(www.neomundo.com.ar_-_Agencia_CyTA_-_Instituto_Leloir_Especial_Por_Bruno_Geller). The rates of deforestation around the world contribute 15 to 20% of global emissions of greenhouse gases, which has one direct impact on climate change on the reduction of biodiversity.
So said economist Emma towers, Advisor to Chief of environment and energy of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the program of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The causes
According to the specialist, the phenomenon responds to several factors. “For example, in what regards the Amazonian tropical forest, deforestation is associated largely with the expansion of agricultural and ranching frontier, with the construction of roads, illegal timber extraction, mining and oil exploration and expansion of hydroelectric power plants,” said Torres, who deserve emphasize the great efforts made by Brazil to reduce logging in the Amazon in more than 70% for six consecutive years.
While there are records of terrestrial plants of 420 million years ago and 35 million years later appeared the large trees that protect from irradiation the soil with their glasses, newly met forests similar to can see those us in the last 60 million years, stressed doctor Ari churches, researcher at the CONICET in the Paleobotany Division of the Museum of natural sciences of the University of La Plata.
The role of forests
“Forests play a role similar to a large industry of public services,” said Torres, who added that an estimated that ancestral rainforests absorb some 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 per year or the equivalent to 15% of annual emissions of greenhouse gases.
“Therefore the felling of trees not only generates CO2 emissions but that in turn reduces permanently an important source of sequestration of carbon in the atmosphere”, he added.
Latin America contains the largest tropical forest in the world compact surface, as well as vast temperate forests, i.e., around 22% of all of the planet’s forests, said Torres. And continued: “Within the region, approximately 90% of wooded areas is in South America, 9% in Central America and Mexico and 0.4 per cent in the Caribbean.” “We must protect the forests of this region and the world as a whole”.
The increasing global demand for food and products such as coffee, meat, soy, palm oil and timber significantly contributes to deforestation. And most of the countries with forests have limited alternatives to generate economic growth.
Agree to Torres, required generate “commercial favourable conditions for non-timber products with significant added value, to make to the sustainable management of forests and to provide the necessary incentives to reduce deforestation”.
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