Forests: Environmental Issues, Global Perspectives - Hardcover

Balliett, James Fargo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765682273 ISBN 13: 9780765682277

Publisher: Routledge, 2010

Synopsis

Forests are considered the lungs of the planet, as they consume and store carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. These biomes, defined as ecological communities dominated by long-lived woody vegetation, historically have provided an economic foundation for growing nations, supplying wood for buildings, firewood for fuel, and land for expanding cities and farms. For centuries, industrial nations in Europe and the United States have relied on large tracts of forestland for economic prosperity.

The research presented in this book reveals that population pressures are causing considerable environmental distress in even the most remote forest areas. Three detailed case studies are presented. The first provides an assessment of illegal logging deep in South America’s Amazon rain forest, a region closely tied to food and product demands thousands of miles away. The second examines the effect of increased hunting in Central Africa’s Congo forest, which threatens wildlife, especially mammal species with slower reproductive cycles. Finally the third describes encroachment on old-growth tropical forests on the Southern Pacific island of Borneo, which today is better managed thanks to the collective planning and conservation efforts of the governments of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

About this title

About the Author

James Balliett graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, studying environmental issues and writing. His senior thesis was about a winter he spent on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Two years later, he was awarded his masters of science degree in environmental studies from Antioch New England Graduate School.

His experiences include a project for the US Forest Service in southeast Alaska, work for the harbormaster in Chatham, Massachusetts, and as a natural resource officer in Barnstable, Massachusetts where he helped manage a piping plover colony. While living in Burlington, Vermont, Balliett was a reporter for the Burlington Free Press and worked at the Chamber of Commerce where he directed their government affairs office. While living in Colorado's front range, he served as an advocacy manager for Housing Colorado. He currently resides on Cape Cod and writes for the Cape Codder Newspaper, covering a range of community, environmental, and business news. His five environmental science books (mountains, forests, wetlands, freshwater, and oceans) make up a set on Environmental Issues, Global Perspectives.

Reviews

Urgent and up to date, each of these titles in the Environmental Issues, Global Perspectives series begins with a detailed, readable overview of the fundamental biology and ecology of the particular environment, as well as the role of humans in polluting and conserving in land, air, and water. In each title, Balliett offers in-depth discussions of seven particular case studies from around the world and looks at the challenges and possible solutions for each environment. Forests shows how an average forest hosts up to several hundred thousand species, with individual chapters focused on the Amazon, the Congo, and more; illustrations include a clear diagram of the structure of a tree. While never denying the positives of technological advances, this series will arm passionate teen conservationists with the facts about the profound global impact of human consumption of natural resources. Each title includes occasional charts, diagrams, and photos, as well as detailed bibliographies and websites. Grades 7-12. --Hazel Rochman

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0765682273
• ISBN 13: 9780765682277
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168