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Global warming is a serious issue in Ameica and can affect animals as well. These effects arre mostly caused by oil companies. In my opinion, they do not carre about anything but theirr money, people should make a law to reduce these issues.

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http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g201/recently-extinct-animals-list-470209/?slide=8http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g201/recently-extinct-animals-list-470209/?slide=8
These have gone extiction because of the popultion growth. In the

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http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ph-Py/Pollution.htmlhttp://www.scienceclarified.com/Ph-Py/Pollution.html

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Tigers

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The killer whales are getting extinect. They use the killer whales for there oil. They are being killed in the ocean
http://www.killer-whale.org/killer-whales-endangered/

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http://www.defenders.org/snow-leopard/basic-facts
• the people that are hunting the snow panthers are the local nearby people.
•dr

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Sandra Aguilar (Impact on earth made by human

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Sandra Aguilar (Impact on earth made by human

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https://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/earth/human-impacthttps://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/earth/human-impact

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Humans have altered the face of the Earth more than any other species, and the pace of change is increasing. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/human-impact.html

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There is a very big decrease of fresh water resources due to extensive use of water like farming and watering crops, long showers, and backyard sprinkler use.This is also cause by Earth's weather and seasons.Global warming and climate change will also have an effect on Earths water source.
http://www.eartheclipse.com/natural-disaster/causes-and-effects-of-drought.html

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Said ( extinction of african wild asses)

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Said ( extinction of african wild asses)

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African wild asses are at risk because they use these donkeys for their meat and body parts they also use them for in traditional medicine.

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Coal is estimated to be able to last less than 200 more years. One of the issues is that as countries such as China increase their demands on the coal supply it will dwindle faster. Coal is also the major source of air pollutant in the world so there is much discussion about regulating its usage. The problem is it is one of the cheapest sources of fuel for industrial applications.

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Natural resources are those resources that occur within the environment in their original and natural form, undisturbed by humanity. They take years to form without the intervention of humans. The Mother Earth is abundant with natural resources that develop on this planet using its surrounding environment. These natural resources are derived from the environment. While few of them are used for our survival like water, air, rest of them like coal, gas, oil are used for satisfying our daily needs. From forests to mountains to minerals to coastal shores and wetlands, each of these natural resource has its own importance.

One of the issues that comes up when trying to discuss ways of practicing energy conservation is that many people aren't even aware of what the top 10 natural resources are that they are trying to conserve. Just about everyone can name coal, gas and oil - but what about the other 7?

According to Wikipedia,

" Natural resources are resources that exist without actions of humankind. This includes all valued characteristics such as magnetic, gravitational, and electrical properties and forces. On earth it includes: sunlight, atmosphere, water, land along with all vegetation and animal life that naturally subsists upon or within the heretofore identified characteristics and substances. "

With the world's population fast approaching almost 8 billion the issue becomes one of resource management as well. It is one thing to practice conservation, but as the population grows - so too does the demand. Another problem is that as 3 rd world countries continue to progress in industrialization, their need for resources is going to increase. It isn't just that you can plan for an increase in need according to an increase of percentage of use per billion persons, as societies grow and become more modernized their reasonable use of natural resources also increases in proportion to people and industry.

It seems the most logical thing in the world to believe that the natural resources of the Earth, upon which the race depends for food, clothing and shelter, should be owned collectively by the race instead of being the private property of a few social parasites.
~ Ralph Chaplin

Top 10 Natural Resources in the World

Here are the top 10 natural resources in the world, how they are already in danger from the current demands placed on them; and how conservationism can help to manage these resources so they don't disappear. Using alternate resources is one thing that will help; creating better resource management plans is what will also help to preserve these resources for the future.

1. Water

While the earth may be mostly water, only about 2-1/2 percent of it is fresh water. Of that 2.5%, even less is considered to be potable. Potable water is water that is considered to be safe to drink and cook with. While many countries are working to build water treatment plants, the fact is that due to changes in the climate the amount of rain and ice melts from winter have dropped off and lowered the reserve supplies of freshwater to be treated. There are initiatives to educate and regulate the use of water in the world, as well as exploration into the technology of water farming in arid countries too.

