By: Thomas Hollowell
Zaer Forest is near Rabat, which is also just a few kilometers from Casablanca. Trekking Morocco can present you with hundreds of different choices. You have Jbel Toubkal, M'Goun, and other high altitude stops. These trekking experiences are for someone who doesn't mind traveling for days, camping out, and experiencing nature. The longer trekking experiences in the High Atlas Mountains are rewarding, but as a birdwatcher you might consider them to be too long. You might instead appreciate a day trek to the Zaer Forest. It is filled with Double Spurred Francolins and Black headed Bush Shrikes among other birds.
Trips into the Zaer Forest are for during the day, with short car rides and a nice trek to a great lunch location. There are also circular style treks where you start off at one point, only to return there after going through the forest. Charming villages, verdant valleys, and cork oaks await you on a trek through Zaer Forest.
Gorges in the area provide you with more greenery and places to find the unique birds of Morocco. The gorges in Zaer Forest can be lined with water to help grow the plants of the region, giving food to the birds. North of Sidi Bettache is the most fruitful area for birdwatchers. There is a hunting lodge in Sidi Yahya Zaer to stay at while on your trek.
Other birds to spot while trekking Morocco include spotted flycatchers, larks, white storks, and black shoulders kites. We already mentioned one species that is only found in Morocco: the Double Spurred Francolins.
Morocco is more than just an African country sitting on the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It is a country filled with culture and beauty. Exploring this beauty through the Zaer Forest is just one way to trek Morocco. The experience will be a pleasant one for bird lovers.
For individuals looking for more than birds or longer hikes the High Atlas trekking tours will allow for that. The High Atlas Mountains contain villages uncharted on any map. Birds, plants, and the ever elusive Barbary Monkey can be found in the High Atlas region. Allow yourself to experience the wonders that make up Morocco. Visit more than just Zaer Forest.
The Rif Mountains present more valleys, waterfalls, and mountain peaks to enjoy. In this region of Morocco you can expect to see birds on the beaches, which differ from the forested birds. There are also a number of bio reserves in the Rif Mountains and throughout Morocco. These parks provide birdwatchers with a number of species to sit and waste an entire afternoon or day on.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Can't See the Trees For the Forest
By : Suzi Elton
Most people know the meaning of "you can't see the forest for the trees". It means that you get bogged down in the minutia of daily life and miss the big picture or the purpose of the activities of your life.
It is also possible to miss the trees for the forest. What this means is that you get so involved in your goals and the things you want to accomplish that you aren't living and enjoying your life every day. You aren't connecting with people. You aren't noticing the beauty about you. You get into a habit of rigidity about taking action to advance your goals. It's easy to seem rather a tornado of activity blithely running over anyone or anything in your way. If you recognize your current behavior here, here are some ideas for you to consider.
1.) Immediately decide to become present in your day to day life - with yourself and with the people around you. Open your eyes to the beauty. Deliberately slow down. Allow more time for everything. Cut out activities that make you frantic. Take a look at your schedule and start to eliminate activities. Most of us do a lot of "have to's", and engage in activities because, "I'm doing this to please others" or, "I've been doing this - so I will keep doing it.". Release as much of this as you can.
2.) Take a fresh look at the timeline you have set for your goals. There's a good chance that a lot of your issues comes from setting a needlessly aggressive timeline. Some of us humans have a tendency to keep our lives unnecessarily "amped up". There may even be a tendency to be an "adrenaline junkie". Give this up.
Even if it gets you to your goal sooner - you missed the ride there. If you had "croaked" (i.e., died) on the way to your goal - you would have missed your life. (Note: If you're a procrastinator - this article is not for you. Don't use it as an excuse not to achieve your goals.)
3.) Look at your goals again and take the time to put them in order of priority. Often people will function as if every goal has the same priority. It's much better to choose to focus on your top 3 goals, with special concentration on your #1 goal. The most common self sabotage that clients indulge in is pretending that all their goals have #1 priority. As a result, they either feel overwhelmed and do nothing, or else, they take sporadic and half hearted efforts and they never make any meaningful progress on their multiple goals.
4.) One of the clearest signs that you don't see the trees for the forest is when you cut off suggestions from others without listening. This is usually caused by a self created "timeline intensity" mentality. Use this as a guideline to signal yourself that you are missing the trees in your life - and choose to take different action.
5.) This "missing the trees" style sets you up to be insensitive to the needs of others. It creates a tendency to be totally unaware of discomfort, hurt feelings, and frustrations others experience in dealing with your steam roller behavior. It doesn't mean you are being bad, just clueless. Failing to pay attention to the signals of others around you can cost you dearly in business, and it would likely be a failure which you would not even understand or have any appreciation about the causation.
It is easy to get wrapped up in our goals when we are very success oriented. It is common to lose sight of the trees when we have our focus on the forest of our goals. This can be changed - and the changes are likely to bring you greater success and certainly greater happiness. Experiment with it and see what you think.
Most people know the meaning of "you can't see the forest for the trees". It means that you get bogged down in the minutia of daily life and miss the big picture or the purpose of the activities of your life.
It is also possible to miss the trees for the forest. What this means is that you get so involved in your goals and the things you want to accomplish that you aren't living and enjoying your life every day. You aren't connecting with people. You aren't noticing the beauty about you. You get into a habit of rigidity about taking action to advance your goals. It's easy to seem rather a tornado of activity blithely running over anyone or anything in your way. If you recognize your current behavior here, here are some ideas for you to consider.
1.) Immediately decide to become present in your day to day life - with yourself and with the people around you. Open your eyes to the beauty. Deliberately slow down. Allow more time for everything. Cut out activities that make you frantic. Take a look at your schedule and start to eliminate activities. Most of us do a lot of "have to's", and engage in activities because, "I'm doing this to please others" or, "I've been doing this - so I will keep doing it.". Release as much of this as you can.
2.) Take a fresh look at the timeline you have set for your goals. There's a good chance that a lot of your issues comes from setting a needlessly aggressive timeline. Some of us humans have a tendency to keep our lives unnecessarily "amped up". There may even be a tendency to be an "adrenaline junkie". Give this up.
Even if it gets you to your goal sooner - you missed the ride there. If you had "croaked" (i.e., died) on the way to your goal - you would have missed your life. (Note: If you're a procrastinator - this article is not for you. Don't use it as an excuse not to achieve your goals.)
3.) Look at your goals again and take the time to put them in order of priority. Often people will function as if every goal has the same priority. It's much better to choose to focus on your top 3 goals, with special concentration on your #1 goal. The most common self sabotage that clients indulge in is pretending that all their goals have #1 priority. As a result, they either feel overwhelmed and do nothing, or else, they take sporadic and half hearted efforts and they never make any meaningful progress on their multiple goals.
4.) One of the clearest signs that you don't see the trees for the forest is when you cut off suggestions from others without listening. This is usually caused by a self created "timeline intensity" mentality. Use this as a guideline to signal yourself that you are missing the trees in your life - and choose to take different action.
5.) This "missing the trees" style sets you up to be insensitive to the needs of others. It creates a tendency to be totally unaware of discomfort, hurt feelings, and frustrations others experience in dealing with your steam roller behavior. It doesn't mean you are being bad, just clueless. Failing to pay attention to the signals of others around you can cost you dearly in business, and it would likely be a failure which you would not even understand or have any appreciation about the causation.
It is easy to get wrapped up in our goals when we are very success oriented. It is common to lose sight of the trees when we have our focus on the forest of our goals. This can be changed - and the changes are likely to bring you greater success and certainly greater happiness. Experiment with it and see what you think.
The World's Strangest Forest
By David Urban
Modern Turkmenistan was, for a time, ruled by a madman named Saparmyrat Niyazov. He called himself the Prophet and was wealthy beyond all comprehension, stealing the country blind and building huge monuments to himself throughout the region.
During his reign he banned beards, gold teeth, opera, and forbid education after the ninth grade on the theory that uneducated people were easier to govern. He renamed the twelve months of the year, using his own name for January and names of family members for the other months.
He isolated the country from the outside: no internet, no cell phones, no satellite communications, no international telephones. Criticism was not allowed; anybody who dared either disappeared or was tortured in his prisons.
He made Turkmenistan into a heaven for himself and a hell for his people.
One of his fantastic projects was to create a forest for Turkmenistan. He wanted Turkmenistan-a country that was rocky, barren, dune-covered, wind-swept, a sun-baked plain crossed with ravines and gullies, two-thirds covered by the Kara Kum desert-to resemble Russia with its great pine forests.
"I will build a forest in the desert," he proclaimed. And so he had millions of Douglas firs and White pines planted, only to have the trees wither in the desert heat and blown flat by the scouring winds.
Niyazov died in 2006. Today, no trace of his fantastic forest remains. His legacy is like that of the poet Shelly's Ozymandias, a leader whose mad vision was buried by the "lone and level sands' of time.
David Urban is an avid hiker, backpacker, and environmentalist who has traveled extensively across the American Southwest. He is also the owner of Green Man T-Shirts, supplier of organic t-shirts featuring designs by artist Rob Juszak, which donates 25% of all profits to environmental groups.
Modern Turkmenistan was, for a time, ruled by a madman named Saparmyrat Niyazov. He called himself the Prophet and was wealthy beyond all comprehension, stealing the country blind and building huge monuments to himself throughout the region.
During his reign he banned beards, gold teeth, opera, and forbid education after the ninth grade on the theory that uneducated people were easier to govern. He renamed the twelve months of the year, using his own name for January and names of family members for the other months.
He isolated the country from the outside: no internet, no cell phones, no satellite communications, no international telephones. Criticism was not allowed; anybody who dared either disappeared or was tortured in his prisons.
He made Turkmenistan into a heaven for himself and a hell for his people.
One of his fantastic projects was to create a forest for Turkmenistan. He wanted Turkmenistan-a country that was rocky, barren, dune-covered, wind-swept, a sun-baked plain crossed with ravines and gullies, two-thirds covered by the Kara Kum desert-to resemble Russia with its great pine forests.
