Gourt > Society > Issues > Environment > Conservation and Endangered Species > Ecosystems and Habitats > Forests (1)
- This article is about forests as communities of trees. For other uses of the word, see Forest (disambiguation).
A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded area set aside for hunting). Actually, many definitions of a forest exist Lund, H. Gyde (coord.) 2006. ‘Definitions of Forest, Deforestation, Afforestation, and Reforestation'. Gainesville, VA: Forest Information Services. Available from : http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/DEFpaper.htm. These plant communities cover large areas of the globe and function as carbon dioxide sinks, animal habitats, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the Earth's biosphere.
Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudes up to the tree-line, except where natural fire frequency is too high, or where the environment has been impaired by natural processes or by human activities. As a general rule, forests dominated by angiosperms (broadleaf forests) are more species-rich than those dominated by gymnosperms (conifer or needleleaf forests), although exceptions exist (for example, species-poor aspen and birch stands in northern latitudes). Forests sometimes contain many tree species within a small area (as in tropical rain and temperate deciduous forests), or relatively few species over large areas (e.g., taiga and arid montane coniferous forests). Forests are often home to many animal and plant species, and biomass per unit area is high compared to other vegetation communities. Much of this biomass occurs below-ground in the root systems and as partially decomposed plant detritus. The woody component of a forest contains lignin, which is relatively slow to decompose compared with other organic materials such as cellulose or carbohydrate.
More on [ Forest ]
Agriculture and Forestry
Forestry :: Agriculture
Dendrology :: Botany
Forest :: Ecosystems
Forests and Rainforests :: Environment
Agroforestry
Insert generic snow tweet here // I secretly loved walking in the forests of Nottingham in the snow!
gedblue (Andrew Geddis) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:19:29 -0000
Insert generic snow tweet here // I secretly loved walking in the forests of Nottingham in the snow!
Cph deal is on trget for 3.9* temp rise = to Africa uninhabitable,Sth Europe a desert, Oz agricultur gone,coral reefs gone,Most forests gone
MandaJudd (Amanda Judd) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:19:22 -0000
Cph deal is on trget for 3.9* temp rise = to Africa uninhabitable,Sth Europe a desert, Oz agricultur gone,coral reefs gone,Most forests gone
RT @AZPRA: This is a great promotion for using parks and forests for environmental education and healthy play. http://bit.ly/3Ayyo1
NCLICoalition (NCLICoalition) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:18:45 -0000
RT @AZPRA: This is a great promotion for using parks and forests for environmental education and healthy play. http://bit.ly/3Ayyo1
RT @h4herlinde: H.Clinton proposed a fund of $100 billion a year for the next decade to help preserve forests and the world's vulnerable ...
oceanshaman (grayson roquemour) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:13:41 -0000
RT @h4herlinde: H.Clinton proposed a fund of $100 billion a year for the next decade to help preserve forests and the world's vulnerable ...
RT @JMCousteau: Encouraging news: Negotiatrs hav all but cmpletd a deal that wld compensate cntries 4 preservng forests http://tiny.cc/VvzrM
tin_maldita (Celestine Bonares) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:08:32 -0000
RT @JMCousteau: Encouraging news: Negotiatrs hav all but cmpletd a deal that wld compensate cntries 4 preservng forests http://tiny.cc/VvzrM
U.S., 5 other nations open wallets for forests http://t.love.com/281289355
hot_world_news (World News) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:00:12 -0000
U.S., 5 other nations open wallets for forests http://t.love.com/281289355
Can Our Rain Forests be Saved? - Feature on tropical rain forests in The Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses).
Meta Description: [ Why are the rain forests, which were virtually intact a century ago, being wiped out so quickly? ]
Care2's Race For the Rain Forest - This is a quick, easy way to help save the rain forest with a simple point and click. Each click generates a donation, paid by advertising sponsors, to The Nature Conservancy's Adopt An Acre Program.
Meta Description: [ Care2 - Free services that help save wildlife! Care2 is the World's largest community of people who care about the Environment! ]
Children's Rainforest - Non-profit association working to save the world's rainforests by buying the rainforest in order to save it. Provides project and sponsorship information.
Floresta - A Christian non-profit organization aiming to combat deforestation through local partner projects in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Includes program details, newsletters and articles, volunteer opportunities and an invitation to sponsor a village.
Forest Conservation Archives and Portal - Rainforest, forest, biodiversity news and information.
Meta Description: [ Vast Rainforest, Forest and Biodiversity Protection News & Information -- Forest Protection Portal ]
Forest Magazine - Magazine about USA public forests.
Instituto Terra - Non-profit organization, helping to conserve and restore Brazil's threatened Atlantic Forest through education, research and reforestation.
Meta Description: [ O Instituto Tera é uma organização sem fins lucrativos que está auxiliando a conservar e recuperar a ameaçada Floresta Atlântica brasileira através de educação, pesquisa e reflorestamento. ]
International Association for Mediterranean Forests - Aims to find solutions to the problems that arise from land use and management. Includes an events calendar, details of activities, and membership application form. In English and French.
Meta Description: [ L'AIFM a pour objectif de faciliter les échanges de connaissances et d'expériences entre les personnes qui sont concernées par les espaces naturels et forestiers méditerranéens.
The IAMF has taken as its aim to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience between whoever is concerned by M... ]
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Mountain Forest Project - Organizes volunteer workcamps in Switzerland, Germany and Austria that contribute to the conservation of the mountain forest ecosystem.
NRDC: Forests - Outlines the Natural Resources Defense Council's work on preserving USA forests and tackling the causes of forest destruction.
Meta Description: [ NRDC works to secure permanent protection for millions of acres of wildlands, promote improved management of publicly owned land, develop plans for protecting wildlife and other natural resources in national parks., NRDC works to secure permanent protection for millions of acres of wildlands, pro... ]
Proforests - Ideas on protection of natural forests.
Meta Description: [ should we surrender to the most accredited catastrophic future trend of natural forests?
dobbiamo arrenderci all'idea oramai più diffusa di un futuro catastrofico per quanto riguarda le foreste naturali? ]
Rainforest Foundation UK - An international organization working with indigenous peoples to conserve the world's rain forests and uphold their human rights.
Meta Description: [ The Rainforest Foundation supports people living in and around the world's rainforests to protect the environment and fulfill their rights to land, life and livelihood. ]
Rainforest Relief - Nonprofit dedicated to ending the destruction of the world's tropical and temperate rainforests.
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Rainforest Renaissance Project - Supports afforestation and agroforestry projects in Central America.
Meta Description: [ The Worldwide Rain Forest Renaissance Project is committed to helping to restore the rain forest to its pristine conditions. We help in three important ways: 1) by replanting fast-growing native trees in the rain forests of Belize and Honduras and 2) by educating and training the local communitie... ]
SeedTree - USA campaign to preserve and renew forest ecosystems by developing a sustainable human ecology. News and details of programs.
Meta Description: [ International tree planting effort to protect and regenerate endangered forest ecosystems and biodiversity by propagation of diverse species, renewable energy and sustainable human ecological and economical development. ]
Taiga Rescue Network (TRN) - Information on boreal forest ecology and biodiversity, the cultures of the boreal regions, threats faced by boreal forests worldwide.
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The Pachamama Alliance - Dedicated to protecting the Earth's rain forests and the indigenous peoples who live within them. News and action alerts. Virtual rain forests tour.
World Rainforest Movement - Campaign against large scale monoculture tree plantations in many countries. These plantations are resulting in a number of negative social and environmental impacts on local communities.
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