Rainforest Problems
Poverty an obstacle to saving Liberia's threatened rainforest
Conservationists worry about preserving rainforests — a powerful aid against climate change — but poverty drives Liberians to cut down the forests. By Agence France-Presse
RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION: The threat of deforestation is real with about 70 percent of Liberia’s population involved in slash-and-burn farming. (Photo: ZUMA Press)
Pulp plantations destroying Sumatra's rainforests
Indonesia's push to become the world's largest supplier of palm oil and a major pulp and paper exporter has taken a heavy toll on the rainforests and peatlands of Sumatra, reveals a new assessment of the island's forest cover by WWF.
The assessment, based on analysis of satellite imagery, shows Sumatra has lost nearly half of its natural forest cover since 1985. The island's forests were cleared and converted at a rate of 542,000 hectares, or 2.1 percent, per year. More than 80 percent of forest loss occurred in lowland areas, where the most biodiverse and carbon-dense ecosystems are found.
Developing countries often outsource deforestation, study finds
The rapid net gain in forest area in Vietnam since the early 1990s has been accompanied by an increase in timber imports from neighboring countries, a significant fraction of these imports being illegal.
Vietnam forest
Sustainable timber in Tanzania experiences huge growth
The level of Tanzanian timber forest certified as sustainable increased by 700 percent earlier this month. The certification not only represents an environmental win, but is expected to bring opportunities and money to the communities which exist within and around the forests.
Old-Growth Forests Are What Giant Pandas Need
