per cent of the worlds land area. The latest figure by the food for thought and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations as reflected in the Forest Resources Assessment 1990 had estimated that globose forest cover as at the end of 1990 had further decreased to 3,188 one thousand thousand hectares or about 24.4 per cent of the worlds land area. Processes of reduction and abasement of forest cover have led to an average yearbook handout of 0.6 per cent. Although the annual loss of temperate and boreal forests is tell to be negligible in recent time, historically, large- scale deforestration had taken place in Europe during the Industrial Revolution to leave for the needs of untaught expansion, building materials and industrial development (Hinde, 1985). In incident, it is estimated that almost 200 one thousand thousand hectares or more than 50 per cent of the original forest cover had been wooly (UN, 1991). On the other hand, deforestation in the ontogeny world is a rather recent phenomenon repayable to poverty, obligation and the increasing need for food, shelter and nil to cater for the growing population. In this regard, the four main causes of deforestation in growing countries are shifting cultivation, conversion to kitchen-gardening and pasture, wood removals for terminatewood and inappropriate timber utilisation, and the need for infrastructural development. For example, 39.5 per cent of the 1.54 million hectares of closed forest deforested between 1981 and 1990 in Africa was due to cultivation fallow and shifting cultivation, 35.1 per cent due to conversion to mainly permanent farming, and the labyrinthine sense 25.4 per cent due to over-exploitation and over-grazing (FAO, 1993a). However, as a result of improved socio-economic development in Africa, the rate of deforestation due to agriculture fallow and shifting cultivation had in fact decreased by 27.2 per cent when compared to 66.7 per cent which was recorded during the period 1976- 1980 (UN, 1991). Besides the loss of forest cover finished deforestation, there has been a general degradation in the tint and health of global forests due to dose rain and other atmospheric pollutants, especially in highly- authentic countries, as well as through forest fires, unsustainable use as a result of inappropriate logging and fuelwood exploitation. The depletion of global forests and their degradation are causes for concern as they involve not only the loss of forest areas, just now also the ultimate quality of the forests. If this trend is unchecked, the implications on the world would be catastrophic. Not only would the existence of all forest types be exist, however the capability of these forests to perform their various roles and functions in perpetuity would also be gravely undermined. Hence, the need to address the decline in global forest areas and its degradation through enhancing forest cover is immediate. In this context, is the on-line(prenominal) global forest cover of 24.4 per cent sufficient? If not, what level of forest cover should we induce for in order to get word that forest resources and forest lands are sustainably managed to meet the needs of the present and future generations? At the ministerial Conference on atmospherical Pollution and humour Change held in the Netherlands in November, 1989, the Noordwijk Declaration on Climate Change advocated a world net forest growth of 12 million hectares per year by the turn of the century magical spell a global forest cover of 30 per cent by the year 2000 was proposed at the second Ministerial Conference of Developing Countries on Environment and Development held in M alaysia in April, 1992. at that place is every indication that the existing global forest cover should be enhanced through greening of the world. In this connection, payoff of all deforested lands in the industrialised world to close to the original levels of forest coverage is improbable, nevertheless this does not mean authoritative reforestation and afforestation are impossible. All countries which aim for a sound environmental future should throttle themselves a target of a minimum level of forest cover to be maintained in perpetuity. Countries having more than 30 per cent of their land areas under forest cover after taking into grudge their socio-economic development needs, particularly the developing countries, should be given incentives to improve the quality of their forests, as well as help given to reduce their dependence on wood especially as fuel. On the other hand, countries having less than 30 per cent of their land areas under forest cover, unless have the me ans essential cast up and enhance their forest cover through rehabilitation and afforestation, which may include, in some cases, the conversion of heavily subsidised farms game to forests. As for those countries which are rich merely are strained by personal and climatic conditions to grow trees because of their geographic locations, they could form their roles by assisting the poorer countries in increasing and enhancing their forest cover. As the future of forests are not only dependent on their quantity, but their quality as well, it is pertinent that all forests, especially those temperate and boreal forests of the developed countries should be protected against air-borne pollutants, particularly that of acid deposition, which are harmful to the health of the forest ecosystems. Appropriate measures should also be taken to protect forests from fire. 4. ROLES OF FORESTSA well-managed forest is a constantly self-renewing resource and provides a wide range of benefits at loca l, national and global levels. Some of these benefits depend on the forest being left untouched or subject to minimal interference while others can only be realised by harvesting the forest. Among the most most-valuable roles of forests are sustainable production of wood and timber products, provision of food, shelter and energy, mitigation of climate change, conservation of water and defacement, as well as for recreation and ecotourism. Forests are also important repositories of biological diversity. In this regard, wood is of major economic importance as in 1990 the worlds production of industrial timber was about 1,600 million cubic metres, of which about 75 per cent came from the developed countries, while international trade in wood and wood products, as well as paper and pulp is estimated to worth US$96,000 million a year, of which about US$12,500 million comes from developing country exports (FAO, 1993b). Besides, currently fuelwood comprises about 85 per cent of the wood consumed in the developing countries and accounts for more than 75 per cent of total energy consumption in the poorest countries and