"I will build a forest in the desert," he proclaimed. And so he had millions of Douglas firs and White pines planted, only to have the trees wither in the desert heat and blown flat by the scouring winds.
Niyazov died in 2006. Today, no trace of his fantastic forest remains. His legacy is like that of the poet Shelly's Ozymandias, a leader whose mad vision was buried by the "lone and level sands' of time.
David Urban is an avid hiker, backpacker, and environmentalist who has traveled extensively across the American Southwest. He is also the owner of Green Man T-Shirts, supplier of organic t-shirts featuring designs by artist Rob Juszak, which donates 25% of all profits to environmental groups.
Why Forest City Photo Albums?
by: Jim Green
You may be thinking, "There must be a story behind the Forest City portion of the company's name, Forest City Photo Albums (forestcityphotoalbums.com)." If you thought that, you're right. The company is headquartered in the city of Rockford, IL, which was nicknamed the Forest City almost a century ago because of all the elm trees lining many of the streets. I remember as a child riding down some of the 2-lane streets which are now 4-lane, and noting that it was like driving through a tunnel because of all the elm trees. Then, in the 1950s, Dutch Elm Disease struck the city, and all of those trees had to be cut down. It brought tears to lots of people in town at that time, as I remember.
However, before that time, we already had an extensive network of city parks, some a block in size, many much larger, which are all graciously planted with trees. So, although the original reason for the name is gone, the moniker still fits. In fact, in recent years, the Rockford Park District has been named one of the country's top park districts.
The photo albums mentioned earlier in this article come from the beach paradise island of Bali in Indonesia, and are handcrafted from jungle-renewable materials right nearby. As a result, they're organic photo albums, and in conjunction with that, eco-friendly photo albums --one of the very few companies making this type of product available on the Internet. Come check us out, and please note that when your order reaches $75, we pay the shipping and handling for you.
You may be thinking, "There must be a story behind the Forest City portion of the company's name, Forest City Photo Albums (forestcityphotoalbums.com)." If you thought that, you're right. The company is headquartered in the city of Rockford, IL, which was nicknamed the Forest City almost a century ago because of all the elm trees lining many of the streets. I remember as a child riding down some of the 2-lane streets which are now 4-lane, and noting that it was like driving through a tunnel because of all the elm trees. Then, in the 1950s, Dutch Elm Disease struck the city, and all of those trees had to be cut down. It brought tears to lots of people in town at that time, as I remember.
However, before that time, we already had an extensive network of city parks, some a block in size, many much larger, which are all graciously planted with trees. So, although the original reason for the name is gone, the moniker still fits. In fact, in recent years, the Rockford Park District has been named one of the country's top park districts.
The photo albums mentioned earlier in this article come from the beach paradise island of Bali in Indonesia, and are handcrafted from jungle-renewable materials right nearby. As a result, they're organic photo albums, and in conjunction with that, eco-friendly photo albums --one of the very few companies making this type of product available on the Internet. Come check us out, and please note that when your order reaches $75, we pay the shipping and handling for you.
Garden Design: Turn a Forest into a Beautiful Garden
by: Joanna Harris
The main difference between a beautiful garden and a haphazard growth of trees and plants is designing. Without the element of proper designing, any growth of plants and trees will give you the feeling of a forest. You might have chosen the plants and flowers you want to grow in your garden but if you ignore the most essential part of any gardening project, that is design, you will only get mesh of plants that may die off soon and waste your money and all the efforts. Let us share a few simple tips about how to design a simple garden. Once your neighbours see your self-designed garden, they will be green of envy.
If you have raw land for gardening or a simple garden, you have great scope for designing. You can use your creativity along with a few simple garden-designing rules to give it a beautiful shape and structure. And you have a large area to add more plants and flowers in the future.
Before you start designing the garden, have a closer look at your property. Bring measuring tape, a notepad and a garden hose with you. You may be surprised, but garden hose will help you decide the shape of the garden. You can arrange it in many ways, using different shapes as a base, like square, round or rectangle to design a basic and balanced garden. An asymmetrical and free formed garden can blend beautifully in surroundings.
Write down the measurements of the garden in your notepad. Knowing these will help you design the garden in a more comprehensive way, and also, it'll help you decide the quantities of soil and mulch additives. Using a scale, draw the garden on the graph paper along with the permanent features of your home.
Choose plants for your garden, which can grow according to the sunlight available in your garden. In addition, native plants are the best choice, as they need less maintenance. Colour scheme is an important element of the garden design. The colours should blend well with the house and existing landscape features. Colour scheme should be such, which alleviates your mood, creates a feeling of simplicity and peace. Red and orange are vibrant colours and green, blue or light purple are cool colours.
Focal point of the garden should be foliage plants, including ornamental grasses or other plants having beautiful kind of leaves. Plants should be arranged according to the garden shape. Place plants outward and forward in descending order in height which complement the focal point of the garden.
Garden design is the most essential part of constructing a beautiful garden. Gardens are very dynamic in nature and they change, grow, spread, die off and then bloom in many wonderful ways. If you're not sure if the plants you want to have will not affect one another in a negative way, or you're not sure about the design – ask a professional designer for help. You can share all your ideas and plans, and this way you can create a perfect garden of your dreams.
The main difference between a beautiful garden and a haphazard growth of trees and plants is designing. Without the element of proper designing, any growth of plants and trees will give you the feeling of a forest. You might have chosen the plants and flowers you want to grow in your garden but if you ignore the most essential part of any gardening project, that is design, you will only get mesh of plants that may die off soon and waste your money and all the efforts. Let us share a few simple tips about how to design a simple garden. Once your neighbours see your self-designed garden, they will be green of envy.
If you have raw land for gardening or a simple garden, you have great scope for designing. You can use your creativity along with a few simple garden-designing rules to give it a beautiful shape and structure. And you have a large area to add more plants and flowers in the future.
Before you start designing the garden, have a closer look at your property. Bring measuring tape, a notepad and a garden hose with you. You may be surprised, but garden hose will help you decide the shape of the garden. You can arrange it in many ways, using different shapes as a base, like square, round or rectangle to design a basic and balanced garden. An asymmetrical and free formed garden can blend beautifully in surroundings.
Write down the measurements of the garden in your notepad. Knowing these will help you design the garden in a more comprehensive way, and also, it'll help you decide the quantities of soil and mulch additives. Using a scale, draw the garden on the graph paper along with the permanent features of your home.
Choose plants for your garden, which can grow according to the sunlight available in your garden. In addition, native plants are the best choice, as they need less maintenance. Colour scheme is an important element of the garden design. The colours should blend well with the house and existing landscape features. Colour scheme should be such, which alleviates your mood, creates a feeling of simplicity and peace. Red and orange are vibrant colours and green, blue or light purple are cool colours.
Focal point of the garden should be foliage plants, including ornamental grasses or other plants having beautiful kind of leaves. Plants should be arranged according to the garden shape. Place plants outward and forward in descending order in height which complement the focal point of the garden.
Garden design is the most essential part of constructing a beautiful garden. Gardens are very dynamic in nature and they change, grow, spread, die off and then bloom in many wonderful ways. If you're not sure if the plants you want to have will not affect one another in a negative way, or you're not sure about the design – ask a professional designer for help. You can share all your ideas and plans, and this way you can create a perfect garden of your dreams.
Jeep Safari in Kerala Forests
by: Dev Sri
Like Camel and Horse safaris in India, another popular form is the Jeep Safari. The Jeep Safari not only refreshes and revitalises but one feels close to nature while driving through the quiet and beautiful countryside. Let your senses sway to the romance of the surroundings as you pass forts, palaces, historical landmarks and villages.
Jeep Safari in Kerala
If anyone wants to actively explore the most beautiful sites of Kerala and take a wild and exciting ride to the other side, the Jeep Safari Adventure will be the right ticket. In kerala you have tours consisting of small groups to offer an even more personalized service. The tour guides have many years of experience in the tourism sector.
Explore the varied geo-morphological features of Kerala on Jeep Safari Tours in Kerala. An adventurous tour to any part of Kerala is accomplished in a better and more exciting way on jeep safaris. Jeep safari is the best way to travel on a rugged terrain, hilly terrain, or any other off beaten track in Kerala. Jeep Safari Tours in kerala helps you in discovering those aspects of kerala that you have read in the books or seen on informative channels and fin hard to travel in any other mode of transportation.
Cross wild rivers are made for adventurous on jeeps. Explore the unknown while admiring the natural beauty at its best on a jeep safari. Jeeps can take you o the interiors of a village or a town where heavy and huge buses found hard to travel. This not only ensures you greater excitement but also that you get to see much more. The visitors can enjoy the Kerala adventure jeep safari with a thrilling mind.
The Kerala adventure jeep safari may really goes through an exciting route of winding roads, a few narrow unsurfaced roads where 2 vehicles cannot easily pass each other. The road passes through dense forests, the trees soaring up meters. Road hazards include flocks of sheep and traditionally dressed village women.
At Mudamalai Sanctuary visitors can enjoy jeep safaris depending on the interests. A lot of other unexplored places are there in Kerala perfect for Jeep Safari. Anyone seeking jeep safari in India will get information about the stunning routes of Kerala. Visitors interested in Jeep Safari training will be provided.
Kerala adventure Jeep Safari is well known all over the country and tourists from all over the world are getting interested in the activity.
The Jeep Safari is mind blowing through any part of Western Ghats. The traveller feels riding through the heaven on earth. Vast stretches of undulating forests and greens peppered with flowers and mountain streams fill up with joy. While on the jeep safari you are the part of the natural beauty.
Like Camel and Horse safaris in India, another popular form is the Jeep Safari. The Jeep Safari not only refreshes and revitalises but one feels close to nature while driving through the quiet and beautiful countryside. Let your senses sway to the romance of the surroundings as you pass forts, palaces, historical landmarks and villages.
Jeep Safari in Kerala
If anyone wants to actively explore the most beautiful sites of Kerala and take a wild and exciting ride to the other side, the Jeep Safari Adventure will be the right ticket. In kerala you have tours consisting of small groups to offer an even more personalized service. The tour guides have many years of experience in the tourism sector.
