F O R E S T S A N D W O O D L A N D S
Research for Cultivating the Renewable Resources of our Forests
The world is currently losing some 5% of its forests every decade, with poverty usually given
as the cause for the rapid felling and clearance of land to appease wealthy nations and a
desire to bring a new economy to their region.
Indigenous peoples around the world have known the medicinal properties of their regional
plants and forest trees since the beginning of time. From roots to bark, leaves and flowers,
every green plant in the world has some beneficial effect as food and for various types of
diseases and illnesses. It is thought that even a plant that is overall poisonous to humans has
varying individual properties that, when extracted from the whole plant and processed
correctly, will only poison the particular disease or damaging bacteria leaving the good DNA
cells to repair and replenish as needed to correct the problem.
“Much of the traditional knowledge of plants and the environment is handed down through living practice
from elders to younger generations. The development of ethno-botanical gardens can aid in transmission
of this knowledge by providing a representative and accessible source for the sustainable harvest and use
of culturally important plants.” Global Forest Science
This is why Sustainable Life Info is very adamant about keeping our forests around the world
in good solid condition. How else can we humans, also made of the earth elements, even begin
to keep up with the thousands of diseases and influenzas that come about each year without
Nature’s abundant supply of healing agents just waiting for discovery at each turn of event?
Are we creative enough to stop harvesting the forests for paper, buildings, etc? With the need
for trees to process the CO2 emissions for clean, fresh air; and now understanding that the
ecosystem of the forests can be beneficial to our health, can we afford to use our forests so
irresponsibly? Can we afford to watch developing countries with a wealth of rainforests
continue to log down and slash burn for unsustainable short term economic benefits?
OR Can we step up to new ways of thinking and new vocations for research in cultural
economies, biology, botany, and sustainable forestry?
Give us your opinion at Generation to Generation Solutions Discussion Forum
The OverStory by AgroForestry.net
Treasures of the Forest
Hybrid Poplars for Fiber and Biomass Energy Options
Products Developed From Pulp Mill Waste Streams
Global Forest Science has started this kind of research, such as researching
the Pacific Yew trees for breast and ovarian cancers>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Plant Medicine: Plants Used by the Gwich'in People
"There is much to learn from the traditional knowledge of Arctic plants
that may be of great benefit, not only to the Gwich'in people in restoring
their culture, but to the scientific community in the form of new
nutritional and medicinal sources."
Naturopaths, Homeopaths and natural herbalists from every culture of the world
have known for centuries the benefits of the natural world of plants and trees that surround us. It is a most fascinating journey into Nature one can encounter to learn of the symbiotic relationships of the natural world and the ecosystem it
provides to maintain Life -- the energy life force, that emanates from within us and manifests throughout all nature.
Research for Commercially Harvested Forest Mushrooms
Forest Mushroom Facts
Healing Plants Found in Threatened Borneo Forest, WWF says
Plants thought to help treat or cure cancer, AIDS and malaria have been
found in the rainforests of Borneo, a report from the Swiss-based global
conservation group WWF said on Thursday. But the rapid destruction
of trees, much of it by illegal logging to meet growing world demand
for timber, could wreck any chance of using these discoveries in the
fight against disease, the WWF declared.
Mushroom / Fungi Found to Clean up Toxic Waste
Bioremediation of toxic waste sites is especially attractive because the
environment is treated in situ. The contaminated soils do not have to
be hauled away, eliminating the extraordinary expense of handling, transportation, and storage. Since these fungi have the ability to reduce complex hydrocarbons into elemental compounds, these compounds pose no threat to the environment. Indeed, these former pollutants could even be considered "fertilizer," helping rather than harming the nutritional base of soils.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Volunteers around the country are saving native plants—species that occur naturally in a particular region, state, or ecosystem—in areas slated to be logged or bulldozed for new development. They dig up wildflowers, ferns, trees, and cacti (some of which are rare and endangered) and relocate them to nature preserves, parks, botanical gardens, and schools. Native plants adapt over millions of years to local conditions, so they are hardier than nonnatives and provide crucial food and shelter for wildlife. Twenty percent of America's native plant species are in decline, however, due to loss of habitat. To volunteer, contact your local native-plant society. Go to Center for Plant Conservation and click on "Plant Links" for a list of organizations by state.
Re-establishing Woodlands
The Garden Forest is a totally different concept>>>
Plant trees in your community:
The next time you go to mow your lawn or weed your gardens/beds,
look for little saplings that naturally come up (home and school);
maybe even in the grassy areas of the local park, that would otherwise
be mowed down or pulled out. Dig them up and let them grow in a
bucket or flower bed until they are about 12-15” tall. Find others in
your community that would do this and meet on a Saturday to help
restore a native woodland in a nearby preserve by replanting those saplings.
