Is the Earth Still God’s Own Creation?
-Usha Nair
No Birds Sing in Monoculture “Forests”-Dalia Acosta
How many children today in urban cities are able to smell, let alone, appreciate the fragrance of flowers? Very few, because flowers are largely ‘engineered’-visually beautiful but emitting no fragrance. Similarly the children of tomorrow may not be able
to see the variety of flora and fauna that were sighted by their forefathers, because forests have also become ‘engineered’.
Primary forests are the original forests of native tree species, which covered the Earth, and are defined as virgin forests where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.
Primary forests, according to Wikipedia, attain great age; they include diverse trees with multi-layered canopies, varying tree heights/diameters, various tree species/classes and woody debris. But today, a lot of wooded areas are categorised as forests and
are visually pretty, but do not have the features or benefits of the primary forests.
Primary forest created by Gurukul Botanical sanctuary, Wayanad, Kerala
Thus, Secondary forests regenerate on native forests, which have been cleared by natural or man-made causes. These forests display a major difference in forest structure and species composition and are generally unstable. Modified natural forests are forests
of naturally regenerated native tree species in places with indications of human activities. Semi-natural forests are forests of native tree species, established through planting, seeding or assisted natural regeneration. Forest plantations or monoculture
forests are forested areas artificially established by planting or seeding. The trees usually belong to the same specie (whether native or introduced), have the same age and are regularly spaced. The objective of forest plantations can be the production of
wood and non- wood goods (productive forest plantations) or the provision of ecosystem services (protective forest plantations). (Source: GreenFacts, based on FAO Forestry Department Terms and Definitions)
Primary forests (also called old growth /virgin/primeval forests) have been documented to host the greatest biodiversity, with the diverse ecosystems generally being more stable, productive and resistant to invasion and other disturbances. But flora and
fauna progressively declines in selectively logged forests, secondary forests and plantation forests. Hence, a transition from primary forest to degraded forest affects diversity without deforestation, while plantations will add to the stock of forests but
will host less biodiversity. It is now recognised that much of the human exploitation of forests has been at the expense of biodiversity impacting water, climate and carbon storage. Biodiversity is impacted by climate, and generally there is an increase in
species from the Poles to the Tropics. The tropical rainforests hosts at least two-thirds of the Earth’s terrestrial species. Old-growth forests also store large amounts of carbon, above and below the ground (either as humus, or in wet soils as peat). Destruction
of these primary forests releases this carbon as greenhouse gases, and may increase the risk of global climate change. Besides raw materials, old-growth forests provide ecosystem services that include breathable air, pure water, carbon storage, regeneration
of nutrients, and maintenance of soils, pest control by insectivorous bats and insects, micro- and macro-climate control, and the storage of a wide variety of genes.
Spores from ferns in primary forests spread wide
Primary forests are rapidly vanishing. According to the World Resources Institute, as of January 2009, only 21% of the original old-growth forests that once existed on earth are remaining. The combined influence of high rates of deforestation, degradation,
over-harvesting, invasive species and global environmental change threatens to destroy tropical forests to extinction. Greenpeace reported that the continent-wise percentage distribution of the world's remaining intact forest landscape is 35% in Latin America,
28% in North America, 19% in Northern Asia, and 8% in Africa (which has lost most of its forest in the last 30 years) 7% in South Asia Pacific and 3% in Europe.
The original rationale and justification for clearing forestland was for food. Food continues to be a compelling reason for deforestation, as food demand is projected to double by 2050. Under current farming practices, this will require an additional 1
billion hectares (10 million sq. kms) of farming and grazing land— an area the size of Canada.
In recent decades, commercial considerations have overtaken basic needs.
Across continents, monoculture eucalyptus and pine plantations are advancing to supply paper pulp factories. Plantations of oil palm and artificial single-species forests, the so- called green deserts, are expanding fast across the Equatorial belt, fuelled
by low production costs and incentives from governments, causing severe social and environmental impacts. Guadalupe Rodríguez, a member of the Germany-based Rainforest Rescue, states that “monoculture forests tend to be seen as a good thing, because they are
green and pretty. But if you approach them, you won’t hear a single bird, because there is nothing there, just silence. A monoculture forest is almost like a stone quarry,” she added. “In tropical rainforests, by contrast, you hear animals, water flowing,
because they are full of life.” Brazil is a prime example - currently around seven million forested hectares in Brazil, mainly eucalyptus, are in plantations.
Further, forest crimes, the nexus of powerful lobbies and mafias, have become a harsh reality today. There have been instances where widespread forest fires have been suspected to have been started by timber mafias. Often companies planting artificial
forests, also kill off animals, like baboons, (approx. 3,000 baboons slaughtered in the last 10 years in South Africa), tigers and elephants (for smuggling of skins/ elephant tusks). In fact, illegal wildlife trade ranges from $7billion to $17 billion, while
illegal logging and trade in stolen timber range from $30 billion to $100billion annually. These forest crimes are growing and are amongst the top 5 types of transnational organised crimes.
Greenpeace rejects the industry’s claim that current practices are sustainable, and seeks restoration of natural site conditions and productivity, propagates mixed species plantation systems that work within the limits of natural soil and site conditions.
It envisages future market demands for ecologically sustainable wood products.
A Malabar pit viper in the GB sanctuary
As the 21st century grapples with the looming global challenge of climate change and its disastrous consequences, one wonders whether Thomas a Kempis’ 15th century quote of ‘Man Proposes, God Disposes’ needs to be corrected to ‘God Proposes and Man Disposes(Destroys)’.
The ecological equilibrium that Man was bestowed with, and the subsequent rampant, and often insensible, destruction of this unique balance of Nature has perched the globe and all of mankind on a precarious time bomb. It is evident that without clear policy
intervention and strengthening of national and regional forest governance, the remaining primary forests may disappear within the next few decades, to the detriment of all life on Earth.
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"There can be no rainforest beings - plants, animals and fungi - without an actual rainforest, be it large or small. Furthermore, there can be no sweet water, rain or cloud, without primary rainforest (primary habitat)."
-Quote from http://www.gbsanctuary.org
The photographs are by Susan Sharma
Usha Nair is a nature lover who can be contacted at ushaenvironment@gmail.com