The rampant deforestation for monoculture plantation and logging in western Indonesian Borneo has exacerbated the extinction risks of three plant species endemic . Once native forest logging emissions are included, this is equivalent to at least half the carbon pollution of all Australian coal-fired power stations., Increasing demand for deforestation-free commodity supply chains is putting pressure on Australia's soft commodity sectors to adopt sustainable practices. In a country of diverse landscapes, lutruwita / Tasmania stands a world apart. The following maps of forests in northern Australia were prepared in 2019 by ABARES for an analysis by the CRC for Developing Northern Australia. Australia is the only developed nation on the list of the world's deforestation hotspots, according to a new report by WWF, previously known as the World Wildlife Fund. Some forests on private land are publicly managed as conservation reserves. 'Commercial plantations' are plantations grown on a commercial scale for wood production, while 'Other forest' includes small areas of mostly non-industrial plantations and planted forests of various types including sandalwood plantations, small farm forestry and agroforestry plantations, plantations within the reserve system, and plantations regarded as non-commercial. Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia . Ecuador was originally largely forested, but . WWF's new report Deforestation fronts: Drivers and responses in a changing world , names 24 locations across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia and Oceania. We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. "Nearly a million hectares of forest has been cleared just in Queensland and New South Wales and just in the hotspot areas," Dr Martin Taylor, Senior Scientist with WWF Australia, told Hack. These RFAs include their own environmental protections and because of this timber harvesting operations done in accordance with these agreements "are not subject to certain Commonwealth legislative requirements", according to the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). Was a mine as big as Adani's approved during the election campaign? , Carbon emissions released by land clearing across Australia are equivalent to about a third of the total emissions released by all of the coal-fired power stations in the country. More than 40 per cent of the country's forests and woodlands are estimated to have been cleared since European colonisation. Global infrastructure consulting firm AECOM has announced the creation of a specialized team dedicated to delivering nature-based client solutions in Australia and New Zealand. The report says cattle ranching (the destruction of trees to create pasture for cattle) was by far the most significant driver of forest loss or degradation in eastern Australia. The analysis identifies 24 deforestation fronts worldwide where a total of 43 million hectares of forest was destroyed in the period from 2004 until 2017. Dr Taylor said claims that forest area has actually expanded in Australia were misleading. Text available under Creative Commons license. Combined with hotter summer extremes this has resulted in the collapse of some species including around 16,000 hectares of northern jarrah forest. The moratorium on logging of around 356,000 hectares of that forest lifted in April of this year, and there are fears that the forestry wars of old could kick off again. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer. 'Glum future for the platypus': why the elusive mammal is disappearing under our noses, Australian wildlife 20 times more likely to encounter deadly feral cats than native predators, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. National Forest Industries Plan:The Australian Governments National Forest Industries Plan. The environment minister, Sussan Ley, declined to comment on WWFs new findings as she had not seen the report. In Australia, the destruction of vegetation for cattle pasture is the most significant driver of forest loss and degradation, but the continued logging of native forests in a number of eastern states is named as an important secondary cause. Imagine a strip of land 1-kilometre wide, and 15-kilometres long that's equivalent to the 1500 hectares cleared in the ACT. The 24 global deforestation . This map shows the distribution of native forest available and suitable for commercial wood production in northern Australia: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. The latest figures show that deforestation in Queensland is still rampant, damaging the health of the Great Barrier Reef, destroying biodiversity and worsening climate change. Let's look to a green recovery that's built on conservation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture.". In the 60s and 70s, agriculturalists in Queenslands Brigalow Belt were actually fined for letting their land regenerate. Our analysis of the 2018-2019 data found that shockingly, 92,718 hectares of the 668,208 hectares was koala habitat. We can't protect nature and wildlife, safeguard human . This was rooted in some flawed ideas about the biology of soils and the resilience of our landscapes. The analysis is done via satellite imagery and cannot pick up subtle differences happening at ground level, according to WWF forestry expert Martin Taylor. Annual subscription for $129.95 for 1 year. Forest policy in Australia is developed and implemented at the national, state and territory levels. In 2021, it lost 231kha of natural forest, equivalent to 90.8Mt of CO emissions. With deforestation comes extinction: Australia is the worst offending country for mammal extinctions. Deforestation is Australia's hidden emitterlike adding 10 million cars to our roads. "Eighty-five per cent of it is just for beef cattle pasture or for sheep pasture," Dr Taylor said. , A 2019 analysis found that 73% of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland is linked to beef production. This map shows the distribution of forests in northern Australia, by forest tenure: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. But these renowned forests, and unique species like the koala, are under enormous pressure from land clearing, logging and fire. Five reasons investors should adopt an active versus passive ESG approach, Climate change is changing the outlook for energy utilities, Bank Australia sets interim 2030 net zero target, UniSuper updates progress on net zero target, Science-Based Targets an indicator of future climate action: Federated Hermes, Woolworths commits to ambitious GHG emissions cuts, Wilderness Society links deforestation to beef production, supply chain risk, Coca Cola, WWF-Australia, farmers mark 10 years of Project Catalyst, Global Canopy Programme appoints executive director, NCD launches Soft Commodities Forest-risk Assessment Tool, CDP, We Mean Business partner for Road to Paris. Of all its deforestation alerts, 85% have been within 4km of the predicted location. Site terms Photos and graphics WWF or used with permission. We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. Undertaking research to blow the lid off this hidden crisis. , Over 92,718 hectares of koala habitat were cleared in Queensland in just one year (2018-2019), with 80% of that area destroyed for beef production. Registered Charity Number: ACN 001 594 074 | NSW License Number: CFN 13143. Explore interactive charts and maps that summarize key statistics about forests in {area}. Publicly owned forests include nature conservation reserve, multiple-use public forest and other Crown land. Despite a range of reports recommending the urgent protection of unburnt patches to limit species decline, the