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Table of Contents
Why Forests Matter
Why Forests Matter
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
"Protecting forests is key to this - they cover almost a third of the global land area and harbour most of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. Forests contain 60,000 different tree species, 80 percent of amphibian species, 75 percent of bird species, and 68 percent of the world's mammal species."
Poverty
Poverty
"When we protect forests, people benefit too. Forests provide more than 86 million green jobs. Of those living in extreme poverty, over 90 percent are dependent on forests for wild food, firewood or part of their livelihoods."
The Water Cycle
The Water Cycle
Major Threats
Major Threats
"The area of primary forest worldwide has decreased by over 80 million hectares since 1990.
Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation and the associated loss of forest biodiversity. " - https://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/
The following are listed from greatest to least impact:
Livestock
Soybeans (75% of which becomes livestock feed)
Palm oil (an increasingly common feed ingredient)
Lumber & Paper Products (Toilet Paper)
Coca
Coffee
Corn/Maize
Rubber
Sugar Cane
Mining
Infrastructure
Shifting cultivation
Which Companies Are Driving Deforestation?
Historical Causes of Deforestation
Other Threats
Other Threats
The following have not yet been listed according to impact:
Acid Rain which has returned due to livestock farming and industry.
Climate change
Longer, Hotter Droughts can stress trees so that they might die up to 10 years after the major event.
Milder Winters don't kill the natural or invasive pests that feed on or live inside trees.
Harsher Winters can kill trees that are not used to deep freezes. These can kill saplings before they can become full grown trees.
Sea Level Rise cause overtopping of salt water which then sinks into soil and aquifers, poisoning trees from the roots up.
Invasive Species these can displace or directly harm trees. Some inported species of trees produce toxins which make the soil around them inhospitable to native plant species.
Disease burdens more trees as they become more stressed.
Fungal infections increase as some places become more wet and humid.
Pests both introduced and native can flourish, especially with mild winters which are less likely to kill infestations.
Click this button to learn more about the threats to forests, find resources and learn what you can do to help stop deforestation. Currently subsidies and efforts to deforest massively out weigh or even undo current reforesting efforts, so stopping deforestation at it's source should be out top concern, before we loose these vital ecosystems.
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
End Harmful Subsidies Until these are ended, tree planting programs will not be able to outpace the rate of deforestation.
Avoid Animal Products
Support Agroforestry
Support Tree Planting
Support Legal Protection for forests and rewilding of historical forests
UK: https://lostrainforestsofbritain.org/ has several options, scroll to the Europe tag in this section to see the list.
Install/Use A Bidet to reduce toilet paper use.
Dietary Calculator
Dietary Calculator
This fun calculator can estimate how many square meters or feet of forest have or will be spared by a vegan diet over X amount of time.
Europe
Europe
UK
UK
Political Support for Lost Rainforests The Lost Rainforests of Britain campaign is calling on the UK Government to restore Britain’s lost temperate rainforests by implementing a ‘Great British Rainforests Strategy’.
Sign A Petition to Protect & Restore Britain's Lost Rainforests
Techniques
Techniques
Locations to Re-Wild
Locations to Re-Wild
Creating forests in places where they replace other ecosystems can cause more problems than leaving the land alone- for example forests planted on peatland can kill off local biodiversity and help release greenhouse gases. Instead it is better to locate damaged forests or locations that were historically forested before humans replaced those spaces with farms or mines, and help restore those to their former glory.
In many places we can use historic accounts and maps to work out where forests used to stand, though we can also use certain clues that remain in those ecosystems. For example, bracken maps can be used to help locate appropriate places to reforest in the UK.
6:26 minute video talks about the land that was taken from indigenous people, and how their descendants are reclaiming the same land so they can help to restore it to a healthy state.
Species
Species
Amphibians
Amphibians
Birds
Birds
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
In the Americas and islands including the Caribbean, there are over 330 species of Hummingbirds who help pollinate flowering plants.
Insects & Other Bugs
Insects & Other Bugs
Carnivores
Carnivores
Predatory insects help control other bug populations. This can protect trees and other forest plants from being overconsumed.
Detritivores
Detritivores
These little creatures help break down dead leaves and other matter, turning it into poop and soil to be reabsorbed by trees and other plants in a forest. They can often be found living in snags (dead trees that are still standing), in or under logs, under rocks, and scurrying around in or under leaf piles.
