Deforestation: Which countries are still cutting down trees?

[Yuwipi Woman]

Beavers are intent on cutting down every tree they can find - they're marching northwards due to climate change, and will cause more melting of the permafrost, dooming humanity. Clever plan to take over the planet.

Dam it: beavers head north to the Arctic as tundra continues to heat up

Dammed rivers could accelerate climate crisis as creatures move into previously inhospitable areas

www.theguardian.com

I saw a new beaver dam last week when I was out hiking. It's near an area that used to be forest, but humans are busy installing a highway. I hope the humans leave the beavers alone, but I wouldn't be surprised if I go back some time and find it destroyed.

 

[Pickman's model]

Beavers are intent on cutting down every tree they can find - they're marching northwards due to climate change, and will cause more melting of the permafrost, dooming humanity. Clever plan to take over the planet.

Dam it: beavers head north to the Arctic as tundra continues to heat up

Dammed rivers could accelerate climate crisis as creatures move into previously inhospitable areas

www.theguardian.com

What I like in that guardian piece is the bit about melting permafrost sending global warming dangerously out of control, like it's a well managed process at the moment

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

The US has been adding tree cover, but its only replacing what was lost prior to 1990. I think we're up about 1.5% since then and adding trees at a rate of .3% per year.

A lot of places around the world are adding tree cover, but that's after logging old growth forests. Often the old growth forests are replaced with trees for palm oil, or other agricultural product. So there's a general loss of biodiversity, even when trees are planted.

 

[Chilli.s]

Apparently there are beavers on the river Avon in Somerset, I've not seen them yet. Should go on a beaver hunt

 

[8ball]

Beavers are intent on cutting down every tree they can find - they're marching northwards due to climate change, and will cause more melting of the permafrost, dooming humanity. Clever plan to take over the planet.

<wonders what they taste like>

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

<wonders what they taste like>

Their tails are supposed to be well marbled with fat, and considered to be a delicacy in some parts.

 

[8ball]

Their tails are supposed to well marbled with fat and considered to be a delicacy in some parts.

What about the rest of them?
Just thinking, if we need to control numbers a bit...

I wonder whether they taste a little "woody".

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

What about the rest of them?
Just thinking, if we need to control numbers a bit...

I wonder whether they taste a little "woody".

I never eaten beaver. I don't really swing that way.

 

[StoneRoad]

Fire is a major threat to woodland :-

California's fires threaten to ravage mighty sequoia forests

The fierce fires devastating California threaten its ancient forest of giant sequoia trees.

www.bbc.co.uk

But some tree seeds actually sprout better if there has been a fire.
Others need a period of frosts and exposure to weather ...

 

[yield]

Fire is a major threat to woodland :-

California's fires threaten to ravage mighty sequoia forests

The fierce fires devastating California threaten its ancient forest of giant sequoia trees.

www.bbc.co.uk

But some tree seeds actually sprout better if there has been a fire.
Others need a period of frosts and exposure to weather ...

My new word for the day Pyrophyte

 

[weltweit]

I found this interesting:

Earth has more tree species than we thought

There are more tree species than previously thought but mostly in fast disappearing forests.

www.bbc.co.uk

Basically there are thousands of tree species we haven't even catalogued yet. I expect the local indiginous people know what they are and what they can do, but science doesn't.

 

[Badgers]

Amazon deforestation: Record high destruction of trees in January

An area of trees more than seven times the size of Manhattan, New York was destroyed.

www.bbc.co.uk