2. Air

Clean air is necessary for the existence of life on this planet. It is essential for the existence of plants, animals and wildlife. It is important to reduce air pollution as polluted air degrades the environment and can enter our body and can cause health related problems. There are number of ways to keep the air clean and reduce air pollution like riding bus instead of using your own vehicle, carpooling etc. Read here more about causes and effects of air pollution.

3. Coal

Coal is estimated to be able to last less than 200 more years. One of the issues is that as countries such as China increase their demands on the coal supply it will dwindle faster. Coal is also the major source of air pollutant in the world so there is much discussion about regulating its usage. The problem is it is one of the cheapest sources of fuel for industrial applications.

4. Oil

The general estimate is that with the projected rate of consumption of oil supplies and known resources that there is enough to last for 30-40 more years. While many in the oil industry are pushing to be allowed to frack and drill in protected areas to look for undiscovered oil fields, little has been done to address the question of what will happen to the Earth's crust when the fields are empty and there are large empty cavities beneath the Earth. Even if new fields and methods of oil extraction are discovered, geologists project that it would be impossible for the Earth to have an unlimited supply of oil. It takes millions of years for oil to be created; there is no way of speeding up that process.

5. Natural gas

Natural gas reserves are doing only slightly better than oil, it is estimated that there is enough to last for 60 years. Gas is a much cleaner fuel source than oil, which has led to an increased level of consumption of it as an alternative fuel, but it still stands to run out quickly.

6. Phosphorus

Phosphorus comes from phosphate rock and is used to grow all of our food and crops. Unfortunately, phosphate rock is only found in three places on Earth - the US, China and Morocco. The projected lifespan of the current known resources is about a 100 years. There has not been significant research in developing new and safe fertilizers that can be effective replacements for phosphorus.

7. Other Minerals

Other minerals like gypsum, bauxite, phosphate, bentonite, mica, titanium, zirconium are found in sea beds along the coastal plains. Rare earth elements like scandium and terbium are two of the earth powerful minerals that are used in wind turbines and electronic circuits in smartphones. Coastal plains contains deposits of potassium carbonate and rare elements like cerium and neodymium.

8. Iron

Iron is also in limited supply. It is made from elements such as silica which then have to be heated to create the pig iron that industrialization depends on. Iron was the most important natural resource on earth during ancient ages. It allowed people at that time to build stronger weapons, better transportation and taller buildings. Both iron and steel are still used in modern day industries.

9. Soil

Another important natural resource is soil. Soil is composed of many different particles and nutrients in the soil helps plants grow. Apart from this, soil can also be used to provide shelter. A pile of garbage along with some soil when placed in worm compost bin, creates nutrient rich soil that helps in growth of plants and makes them healthy.

10. Forests and Timber

As the world gets more modern and population grows, there is more of a demand for housing and construction projects. This reduces open green spaces. Forests are necessary to preserve the ecology of the world that supports all of the natural resources and life. Forests also play a critical role in providing clean air and the lumber that builds the homes.

Apart from the ones listed above, rocks and sediments, rivers and lakes, mountains, farmland, wetlands, coastal shores, clays, sand, copper, manganese and stone are some of the other natural resources.

Image credit: piedmont_fossil , rizzato

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List Top 10 Natural Resources - Conserve Energy Future

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Natural resources are those resources that occur within the environment in their original and natural form, undisturbed by humanity. They take years to form without the intervention of humans. The Mother Earth is abundant with natural resources that develop on this planet using its surrounding environment. These natural resources are derived from the environment.

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Water pollution , water is used everyday by many people and we shouldn't have polluted water  because it is used alot and if it isn't clean then it will cause sicknesses and  might cause animals to also be sick.   https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution

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Global Warming is when the Earth temperature changes in a fast rate. Global warning is caused when carbon dioxide and air pollution are collected in the atmophere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that bounces off earth surface.
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101

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Water supplies are running low and an organisation has predicted that some countries will be dagerously short on water by the year 2025. Fresh water only makes 2.5% of the worlds volume of water. 70% of fresh water is ice and also some is snow but it's permanent. James Gutierrez
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/oct/31/six-natural-resources-population

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The air pollution

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the air pollution

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Water pollution have increase, because of humans waste. This has created our fresh  drinkable  water into water that is unheathly. This can cause diseases if we drink water that is not clean. - Emely
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/pollution/

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Water pollution has made a huge imapct on earth. This is caused by long showers,

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Water pollution has become an impact made my people on Earth.

