Blog

Forestry helps economy grow in New Zealand
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The New Zealand economy grew at the fastest quarterly pace in three years in the tail end of last year as demand for forestry exports underpinned gains in the primary sector. Gross domestic product grew 1.5 percent to $36.81 billion in the three months ended December 31, from a 0.2 percent pace in the September period,...
International Day of Forests is March 21
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed March 21 the International Day of Forests. The Day will celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities...
EU cracks down on illegal logging
Friday, March 8, 2013
According to a new European Union regulation that came into effect this week, lumber dealers are obligated to import only legally felled lumber, and they must be able to provide complete documentation of their lumber's origins. A recent Interpol study shows just how large a market exists for illegally felled lumber....
Ireland considers sale of forest harvesting rights
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Ireland was one of the first countries to feel the economic downturn and under the terms of its 67.5 billion euro international bailout, the government is being forced to sell off assets. It has decided to sell harvesting rights to timber as a way of raising cash. A coalition of sports enthusiasts, trade unionists and...
A quarter of the world’s population relies on forest resources for livelihood
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The importance of forest related industries is a worldwide issue. In a recently published World Development article, researchers show that rural households in a poor and remote mountainous region in southern China get more than 30% of their livelihoods from managing plantation forests. Overall, 75% of people surveyed in...
Interpol targets illegal timber trade
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Interpol has announced that it arrested nearly 200 people in a wide-ranging international operation against illegal logging and the trafficking of timber. Interpol says the illegal logging trade could be worth up to $100 billion world-wide. The three-month effort spanned 12 Central and South American countries, and $8...
Another medical breakthrough thanks to trees
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Researchers in South Africa believe that they may have found a new avenue toward fighting tuberculosis, the second deadliest infectious disease in the world. Scientists looked at the South African toothbrush tree, the antibacterial properties from which are used for oral hygiene and to fight medical complaints such as...
Wildfires rage on down under
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Wildfires are common during the Australian summer, but the combination of soaring temperatures and dry, windy conditions since Friday have sparked fires that burned 50,000 acres of forests and farmland across southern Tasmania. No deaths have been reported, although officials in Tasmania were still trying to find about 100...
Study finds largest and oldest trees worldwide are dying off rapidly
Friday, December 14, 2012
The death rate of many of the biggest and oldest trees around the world is increasing rapidly, scientists report in a new study in Friday’s issue of the journal Science. They warned that research to understand and stem the loss of the trees is urgently needed. The research team found that big, old trees are dying at an...
Birch tree genome sequence decoded
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
In an effort to protect birch tree populations, scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have sequenced the genetic code of a birch tree for the first time. The genome, which is around 450 million letters, will help researchers understand the genetic basis of traits such as disease resistance and growth shape....

Pages

Archives