Despite increases in some areas, Australia’s tree cover is at its lowest level in 40 years.
Tree image from David Lade www.shutterstock.com
After some unusually wet years, our landscape and ecosystems have once again returned to poorer conditions that were last experienced during the Millennium Drought.
Dead river red gums line a dry creek west of Mildura.
Gillis Horner
We’ll have to get our priorities in order to protect Australia’s wildlife.
Not just a way to beat the heat, urban forests also reduce air pollution and provide other services for the economy.
kiddocone/flickr
Cutting-edge urban foresters argue not only for the intrinsic value of trees but also for the many economic and health benefits.
Ash accounts for 20% of the UK’s trees.
www.shutterstock.com/Phil MacD Photography
Over 100 species are dependent on Ash trees for survival – we need to act fast.
Residents protest against the felling of century-old trees to make way for light rail along Anzac Parade in Sydney.
AAP/Karen Sweeny
If planning decisions properly considered the value of trees in a city, we could have a modern transport system and tree-lined views to enhance the journey.
Land clearing rates in Queensland tripled since 2010.
Martin Taylor
February 21, 2016
Martine Maron , The University of Queensland ; Bill Laurance , James Cook University ; Bob Pressey , James Cook University ; Carla P. Catterall , Griffith University ; Clive McAlpine , The University of Queensland ; Hugh Possingham , The University of Queensland ; James Watson , The University of Queensland ; Jonathan Rhodes , The University of Queensland ; Kerrie Wilson , The University of Queensland , and Marc Hockings , The University of Queensland
Land clearing in Queensland has tripled in the past five years.
The cover that trees provide transforms cities into much more hospitable places, especially in hot weather.
AAP/Joe Castro
Six years after Black Saturday, it’s worth remembering that heatwaves kill more people than bushfires do, so shade can be a life-saver. But tree cover and shade are not evenly distributed in cities.
To lawn or not to lawn, that is the question.
sniecikowski
As summer rolls on once again you’re despairing at a brown lawn. Perhaps you should embrace a shabbier backyard.
Trees take more planning than you might think.
Parkes/Wikimedia Commons
Planting more trees in our cities is a good idea, but we need to remember to plan ahead for conditions those trees might encounter when they mature in half a century’s time.
There’s something in the tree air and it’s good for you.
Shutterstock/Stokkete
There’s something in the air that actually has health benefits when you take time to walk among the plants and trees. What that is exactly is still being studied by scientists.
It looks great – but what about the wildlife?
Tree image from www.shutterstock.com.
Cities are aiming to increase their tree cover. But there will need to be more than trees to encourage wildlife to return.
WanderingtheWorld (www.ChrisFord.com)/Flickr
We all love a shady courtyard, but it’s tough to know just how effective trees are at beating the heat.
Cycling man/Flickr
The mechanisms are there - but where’s the evidence?
wallyg/Flickr
Conflicting evidence means it’s tough to tell whether trees helping to clear the air, or if green is not as good as we thought.
Mangroves put their roots down where few other plants will.
Catherine Lovelock
Mangroves - one of the most important trees - are threatened by rising seas. While these forests can adapt, human development is getting in the way.
Ghost gums: dieback on Jindabyne Road.
Tim the Yowie Man
2,000 square km of forest have dropped dead in New South Wales, indicating big changes to the environment.
‘I don’t do public transport.’
Gucio_55
Bat populations have been hammered by deforestation. Efforts like tree-planting schemes are a step forward, but they’re doomed to fail unless we apply a bit more local knowledge.
A baobab in Tete Province, Mozambique.
Christian Kull
Why are African baobab trees found in India? Genetic research is starting to shed light on the answer.
Eucalyptus trees in plantations are particularly vulnerable to pests.
MJ Wingfield
Invasive pests threaten the world’s much-needed planted forests, as trees are declining.
Forests are vital to life on earth.
Forest image from www.shutterstock.com
Forest loss has halved over the past 30 years according to the 2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment, released yesterday.