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Bumblebees are Offically Endanger in the U.S

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Bumblebees are Offically Endanger in the U.S

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Bees have finally now become endanger in the U.S. The population of bees have dropped nearly 90% in the past two decades. Today people are capturing beauitiful pictures of bees to support them of not getting them endanger.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/bumblebees-endangered-extinction-united-states/
~Melissa

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Oil is a natural resource that is in the category of shortage. Oil such as gas used for cars, is a issue where the need in gas prices are rising. The article mentions that in the future, the prices will increase. People are trying to come up with a solution to save oil or make a substitute. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gurufocus/2017/03/07/iea-forecasts-oil-shortages-and-sharp-price-rise-by-2020/#4a2cd6d05a14

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The air pollution and water pollution are inpacting people.We use alot of water.Carbon dioxide is one of the worst air pollution,it's mainley emited from power plants,cars,planes and other vehiceles.

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Donovan The six natural resources draind by our 7 billion people

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Donovan The six natural resources draind by our 7 billion people

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We need more oil because we dont have enough to last very much longer, not even enough to last the next fifty years. We need oil for cars and machines and almost everything mechanical so if this does not last another fifty years we will loose much transportation and machines to make new things.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/oct/31/six-natural-resources-population

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During the Industrial Revolution, factories were able to produce more, but at a very important price, air and water will be polluted with smoke, smog, and tar or oil. Countries around tne world started to feel the changes and created diays like Earth day and act like the clean air act on 1970 and the clean water act in 1972. This all started with a simple movement in the 1960's.http://www.history.com/topics/water-and-air-pollution

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We been hunting animals for food.In 2004 scientist reported that they found used chemicals in polars bears.It could put our health at risk includ
ing the wildlife.

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Causing mutations and fertility problems

Pollutants do not recognize international boundaries. Now, chemicals used thousands of kilometres away from the pristine expanses of the Arctic and Antarctic can be found in the blood of some native animals there.

26x increase of amount of pesticide sprayed on our crops in the last 50 years

These chemicals can cause mutations and fertility problems - a fact evidenced already in the reproductive organs of fish, alligators, and polar bears. And it affects us too: according to some sources, in Europe, human breast milk passes on more dioxin to our babies than is legally allowed for cow's milk. Even with this knowledge, the amount of pesticide sprayed on our crops around the world has increased 26x in the last 50 years.

Some impacts of pollutants on species:

Harbour porpoises in the Baltic and North Seas as well as in Danish, Icelandic, and Norwegian coastal waters are being heavily contaminated with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and to a lesser extent with perfluorocarboxylates. PFOS is a persistent organic pollutant. There is concern that it could pose health risks to wildlife and people.

In 2004, Norwegian scientists reported to have found the commonly used chemical deca-BDE (deca-brominated diphenyl ether) in polar bears and gulls on the remote Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen. These findings, far from any known source, contradict previous industry claims that deca-BDE does not build up in humans and wildlife.

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Pollutants do not recognize international boundaries. Now, chemicals used thousands of kilometres away from the pristine expanses of the Arctic and Antarctic can be found in the blood of some native animals there. These chemicals can cause mutations and fertility problems - a fact evidenced already in the reproductive organs of fish, alligators, and polar bears.

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I am writing the post for the animals that are both critical and endangered that are close to extinction.

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/endangered/

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Global warming causes animals living in the north and south poles to lose their habitat. If we do not do anything about this, the animals will likley lose their habitat and will not be able to live their anymore. The major factors to global warming is the air pollution caused by oil companies. The main fact is that the big oil companies do not care about the climate all they care about is making that green dollar. The nations around the world need to put very strict rules and regulations on the oil indrusty. So that they would not pollute the air and oceans, and make it unhabitable.

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I think that the earth needs oxygen to breathe and for animals to find food and if the animal can't not have enough food, they will die and starve to death.

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Angel Lopez

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African Congo Deforestation may be on the decline...

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African Congo Deforestation may be on the decline...