What trees grow well in my area?
How to plant trees videos -- ArborDay Foundation
Start a tree economy in your area
Start a Christmas tree recycling program in your community
Study Reveals Dramatic National Tree Loss
americanforests.org
“This is a huge nation-wide tree deficit that is getting worse,” says Gary Moll, American Forests’ Vice President of the Urban Forest Center. “Trees work to clean air and water naturally, and they do it for free. Communities can harness these assets by maintaining existing trees and planting new ones. American Forests recommends communities increase their tree cover by a minimum of 10 percent.”
According to American Forests’ study—which analyzed 448 urban areas defined by the US Census—tree cover in these areas stands at an average 23 percent. Using Landsat satellite images, from a sample of 40 urban areas, American Forests calculated that urban areas have 21% less tree canopy today than they did 10 years earlier. This equates to over 1.7 billion trees needed to increase tree canopy to the recommended 10 percent in the 448 US urban areas. Actions to reverse this national deficit can be taken at a local level. Today San Antonio will join Charlotte, North Carolina and San Diego, California as the first cities in the nation to take action to reverse the tree loss trend by incorporating tree cover data into their infrastructure database. All three cities have taken action in the last few months and are models for other cities to follow.
T R E E F A C T S
Friends of Trees
<>Every 1,000 urban trees we plant in the Northwest today will save our region more than a million dollars in storm water management, pollution abatement, and energy costs. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Davis, California)
<>A typical tree produces about 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two trees can supply a person’s oxygen needs. This is a conservative estimate based on the average annual oxygen consumption for a person at rest at 20 degrees Celsius and at standard pressure is an average of 400 pounds a year. (Source: David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse, NY)
<>Each year, the average yard tree cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through direct sequestration in the tree’s wood and from reduced power plant emissions due to cooling energy savings. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, California) City trees are fifteen times more capable of reducing carbon in the atmosphere than rural trees. (Source: ENN “Urban forests make environmental and economic sense,” Thursday, April 11, 2002)
<>Trees contribute to neighborhood livability by reducing city noise and glare, and by calming and slowing traffic.
<>Trees improve habitat for endangered fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife.
<>Trees stabilize soil, reduce erosion, and mitigate flooding. Each urban tree with a 50-year lifespan provides an estimated $273 a year in reduced costs for air conditioning, erosion control, stormwater control, air pollution, and wildlife shelter. (Source: City of Portland, Oregon)
<>Trees provide us with fruit and nuts. They also provide wood and paper products. Oregon's wood and paper products are sold in all 50 states and about 40 foreign countries. Oregon leads the nation in lumber production by a wide margin. Oregon also manufactures newsprint, printing paper, photocopy paper, egg cartons, and wood residues used to make resins, glues, cosmetics, and certain plastics. (Source: Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
<>An average tree absorbs ten pounds of pollutants from the air each year, including four pounds of ozone and three pounds of particulates. A medium-sized deciduous tree in the Northwest removes pollutants from the atmosphere and reduces emissions of air pollution at an average savings of $1.89 per year in an urban environment. Over the tree’s estimated 40-year lifespan, each tree will save about $75.60 in reduced and removed air pollutants. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, California)
<>The average tree cover in the Willamette/Lower Columbia Region in 2000 was 24 percent, down from 46 percent in 1972. This 24-percent canopy removes 178 million pounds of pollutants annually, at a value of $419 million a year in healthcare and other costs. The 1972 46-percent canopy cover would have removed 315 million pounds of pollutants annually, at a value of $741 a year to society, representing a loss of $322 million dollars. (Source: American Forests)
<>Shade from trees can cool buildings up to 20 degrees in the summer. (Source: City of Portland) One large deciduous tree planted within 60 feet of the west side of an average-sized home in the Northwest reduces carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming and lowers the home's cooling costs by about $444 over a 40-year lifespan, assuming an average cost of $.0941 per kwh. (Source of calculation formula: Center for Urban Forest Research, Davis, California.)
