Blog conclusions

The aim of this blog has been to show the importance of the Amazon rainforest on the physical, biological and social environment, not just at local but also global scales. The Amazon rainforest, this unique, vast and complex ecosystem is deeply endangered by human activities. Due to its strong influence on the global climate, its role in maintaining global biodiversity and the important ecosystem services it provides, degradation and destruction of the Amazon rainforest have significant negative effects on all of us. On the other hand, the protection and regeneration of rainforests hold great opportunities for mitigating global climate change.

Recognizing this, there have been numerous global and local initiatives to protect the Amazon rainforest including, among others, the UNFCCC’s international REDD+ mechanism, or smaller initiatives such as the Prince’s Rainforest Project or the Rainforest Foundation UK. Numerous organizations, such as Greenpeace and WWF put considerable effort into raising awareness of the importance of rainforests, producing some very powerful campaigns.

Still, while these initiatives are encouraging, the Amazon rainforest have suffered significant losses in forest area, about 3.6 million hectares annually, in the past decade. While there is evidence that humans have altered the landscape of the Amazon Basin for hundreds or even thousands of years, the current rate of destruction is historically unprecedented. Unfortunately, addressing deforestation is not an easy task. It is a complex process, with numerous direct and indirect drivers many of which have strong social significance. For example, while agricultural expansion and cattle ranching are the most important drivers of deforestation in the area, these drivers are hard to address without considering other pressing issues such as food security or employment of local people. While community forestry may be a solution for the latter, such projects are still in their infancy with many lessons still to be learned.

My aim was never to provide a magic solution to deforestation in the Amazon Basin, (that would have been quite ambitious of me), but rather to raise awareness of the problem, its history, drivers and effects, as well as the global and local initiatives that seek to address it. I hope I succeeded in my goal and as a result of the blog people who have followed it look at rainforests and their destruction from a different perspective. Or maybe… even try to help in the simplest ways we individuals can by minimizing our own footprint on this highly endangered magical ecosystem of our planet.


Thank you for following!

Source: www.treehugger.com
    

Breathtaking rainforest photography from Daniel Beltra

 
Visit the website of Daniel Beltra at http://www.danielbeltra.com/ 

  

The ancient trees of the Amazon

 
Some trees of the Amazon rainforests are much older than originally thought, according to a research published by Vieira et al. in 2005. Findings of the research are summarized in the article ‘Slow growth rates of Amazonian trees: Consequences for carbon cycling’ published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The research documented unexpectedly slow growth rates for trees in three locations of the Amazon Basin and found that trees of Central Amazon grow half as fast as those to the east and the west. With an average growth rate of only 1mm per year in diameter, trees of Central Amazonia can reach great ages. 17 to 50% of trees with diameter larger than 10cm were found to be older than 300 years. As many of the Amazon trees lack annual growth rings estimation of tree age is derived largely from permanent plot surveys and radiocarbon dating.

Vieira et al. note that their findings have important implications for the carbon cycling in Amazonian forests. They explain that as “most individuals in the forest are in the smallest size class, […] the mean age of trees reflects the dynamics of slower growing individuals”. On the other hand, they add, “most of the biomass (and therefore carbon) is in faster-growing, larger-size classes”. As a result, the mean age of trees may not correspond with the mean age of carbon.

Vieira et al. warns that if the diversity of tree carbon residence times is ignored models estimating the potential of tropical rainforests to emit or sequester carbon under different scenarios may provide inaccurate results. The article concludes that “carbon cycle models that apply a single turnover time for carbon in forest biomass do not account for variations in life strategy and therefore may overestimate the carbon sequestration potential of Amazon forests.“ 

Source: www.byronjorjorian.com
  

Rainforest Foundation UK

    

Throughout the year Rainforest Foundation UK gives supporters the chance to take part in a wide variety of events. 

You can, for instance, run a 5km, a 10km, a half marathon, or a marathon for the rainforest or participate in the YOGAthon - a charity event where yoga enthusiasts participate in a 2-hour yoga practice to raise money through sponsorship.

Alternatively, you can ‘Protect an Acre' of rainforest for only £25 - on average there are around 300 trees in an acre of rainforest. Your donation will support the Rainforest Foundation UK's work helping indigenous peoples protect their endangered rainforest. You can 'Protect an Acre' as a special gift to someone and receive a photo card, certificate & info sheet about their acre.
    

REDD Desk – great resource of a wide range of REDD related information

    

The REDD Desk is a new collaborative platform for REDD and REDD Readiness, initiated by the Global Canopy Programme and the Forum on Readiness for REDD, represented by the Brazilian-based Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

Although in its infancy, many organizations and individuals are already supporting this collaborative effort by adding their knowledge and resources to the site. Visitors to the site will be able to see who has contributed, and share their own material.

Resource materials already available on the website are currently organized under the ‘REDD Countries Database’ and the ‘REDD Resource Desk’.

REDD Countries Database

The REDD Countries Database is a centralized and collaborative database of the diverse and rapidly evolving range of REDD activities in tropical forest owning nations. Organized by country, it summarizes key information in multiple languages across a broad range of areas including policies, plans, laws, statistics, activities and financing. The REDD Countries Database does not attempt to assess activities or offer normative analysis but instead uses a common analytical framework to facilitate quick comparison within and between countries.

Three pilot countries - Brazil, Cameroon and Vietnam - were launched on the platform in June 2011. Guyana and Sri Lanka followed shortly after in October 2011 and Laos and Mexico in November 2011; research for seven more countries is currently underway for Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, and Tanzania.

REDD Resource Desk

The Resource Desk contains information about REDD books, reports, thesis, images, videos and other sources of information on the web.

In addition, the REDD Desk provides up to date information on all REDD related events organized around the world. 

REDD Desk - home page

Prince Charles Save the Rainforest Campaign

WWF: Paper Dispenser

      

Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Copenhagen, Denmark
Creative Director: Simon Wooller
Art Directors / Copywriters: Cliff Kagawa Holm, Silas Jansson
Release: April 2007