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This article describes the decline of deforestation and rain forest clear-cutting since 2000. However, they also claim that Africa's loss of forest is faster than that of the Congo's. Import of cereal is reducing the demand of land for farming. -  Mr. Isaacson.

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Deforestation has fallen in Congo Basin countries over the past decade despite a sharp increase in the rate of forest clearing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a new study published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B as part of a set of 18 papers on the region's tropical forests.

The special issue, which was put together by Yadvinder Malhi, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Rebecca Asare, Simon Lewis and Philippe Mayaux, covers a range of issues relating to the rainforests of the Congo Basin, including deforestation, the impacts of global change, the history and key characteristics of the region's forests, and resource extraction, among others.

With 178 million hectares of rainforests, the Congo Basin is second only to the Amazon in terms of tropical forest cover. Overall the region accounts for 89 percent of Africa's tropical rainforests and stores 39 billion tons of carbon, accounting for 79 percent of the continent's terrestrial carbon.
Congo deforestation on the decline
Analysis of satellite data by Philippe Mayaux and colleagues shows the Congo Basin - at 0.3 percent annual forest loss - has the lowest deforestation rate of the planet's major tropical forest regions, both in proportional and absolute terms. The region's deforestation rate is also declining, falling 36 percent from 285,400 hectares a year in the 1990s to 181,500 ha per year in the 2000s. Africa's overall rate of rainforest loss is outpacing that of the Congo, falling more than half from 592,000 ha in the 1990s to 288,000 ha per year during the past decade.

The special issue notes that Africa's relative low rate of forest loss is a product of its circumstances, including "the almost complete absence of agro-industrial scale clearing", which globally accounts for more than half of tropical forest loss. Thomas Rudel of Rutgers University analyses drivers of deforestation in the region and finds that oil and mineral wealth seem to be acting as a deterrent to deforestation by triggering urban migration away from forest areas. But at the same time, this shift appears to weakening food security by increasing countries' dependence on food importance.

"The wetter Congo basin countries had lower rates of deforestation, in part because tax receipts from oil and mineral industries in this region spurred rural to urban migration, declines in agriculture and increased imports of cereals from abroad," writes Rudel. "In this respect, the Congo basin countries may be experiencing an oil and mineral fueled forest transition."

The research found most deforestation is "found around transport networks and close to cities, including areas suitable for agriculture within 5 hours travel time to major markets, and wood fuel and charcoal provisioning within 12 hours from a city."

But unlike other parts of the world, research published in the special issue suggests that commercial logging does not appear to be a major driver of deforestation in the Congo Basin. Instead it drives forest degradation and is associated with the burgeoning bushmeat trade by granting access via logging roads to hunters.

"In the high diversity African tropics, there are typically only one to two timber trees harvested per hectare, and it makes little economic sense to clear cut forests remote from markets," write Malhi and colleagues. "This contrasts with Southeast Asia, where the dipterocarp-rich forests yield many more timber species, and are much more intensively logged (around 10-20 trees per hectare) and heavily damaged by logging."

"Mayaux et al and Rudel explore the possible linkages between logging and subsequent deforestation. They find little evidence of logging leading to deforestation, either at national or local scales. One key difference from Amazonia is the lack of an active colonization frontier with pressure to clear logged forest. The loose network of logging tracks, owing to the light exploitation density, combined with the low population density, does not provoke the critical conditions for deforestation, except around a few concessions in the DRC."

Another paper in the special issue looks specifically at the effects of logging on the structure and dynamics of the forest. Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury and colleagues found that while biomass and forest function rebounds quickly from logging within 25 years, commercial trees take "much longer" to recovery. Meanwhile, a review by Kate Abernethy reveals that "defaunation" from unsustainable hunting can have persistent, long-term impacts on forest structure by reducing the abundance of key seed dispersers and "forest architects" like elephants.
Elephants may have an outsized role in Congo Basin forests. As noted by Simon Lewis and others, elephants may be partly responsible for the region's tall trees and high biomass, by crushing and eating small trees.

"The extremely low stem density in African forests may relate to the very high large animal biomass: elephants ( Loxodonta africana cyclotis), gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and other large herbivores such as bongos ( Tragelaphus eurycerus) may keep the density of small trees very low," Lewis and colleagues write. "This view is reinforced by a recent paper from Southeast Asia showing a large increase in sapling density when the large animal fauna is extirpated."

