Ecosystems - forests

This book looks at the current state of the world’s forests and progress towards more sustainable forest conservation globally. It also focuses on how Australia is managing and conserving its own native forests, with topics including forestry protection policies; tree-clearing and logging practices; the debate over native forest logging, including old growth forests; sustainable forestry practices, plantations and certification; and addressing habitat destruction and species loss.

Forests cover vast regions of the globe and serve as a first line of defense against the worst effects of climate change, but only if we keep them healthy and resilient. The authors present an overview of forests around the globe, describing basic precepts of forest ecology and physiology and how forests will change as earth's climate warms. Drawing on years of research and teaching, they discuss the values and uses of both natural and plantation-based forests.

<p>Many sectors, including biofuels, are targeting degraded lands yet there is no singular definition of what constitutes degraded lands. This publication represents the outcome of a cross-sectoral dialogue and builds on existing experiences both with the agricultural and biofuel sectors, as well as that of landscape restoration more broadly.