Explore the varied geo-morphological features of Kerala on Jeep Safari Tours in Kerala. An adventurous tour to any part of Kerala is accomplished in a better and more exciting way on jeep safaris. Jeep safari is the best way to travel on a rugged terrain, hilly terrain, or any other off beaten track in Kerala. Jeep Safari Tours in kerala helps you in discovering those aspects of kerala that you have read in the books or seen on informative channels and fin hard to travel in any other mode of transportation.
Cross wild rivers are made for adventurous on jeeps. Explore the unknown while admiring the natural beauty at its best on a jeep safari. Jeeps can take you o the interiors of a village or a town where heavy and huge buses found hard to travel. This not only ensures you greater excitement but also that you get to see much more. The visitors can enjoy the Kerala adventure jeep safari with a thrilling mind.
The Kerala adventure jeep safari may really goes through an exciting route of winding roads, a few narrow unsurfaced roads where 2 vehicles cannot easily pass each other. The road passes through dense forests, the trees soaring up meters. Road hazards include flocks of sheep and traditionally dressed village women.
At Mudamalai Sanctuary visitors can enjoy jeep safaris depending on the interests. A lot of other unexplored places are there in Kerala perfect for Jeep Safari. Anyone seeking jeep safari in India will get information about the stunning routes of Kerala. Visitors interested in Jeep Safari training will be provided.
Kerala adventure Jeep Safari is well known all over the country and tourists from all over the world are getting interested in the activity.
The Jeep Safari is mind blowing through any part of Western Ghats. The traveller feels riding through the heaven on earth. Vast stretches of undulating forests and greens peppered with flowers and mountain streams fill up with joy. While on the jeep safari you are the part of the natural beauty.
Can eBook Readers save our forests?
By: Marco Gustafsson
As an increasing number of people begin to think about environmental friendly methods that will assist in saving our forests, the eBook Reader is one that most will fail to consider. However, as the number of books printed rises exponentially, the number of trees being harvested also rises which is a concern.
Most likely this trend will continue as people become more accustomed to the information age and the quick availability of the printed word on almost any topic they might be able to imagine. It is only when we all dedicate ourselves to creating the paperless office that the continual destruction of our forests might diminish.
Although some might point towards the advent of ebooks and PDF files as offering a potential solution to the proliferation of paper books, it is a fact that many people tend to print these out in a format that uses more paper had they been professionally printed originally.
There is, however, a solution to this available in the form of the eBook reader. Such readers present eBooks in an easy to read format that is equally as portable as a physical book – in fact more so, since it is lighter and more easily carried, and as cutting edge technology continues to develop, the opportunity for becoming more environmentally conscious continues to present itself. According to Digital Book Readers, development of electronic paper technology, such as the electronic ink used in mobile reading devices, will take us closer to a greener future.
The amount of paper used for printing documents
, books, magazines, and other such materials has not decreased with the proliferation of personal computers and laptops, but instead, seems to have increased. It appears that as people have unlimited access to information, the number of documents being printed continues to be on the rise. The necessity to transport printed materials from one location to another or to simply isolate specific documents is also increasing exponentially.
The introduction of eReaders can be instrumental in the saving of our forests if we as a people decide to utilize them in a fashion that can truly have the desired impact we seek. Listed below are some possibilities for using the eReader to assist in saving our forests:
* Replacing textbooks in Colleges and Universities: The eBook Readers have the capability to replace textbooks in our colleges and universities, as well as reduce the number of books necessary in our libraries.
* Replace the number of books now being sold in bookstores both land based and internet based. With the eReader, one can quickly locate the book of their choice, download it on the machine and immediately begin reading. Most downloads take around 60 seconds for an average size book.
* Replace the number of magazines and trade publications now being sold and distributed. Again, the eMagazine can easily be downloaded and accessed quickly and easily.
* Replace the number of printed reports and documents in corporate America and small businesses across the world. Businesses, both large and small, continually print budgets, marketing analysis and materials, training packages, etc. for distribution and review. These machines could very well assist in diminishing the number of these types of printed materials drastically.
Not only do the eBook Readers serve the purpose of effectively eliminating the destruction of so many trees, but they also provide ease of use and simple transport capabilities. They are light, compact, easy to use, and some of them will even read to us.
As an increasing number of people begin to think about environmental friendly methods that will assist in saving our forests, the eBook Reader is one that most will fail to consider. However, as the number of books printed rises exponentially, the number of trees being harvested also rises which is a concern.
Most likely this trend will continue as people become more accustomed to the information age and the quick availability of the printed word on almost any topic they might be able to imagine. It is only when we all dedicate ourselves to creating the paperless office that the continual destruction of our forests might diminish.
Although some might point towards the advent of ebooks and PDF files as offering a potential solution to the proliferation of paper books, it is a fact that many people tend to print these out in a format that uses more paper had they been professionally printed originally.
There is, however, a solution to this available in the form of the eBook reader. Such readers present eBooks in an easy to read format that is equally as portable as a physical book – in fact more so, since it is lighter and more easily carried, and as cutting edge technology continues to develop, the opportunity for becoming more environmentally conscious continues to present itself. According to Digital Book Readers, development of electronic paper technology, such as the electronic ink used in mobile reading devices, will take us closer to a greener future.
The amount of paper used for printing documents
, books, magazines, and other such materials has not decreased with the proliferation of personal computers and laptops, but instead, seems to have increased. It appears that as people have unlimited access to information, the number of documents being printed continues to be on the rise. The necessity to transport printed materials from one location to another or to simply isolate specific documents is also increasing exponentially.
The introduction of eReaders can be instrumental in the saving of our forests if we as a people decide to utilize them in a fashion that can truly have the desired impact we seek. Listed below are some possibilities for using the eReader to assist in saving our forests:
* Replacing textbooks in Colleges and Universities: The eBook Readers have the capability to replace textbooks in our colleges and universities, as well as reduce the number of books necessary in our libraries.
* Replace the number of books now being sold in bookstores both land based and internet based. With the eReader, one can quickly locate the book of their choice, download it on the machine and immediately begin reading. Most downloads take around 60 seconds for an average size book.
* Replace the number of magazines and trade publications now being sold and distributed. Again, the eMagazine can easily be downloaded and accessed quickly and easily.
* Replace the number of printed reports and documents in corporate America and small businesses across the world. Businesses, both large and small, continually print budgets, marketing analysis and materials, training packages, etc. for distribution and review. These machines could very well assist in diminishing the number of these types of printed materials drastically.
Not only do the eBook Readers serve the purpose of effectively eliminating the destruction of so many trees, but they also provide ease of use and simple transport capabilities. They are light, compact, easy to use, and some of them will even read to us.
The Death Of Forests In America
By: Marlene Affeld
Although it is sunny, ominous black clouds lay low on the horizon. The day matches my dark mood. I am grieving. A kind neighbor, Lyle, is on his way to come to cut down and remove seven of the magnificent trees on my land. It is painful to fall trees that I have pruned and nurtured for many years. I have no choice, they are infected with the dreaded Mountain Pine Beetle.
Across the western United States and Canada, our majestic pine forests are being destroyed by a massive infestation of an insect pest, the Mountain Pine Beetle or Bark Beetle. In the largest North American insect infestation in recorded history, millions of acres of evergreens are infected; our forests are dying.
The Mountain Pine Beetle, also known as the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle, Black Hills Beetle or Bark Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosa), is a nasty pest that is native to the pine forests of western North America. Infestations of the beetle are rampant in wilderness areas as well as suburban back yards. The beetle is not choosy. Trees that are not healthy due to crowding, drought, old age or have been damaged by wind or lightning are most likely to come under attack. However, as beetle infestations spread, MPB attacks may involve the majority of the large trees in the outbreak area. Lodgepole, ponderosa and scotch pine are most susceptible. Once infected, there is nothing that can be done to save the tree. Although it may take several months for the ugly orange colorization to appear, death is inevitable.
The female beetle kills the host tree by burrowing into the bark to lay its eggs. The invasive adult beetle carries spores of a blue-staining fungus (Ceratocysis minor). As the beetles gnaws its way through the bark, the spores of this fungus are dislodged and slowly begin to germinate. Within a matter of weeks the fungus invades and blocks the conductive vessels of the sapwood and inner bark of the tree. As the vessels are constricted, the verdant foliage starts to fade, first to a pale green, then a straw yellow and then, after about a year’s time, the needles will turn red brown.
An unprecedented deadly combination of exceptionally warm winters, reduced snow pack, drought and control of forest fire has allowed the pest to flourish.
In Montana the infestation is catastrophic. Over a million acres of pines have succumbed to the deadly blanket of rust that is creeping across our mountain faces. A million acres of trees is over a billion board feet of timber. In Montana, as in many states, much of our local economy relies upon the timber industry. The loss of significant areas of our forests portends the closure of sawmills, post and pole, chip and lumber yards that provide much need employment. In Montana alone, thousands of loggers, drivers and millwrights are looking for work.
In southern Wyoming and northern Colorado, the situation is even worse. Both of these western states lost over a million acres to the beetle in 2006. In 2007 total acreage infested exceeded a million and a half acres in both Wyoming and Colorado. Projections for 2008 are dismal with the range of the beetle expected to top two million acres per state. Forestry experts predict, that within the next three to five years, over five million acres of the forests in Colorado will be dead. Already, in many areas, all the lodgepole pine has been wiped out as far as the eye can see.
Within the United States, California has suffered the greatest damage. Oregon, Idaho and Washington states are not immune. Massive swathes of forest have succumbed to the Mountain Pine Beetle. The infestation has left over 50 or more dead trees per acre around Camel and Deadhorse Lakes and the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness areas of Oregon. Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, western Texas and south across the border into northern Mexico, all have areas of infection. The death of North America’s forests is carried on the wind.
Beetle infestations are commonly found in forests with a mid-elevation of 2,000 to 6,000 feet (600 to 1800 m). However, in Canada beetle populations have been found below 1,000 feet (300 m) and in northern Mexico beetles have been identified above 8,000 feet (2,400m).
The Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta have been impacted the most severely with over 33 million acres destroyed in British Columbia and the blight is moving across Alberta. Centuries-old pines at the highest elevations, once seen as impregnable due to extremely cold temperatures that destroy the beetles, are rapidly dying. The devastation of the ecosystem is going to have long-termed damaging effects on wildlife habitat, watersheds and all wildlife that is dependent on pine forests.
Although it is sunny, ominous black clouds lay low on the horizon. The day matches my dark mood. I am grieving. A kind neighbor, Lyle, is on his way to come to cut down and remove seven of the magnificent trees on my land. It is painful to fall trees that I have pruned and nurtured for many years. I have no choice, they are infected with the dreaded Mountain Pine Beetle.
Across the western United States and Canada, our majestic pine forests are being destroyed by a massive infestation of an insect pest, the Mountain Pine Beetle or Bark Beetle. In the largest North American insect infestation in recorded history, millions of acres of evergreens are infected; our forests are dying.
The Mountain Pine Beetle, also known as the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle, Black Hills Beetle or Bark Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosa), is a nasty pest that is native to the pine forests of western North America. Infestations of the beetle are rampant in wilderness areas as well as suburban back yards. The beetle is not choosy. Trees that are not healthy due to crowding, drought, old age or have been damaged by wind or lightning are most likely to come under attack. However, as beetle infestations spread, MPB attacks may involve the majority of the large trees in the outbreak area. Lodgepole, ponderosa and scotch pine are most susceptible. Once infected, there is nothing that can be done to save the tree. Although it may take several months for the ugly orange colorization to appear, death is inevitable.
The female beetle kills the host tree by burrowing into the bark to lay its eggs. The invasive adult beetle carries spores of a blue-staining fungus (Ceratocysis minor). As the beetles gnaws its way through the bark, the spores of this fungus are dislodged and slowly begin to germinate. Within a matter of weeks the fungus invades and blocks the conductive vessels of the sapwood and inner bark of the tree. As the vessels are constricted, the verdant foliage starts to fade, first to a pale green, then a straw yellow and then, after about a year’s time, the needles will turn red brown.
An unprecedented deadly combination of exceptionally warm winters, reduced snow pack, drought and control of forest fire has allowed the pest to flourish.
In Montana the infestation is catastrophic. Over a million acres of pines have succumbed to the deadly blanket of rust that is creeping across our mountain faces. A million acres of trees is over a billion board feet of timber. In Montana, as in many states, much of our local economy relies upon the timber industry. The loss of significant areas of our forests portends the closure of sawmills, post and pole, chip and lumber yards that provide much need employment. In Montana alone, thousands of loggers, drivers and millwrights are looking for work.
In southern Wyoming and northern Colorado, the situation is even worse. Both of these western states lost over a million acres to the beetle in 2006. In 2007 total acreage infested exceeded a million and a half acres in both Wyoming and Colorado. Projections for 2008 are dismal with the range of the beetle expected to top two million acres per state. Forestry experts predict, that within the next three to five years, over five million acres of the forests in Colorado will be dead. Already, in many areas, all the lodgepole pine has been wiped out as far as the eye can see.
Within the United States, California has suffered the greatest damage. Oregon, Idaho and Washington states are not immune. Massive swathes of forest have succumbed to the Mountain Pine Beetle. The infestation has left over 50 or more dead trees per acre around Camel and Deadhorse Lakes and the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness areas of Oregon. Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, western Texas and south across the border into northern Mexico, all have areas of infection. The death of North America’s forests is carried on the wind.
Beetle infestations are commonly found in forests with a mid-elevation of 2,000 to 6,000 feet (600 to 1800 m). However, in Canada beetle populations have been found below 1,000 feet (300 m) and in northern Mexico beetles have been identified above 8,000 feet (2,400m).
The Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta have been impacted the most severely with over 33 million acres destroyed in British Columbia and the blight is moving across Alberta. Centuries-old pines at the highest elevations, once seen as impregnable due to extremely cold temperatures that destroy the beetles, are rapidly dying. The devastation of the ecosystem is going to have long-termed damaging effects on wildlife habitat, watersheds and all wildlife that is dependent on pine forests.
The Structure of a Forest
By: Laura Klappenbach
Forests are habitats in which the trees are the dominant form of vegetation. They occur in many regions and climates around the globe—the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin, the temperate forests of eastern North America, and the boreal forests of northern Europe are just a few examples.
The species composition of a forest is often unique to that forest, with some forests consisting of many hundreds of species of trees while others consist of just a handful of species. Forests are constantly changing and progress through a series of successional stages during which species composition changes within the forest.
Thus, making general statements about forest habitats can be difficult. Yet despite the variability of our planet's forests, there are some basic structural characteristics that many forests share—characteristics that can help us to better understand both forests and the animals and wildlife that inhabit them.
Mature forests often have several distinct vertical layers. These include:
• forest floor
• herb layer
• shrub layer
• understory
• canopy
• emergents
These different layers provide a mosaic of habitats and enable animals and wildlife to settle into various pockets of habitat within the overall structure of a forest.
The forest floor is often blanketed with decaying leaves, twigs, fallen trees, animal scat, moss, and other detritus. The forest floor is where recycling occurs, fungi, insects, bacteria, and earthworms are among the many organisms that break down waste materials and ready them for reuse and recycling throughout the forest system.
The herb layer of the forest is dominated by herbaceous (or soft-stemmed) plants such as grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and other ground cover. Vegetation in the herb layer often gets little light and in forests with thick canopies, shade tolerant species are predominant in the herb layer.
The shrub layer is characterized by woody vegetation that grows relatively close to the ground. Bushes and brambles grown where enough light passes through the canopy to support shrub growth.
The understory of a forest consists of immature trees and small trees that are shorter than the main canopy level of the tree. Understory trees provide shelter for a wide range of animals. When gaps form in the canopy, often times understory trees take advantage of the opening and grow to fill in the canopy.
The canopy is the layer where the crowns of most of the forest's trees meet and form a thick layer.
Emergents are trees whose crowns emerge above the rest of the canopy
Forests are habitats in which the trees are the dominant form of vegetation. They occur in many regions and climates around the globe—the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin, the temperate forests of eastern North America, and the boreal forests of northern Europe are just a few examples.
The species composition of a forest is often unique to that forest, with some forests consisting of many hundreds of species of trees while others consist of just a handful of species. Forests are constantly changing and progress through a series of successional stages during which species composition changes within the forest.
Thus, making general statements about forest habitats can be difficult. Yet despite the variability of our planet's forests, there are some basic structural characteristics that many forests share—characteristics that can help us to better understand both forests and the animals and wildlife that inhabit them.
Mature forests often have several distinct vertical layers. These include:
• forest floor
• herb layer
• shrub layer
• understory
• canopy
• emergents
These different layers provide a mosaic of habitats and enable animals and wildlife to settle into various pockets of habitat within the overall structure of a forest.
The forest floor is often blanketed with decaying leaves, twigs, fallen trees, animal scat, moss, and other detritus. The forest floor is where recycling occurs, fungi, insects, bacteria, and earthworms are among the many organisms that break down waste materials and ready them for reuse and recycling throughout the forest system.
The herb layer of the forest is dominated by herbaceous (or soft-stemmed) plants such as grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and other ground cover. Vegetation in the herb layer often gets little light and in forests with thick canopies, shade tolerant species are predominant in the herb layer.
The shrub layer is characterized by woody vegetation that grows relatively close to the ground. Bushes and brambles grown where enough light passes through the canopy to support shrub growth.
The understory of a forest consists of immature trees and small trees that are shorter than the main canopy level of the tree. Understory trees provide shelter for a wide range of animals. When gaps form in the canopy, often times understory trees take advantage of the opening and grow to fill in the canopy.
The canopy is the layer where the crowns of most of the forest's trees meet and form a thick layer.
Emergents are trees whose crowns emerge above the rest of the canopy
Immune Power from the Rain Forest
By: Klaus Ferlow
Are you sick and tired being sick and tired? Are you asking for a"last resort?" Have you ever heard about Pau D'arco or Taheebo (lapacho), in Latin Tabebuia avellanedae, Tabebuia impetignosa and Tabebuia heptaphylla from the Amazon region of Argentine and Brazil? In the Brazilian variation of Portuguese, Pau D'Arco translates as "Bow Tree." This tree is a medicinally important genus that grows in the savannas and rain forest. Some species have pink or purple flowers, others have yellow blooms.
South American medical doctors, at the Municipal Hospital of Santo Andre, have using this Indian folk medicine since the 1960s. How did they start? Quite by accident! Dr. Orlundo dei Santi was a guest at a party. The host told a story about a relative of his, a girl with terminal cancer. As a last resort, her great aunt went to an Indian Tribal doctor who said the cancer would be cured with a brew made from the bark of a certain tree. Grasping at straws, the aunt took the taheebo to her niece.
Neither the girl nor her parents believed a word the medicine man said. The sick girl kept having recurring dreams telling her to drink the tea and she would be cured, but she paid no attention to the dreams. As her pain increased, so did the frequency of her dreams.
Finally, she drank the brew and her pain immediately went away. She drank the tea every day and in about a month, her medical doctor could find no trace of cancer! The host of the party showed his souvenir, a bag of taheebo tea, as he told the story. Dr. dei Santi asked him for it and he went immediately to the Municipal Hospital of Santo Andre where has was a resident Physician. His brother was a patient there and was near death with cancer. He boiled the bark and give it to his brother. The pain disappeared and he slept soundly through the night. He continued using the brew and checked out of the hospital a month later. Since that time, other Physicians at the hospital have been treating patients with taheebo. They have found that diabetes disappears even more quickly than cancer and these doctors treat leukemia as well as numerous other ills.
The taheebo herb is taken from the inner layer of the bark of the tree, the Lapacho. However, only a fraction of the bark from the tree is taken and it is not cut down and the tree heals itself since the bark is growing back. Several features of the Lapacho tree give it the unusual ability to withstand the pollutans of this modern day. This tall plant grows in places where the fresh, pure ozone air is plentiful. Thus pesticides, exhaust and smog cannot contaminate the purity of the taheebo bark. From the bark the tea as well an herbal extract is derived and the extract is used in herbal tinctures, creams and other personal care products. Another unique feature of this amazing tree is it carnivorous flowers which eat insects, keeping away fungus, spores or viral growth. What has made taheebo so medicinally popular around the Globe?