<>The leaves of a mature tree intercept an average of 760 gallons of rainfall a year. Each tree that lives about 40 years saves $10 a year in reduced water flow treatment and control in the Portland metro area. (Source: Trees for Green Streets, Metro)
<>Unlike some other investments that depreciate, a tree's value increases with each passing year. Trees increase home property values 7 to 21 percent, depending on the number and size of the trees. (Source: City of Portland)
ALL ABOUT WILDLAND FIRES
Human Health Risk Assessment: Wildland Fire-Fighting Chemicals
Up-to-date U.S. Fire Incidence Reports
Fire Retardant Chemicals Assessments
Recovery of Burn Dowsed by Retardant Shows Evidence of Rapid Plant Growth
Wildfire Releaf Project
Drought Information Links
NOAA Drought Information Center
US Drought Monitor
NOAA Hazards and Threats Assesment
NOAA Drought Assesment
Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Wildfire Forecasts
NOAA Operational Significant Events Imagery Fire page
What do I Know?
To calculate how much carbon dioxide your household generates,
check out this carbon dioxide calculator provided by The Climate Trust.
What do tree rings, pack rats, and stalagmites have in common?
Put your climate IQ to the test
Research for Cultivating the Renewable Resources of our Forests
The world is currently losing some 5% of its forests every decade, with poverty usually given
as the cause for the rapid felling and clearance of land to appease wealthy nations and a
desire to bring a new economy to their region.
Indigenous peoples around the world have known the medicinal properties of their regional
plants and forest trees since the beginning of time. From roots to bark, leaves and flowers,
every green plant in the world has some beneficial effect as food and for various types of
diseases and illnesses. It is thought that even a plant that is overall poisonous to humans has
varying individual properties that, when extracted from the whole plant and processed
correctly, will only poison the particular disease or damaging bacteria leaving the good DNA
cells to repair and replenish as needed to correct the problem.
“Much of the traditional knowledge of plants and the environment is handed down through living practice
from elders to younger generations. The development of ethno-botanical gardens can aid in transmission
of this knowledge by providing a representative and accessible source for the sustainable harvest and use
of culturally important plants.” Global Forest Science
This is why Sustainable Life Info is very adamant about keeping our forests around the world
in good solid condition. How else can we humans, also made of the earth elements, even begin
to keep up with the thousands of diseases and influenzas that come about each year without
Nature’s abundant supply of healing agents just waiting for discovery at each turn of event?
Are we creative enough to stop harvesting the forests for paper, buildings, etc? With the need
for trees to process the CO2 emissions for clean, fresh air; and now understanding that the
ecosystem of the forests can be beneficial to our health, can we afford to use our forests so
irresponsibly? Can we afford to watch developing countries with a wealth of rainforests
continue to log down and slash burn for unsustainable short term economic benefits?
OR Can we step up to new ways of thinking and new vocations for research in cultural
economies, biology, botany, and sustainable forestry?
Give us your opinion at Generation to Generation Solutions Discussion Forum
The OverStory by AgroForestry.net
Treasures of the Forest
Hybrid Poplars for Fiber and Biomass Energy Options
Products Developed From Pulp Mill Waste Streams
Global Forest Science has started this kind of research, such as researching
the Pacific Yew trees for breast and ovarian cancers>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Plant Medicine: Plants Used by the Gwich'in People
"There is much to learn from the traditional knowledge of Arctic plants
that may be of great benefit, not only to the Gwich'in people in restoring
their culture, but to the scientific community in the form of new
nutritional and medicinal sources."
Naturopaths, Homeopaths and natural herbalists from every culture of the world
have known for centuries the benefits of the natural world of plants and trees that surround us. It is a most fascinating journey into Nature one can encounter to learn of the symbiotic relationships of the natural world and the ecosystem it
provides to maintain Life -- the energy life force, that emanates from within us and manifests throughout all nature.
Research for Commercially Harvested Forest Mushrooms
Forest Mushroom Facts
Healing Plants Found in Threatened Borneo Forest, WWF says
Plants thought to help treat or cure cancer, AIDS and malaria have been
found in the rainforests of Borneo, a report from the Swiss-based global
conservation group WWF said on Thursday. But the rapid destruction
of trees, much of it by illegal logging to meet growing world demand
for timber, could wreck any chance of using these discoveries in the
fight against disease, the WWF declared.
Mushroom / Fungi Found to Clean up Toxic Waste
Bioremediation of toxic waste sites is especially attractive because the
environment is treated in situ. The contaminated soils do not have to
be hauled away, eliminating the extraordinary expense of handling, transportation, and storage. Since these fungi have the ability to reduce complex hydrocarbons into elemental compounds, these compounds pose no threat to the environment. Indeed, these former pollutants could even be considered "fertilizer," helping rather than harming the nutritional base of soils.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Volunteers around the country are saving native plants—species that occur naturally in a particular region, state, or ecosystem—in areas slated to be logged or bulldozed for new development. They dig up wildflowers, ferns, trees, and cacti (some of which are rare and endangered) and relocate them to nature preserves, parks, botanical gardens, and schools. Native plants adapt over millions of years to local conditions, so they are hardier than nonnatives and provide crucial food and shelter for wildlife. Twenty percent of America's native plant species are in decline, however, due to loss of habitat. To volunteer, contact your local native-plant society. Go to Center for Plant Conservation and click on "Plant Links" for a list of organizations by state.