Lewis and co-authors note that, on average, Congo forests are taller and less diverse than Asia or the Amazon. But they store nearly as much carbon as the great Dipterocarp forests of Borneo.
The great unknown for Congo forests: climate change
While Congo Basin forests appear to be absorbing more carbon at present, the science on the impact of climate change in the region is far from settled. Climate models agree that the Congo basin will see a sharp rise in temperatures - up to 4°C this century, but it is uncertain how vegetation and wildlife will respond to the new conditions. Furthermore, parts of the basin may see shifts in precipitation patterns, including "wetting of the eastern regions" and "intensified dry seasons in the western Congo Basin". Reconstructions of past vegetation cover in the region shows that Congo forests have waxed and waned with climate change, including a "substantial" retreat 3,000 years ago.

Richard Washington and colleagues note that part of the problem in predicting the effects of climate change in the Congo Basin is lack of understanding of current conditions.

"The Congo Basin is poorly studied because of the dearth of available ground-based climate observations from the region, particularly in the past few decades," write Malhi and colleagues. "This deficiency is of global significance, because the Congo Basin is the second most important convective 'engine' of the global atmospheric circulation after the Maritime Continent (insular Southeast Asia and the surrounding waters) and is also the region of highest lightning strike frequencies on the planet [57]. In transition seasons (March-May and September-November), the Congo Basin dominates global tropical rainfall."

Comparison of the satellite images and forest-cover maps over the region of Lisala-Bumba (DR Congo). (a) MODIS color composite; (b) Landsat color composite; (c) MODIS-derived map (Mayaux et al 2013 study); (d ) Landsat-derived map; (e) GlobCover map and ( f ) synthesis map.

Planning for the future
Given the importance of Congo forests, the special issue includes papers on conservation options in the region. Unsurprisingly, a big focus is the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism, a program that aims to provide performance-based compensation to tropical countries for protecting their forests. REDD+ could potentially trigger the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars a year to Congo Basin countries, but has yet to overcome significant technical, economic, and political challenges. Nonetheless, some $550 million has already been committed to REDD+ in the region, which the issue suggests "may already be having an impact on slowing down deforestation and degradation activities in the region."

Malhi and colleagues note that there may be a limited window for consolidating conservation gains in the region given rising interest in industrial agriculture, especially oil palm plantations.

"A major threat to the forest biome is the potential of a shift to commercial agro-plantations, the write. "If poorly planned, then these industrial croplands could lead to extensive loss of forests as witnessed in Southeast Asia, and in soya bean regions of Amazonia, especially when combined with poor governance."

Rainforest logs in Gabon
Need for more research
The special section ends with a call to better understand Congo Basin forests.

"This short synthesis has highlighted many surprising aspects of the African rainforest biome, and how different it is in many aspects from other, perhaps better understood, rainforest regions. It has also highlighted how little we know and how much there is still to discover," write Malhi and colleagues. "There are reasons for concern, such has the heavy levels of defaunation and the potential impacts of climate change, and reasons for hope, such as the low rates of deforestation and the possible resilience of rainforest species to climate change."

"We call on the research and policy communities to redouble efforts to give this fascinating rainforest continent the attention it so richly deserves."

Young gorilla in Gabon

PAPERS IN THE SPECIAL ISSUE:

Malhi, Yadvinder; Adu-Bredu, Stephen; Asare, Rebecca; Lewis, Simon; Mayaux, Philippe. Introduction: The past, present and future of Africa's rainforests

Mayaux, Philippe; Pekel, Jean-François; Desclée, Baudouin; Donnay, François; Lupi, Andrea; Achard, Frédéric; Clerici, Marco; Bodart, Catherine; Brink, Andreas; Nasi, Robert; Belward, Alan. State and evolution of the African rainforests between 1990 and 2010

Lewis, Simon et al. Aboveground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests

Mitchard, Edward; Flintrop, Clara. Assessing the relative magnitude of woody encroachment and deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa's woodlands and savannas 1982-2006