Within this precious plant lies a powerful antibiotic called "quechua" and it has also three phytochemicals as anti-yeast compounds, lapachol, beta-lapachone and xyloidine that show activity to C.albicans and other common problem fungi. Taheebo also contains a high percentage of iron, which is easy to assimilate. It produces gradual elimination of pain, simultaneously multiplies the number of red corpuscles. Thus taheebo puts the body in to a defensive position, energizing it for self-defense against disease.
Dr. Teodore Meyer's experience in Brazil - he was a well known and respected Professor of botany and plant geography at the Miguel Lillo Institute and Herbarium in San Miguel de Tucuman - proved taheebo to gradually eliminate pain, often after only a few days use. He distributed the herb to cancer patients and also to doctors in major South American cities. A general body tonic, a wound healer and infection fighter are just some of the claims Dr. Meyer makes for taheebo.
An exciting feature of taheebo is it proclaims in cases considered hopeless with allopathic medicine. It has been said to give greater vitality to the body by strengthening it organic defenses, revitalizing the body, helping to create new and normal cells, increasing the body's resistance to disease. The Dietmann Research Foundation Inc., Los Angeles, California found in extracts samples that taheebo is stimulating to the alimentary tract through the rectum and then back to the liver, gall bladder and sweat glands. The sweat glands are relief valves for the stomach, lungs and heart. The stimulation of this herb helps keep these glands open and operating and will help eliminate problems stemming from the stomach, lungs and heart as well as warns the body when the adrenal glands are under stress.
In South and North America the following dysfunctions have been claimed to be greatly aided by taheebo:
Aids, allergies, anemia, antibacterial, athlete's foot, arteriosclerosis, asthma, blood builder & purifier, bowel problems, bronchitis, cancer (all types), candidiasis, cardiovascular, colitis, dermatitis, diabetes, dysentery, eczema, Epstein-Barr virus, gastritis, gonorrhea, hemorrhoids, immune system booster, infections, leukemia, lupus, malaria, pain, Parkinson's disease, psoriasis, pyorrhea, rheumatism, ringworm, scabies, smoker's cough, sore throat, spleen infections, tonic, tumors, ulcers, varicose & spider veins, wounds.
The bark of this medicinal marvelous plant has wonderful healing properties without side effects, a longtime folk medicine in South America has in recent years brought hope to the millions of people worldwide who are turning to botanical medicines. Mother Nature at work!
Are you sick and tired being sick and tired? Are you asking for a"last resort?" Have you ever heard about Pau D'arco or Taheebo (lapacho), in Latin Tabebuia avellanedae, Tabebuia impetignosa and Tabebuia heptaphylla from the Amazon region of Argentine and Brazil? In the Brazilian variation of Portuguese, Pau D'Arco translates as "Bow Tree." This tree is a medicinally important genus that grows in the savannas and rain forest. Some species have pink or purple flowers, others have yellow blooms.
South American medical doctors, at the Municipal Hospital of Santo Andre, have using this Indian folk medicine since the 1960s. How did they start? Quite by accident! Dr. Orlundo dei Santi was a guest at a party. The host told a story about a relative of his, a girl with terminal cancer. As a last resort, her great aunt went to an Indian Tribal doctor who said the cancer would be cured with a brew made from the bark of a certain tree. Grasping at straws, the aunt took the taheebo to her niece.
Neither the girl nor her parents believed a word the medicine man said. The sick girl kept having recurring dreams telling her to drink the tea and she would be cured, but she paid no attention to the dreams. As her pain increased, so did the frequency of her dreams.
Finally, she drank the brew and her pain immediately went away. She drank the tea every day and in about a month, her medical doctor could find no trace of cancer! The host of the party showed his souvenir, a bag of taheebo tea, as he told the story. Dr. dei Santi asked him for it and he went immediately to the Municipal Hospital of Santo Andre where has was a resident Physician. His brother was a patient there and was near death with cancer. He boiled the bark and give it to his brother. The pain disappeared and he slept soundly through the night. He continued using the brew and checked out of the hospital a month later. Since that time, other Physicians at the hospital have been treating patients with taheebo. They have found that diabetes disappears even more quickly than cancer and these doctors treat leukemia as well as numerous other ills.
The taheebo herb is taken from the inner layer of the bark of the tree, the Lapacho. However, only a fraction of the bark from the tree is taken and it is not cut down and the tree heals itself since the bark is growing back. Several features of the Lapacho tree give it the unusual ability to withstand the pollutans of this modern day. This tall plant grows in places where the fresh, pure ozone air is plentiful. Thus pesticides, exhaust and smog cannot contaminate the purity of the taheebo bark. From the bark the tea as well an herbal extract is derived and the extract is used in herbal tinctures, creams and other personal care products. Another unique feature of this amazing tree is it carnivorous flowers which eat insects, keeping away fungus, spores or viral growth. What has made taheebo so medicinally popular around the Globe?
Within this precious plant lies a powerful antibiotic called "quechua" and it has also three phytochemicals as anti-yeast compounds, lapachol, beta-lapachone and xyloidine that show activity to C.albicans and other common problem fungi. Taheebo also contains a high percentage of iron, which is easy to assimilate. It produces gradual elimination of pain, simultaneously multiplies the number of red corpuscles. Thus taheebo puts the body in to a defensive position, energizing it for self-defense against disease.
Dr. Teodore Meyer's experience in Brazil - he was a well known and respected Professor of botany and plant geography at the Miguel Lillo Institute and Herbarium in San Miguel de Tucuman - proved taheebo to gradually eliminate pain, often after only a few days use. He distributed the herb to cancer patients and also to doctors in major South American cities. A general body tonic, a wound healer and infection fighter are just some of the claims Dr. Meyer makes for taheebo.
An exciting feature of taheebo is it proclaims in cases considered hopeless with allopathic medicine. It has been said to give greater vitality to the body by strengthening it organic defenses, revitalizing the body, helping to create new and normal cells, increasing the body's resistance to disease. The Dietmann Research Foundation Inc., Los Angeles, California found in extracts samples that taheebo is stimulating to the alimentary tract through the rectum and then back to the liver, gall bladder and sweat glands. The sweat glands are relief valves for the stomach, lungs and heart. The stimulation of this herb helps keep these glands open and operating and will help eliminate problems stemming from the stomach, lungs and heart as well as warns the body when the adrenal glands are under stress.
In South and North America the following dysfunctions have been claimed to be greatly aided by taheebo:
Aids, allergies, anemia, antibacterial, athlete's foot, arteriosclerosis, asthma, blood builder & purifier, bowel problems, bronchitis, cancer (all types), candidiasis, cardiovascular, colitis, dermatitis, diabetes, dysentery, eczema, Epstein-Barr virus, gastritis, gonorrhea, hemorrhoids, immune system booster, infections, leukemia, lupus, malaria, pain, Parkinson's disease, psoriasis, pyorrhea, rheumatism, ringworm, scabies, smoker's cough, sore throat, spleen infections, tonic, tumors, ulcers, varicose & spider veins, wounds.
The bark of this medicinal marvelous plant has wonderful healing properties without side effects, a longtime folk medicine in South America has in recent years brought hope to the millions of people worldwide who are turning to botanical medicines. Mother Nature at work!
How northern forests cool the world
By: Fred Pearce
As much as half the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels is being reabsorbed by forests in temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, according to a worldwide study of isotopes of carbon in the atmosphere.
Fossil fuel burning releases around 6 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year. About half of it is reabsorbed, and until the late 1980s it was thought most went into the oceans. But recent measurements of the partial pressure CO2 at the ocean surface have left some 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon unaccounted for.
Researchers led by Pieter Tans of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's laboratories in Boulder, Colorado, may have revealed the identity of the "missing carbon sink". They have evidence that the missing carbon has ended up in the forests of the northern hemisphere.
Forests absorb CO2 to grow, and release it at roughly the same rate as trees decompose. But human activity has destroyed this equilibrium. Destruction of tropical forests has turned the tropics into a major source of carbon, releasing 1 to 2 billion tonnes a year. The new research indicates that human interference has pushed the forests of Europe, North America and Russia in the opposite direction, making them act as major carbon sinks.
The researchers measured the ratios of carbon-12 and carbon-13 in atmospheric CO2 at 43 sites around the globe, both on land and at sea. Whereas oceans absorb the two isotopes indiscriminately, plants take up more carbon-12. This disparity allowed the researchers to calculate the relative rates of carbon absorption on land and at sea at various latitudes.
They estimate that, in 1993, the oceans absorbed only 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon, while vegetation on land outside the tropics in the northern hemisphere absorbed over 3 billion tonnes - rather than the 0.5 billion tonnes estimated previously (Science, vol 269, p 1098). Why northern forests have become such a major carbon sink is unclear, but one possibility is that the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has a fertilising effect, allowing trees to grow more rapidly.
The new results suggest that planting trees at northern latitudes could play a big role in slowing the pace of global warming. This would allow many industrialised countries to comply with the Climate Change Convention while making smaller cuts in their use of fossil fuels.
Tans and his colleagues admit, however, that their figures still have wide margins of error. The results also do not leave enough excess CO2 in the atmosphere to explain the known rise in atmospheric concentrations. Before countries use the findings to offset fossil fuel use against tree-planting, better estimates of the amount of carbon absorbed in northern forests are needed, warns David Hall of King's College London. "It is vital that we can measure the size of the sinks," he says.
As much as half the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels is being reabsorbed by forests in temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, according to a worldwide study of isotopes of carbon in the atmosphere.
Fossil fuel burning releases around 6 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year. About half of it is reabsorbed, and until the late 1980s it was thought most went into the oceans. But recent measurements of the partial pressure CO2 at the ocean surface have left some 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon unaccounted for.
Researchers led by Pieter Tans of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's laboratories in Boulder, Colorado, may have revealed the identity of the "missing carbon sink". They have evidence that the missing carbon has ended up in the forests of the northern hemisphere.
