Sharing information to protect forests

Forests face a number of natural threats, including fire, insects and diseases. This edition of Unasylva, FAO s journal on forestry issues and industries, takes a look at some of the measures taken to protect forests, and the progress made so far in protecting forest ecosystems and the goods and services they provide from these destructive agents. The central argument is that man must become a key player in protecting forests. And since neither insects nor fires respect national borders, the solutions will sometimes need to be global. In some countries, international aid may be necessary. In others, the approach may be more localised. It is up to man to intervene in the appropriate fashion in each case, for example, to organise proper tree clearing in certain forest settings. The journal raises the point that human intervention can at times aggravate the problem of natural threats to forests, for example by introducing new pests and diseases. It also tries to put a number of controversial issues into perspective, such as genetically modified trees and the invasion of trees introduced as a means of combating desertification. A strong message to emerge is the importance of sharing information in order to find ustainable ways of managing forests, rather than falling back on short-lived solutions. Forest Threats Unasylva nº 217, vol. 55, 2004/2 FAO, 200., 60 pp. ISSN 0041 6436 US$15 12 Contact FAO for purchaseForests face a number of natural threats, including fire, insects and diseases. This edition of Unasylva, FAO s journal on forestry issues and industries, takes a look at some of the measures taken to protect forests, and the progress made so far in pr