Rudel, Thomas. The National Determinants of Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Oslisly, Richard; White, Lee; Bentaleb, Ilham; Favier, Charly; Fontugne, Michel; Gillet, Jean François; Sebag, David. Climatic and cultural changes in the West Congo Basin forests over the past 5000 years

Willis, Katherine; Bennett, Keith; Burrough, Sallie; Macias-Fauria, Marc; Tovar, Carolina. Determining the response of African biota to climate change: using the past to model the future

Abernethy, Kate; Coad, Lauren; Taylor, Gemma; Lee, Michelle; Maisels, Fiona. Extent and ecological consequences of hunting in Central African rainforests in the 21st Century

Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie; Mortier, Frédéric; Fayolle, Adeline; Baya, Fidèle; Ouedraogo, Dakis; Benedet, Fabrice; Picard, Nicolas. Tropical forest recovery from logging: a 24 year silvicultural experiment from Central Africa

Fisher, Joshua; Sikka, Munish; Sitch, Stephen; Ciais, Philippe; Poulter, Benjamin; Galbraith, David; Lee, Jung-Eun; Huntingford, Chris; Viovy, Nicolas; Zeng, Ning; Ahlström, Anders; Lomas, Mark; Levy, Peter; Frankenberg, Christian; Saatchi, Sassan; Malhi, Yadvinder. African tropical rainforest net CO2 fluxes in the 20th century
James, Rachel; Washington, Richard; Rowell, David. Implications of global warming for the climate of African rainforests

Washington, Richard; James, Rachel; Pearce, Helen; Pokam, Wilfried; Moufouma-Okia, Wilfran. Congo Basin rainfall climatology: can we believe the climate models?

Otto, Friederike; Jones, Richard; Halladay, Kate; Allen, Myles. Attribution of changes in precipitation patterns in African rainforests

Asefi-Najafabady, Salvi; Saatchi, Sassan. Response of African humid tropical forests to recent rainfall anomalies

Maniatis, Danae; Gaugris, Jerome; Mollicone, Danilo; Scriven, Joel; Corblin, Alexis; Ndikumagenge, Cleto; Aquino, André; Crete, Philippe; Sanz-Sanchez, Maria-José. Financing and current capacity for REDD+ readiness and monitoring, measurement, reporting and verification in the Congo Basin

Asare, Rebecca. The Community Resource Management Area Mechanism: A strategy to manage African forest resources for REDD+

Gond, Valery; Fayolle, Adeline; Pennec, Alexandre; Cornu, Guillaume; Mayaux, Philippe; Camberlin, Pierre; Doumenge, Charles; Fauvet, Nicolas; Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie. Vegetation structure and greenness in central Africa from modis multi-temporal data

Malhi, Yadvinder; Adu-Bredu, Stephen; Asare, Rebecca; Lewis, Simon; Mayaux, Philippe. African rainforests: past, presents and future

Related articles

Hunting, logging could threaten long-term health of Congo forests by wiping out key animals

(07/23/2013) Unsustainable hunting of forest elephants, gorillas, forest antelopes, and other seed-dispersers could have long-term impacts on the health and resilience of Congo Basin rainforests, warns a study published today in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B. Conducting a review of more than 160 papers and reports on trends in wildlife populations, hunting, and land use in the Congo Basin, an international team of researchers conclude that unless effective management plans are put into place, hunting pressure in the region is likely to increase, with knock-on ecological effects.

Controversial palm oil project in Cameroon rainforest to resume

(06/06/2013) The Cameroonian government has lifted the suspension on controversial palm oil project in the northwestern part of the Central African nation, reports the AFP.

Foreign loggers and corrupt officials flouting logging moratorium in the Democratic Republic of Congo

(11/08/2012) In 2002 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced a moratorium on commercial logging in a bid to save rapidly falling forests, however a new report by Global Witness alleges that industrial loggers are finding a way around the logging freeze. Through unscrupulous officials, foreign companies are abusing artisanal permits-meant for local community logging-to clear-cut wide swathes of tropical forest in the country. These logging companies are often targeting an endangered tree-wenge (Millettia laurentii)-largely for buyers in China and Europe.

