GEO-1330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Sustainable Agriculture, Green Belt Movement, Forest Ecology
Document Summary
Unsustainable cutting and burning of forests, especially in tropical areas, is a potentially catastrophic problem because of the vital ecological services at risk and the growing contribution to global warming. Tree plantation, tree farm or commercial forest. May supply most of the industrial wood in the future. Especially in latin america, indonesia, and africa. Especially in alaska, canada, scandinavia, and russia. Forests of the eastern us decimated between 1620 and 1920. Grown back naturally through secondary ecological succession in the eastern states. Secondary forest can grow back in 15-20 years. Causes of tropical deforestations are varied and complex. Can tilt tropical forest to tropical savanna. We can sustain forests by emphasizing the economic value of their ecological services, removing government subsidies that hasten their destruction, protecting old growth forests, harvesting trees no faster than they are replenished, and planting trees. Self help group of women in kenya. Women are paid for each tree that survives.