Forests absorb CO2 to grow, and release it at roughly the same rate as trees decompose. But human activity has destroyed this equilibrium. Destruction of tropical forests has turned the tropics into a major source of carbon, releasing 1 to 2 billion tonnes a year. The new research indicates that human interference has pushed the forests of Europe, North America and Russia in the opposite direction, making them act as major carbon sinks.
The researchers measured the ratios of carbon-12 and carbon-13 in atmospheric CO2 at 43 sites around the globe, both on land and at sea. Whereas oceans absorb the two isotopes indiscriminately, plants take up more carbon-12. This disparity allowed the researchers to calculate the relative rates of carbon absorption on land and at sea at various latitudes.
They estimate that, in 1993, the oceans absorbed only 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon, while vegetation on land outside the tropics in the northern hemisphere absorbed over 3 billion tonnes - rather than the 0.5 billion tonnes estimated previously (Science, vol 269, p 1098). Why northern forests have become such a major carbon sink is unclear, but one possibility is that the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has a fertilising effect, allowing trees to grow more rapidly.
The new results suggest that planting trees at northern latitudes could play a big role in slowing the pace of global warming. This would allow many industrialised countries to comply with the Climate Change Convention while making smaller cuts in their use of fossil fuels.
Tans and his colleagues admit, however, that their figures still have wide margins of error. The results also do not leave enough excess CO2 in the atmosphere to explain the known rise in atmospheric concentrations. Before countries use the findings to offset fossil fuel use against tree-planting, better estimates of the amount of carbon absorbed in northern forests are needed, warns David Hall of King's College London. "It is vital that we can measure the size of the sinks," he says.
FOREST THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF LIFE
By: Dr. Ashiq Hussain
It is a very true saying that god help those who help themselves. Though the ultimate result of all decisions is believed to rest with Almighty God. One may have a firm belief in God and go to the places of worship and pray religiously everyday, but still one has to work to achieve some thing in life. A firm belief in God and prayers, I believe, certainly has their value. A firm faith in God, the firm faith that He is listening to ones prayers and looking after ones interests can build ones confidence, but yet, this does not mean that one merely sits at home and think that all his wishes and dreams will automatically be transformed into reality. No, one has to make efforts for the same.
Where there are tress there exists life” a well known quote to be remembered all the way by every one. Human beings and forests have always had a complex relationship. It will not be wrong to quote here that plants and trees (Forests) have played a key role to flourish life on this globe. Although the ocean was the original home of all life on earth, forests, as they themselves evolved, quickly became home to a vast majority of land based creatures including early man. Concrete jungles, factories spewing smoke, crowded roads crammed with traffic - certainly, humankind have come a long way from its humble beginnings. Plants themselves have been around for over 450 million years, starting with simple forms of single - layers of cells. But today they are among the most complex of life systems and also the oldest and most successful. Imagine that the first plants stood upright about 420 million years before the first animals could.It is widely believed that early human species evolved in and around the African rainforests between four and six million years ago. Even today, our closest relatives, the great apes, live there. We have depended on forests as long as we have inhabited the planet - getting clean air to breathe, food and water from it, fuel, shade and shelter, and now we need it for economic gain as well.
Early humans were known to worship trees, and even today, in some parts of the world, forests are regarded as places of awe, with spirits attributed to be living there.The worship of forests, plants and animals, and appeasing of animal and tree spirits are still quite common in some cultures, and the forest is treated with the kind of respect reserved for divine objects.
Yet we have been taking continuously from the forest to feed the ever - growing need for wood, and wood and non - wood products, to provide land for the burgeoning population for housing and cultivation. If one will try to think that what ended the nomadic life of man and from where all the things needed for his settlement came from, the answer lies with forests. Still the modern man is also totally dependent on forests. The medicines, the paper, the clothes, the food, the furniture, and all sorts of luxuries are directly or indirectly related with forests.
A forest is home to many types of plants, which are the food source for many types of animals, which are, in their turn, also sources of food for other animals. And, as these animals and plants die, they in turn become food sources for the plants that again become food sources for the animals. This circle of life, the linkages between all animals and all plants, is often referred to as "The web of life" - a reference to the common dependencies between all life in an ecosystem
Thus today, the ecosystem that gave us life is under severe threat. Early humans were hunter - gatherers, and later farmers, and because the population was small, the impact on the environment was minimal. But in the past couple of thousand years, the growing demands of an ever - increasing human population has halved the Earth's original forest cover. Forests are the Earth's largest and most productive ecosystem, and trees their most visible and important constituent. Humankind's past is linked to the forest, and it is easy to see how its survival will map our future as well. It has been postulated that for ecological balance there should be at least 33% forest cover on earth and if this and the percentage of deforestation in modern times is kept in mind, the last day of life on this globe is not so far.
Thus to maintain the ecological balance and hence the possibility of sustenance of life further, it should be the duty of me, you and hence of all of us not only to save the forest but plant more and more trees and popularize the slogan “Trees means food and Food means life” and the need of the hour to achieve this goal is that one has to develop a positive attitude towards things, have to work whole heartedly, sincerely and put in the best efforts into each and every little thing to save the forest and hence the mankind. Thus let us have a regret of our past deeds and think about the future. If we do all this, then life will become an unending merry song.
It is a very true saying that god help those who help themselves. Though the ultimate result of all decisions is believed to rest with Almighty God. One may have a firm belief in God and go to the places of worship and pray religiously everyday, but still one has to work to achieve some thing in life. A firm belief in God and prayers, I believe, certainly has their value. A firm faith in God, the firm faith that He is listening to ones prayers and looking after ones interests can build ones confidence, but yet, this does not mean that one merely sits at home and think that all his wishes and dreams will automatically be transformed into reality. No, one has to make efforts for the same.
Where there are tress there exists life” a well known quote to be remembered all the way by every one. Human beings and forests have always had a complex relationship. It will not be wrong to quote here that plants and trees (Forests) have played a key role to flourish life on this globe. Although the ocean was the original home of all life on earth, forests, as they themselves evolved, quickly became home to a vast majority of land based creatures including early man. Concrete jungles, factories spewing smoke, crowded roads crammed with traffic - certainly, humankind have come a long way from its humble beginnings. Plants themselves have been around for over 450 million years, starting with simple forms of single - layers of cells. But today they are among the most complex of life systems and also the oldest and most successful. Imagine that the first plants stood upright about 420 million years before the first animals could.It is widely believed that early human species evolved in and around the African rainforests between four and six million years ago. Even today, our closest relatives, the great apes, live there. We have depended on forests as long as we have inhabited the planet - getting clean air to breathe, food and water from it, fuel, shade and shelter, and now we need it for economic gain as well.
Early humans were known to worship trees, and even today, in some parts of the world, forests are regarded as places of awe, with spirits attributed to be living there.The worship of forests, plants and animals, and appeasing of animal and tree spirits are still quite common in some cultures, and the forest is treated with the kind of respect reserved for divine objects.
Yet we have been taking continuously from the forest to feed the ever - growing need for wood, and wood and non - wood products, to provide land for the burgeoning population for housing and cultivation. If one will try to think that what ended the nomadic life of man and from where all the things needed for his settlement came from, the answer lies with forests. Still the modern man is also totally dependent on forests. The medicines, the paper, the clothes, the food, the furniture, and all sorts of luxuries are directly or indirectly related with forests.
A forest is home to many types of plants, which are the food source for many types of animals, which are, in their turn, also sources of food for other animals. And, as these animals and plants die, they in turn become food sources for the plants that again become food sources for the animals. This circle of life, the linkages between all animals and all plants, is often referred to as "The web of life" - a reference to the common dependencies between all life in an ecosystem
Thus today, the ecosystem that gave us life is under severe threat. Early humans were hunter - gatherers, and later farmers, and because the population was small, the impact on the environment was minimal. But in the past couple of thousand years, the growing demands of an ever - increasing human population has halved the Earth's original forest cover. Forests are the Earth's largest and most productive ecosystem, and trees their most visible and important constituent. Humankind's past is linked to the forest, and it is easy to see how its survival will map our future as well. It has been postulated that for ecological balance there should be at least 33% forest cover on earth and if this and the percentage of deforestation in modern times is kept in mind, the last day of life on this globe is not so far.
Thus to maintain the ecological balance and hence the possibility of sustenance of life further, it should be the duty of me, you and hence of all of us not only to save the forest but plant more and more trees and popularize the slogan “Trees means food and Food means life” and the need of the hour to achieve this goal is that one has to develop a positive attitude towards things, have to work whole heartedly, sincerely and put in the best efforts into each and every little thing to save the forest and hence the mankind. Thus let us have a regret of our past deeds and think about the future. If we do all this, then life will become an unending merry song.
The Importance of the Forest Ecosystem
By: Robert Agar
The world's forests hold importance for all of their inhabitants as well as for the overall health of the planet. The benefits of forests to society and to the diversity of life make it vital that they be protected from deforestation and other potential negative impacts of civilization
Types of Forests
Forests thrive in diverse climatic regions throughout the world, and can be categorized by their locations and elevations.
Tropical: lush, dense forests found near the equator. They are vital storehouses of the planet's biodiversity.
Sub-tropical: consists of trees that can resist the summer drought.They are found to the north and south of the tropical forests.
Mediterranean: located to the south of the temperate regions and made up primarily of evergreen trees.
Temperate: mix of coniferous evergreen and deciduous trees found in North America, northeastern Asia and Europe.
Coniferous: These forests are found around the poles in cold, windy regions and contain both conifers and hardwoods.
Montane: also known as cloud forests. Contain mainly conifers and are found in high-elevation tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones.
Climate
Forests are major contributors to the Earth's ability to maintain its climate, by the global impact of their photosynthesis. They are a natural defense against climate change, removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and generating oxygen. This assists in purifying the atmosphere and controlling rising temperatures. Deforestation negates these benefits.