Congolese experts needed to protect Congo Basin rainforests

(06/20/2012) This summer, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to approve a new higher education strategy which the country has developed with the World Bank and other international donors. The shape of this educational reform initiative will be critical to Congo's future in many ways. It could finally offer Congo's long-suffering people a route into the 21st century. It will also help determine the future of the DRC's forests. Nearly half of the Congo Basin's remaining rainforest is in the DRC-yet the critical role of Congolese experts in forestry, agricultural science, wildlife management and other rural sciences in protecting this forest is not widely recognized.

Deforestation increases in the Congo rainforest

(03/20/2012) Deforestation in the Congo Basin has increased sharply since the 1990s, reports an extensive new assessment of forests in the six-nation region. Released by the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and members of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, The State of the Forest finds that the region's annual gross deforestation rate doubled from 0.13 percent to 0.26 percent between the 1990s and the 2000-2005 period. Gross degradation caused by logging, fire, and other impacts increased from 0.07 percent to 0.14 percent on an annual basis. Despite the jump, rates in the Congo Basin remain well below those in Latin America and Southeast Asia, but the region is seen as a prime target for future agroindustrial expansion.

Palm oil, poverty, and conservation collide in Cameroon

(09/13/2011) Industrial palm oil production is coming to Africa, its ancestral home. And like other places where expansion has occurred rapidly, the crop is spurring hope for economic development while generating controversy over its potential impacts. The world's most productive oil seed has been a boon to southeast Asian economies, but the looming arrival of industrial plantations in Africa is raising fears that some of the same detriments that have plagued leading producers Malaysia and Indonesia-deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, conflicts with local people, social displacement, and poor working conditions-could befall one of the world's most destitute regions. While there is no question that oil palm is a highly lucrative crop that can contribute to economic development, there is also little doubt that conversion of native forests for plantations exacts a heavy toll on the environment. The apparent conflict seems to pit agroindustrial goliaths against greens, with communities falling somewhere in between. But Herakles, a New York-based investment firm planning to construct a 60,000-hectare plantation in the Central African country of Cameroon, says its approach will bridge this gap between economic development and the environment. Social and environmental campaigners are skeptical.

African forests store 25% of tropical forest carbon

(06/22/2011) Forests in sub-Saharan Africa account for roughly a quarter of total tropical forest carbon, according to a comprehensive assessment of the world's carbon stocks published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

How do we save Africa's forests?

(06/19/2011) Africa's forests are fast diminishing to the detriment of climate, biodiversity, and millions of people of dependent on forest resources for their well-being. But is the full conservation of Africa's forests necessary to mitigate global climate change and ensure environmental stability in Africa? A new report by The Forest Philanthropy Action Network (FPAN), a non-profit that provides research-based advice on funding forest conservation, argues that only the full conservation of African forests will successfully protect carbon stocks in Africa.

Locals clash with 'sustainable' FSC logging company in the Congo

(05/22/2011) Two separate protests against logging companies by local communities have turned violent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), leaving at least one dead. According to Greenpeace, one of the companies involved in the violence, Sodefor, is sustainably certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Given that the industry in DRC is rife with social conflict and corruption, Greenpeace is advocating that FSC place a moratorium on certifying new industrial-style logging concessions in the central African nation.

Roads are enablers of rainforest destruction

(09/24/2009) Chainsaws, bulldozers, and fires are tools of rainforest destruction, but roads are enablers. Roads link resources to markets, enabling loggers, farmers, ranchers, miners, and land speculators to convert remote forests into economic opportunities. But the ecological cost is high: 95 percent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon occurs within 50-kilometers of a road; in Africa, where logging roads are rapidly expanding across the Congo basin, the bulk of bushmeat hunting occurs near roads. In Laos and Sumatra, roads are opening last remnants of intact forests to logging, poaching, and plantation development. But roads also cause subtler impacts, fragmenting habitats, altering microclimates, creating highways for invasive species, blocking movement of wildlife, and claiming animals as roadkill. A new paper, published in Trends in Evolution and Ecology, reviews these and other impacts of roads on rainforests. Its conclusions don't bode well for the future of forests.

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Deforestation rate falls in Congo Basin countries

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Deforestation has fallen in Congo Basin countries over the past decade despite a sharp increase in the rate of forest clearing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a new study published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B as part of a set of 18 papers on the region's tropical forests.