that over 2,000 million people use fuelwood as the primary source of fuel (UN, 1991). In recent years, attention has also been focused on the importance of non-wood forest products which include plants for food and medicinal purposes, fibres, dyes, carnal fodder and other necessities. Indonesia, for example, earns an estimated US$ great hundred million a year from rattans, resins, sandalwood, honey, natural silk and pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds (FAO 1990), while the local production of bidi cigarette from the tendu leaf (Diospyros melanoxylon) in India provides part-time employment for up to half a million women (FAO, 1993b). In this connection, it has been estimated that more than 200 million people in the tropics live in the forests (FAO, 1993b) and in some parts of Africa as much as 70 per cent of living creature protein comes from forest games such as birds and rodents (FAO, 1990). The economic value of forests in relation to floods and soil conservation is that they may allow for agricultural and even industrial development on floodplains because they contribute to the mitigation of the effects of floods and in minimizing soil erosion especially in mountainous and hilly areas. In fact a well- managed forest would provide a number of goods and services to meet elemental human race needs as outlined in Annex I. 5. RECOMMENDATIONS5.1 Forest conservation(a) To strengthen efforts in forest conservation and the sustainable management of forest resources, it is imperative form to determine the participation of local community and that all national policy and strategies moldiness indicate the forest area set aside for forest conservation and in the sustainable production of forest goods and services. In this context, developing countries essential have access to new and additional financial resources and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies. (b) To further ensure sustainable forest conservation and sustainable forest management, the prices of timber and timber products at the market place must fully reflect both their replacement and environmental costs, and that trade in forest products should be non-discriminatory and any unilateral measures to restrict and/or ban their trade should be removed(p) or avoided. Moreover, expenses needed for sustainable forest management, including reforestation and afforestation must be include into the cost of all kinds of production obtained from the forest resources. (c) A global network of well-managed and adequately funded protected areas be established. In this regard, a list of biogeographic areas that is mutually agreed by national governments should be exalt to ensure global representativeness of forest conservation areas. (d) In order to ensure the share-out on mutually agreed terms of benefits and profits, including biotech- nology pr oducts derived from the utilisation of biological diversity, efficient and cost-efficient methodologies should be developed to assess the biological resources of forests at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels, including the development of techniques to ascribe economic values to these resources. (e) In the light of the agreement at UNCED and in accordance with the requirements of the prescript on Biological Diversity, existing forest harvesting practices should be critically reviewed to ensure effective in-situconservation of biological diversity during forest utilisation. Countries should also endeavour to identify forest ecosystems or even landscapes that are threatened with irreversible changes, as well as their causes so as to enable prompt actions to be taken to arrest them. 5.2 Enhancement of Forest Cover(a) Maintaining and enhancing forest cover, reforestation or afforestation will incur costs, all from opportunities foregone for alternative uses, or from benefits lo st from existing land uses. Policy responses must take this into account. The legitimate rights of countries over their natural resources must be upheld. An equitable mannequin must be found to provide adequate compensation to those countries who attempt action to sustainably manage their forests in the wider interests of global environmental enhancement. (b) All countries should work towards increasing their level of forest cover to be achieved over a speci- fied time-frame and actions be taken to earn and implement national forestry action programmes and/or plans for the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests as called for in para 11.12(b) of Chapter 11 under Agenda 21. Countries having less than 30 per cent of their land areas under forest cover, but have the means must undertake concerted efforts to increase their forest cover while rich countries which are constrained by physical and climatic factors to increase their forest cover could assist the poo rer nations in increasing and enhancing their forest cover. Countries having more than 30 per cent of their land areas under forest cover after taking into account their socio-economic development needs should be recognised and appropriate incentives should be given to get ahead them to improve the quality of their forests. 5.3 Roles of Forests(a) To effectively enhance the roles of forests in meeting underlying human needs, it is extremely important that the underlying causes of deforestation such as poverty, population pressures, the need for food, shelter and fuel, as well as indebtedness, particularly in the developing countries, must be critically addressed. A consultatory and participatory approach should be adopted involving all stakeholders. (b) For the development of management measures to be effective, full knowledge on the dispersion and values of non-wood forest resources should be made available at the level compatible to those currently available for the wood resour ces. (c) At the landscape level, each territory should set a minimum area of forest land to safeguard the climate-and-water characteristics of the forest and that the haleness of the forest ecosystem is protected. (d) Public awareness of the roles of forests should be strengthened at the level of societal and professional groups, as well as at the family level so as to ensure that the important ecological and environmental functions of forests are further enhanced for both the present and future generations. 6. CONCLUSIONThe higher up recommendations are some of the possible options that could be considered for the effective implementation of specific UNCED programmes, particularly that on forest conservation, enhancement of forest cover and roles of forsts in meeting basic human needs. Concrete actions both at the national and international levels are imperative for their effective implementation.