Re-establishing Woodlands
The Garden Forest is a totally different concept>>>
Plant trees in your community:
The next time you go to mow your lawn or weed your gardens/beds,
look for little saplings that naturally come up (home and school);
maybe even in the grassy areas of the local park, that would otherwise
be mowed down or pulled out. Dig them up and let them grow in a
bucket or flower bed until they are about 12-15” tall. Find others in
your community that would do this and meet on a Saturday to help
restore a native woodland in a nearby preserve by replanting those saplings.
What trees grow well in my area?
How to plant trees videos -- ArborDay Foundation
Start a tree economy in your area
Start a Christmas tree recycling program in your community
Study Reveals Dramatic National Tree Loss
americanforests.org
“This is a huge nation-wide tree deficit that is getting worse,” says Gary Moll, American Forests’ Vice President of the Urban Forest Center. “Trees work to clean air and water naturally, and they do it for free. Communities can harness these assets by maintaining existing trees and planting new ones. American Forests recommends communities increase their tree cover by a minimum of 10 percent.”
According to American Forests’ study—which analyzed 448 urban areas defined by the US Census—tree cover in these areas stands at an average 23 percent. Using Landsat satellite images, from a sample of 40 urban areas, American Forests calculated that urban areas have 21% less tree canopy today than they did 10 years earlier. This equates to over 1.7 billion trees needed to increase tree canopy to the recommended 10 percent in the 448 US urban areas. Actions to reverse this national deficit can be taken at a local level. Today San Antonio will join Charlotte, North Carolina and San Diego, California as the first cities in the nation to take action to reverse the tree loss trend by incorporating tree cover data into their infrastructure database. All three cities have taken action in the last few months and are models for other cities to follow.
T R E E F A C T S
Friends of Trees
<>Every 1,000 urban trees we plant in the Northwest today will save our region more than a million dollars in storm water management, pollution abatement, and energy costs. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Davis, California)
<>A typical tree produces about 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two trees can supply a person’s oxygen needs. This is a conservative estimate based on the average annual oxygen consumption for a person at rest at 20 degrees Celsius and at standard pressure is an average of 400 pounds a year. (Source: David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse, NY)
<>Each year, the average yard tree cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through direct sequestration in the tree’s wood and from reduced power plant emissions due to cooling energy savings. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, California) City trees are fifteen times more capable of reducing carbon in the atmosphere than rural trees. (Source: ENN “Urban forests make environmental and economic sense,” Thursday, April 11, 2002)
<>Trees contribute to neighborhood livability by reducing city noise and glare, and by calming and slowing traffic.
<>Trees improve habitat for endangered fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife.
<>Trees stabilize soil, reduce erosion, and mitigate flooding. Each urban tree with a 50-year lifespan provides an estimated $273 a year in reduced costs for air conditioning, erosion control, stormwater control, air pollution, and wildlife shelter. (Source: City of Portland, Oregon)
<>Trees provide us with fruit and nuts. They also provide wood and paper products. Oregon's wood and paper products are sold in all 50 states and about 40 foreign countries. Oregon leads the nation in lumber production by a wide margin. Oregon also manufactures newsprint, printing paper, photocopy paper, egg cartons, and wood residues used to make resins, glues, cosmetics, and certain plastics. (Source: Oregon Forest Resources Institute)
<>An average tree absorbs ten pounds of pollutants from the air each year, including four pounds of ozone and three pounds of particulates. A medium-sized deciduous tree in the Northwest removes pollutants from the atmosphere and reduces emissions of air pollution at an average savings of $1.89 per year in an urban environment. Over the tree’s estimated 40-year lifespan, each tree will save about $75.60 in reduced and removed air pollutants. (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, California)
<>The average tree cover in the Willamette/Lower Columbia Region in 2000 was 24 percent, down from 46 percent in 1972. This 24-percent canopy removes 178 million pounds of pollutants annually, at a value of $419 million a year in healthcare and other costs. The 1972 46-percent canopy cover would have removed 315 million pounds of pollutants annually, at a value of $741 a year to society, representing a loss of $322 million dollars. (Source: American Forests)
<>Shade from trees can cool buildings up to 20 degrees in the summer. (Source: City of Portland) One large deciduous tree planted within 60 feet of the west side of an average-sized home in the Northwest reduces carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming and lowers the home's cooling costs by about $444 over a 40-year lifespan, assuming an average cost of $.0941 per kwh. (Source of calculation formula: Center for Urban Forest Research, Davis, California.)