Ecology
In addition to assisting in climate control, forests have other ecological benefits. They prevent erosion by reducing the rainfall's force on the soil's surface and by absorbing water and not allowing it to directly run off and remove topsoil. Forests also act as water filters, collecting and storing water and recharging underground aquifers. Tropical montane forests are especially important to watersheds. Forests also increase the atmosphere's humidity by transpiration, which affects temperature and rainfall.
Biodiversity
Forests contain a greater range of biodiversity than any other ecosystems on earth. Only a fraction of the species found in forests have been examined and studied. A single massive tree in the Amazon rainforest can be home for thousands of species. The wide variety of trees and plants found in tropical forests comprises particularly intensive biodiversity. This biodiversity is be important on its own terms in ways we may not currently understand, as interdependent species have evolved over millions of years to interact and flourish.
Commercial Importance
Humankind derives many benefits from forest ecosystems. Many medicines and pharmaceuticals have been discovered in plants native to forests. Local communities survive on plants and animals culled from the forests. Products that modern society depends on such as wood, paper and bamboo all originate from forest ecosystems. Many other desirable products such as spices, gums and dyes are also found in forests around the globe. Forests are important to humans for aesthetic reasons as well, and ecotourism is one way to use and promote the protection of forests in a sustainable manner.
The world's forests hold importance for all of their inhabitants as well as for the overall health of the planet. The benefits of forests to society and to the diversity of life make it vital that they be protected from deforestation and other potential negative impacts of civilization
Types of Forests
Forests thrive in diverse climatic regions throughout the world, and can be categorized by their locations and elevations.
Tropical: lush, dense forests found near the equator. They are vital storehouses of the planet's biodiversity.
Sub-tropical: consists of trees that can resist the summer drought.They are found to the north and south of the tropical forests.
Mediterranean: located to the south of the temperate regions and made up primarily of evergreen trees.
Temperate: mix of coniferous evergreen and deciduous trees found in North America, northeastern Asia and Europe.
Coniferous: These forests are found around the poles in cold, windy regions and contain both conifers and hardwoods.
Montane: also known as cloud forests. Contain mainly conifers and are found in high-elevation tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones.
Climate
Forests are major contributors to the Earth's ability to maintain its climate, by the global impact of their photosynthesis. They are a natural defense against climate change, removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and generating oxygen. This assists in purifying the atmosphere and controlling rising temperatures. Deforestation negates these benefits.
Ecology
In addition to assisting in climate control, forests have other ecological benefits. They prevent erosion by reducing the rainfall's force on the soil's surface and by absorbing water and not allowing it to directly run off and remove topsoil. Forests also act as water filters, collecting and storing water and recharging underground aquifers. Tropical montane forests are especially important to watersheds. Forests also increase the atmosphere's humidity by transpiration, which affects temperature and rainfall.
Biodiversity
Forests contain a greater range of biodiversity than any other ecosystems on earth. Only a fraction of the species found in forests have been examined and studied. A single massive tree in the Amazon rainforest can be home for thousands of species. The wide variety of trees and plants found in tropical forests comprises particularly intensive biodiversity. This biodiversity is be important on its own terms in ways we may not currently understand, as interdependent species have evolved over millions of years to interact and flourish.
Commercial Importance
Humankind derives many benefits from forest ecosystems. Many medicines and pharmaceuticals have been discovered in plants native to forests. Local communities survive on plants and animals culled from the forests. Products that modern society depends on such as wood, paper and bamboo all originate from forest ecosystems. Many other desirable products such as spices, gums and dyes are also found in forests around the globe. Forests are important to humans for aesthetic reasons as well, and ecotourism is one way to use and promote the protection of forests in a sustainable manner.
Vanishing forest
By: Patricia Janes
A long the rim of Earth's northernmost land-masses sits an ancient forest. Its mix of pine, spruce, and other hardy trees encircles the globe like a giant green halo.This interconnected web of trees, mosses, birds, and other organisms is called the boreal forest. It is the world's largest intact forest ecosystem--It's even bigger than Earth's tropical rain forests.
But many regions in the boreal forest are under assault. According to scientists, logging, mining, and oil and gas companies are yelling "timber," leveling trees more often than the forest can sustain. "In many areas of Canada, the rate of tree cutting is faster than the rate of regrowth," says David Schindler, an ecologist at the University of Alberta in Canada.
That spells trouble for more than just the forest. Trees absorb carbon dioxide gas, a culprit in global warming, or the increase in Earth's average temperature. Fewer trees could speed up this warming. Tree loss could also affect the survival of the billions of animals that call the forest home.
SENSITIVE SPECIES
Each spring, approximately 3 billion migratory birds that winter in South America or southern North America turn tail and fly northward to the boreal forest. Why do the birds--from white pelicans to dark-eyed junco songbirds--undertake the lengthy journey, which may span hundreds or even thousands of miles?
Although vast swaths of the boreal forest are losing trees to deforestation, the ecosystem is approximately 70 percent intact. "It is one of only a handful of ecological systems that's still largely untouched and unfragmented by humans," says Jeff Wells, a scientist at the Boreal Songbird Initiative in Seattle, Washington. Once the birds--famished from their long journeys--finally reach the forest, they feast on a rich smorgasbord of insects and fruits that have sprung to life following a harsh northern winter. The nourishment helps prepare the birds for a successful breeding season in the boreal forest.
Many other animal species also rely on the boreal forest for survival. For instance, woodland caribou feed on the lichen that blankets the forest floor. This complex plant is composed of a fungus and an alga that grow together, relying on each other for survival. "It isn't until forests are middle-aged--from 50 to 100 years old--that the forest develops the lichen species that the caribou like to feed on," says Schindler.
But rapid deforestation in many areas of the boreal forest is robbing animals, including boreal birds and woodland caribou, of their food sources and secure breeding grounds. "Human development has meant that we've seen a decline in certain animal species that rely on the forest," says Schindler. "Particularly under threat are large carnivores (meat eaters) such as boreal grizzlies, lynx, and wolverine."
TIMBER!
Why is the boreal forest vanishing? The forest is a rich mine of natural resources. "Every sheet of paper that people use has come from a tree--most likely from the boreal forest," says Schindler. But that's not the only reason why saw blades are whirring.
Beneath the forest's ground lies a treasure trove of minerals, petroleum, and natural gas. To extract these resources, huge stretches of North America's boreal forest are being razed.
In the 1940s, the boreal region in the Canadian province of Alberta covered an area two thirds the size of California. At that time, only two or three roads cut through the forest. Today, "development has been so rapid that you can't walk more than 300 or 400 meters (980 to 1,300 feet) without coming across a road or other track, where people have gone through with a bulldozer to test for the presence of oil and gas underneath," says Schindler.
HEATING UP
But leveling the boreal forest does more than destroy homes for birds and animals. It also contributes to global warming. Every tree photosynthesizes, or uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the energy the tree needs to grow. As long as a tree is alive, the carbon it absorbs during photosynthesis stays locked in its trunk and leaves. This helps remove carbon gas from the atmosphere so it doesn't add to global warming, explains Schindler.
When industries shave large areas of the forest, the ecosystem's ability to store carbon is sharply reduced. This could set off a string of catastrophes: As the amount of the heat-trapping gas builds in the atmosphere, temperatures in the boreal forest and around the globe heat up. The heat dries out the trees. A dry forest is more likely to catch fire than a healthy one. And when trees burn, they release the carbon they've been storing.
A long the rim of Earth's northernmost land-masses sits an ancient forest. Its mix of pine, spruce, and other hardy trees encircles the globe like a giant green halo.This interconnected web of trees, mosses, birds, and other organisms is called the boreal forest. It is the world's largest intact forest ecosystem--It's even bigger than Earth's tropical rain forests.
But many regions in the boreal forest are under assault. According to scientists, logging, mining, and oil and gas companies are yelling "timber," leveling trees more often than the forest can sustain. "In many areas of Canada, the rate of tree cutting is faster than the rate of regrowth," says David Schindler, an ecologist at the University of Alberta in Canada.
That spells trouble for more than just the forest. Trees absorb carbon dioxide gas, a culprit in global warming, or the increase in Earth's average temperature. Fewer trees could speed up this warming. Tree loss could also affect the survival of the billions of animals that call the forest home.
SENSITIVE SPECIES
Each spring, approximately 3 billion migratory birds that winter in South America or southern North America turn tail and fly northward to the boreal forest. Why do the birds--from white pelicans to dark-eyed junco songbirds--undertake the lengthy journey, which may span hundreds or even thousands of miles?
Although vast swaths of the boreal forest are losing trees to deforestation, the ecosystem is approximately 70 percent intact. "It is one of only a handful of ecological systems that's still largely untouched and unfragmented by humans," says Jeff Wells, a scientist at the Boreal Songbird Initiative in Seattle, Washington. Once the birds--famished from their long journeys--finally reach the forest, they feast on a rich smorgasbord of insects and fruits that have sprung to life following a harsh northern winter. The nourishment helps prepare the birds for a successful breeding season in the boreal forest.
Many other animal species also rely on the boreal forest for survival. For instance, woodland caribou feed on the lichen that blankets the forest floor. This complex plant is composed of a fungus and an alga that grow together, relying on each other for survival. "It isn't until forests are middle-aged--from 50 to 100 years old--that the forest develops the lichen species that the caribou like to feed on," says Schindler.
But rapid deforestation in many areas of the boreal forest is robbing animals, including boreal birds and woodland caribou, of their food sources and secure breeding grounds. "Human development has meant that we've seen a decline in certain animal species that rely on the forest," says Schindler. "Particularly under threat are large carnivores (meat eaters) such as boreal grizzlies, lynx, and wolverine."
TIMBER!
Why is the boreal forest vanishing? The forest is a rich mine of natural resources. "Every sheet of paper that people use has come from a tree--most likely from the boreal forest," says Schindler. But that's not the only reason why saw blades are whirring.
Beneath the forest's ground lies a treasure trove of minerals, petroleum, and natural gas. To extract these resources, huge stretches of North America's boreal forest are being razed.
In the 1940s, the boreal region in the Canadian province of Alberta covered an area two thirds the size of California. At that time, only two or three roads cut through the forest. Today, "development has been so rapid that you can't walk more than 300 or 400 meters (980 to 1,300 feet) without coming across a road or other track, where people have gone through with a bulldozer to test for the presence of oil and gas underneath," says Schindler.
