How will planting tropical hardwood trees help save the remaining primary rainforests and preserve plant and animal species?

Planting and harvesting tropical hardwood trees reduces the pressure to log what little primary rainforest remains. The expanding world population coupled with the ever-growing demand for beautiful and durable hardwoods has made it crucial to provide an alternative sustainable supply of these highly desired tropical woods.

The existing rainforest will also be preserved because we plant on deforested land that is otherwise unproductive, while providing local people with jobs and education. We are committed to demonstrating the profitability of growing trees in a sustainable manner. In time, we hope that more of the local people will share in the wisdom of growing the world’s supply of tropical hardwoods on land that has already been cleared, rather than continuing the pattern of cutting down older growth in rainforest ecosystems that are still capable of regeneration.

Plus, because we are taking special care to create food forests for animals and people, especially along river borders. We will be supporting local wildlife and communities with organic food and clean water. Endangered tree species are being collected and preserved for future generations. As well, disconnected fragments of primary forest are being joined by CCT’s planting designs to create larger intact stretches of regenerating forest for survival of species.

Why are tropical rainforests and mangroves so important?

Although tropical forests only occupy 7% of the total landmass on Earth, they are home to more than 2/3 of all the world’s plant and animal species (XI World Forestry Congress). Deforestation in tropical forests represents the greatest potential for extinction of species. (Whitmore and Sayer, 1992). Although it is impossible to accurately determine due to our limited knowledge of tropical ecosystems and inadequate monitoring systems, some estimates put the annual loss of both plants and animals at 50,000 distinct species each year.

In addition to wood products which we use in countless ways throughout daily life, including lumber, panels, posts, poles, pulp and paper, the tropical forests serve as reservoirs of germplasm for plant-improvement breeding opportunities. Rainforests also supply a host of medicinal plants for our well-being and new sources of pharmaceuticals to fight disease. Other forest products include fibres, resins, natural medicines, latexes, and fruits. Loss of this irreplaceable resource, therefore, presents serious biological and economic consequences and represents the most profound environmental tragedy of our time.

Moreover, the tropical rainforests are critical to helping maintain balance in the composition of gases in the atmosphere and regulating global temperatures through photosynthesis and production of oxygen and sequestration of carbon dioxide. Forests protect the oceans and work in tandem with the ocean currents to absorb pollutants and regulate the climate by circulating the warm tropical waters to the poles.

How is deforestation contributing to climate change?

The link between forests and climate change is now widely accepted. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, commissioned by the UK government and released in October 2006, left no doubt about the impact forests have on our climate. "Action to preserve the remaining areas of natural forest is needed urgently," it said, and called for "large scale pilot schemes... to explore effective approaches to combining national action and international support".

The report also noted that preventing deforestation would be a relatively cheap method of tackling climate change, allowing forested countries to reduce their emissions by enormous amounts. Preserving areas of forest benefits the entire planet and there is now a growing acceptance among the international community for financial incentives to leave forests standing. If that were to happen, forests could be worth more intact than if they were felled for timber or agriculture.

A serious environmental problem today. The heart of the African continent suffers an accelerated process of deforestation since the 60’s, which has gradually converted into desert the territoriesof countries like Libia, Chad, Nigeria, Mali, Benin y Camerún.

Climate change is the biggest problem facing our planet, and preserving our remaining forests is a key part of the solution. Deforestation and forest fires contribute approximately 25 % of the total carbon dioxide emissions. (WCFSD, 1997).

What’s happening to the birds and animals that rely on tropical forests?

The effects of deforestation and development of tropical forests can be catastrophic for all the insects, bees, birds and animals that rely on the forest for food, habitat, and migration territory. The chain of being is only as strong as its weakest link, and when forests are indiscriminately altered, whole ecosystems can be seriously affected. Recent studies on Costa Rica have shown that monkeys are dying at an incredible rate, primarily from loss of habitat, food supplies, and the introduction of agrochemicals into the natural environment. All four monkey species are affected and scientists estimate that over half of the total population of primates has died within the last 5 years. Studies of plankton off the Pacific coast search for signs of mortality loss caused by continuous years of elevated superficial ocean temperatures.

Costa Rica is also a critical feeding ground for birds. Canada has only 160 bird species spread over a huge landmass, whereas the tiny country of Costa Rica has over 850 species. That’s because a large percentage of the birds that migrate from North and South America come to Costa Rica’s jungles to feed and strengthen themselves for the return flight home. If food supplies here are insufficient, then bird populations throughout North and South America will suffer. This in turn will have a detrimental effect on the control of insects and insect-borne diseases throughout the whole continental landmass.

What are biological corridors?

Biological Corridors in Costa Rica work to preserve water and biodiversity of species of flora and fauna

Biological corridors connect separated patches of rainforest and forested land. They prevent wildlife from becoming stranded in isolated islands of habitat that may not have adequate resources to support a variety of species. Jungle felines and large mammals need at least a 50 square mile radius intact of jungle habitat in order to survive. They find themselves at great risk when they are forced into areas inhabited by humans. Connecting protected areas of wild habitat contributes directly to the conservation of biodiversity by providing sufficient and varied zones required for the survival of species, including rare and threatened ones.

On the Central to Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, The Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor was created by ASANA in 1996 and later made part of the MesoAmerican Biological Corridor in 2000 with support from The Nature Conservancy’s technical study. The Corridor re-establishes the migratory routes between the jungles of the Osa Peninsula and the Talamanca mountain range and includes the Fila Costena, the Reserve Forestal Los Santos, and the National Park Tapanti-Macizo de la Muerte. However, the Path of the Tapir Corridor, like so many other wild spaces on the planet, is being assaulted and battered on a daily basis as foreigners and locals alike convert jungles and regenerating forests to inappropriate use. Foto 10 waterfall

What is deforestation and why does it matter?