NSW government continues to allow industrial logging at a rate of around 14,000 hectares per yeareven in extreme risk areas! First, let's look at the numbers state-by-state from lowest to highest. More than 100 nations including Australia this month signed up to stop or reverse deforestation by 2030. Your feedback has been submitted. Its primarily driven by agriculture (mostly for beef production), mining and urban development. Whats a tree worth? It will take more than a century for central banks and other financial institutions to reach gender balance in leadership, according to the Gender Balance Index 2023. Beef farming in Australia is driving significant deforestation, including in the habitats of threatened species, according to a new satellite analysis. Operation Artemis: Colombia's failed military operation to stop deforestation. The ownership of a forest, especially native forest, has a major bearing on its management intent. That's because of stronger laws coming into play in Queensland and New South Wales.". Of this total forest area, determined as at 2016, 132 million hectares (98%) are 'Native forests', 1.95 million hectares are 'Commercial plantations' and 0.47 million hectares are 'Other forest'. They also provide clean water; protect soil; provide opportunities for recreation and tourism, and scientific and educational pursuits; and support cultural, heritage and aesthetic values. In the climate crisis, theres economic opportunity for landholders. The once abundant koala is rapidly vanishing from New South Wales and Queensland. It means just 50% of Australias forest and bushland remainsmuch of it degraded. The southwest of Western Australia has been experiencing a long-term climate shift since the 1970s, which researchers have attributed to historical deforestation resulting in decreased rainfall. This map shows the distribution of burnt forest in Australia by the number of times each hectare was burnt in the period 201112 to 201516: PNG [0.9 MB], PDF [2.1MB]. An MCG-sized area of forest and bush is bulldozed every 86 seconds in Australia. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. Over roughly the last 20 years, koalas numbers have declined by almost 50% across Queensland and they have continued to do so. In New South Wales, 99% of koala habitat on private land is not protected from clearing. The extent of northern Australia in this analysis includes Western Australia and Queensland north of the Tropic of Capricorn and the entire Northern Territory. Opinion. A new report by WWF has found Australia is one of the worlds hotspots for deforestation. Eastern Australia is now a recognised global deforestation hotspot, alongside places including the Amazon, the Congo and Borneo. To satisfy investors, boards need to take succession planning more seriously. RFAs are 20-year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australias native forests. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is committing almost three quarters of its Australian Recycling Investment Fund to develop a flagship construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility in Queensland. This map shows the extent and distribution of Australia's forests by forest type: PNG [1.1 MB], PDF [3.6 MB]. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer here. Leasehold forest is forest on Crown land (land that belongs to a national, state or territory government) that is typically privately managed. WWF is Australias most trusted conservation organisation. Maps of Australia's forests are available on the Forest maps page. They are designed to provide certainty for forest-based industries, forest-dependent communities and achieve conservation outcomes. In total that roughly equals a 1-kilometre-wide piece of land 2,884 kilometres long or from Darwin to Adelaide with change. In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources said that is was "misleading to make simple comparisons" between the different reporting methods, and that the Department was confident its records are "complete and accurate". A new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature names eastern Australia among 24 global deforestation fronts - the only developed nation on the list. Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care. This map shows the distribution of the Indigenous forest estate, by land ownership and management category for northern Australia: PNG [1.2 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. On the Koala Coast, numbers are down by 80%. The countries with high rates of deforestation include Brazil, Bolivia, Madagascar and Borneo. Deforestationthe reduction or complete removal of native forest and bushlandhas escalated over the recent years to reach globally significant levels. Because the analysis only covered up to the year 2017, it excludes the effects of the catastrophic 2019-20 bushfire season, with WWF saying the accelerating effects of climate change made the need for Australian governments to increase protections for wildlife and habitat more urgent. About half of Australia's Commercial plantations are exotic softwood (predominantly Pinus radiata), while the other half are hardwood (predominantly eucalypt species). We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images, names and voices of people who are deceased. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Agriculture was the biggest driver of land clearing in Tasmania. Under commercial forestry activities, trees are regrown after harvesting. "We're putting huge amounts of taxpayer dollars into avoided deforestation and reforestation and at the same time we . Native forests are categorised in Australia's National Forest Inventory into eight national forest types named after their key genus or structural form: Acacia, Callitris, Casuarina, Eucalypt, Mangrove, Melaleuca, Rainforest, and Other native forest (which includes a range of minor native forest types that are named after their dominant genera, including Agonis, Atalaya, Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, Heterodendron, Leptospermum, Lophostemon and Syncarpia). State and territory governments have primary responsibility for forest management. The interim report called for an independent regulator that would be responsible for enforcing and monitoring compliance with the law. The Australian, state and territory governments are all signatories to the 1992 National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS). Australia's land clearing rate is once again among the highest in the world. The primary issue I have found is that deforestation leads to mass habitat and food loss for koalas. Australia remains one of the world's hotspots for deforestation according to a new report by WWF, which finds an area six times the size of Tasmania has been cleared globally since 2004. It expands on a 2015 report by WWF which named 11 hotspots, with eastern Australia also appearing on that list. This includes Australias diverse native forests and plantations, regardless of age. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer. In Asia, this includes orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants, some of which are on the brink of extinction.Moreover, the direct impacts of clearing are compounded by the fact that it brings such species into closer and more frequent contact with humans, which can lead to poaching . Through these regions, forests grow on soils that vary from ancient, fragile and infertile soils, to recent, fertile soils of volcanic origin. Our consumption, per person, out-strips that of people . Blocks of land are still being sold for development in the Daintree.
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