Woodlice are land-dwelling crustaceans with flexible shell segments allowing some species to curl up into balls when threatened, to help protect their legs and underbellies.
Earthworms are a category of worm which burrows through the earth, eating soil and rotting vegetation, turning those materials into nutritiously rich "worm castings".
Pollinators
Pollinators
Species that provide pollination services also do double duty as food for larger species. Without them, the entire food web can quickly start to crumble.
Though usually considered pests, certain species of both flies and mosquitoes can help with pollination.
Some species of fly have evolved to look like bees or wasps, but lack their stingers and other characteristics.
Mosquitoes tend to pollinate small flowers that live in wet conditions.
Plants
Plants
Moss
Moss
These rootless plants are vital for moisture absorption and re-release, keeping forests damper, while reducing the risk of flooding. Healthy, old growth forests are rich with many species of moss, while polluted, heavily-impacted, or newly planted forests tend not to. Climate change is a major threat to moss as it pushes past temperatures that mosses have adapted to survive.
Shrubs
Shrubs
These make up an important part of the understory, edges of forests, or may exist on the peripheries as grassland or other ecosystems build up to forest. These plants provide food, shelter, air cleaning, and other benefits to their ecosystems.
Reptiles
Reptiles
Snakes
Snakes
Organizations
Organizations
International
International
The Forest Governance & Policy "team works to support the design and implementation of effective forest policies related to illegal logging and associated trade and deforestation-free supply chains.
The initiative provides tools and resources to improve transparency and accountability in forest-related supply chains, and informs policy and purchasing decisions through data and analysis."The Rewilding Institute "We live for the day when Gray Wolves and Grizzly Bears have connected habitat from Mexico to Alaska, when Pumas have reclaimed their homelands East and West, when salmon and other migratory fish swim freely up and down our continents’ rivers, when the oceans are teeming with whales and sharks, and when all native species regain natural patterns of abundance and distribution."
Europe
Europe
UK
UK
Earthwatch Europe: Tiny Forest "brings the benefits of woodland right into the heart of our cities and urban spaces: connecting people with nature, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as well as providing nature-rich habitat to support urban wildlife."
Lost Rainforests of Britain "Despite their importance and significance, Britain’s temperate rainforests now only remain in fragmented pockets, including in Dartmoor National Park. Historically, temperate rainforests covered a much larger area of Britain and, thanks to our maritime climate, the habitat has the potential to cover 5% of England and 20% of Britain overall. To compare, just 10% of England and 13% of Britain is currently covered by woodland, and the majority of this is conifer plantations.
As recent hosts of COP26 and with Ministers becoming increasingly supportive of nature-based solutions, there is no better time for the Government to bring back Britain’s lost temperate rainforests. Working with Seahorse Environmental, Guy has evolved this campaign to help increase awareness of Britain’s lost rainforests among the public, Parliament and in Government with coverage of the campaign in The Telegraph, The Guardian and BBC Radio 4.
The campaign is calling for the Government to implement a ‘Great British Rainforests Strategy’ that would include a high-level commitment to restoration and sufficient protection of remaining temperate rainforest and funding for the restoration of the habitat."
Tools & Resources
Tools & Resources
This resource includes organizations or local government programs that give out free trees, that accept donations to help communities plant their own trees, and guides on how to plant trees, or even how to grow them for tree planting programs. They are organized by location so check the international section, then look for your own region. If we don't have your info yet, please let us know.
Resources for Identifying Temperate Rainforests "This is a work-in-progress list of tools and resources for anyone looking for further information on how to identify temperate rainforests. I’ll continue adding to it over time.
If you’re visiting temperate rainforests, please remember they’re very rare habitats and must be treated with respect and awe! Follow the Countryside Code at all times, leave no trace, take only photos."
Tree Species
Tree Species
Europe
Europe
These resources are somewhat location-specific, but might be useful even if you live elsewhere.
UK
UK
Resources to Identify Temperate Rainforests "This is a work-in-progress list of tools and resources for anyone looking for further information on how to identify temperate rainforests."
Example letter asking politicians to protect & restore lost rainforests
Scotland
Space Intelligence: Scotland Landcover (Interactive)
Grants
Grants
International
International
The LUSH Spring Prize "A £200,000+ prize fund and other support activities, to build capacity for those repairing the earth’s damaged systems and leaving the world lusher than they found it."
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