Deforestation comes in all sizes and shapes. Deforestation in Costa Rica began with cattle farmers in the 1970's who were subsidized by first world countries to burn jungle in order to provide a cheap source of meat to multi-national companies like McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy's. These days, and in the last ten years especially, Costa Rica is being deforested by locals and foreigners alike who convert jungles to unsustainable uses like monocrop agriculture and intensive real estate developments. Indeed, development projects have become a serious threat. Enormous destruction has been wrought by people trying to turn steep jungle hillsides and regenerating forests into multi-dwelling condominium projects.

Desertification and extinction of species can be consequences of deforestation?

Degradation of tropical land through deforestation is a physical, chemical, and biological process set in motion when the protective cover of vegetation is removed and the land is subjected to the intensity of the tropical sun and torrential rains. This process includes accelerated erosion, leaching, soil compaction, decreased soil fertility, diminished natural plant regeneration, interruption of hydrological cycles, and possible salinization, waterlogging, flooding or increased drought risk, as well as the establishment of undesirable weedy plants. There is a strong relationship between inappropriate land-use practices and land degradation.

In some places, degradation is manifest (desertification), where in others it is inferred (e.g. declining crop yields). Conversion of tropical moist forest into farm or grazing land commonly results in rapid depletion of the soil's nutrient supply and accelerated soil erosion. In some areas the degradation process leads to takeover by persistent, aggressive weed species of low nutritive value. Often the combined problems of low soil fertility and weed infestation become so great that the land is abandoned.

Take Africa for example. Deforested areas have joined parts of the desert in North Africa and today, huge dust storms are generated full of noxious particulates which spread across the globe creating that strange haze in the atmosphere, further increasing the greenhouse effect.

 

Landslides and erosion are caused by deforestation?

Deforestation in mountainous regions is one of the most serious ecological problems today. Disturbance of vegetative cover on mountain areas with thin soil and steep slopes results in land instability, landslides and soil erosion. Roads and homesites that are badly cut into hillsides and unsupported by erosion control methods will inevitably slide, adding tons of dirt to the stormwater runoff and polluting the rivers that carry it to the sea. The rivers then turn brown after a strong rain, and carry huge loads of sediment out to the ocean, which devastates freshwater and coastal fisheries, in addition to smothering coral reefs and polluting whale breeding areas.

The utter devastation which occurred in Honduras and surrounding countries as a result of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 proves the long-term catastrophic consequences of deforestation. And every rainy season in Costa Rica features a new onslaught of natural disasters largely caused by deforestation and inappropriate land use.

How does deforestation affect oceans, watersheds and local water supplies? See

When rivers and natural water springs are covered by healthy forest, their ecosystem is balanced and protected from the drying rays of the equatorial sun. Trees and vegetation hold rainwater in the soil like a sponge and prevent it from running swiftly over the surface of the land, which would cause erosion problems and water loss. Without trees and surface vegetation moving the rain deep into the earth, many underground aquifers, springs and creeks are in danger of drying up. The loss of water affects local communities that depend on it for irrigation in the dry season and the necessities of daily life. Recent development and construction have put even more pressure on local water supplies, storage systems and infrastructure that were not designed to handle such high demand.

It is true that some deforestation can be beneficial when it constitutes a rational conversion of one type of land use to a more productive one. The tragedy lies in the fact that most of the lands that have been deforested in recent decades are simply not suited for long-term farming or cattle grazing due to their thin soil.

Deforestation also deals long-term blows to the indigenous communities. For them, the arrival of “civilization” usually means the destruction of their traditional lifestyle and the breakdown of their social institutions. On the other hand, reforestation of suitable land provides local populations the opportunity to work in partnership for a better and more sustainable way of life over the long term. Ticos can maintain their cultural ways of life and take great pride in replacing what was cut down by their grandfathers.

The XI World Forestry Congress Publication Some Major Trends in Global Forest Products Markets, 1997 predicts that environmental awareness and requirements of customer rights will grow increasingly strong and set specific demands for forest products originating from sustainably managed forests. In fact, in September 1998, the United States joined nearly 40 other nations that produce or use tropical hardwoods in signing the International Tropical Timber Agreement, created to sustain forests around the world. The pact, which went into effect in 1999, states that tropical timber producers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America will try to export wood from only sustainably managed forests by the Year 2000. This goal has not been reached but progress has been shown in the United Nations World Forestry and Forest Product Reports. Restricting harvests to sustainable forests will cause worldwide supplies to drop beneath current levels, which will in turn continue to raise prices.

Is the exploding world population contributing to deforestation?

It is generally accepted that the world’s population is increasing by nearly 1billion people every decade. The United Nations Population Division predicts that our numbers will reach 8.9 billion people by the year 2050 (population currently 5.9 billion), with the greatest growth in the tropics. We can expect that the rate of deforestation will increase in the remaining areas as competition for food, land and resources increases.

As observed by the XI World Forestry Congress, the deforestation trend in Brazil, which has more tropical rainforest remaining than any other country, continues rapidly mainly due to rural population growth coupled with agricultural expansion. The peasant farmers are practicing slash and burn techniques to clear increasing amounts of farmland, which continues to produce adverse consequences that have only just recently been noticed by the rest of the world.

Are there government subsidies for reforestation?

Nowadays, local farmers can earn much more from agricultural activities like growing pineapple and bananas, rather than from conserving their forests. Clearing their land of trees to make available agricultural space for profitable crops is more economically feasible. The money which can be obtained for tropical rare hardwoods also tempts many locals to continue to cut huge, rare trees for money in otherwise protected areas.

However, government subsidy payments are available for conservation of jungles called Payments for Environmental Services and sometimes for individual tree planting and maintenance. www.FONOFIFO.com.