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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 8, NUMBER 10, OCTOBER 1995

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
FORESTS

Item #d95oct22

"Tropical Secondary Forests," R.T. Corlett (Dept. Ecol. & Biodiversity, Univ. Hong Kong, Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong), Prog. Phys. Geog., 19(2), 159-172, June 1995.

Reviews the literature on tropical forest succession, compares the value of tropical secondary forest with that of primary forest, and discusses research needs.

Item #d95oct23

Three items in Environ. Conserv., 21(4), Winter 1994-1995:

"Towards Valuation of Forest Conservation Benefits in Developing Countries," M. Richards (Overseas Develop. Inst., Regent's Coll., Regent's Pk., Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS, UK), 308-319. Introduces concepts of economic valuation of forest conservation benefits, reviews case studies in which economic methods have been applied to forest conservation, and analyzes the implications of the case studies and other literature for the valuation methods.

"Rainforest Policies and United States NGOs: Targets and Tactics of Influence," R. bin Mohd (Faculty Forestry, Univ. Agric., 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia), J.G. Laarman, 320-325. Reviews theories on the influence of interest groups, presents findings on their targets and tactics, and discusses the findings in light of the theories. Makes recommendations for future research.

"Understanding Tropical Deforestation: The Case of Western Samoa," D.D. Paulson (Dept. Geog., Univ. Wyoming, Laramie WY 82071), 326-332. The forces of increasing human need will continue to fuel conversion of tropical forests to other uses if the political-economic environment is relatively benign. The case study illustrates the challenge of conserving tropical forests.

Item #d95oct24

Two items in Chemosphere, 29(5), 1994:

"Deforestation in Preindustrial China: The Loess Plateau Region as an Example," J.-Q. Fang (Dept. Geog., Queen's Univ., Kingston ON K7L 3N6, Can.), Z. Xie, 983-999. Traces the history of the Plateau, which has turned into barren land due to long-term devegetation and partly due to climate change. The region has experienced intense soil erosion, a significant decrease in water tables, and severe cultural and economic decline.

"A Historical Review of Early Institutional and Conservationist Responses to Fears of Artificially Induced Global Climate Change: The Deforestation-Desiccation Discourse 1500-1860," R.H. Grove (Dept. Econ. History, Res. School Social Sci., Australian Natl. Univ., Canberra, Australia), 1001-1013. Describes conservationist efforts developed in the French and British colonial empires, that built on classical Greek theories linking deforestation to rainfall decline. Climate theories led to pioneering forest protection in the Caribbean, western India and other areas.

Item #d95oct25

"Tropical Rain Forests," D.M.J.S. Bowman (Conserv. Comm. Northern Territory, POB 496, Palmerston, Northern Territory 0831, Australia), Prog. Phys. Geog., 18(4), 575-581, 1994. Reviews research on anthropogenic deforestation and global climate change published from 1992 through early 1994.

Item #d95oct26

"Timber Labelling Scheme to Encourage the Achievement of Tropical Forest Sustainability," D. Robinson (2 Victoria Ct., Rothwell, Northants NN14 2TS, UK), S.D. Probert, Appl. Energy, 48(1), 65-93, 1995.

To reduce tropical timber export and thus insure sustainability, proposes a multi-criteria assessment procedure that would take into account deforestation (including burning), the negative effect of population growth, and the haulage distance from the country of origin the U.K. (to take into account fossil fuel consumption from transport).

Item #d95oct27

"The World's Forests: Need for a Policy Appraisal," N. Myers (Upper Meadow, Old Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 8SZ, UK), Science, 268(5212), 823-824.

Presents a selection of policy options for consideration by the soon to be established World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development. In addition to encouraging sustainable development, they include enhancing the institutional status of forests; removing "perverse" subsidies; calculating the costs of inaction; and promoting forests as global-commons resources.

Item #d95oct28

"Forest Dieback in Russia: Causes, Distribution and Implications for the Future," O.N. Krankina (Dept. Forest Sci., Oregon State Univ., Corvallis OR 97331), R.K. Dixon et al., World Resour. Rev., 6(4), 524-534, Dec. 1994.

Over 20% of the world's forest resources and about half the boreal forest are located on Russian territory. The total area of dead forests there is 26.5 x 106 ha; further forest decline is expected to add about 2 x 106 ha per year. Natural disturbance accounts for most (70-99%) of the decline, but projected global climate change is likely to dramatically increase forest decline and dieback. Widespread and increasing weather-related dieback recently could indicate that shifts in climate may have started.

Item #d95oct29

"The Role of Deep Roots in the Hydrological and Carbon Cycles of Amazonian Forests and Pastures," D.C. Nepstad (Woods Hole Res. Ctr., POB 296, Woods Hole MA 02543), C.R. de Carvalho et al., Nature, 372(6507), 666-669, Dec. 15, 1994.

Uses rainfall, satellite and field data to estimate that half of the closed forests of Brazilian Amazonia depend on deep root systems to maintain green canopies during the dry season. As deep roots extract water they also provide carbon to the soil, and forest alteration that affects depth distributions of carbon inputs from roots may also affect net carbon storage.