HEATING UP
But leveling the boreal forest does more than destroy homes for birds and animals. It also contributes to global warming. Every tree photosynthesizes, or uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the energy the tree needs to grow. As long as a tree is alive, the carbon it absorbs during photosynthesis stays locked in its trunk and leaves. This helps remove carbon gas from the atmosphere so it doesn't add to global warming, explains Schindler.
When industries shave large areas of the forest, the ecosystem's ability to store carbon is sharply reduced. This could set off a string of catastrophes: As the amount of the heat-trapping gas builds in the atmosphere, temperatures in the boreal forest and around the globe heat up. The heat dries out the trees. A dry forest is more likely to catch fire than a healthy one. And when trees burn, they release the carbon they've been storing.
Petrified Forest - Gateway to the Past
By: Nigel Makin
Petrified Forest National Park is world famous for it's impressive collection of colourful quartz laden petrified wood, but this park is most certainly a lot more than just petrified wood, it is an international learning centre for palaeontologist's throughout the world.
The Petrified Forest sits proudly in the arid lands of Arizona's Painted Desert, but the dry rugged badlands that you see today, did not exist here in the Triassic Period 225 million years ago.
What was to be Arizona in the Triassic era sat much closer to the equator, with the climate being tropical and forests of the giant conifer trees that were to be turned to stone in the centuries to come standing proudly surrounded by massive rivers, a very hot and humid environment totally different to today. The main inhabitants of the area were amphibians and reptiles, none more impressive than the fearsome Phytosaur, a creature with the appearance of a crocodile that could hunt it's prey on land as well as in water, the park has many remnants of the Phytosaur proving these ferocious beasts would grow to nearly 30 feet in length. Many different varieties of bony fish and the presence of freshwater sharks would just have added to the many dangers of the waterways.
Based on the evidence of fossil discoveries it has been believed for quite some time now, that the dinosaurs started to appear near the end of the Triassic period, between 200 and 225 million years ago. Dinosaurs can basically be split into two groups, Ornithiscians and Saurischians.
Early Ornithiscians were thought to have developed into beasts like the lumbering armour plated Stegosaurus of the Jurassic period and the duck-billed dinosaurs from the Cretaceous era. The Saurischians on the other hand were to evolve into Sauropodomorphs the long necked treetop munching giants and Theropods the two-legged, meat eating killing machines like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Back to a more familiar time in the 1930s and again in 1989 at Revuelto Creek, New Mexico some teeth were discovered and a new species of dinosaur was unveiled and named Revueltosaurus callenderi, the trouble was as only teeth had been found, no one had any clue as to what the dinosaur would look like, only that it was from the late Triassic and by the shape of the teeth probably an ancestor of an Ornithiscian plant eater. It was the Petrified Forest National Park that came to the rescue, in may 2004 and again in june 2005 two fossil skeletons were found in the park complete with teeth, and those discoveries were to make palaeontologist's sit up and scratch their heads, because the teeth looked like those of plant eating Ornithiscians it was naturally assumed they came from a dinosaur, however Revueltosaurus is not a dinosaur at all but an ancestor of the crocodile.
What this discovery does do, is throw doubt on all the other identities of dinosaurs identified by their teeth and brings into question that Ornithiscians and Theropods did not evolve together in the Triassic era as palaeontologist's believed, so as you have found out Petrified Forest National Park is not just about petrified trees and logs, it is an informative gateway to the dawn of the dinosaurs, a knowledge base of the earth's fascinating past and must visit part of Arizona's beautiful Painted Desert.
Petrified Forest National Park is world famous for it's impressive collection of colourful quartz laden petrified wood, but this park is most certainly a lot more than just petrified wood, it is an international learning centre for palaeontologist's throughout the world.
The Petrified Forest sits proudly in the arid lands of Arizona's Painted Desert, but the dry rugged badlands that you see today, did not exist here in the Triassic Period 225 million years ago.
What was to be Arizona in the Triassic era sat much closer to the equator, with the climate being tropical and forests of the giant conifer trees that were to be turned to stone in the centuries to come standing proudly surrounded by massive rivers, a very hot and humid environment totally different to today. The main inhabitants of the area were amphibians and reptiles, none more impressive than the fearsome Phytosaur, a creature with the appearance of a crocodile that could hunt it's prey on land as well as in water, the park has many remnants of the Phytosaur proving these ferocious beasts would grow to nearly 30 feet in length. Many different varieties of bony fish and the presence of freshwater sharks would just have added to the many dangers of the waterways.
Based on the evidence of fossil discoveries it has been believed for quite some time now, that the dinosaurs started to appear near the end of the Triassic period, between 200 and 225 million years ago. Dinosaurs can basically be split into two groups, Ornithiscians and Saurischians.
Early Ornithiscians were thought to have developed into beasts like the lumbering armour plated Stegosaurus of the Jurassic period and the duck-billed dinosaurs from the Cretaceous era. The Saurischians on the other hand were to evolve into Sauropodomorphs the long necked treetop munching giants and Theropods the two-legged, meat eating killing machines like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Back to a more familiar time in the 1930s and again in 1989 at Revuelto Creek, New Mexico some teeth were discovered and a new species of dinosaur was unveiled and named Revueltosaurus callenderi, the trouble was as only teeth had been found, no one had any clue as to what the dinosaur would look like, only that it was from the late Triassic and by the shape of the teeth probably an ancestor of an Ornithiscian plant eater. It was the Petrified Forest National Park that came to the rescue, in may 2004 and again in june 2005 two fossil skeletons were found in the park complete with teeth, and those discoveries were to make palaeontologist's sit up and scratch their heads, because the teeth looked like those of plant eating Ornithiscians it was naturally assumed they came from a dinosaur, however Revueltosaurus is not a dinosaur at all but an ancestor of the crocodile.
What this discovery does do, is throw doubt on all the other identities of dinosaurs identified by their teeth and brings into question that Ornithiscians and Theropods did not evolve together in the Triassic era as palaeontologist's believed, so as you have found out Petrified Forest National Park is not just about petrified trees and logs, it is an informative gateway to the dawn of the dinosaurs, a knowledge base of the earth's fascinating past and must visit part of Arizona's beautiful Painted Desert.
Forestry and Global Warming
By: Mike Hirn
The amount of land dedicated to forests, particularly old growth forests, could significantly reduce global warming. Forests are an important use of land in most countries, and in modern times they take on a new, environmental significance. Plant life scrubs carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide is a main cause of global warming and can be eliminated just by being in the vicinity of certain plants.
Trees are the best carbon dioxide scrubbers found in nature. Old growth trees are especially good at removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it within their cells. For this reason, old growth trees need to be preserved. The lumber trade argues that the old growth trees can be easily replaced by new trees, but this is simply not the case. New trees do not possess the abilities that old trees have of preventing global warming by trapping carbon dioxide. Some proponents of cutting suggest that certain new trees are capable of trapping more greenhouse gases than the old trees. This is not true when you compare the new special trees to trees that have many decades of growth.
Several studies have been done to estimate the potential impact on global warming caused by deforestation of tropical rainforests. Loggers do not just take out mature trees for lumber. People who want to clear a place to live, work, or farm in the jungle do so by cutting and burning large portions of rainforest land.
Deforestation increases other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide. Global warming is a foreseeable reality when the rainforest and other forests are destroyed.
Preventing global warming should first focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. However, deforestation comes in a close second as a cause and should also be part of conservation efforts.
When people learn that forests are important in stopping global warming, they can help preserve them by refusing to use lumber that comes from old growth forests and rainforests. Laws have been proposed to curtail logging as a way to prevent global warming. Bans on clear-cutting, a practice that destroys acres upon acres of old growth trees, have also been suggested.
It is easy and tempting to continue to blame the deforestation problem on "those people" clearing land in the rainforests. The truth is that a tree in your neighborhood is as valuable as one in the rainforest when it comes to removing carbon dioxide. It is important to think and strategize on a global scale but it is important to also act on a local scale. We may well have more impact on the actions of those in our sphere of influence than those half a globe away. Look in your backyard, is there room for a few more trees? If so go plant some.
The amount of land dedicated to forests, particularly old growth forests, could significantly reduce global warming. Forests are an important use of land in most countries, and in modern times they take on a new, environmental significance. Plant life scrubs carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide is a main cause of global warming and can be eliminated just by being in the vicinity of certain plants.
Trees are the best carbon dioxide scrubbers found in nature. Old growth trees are especially good at removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it within their cells. For this reason, old growth trees need to be preserved. The lumber trade argues that the old growth trees can be easily replaced by new trees, but this is simply not the case. New trees do not possess the abilities that old trees have of preventing global warming by trapping carbon dioxide. Some proponents of cutting suggest that certain new trees are capable of trapping more greenhouse gases than the old trees. This is not true when you compare the new special trees to trees that have many decades of growth.
Several studies have been done to estimate the potential impact on global warming caused by deforestation of tropical rainforests. Loggers do not just take out mature trees for lumber. People who want to clear a place to live, work, or farm in the jungle do so by cutting and burning large portions of rainforest land.
Deforestation increases other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide. Global warming is a foreseeable reality when the rainforest and other forests are destroyed.
Preventing global warming should first focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. However, deforestation comes in a close second as a cause and should also be part of conservation efforts.
When people learn that forests are important in stopping global warming, they can help preserve them by refusing to use lumber that comes from old growth forests and rainforests. Laws have been proposed to curtail logging as a way to prevent global warming. Bans on clear-cutting, a practice that destroys acres upon acres of old growth trees, have also been suggested.
It is easy and tempting to continue to blame the deforestation problem on "those people" clearing land in the rainforests. The truth is that a tree in your neighborhood is as valuable as one in the rainforest when it comes to removing carbon dioxide. It is important to think and strategize on a global scale but it is important to also act on a local scale. We may well have more impact on the actions of those in our sphere of influence than those half a globe away. Look in your backyard, is there room for a few more trees? If so go plant some.
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