<>The leaves of a mature tree intercept an average of 760 gallons of rainfall a year. Each tree that lives about 40 years saves $10 a year in reduced water flow treatment and control in the Portland metro area. (Source: Trees for Green Streets, Metro)
<>Unlike some other investments that depreciate, a tree's value increases with each passing year. Trees increase home property values 7 to 21 percent, depending on the number and size of the trees. (Source: City of Portland)
ALL ABOUT WILDLAND FIRES
Human Health Risk Assessment: Wildland Fire-Fighting Chemicals
Up-to-date U.S. Fire Incidence Reports
Fire Retardant Chemicals Assessments
Recovery of Burn Dowsed by Retardant Shows Evidence of Rapid Plant Growth
Wildfire Releaf Project
Drought Information Links
NOAA Drought Information Center
US Drought Monitor
NOAA Hazards and Threats Assesment
NOAA Drought Assesment
Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Wildfire Forecasts
NOAA Operational Significant Events Imagery Fire page
What do I Know?
To calculate how much carbon dioxide your household generates,
check out this carbon dioxide calculator provided by The Climate Trust.
What do tree rings, pack rats, and stalagmites have in common?
Put your climate IQ to the test
Forest Existence Maps
Shows the amount of forest land around the globe in the past and its rapid decline currently.
MAP of the World's Rainforests
Rainforests cover only a small part of the earth's surface - about 6%, yet they are home to
over half the species of plants and animals in the world.
Importance of our Northern Boreal Forests
Test your Rainforest understanding
Shows the amount of forest land around the globe in the past and its rapid decline currently.
MAP of the World's Rainforests
Rainforests cover only a small part of the earth's surface - about 6%, yet they are home to
over half the species of plants and animals in the world.
Importance of our Northern Boreal Forests
Test your Rainforest understanding
BRIGHT MIND
HEALTHY BODY
S U S T A I N A B L E P L A N E T
HEALTHY BODY
S U S T A I N A B L E P L A N E T
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Please take time to learn before you pick and eat wild mushrooms!
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What to look for in an ethical forest products company?
Our demand for wood products, pulp, and paper is continually increasing, and our forests are expected to bear the burden. Together, we can work to save the most endangered forests by demanding that our city government offices, schools / universities only do business with forest products companies that have agreed to the following demands:
<> No logging or selling of wood products from old growth forests.
<> No logging or selling of wood products from public lands in the United States.
<> No new conversion of native forests to plantations.
<> FSC certification for all forest lands.
<> No development or planting of genetically engineered trees.
source: RainForest Action Network
Our demand for wood products, pulp, and paper is continually increasing, and our forests are expected to bear the burden. Together, we can work to save the most endangered forests by demanding that our city government offices, schools / universities only do business with forest products companies that have agreed to the following demands:
<> No logging or selling of wood products from old growth forests.
<> No logging or selling of wood products from public lands in the United States.
<> No new conversion of native forests to plantations.
<> FSC certification for all forest lands.
<> No development or planting of genetically engineered trees.
source: RainForest Action Network
Company Seeks to Restore Scorched Soil after Wildfires
MSNBC/Associated Press
Product allows ground to retain water
<> THE PRODUCT: Entrepreneur Mike Krysiak has developed a product to help prevent erosion after a wildfire - organic granules that bind with soil at the molecular level, forming a "net" that keeps dirt in place.
<> COST: U.S. Forest Service officials say three years of tests show the granules can decrease soil erosion and increase plant growth at half the cost of standard straw treatments.
<> OUTLOOK: Soil scientists say the treatment has been tested only in certain climates with certain soil types. It could take 10 years or more to accumulate enough research data to make the product a standard post-fire treatment.
Bark Beetles Spark Western Fire Threat
MSNBC/Associated Press
Product allows ground to retain water
<> THE PRODUCT: Entrepreneur Mike Krysiak has developed a product to help prevent erosion after a wildfire - organic granules that bind with soil at the molecular level, forming a "net" that keeps dirt in place.
<> COST: U.S. Forest Service officials say three years of tests show the granules can decrease soil erosion and increase plant growth at half the cost of standard straw treatments.
<> OUTLOOK: Soil scientists say the treatment has been tested only in certain climates with certain soil types. It could take 10 years or more to accumulate enough research data to make the product a standard post-fire treatment.
Bark Beetles Spark Western Fire Threat
