International - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Tasmania Ancient Forest Film Screening & Info Night

international | environment | event notice

Tuesday August 25, 2009 18:01

by climate camper - climate camp

Seomra Spraoi Thursday 27th August 7.30pm

Climate Camp Ireland Present:
Tasmania Ancient Forest Film Screening & Info Night
Seomra Spraoi Thursday 27th August 7.30pm

Tasmania’s Ancient Forests are under threat!

Come along and learn about Tasmania’s Ancient Forests, the threat they face, the campaign to save them & how you can get involved in 31st August International Day of Action To Protect Tasmania’s Ancient Forest

Tasmania is Australia's southern island with far stretching wild lands. On the Eastern border of the South West World Heritage Area is the vast and wild Southern Forests. What does remain of the Southern Forests is ecologically and culturally valuable to the Western Tasmanian wilderness area. Here in this wild country are valleys of ancient landscapes, tall eucalypt rainforest, untamed rivers, karst systems, diverse plant and animal life in a spectacular setting of glaciated highland peaks and lakes.

Currently unprotected and being devastated by shocking industrial forestry practices that clearfell, burn and poison large areas, the Southern Forests, are being lost.

What’s it got to do with Climate Change?

Like a giant safe-deposit box, old growth forests lock in vast amounts of carbon. As trees and undergrowth grow they draw in carbon dioxide. Over centuries, this carbon is slowly cycled into woody debris and forest soils. Ancient old growth trees, can store tonnes of carbon. After hundreds of years, old growth forests can contain over 1200 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

Unfortunately much of Tasmania’s remaining old growth forest is threatened by logging. Research shows that it is better, for climate change, to leave old growth forests in the ground rather than logging them and converting them to regrowth or plantations. As forests age, they build up a larger capacity to store carbon in wood, soil and woody debris. Logging undermines this capacity.

More info:
Tasmanian Ancient Forest Defence
http://www.huon.org/
http://www.stillwildstillthreatened.org/

Forests & Climate Change:
http://www.coolforests.org/

Irish Climate Camp:
http://www.climatecamp.ie/

Seomra Spraoi:
http://www.seomraspraoi.org:8080/Plone

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Comments (1 of 1)

Tasmania's Forests

by Frances Duffy

Mon Sep 07, 2009 08:38

duffyfrances at yahoo dot com dot au

Hi
I am from Ballybay ,Co Monaghan and have lived in Australia for over 20 years. I was surprised to see the coverage on the TV the other night of people protesting in Ireland about threats to Tasmania's forests. Let me assure you, as a person who lives in Tasmania that Tasmania's forests are well managed with only 1% ,of the 1.5million hectares, harvested for wood products each year. This 1% is re-planted to regrow the native forest after it has been harvested.

Tasmania is considered a world leader in old growth forest conservation. Old Growth forests are those which have been there for hundreds of years with little disturbance. Over 250,000 hectares of old growth forests are protected by forestry Tasmania. (that's about 21,000 football stadiums full of ancient trees).

Tasmania does have a forestry industry just as Ireland does but it is extremely well regulated and if you come to Tasmania you will be amazed at the amount of forest here. UNESCO visited Tasmania in 2008 and inspected the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and reported that the balance between conservation and timber production is being met and the forests are being well managed.

Most of the wood used manufacturing in Tasmania now comes from plantation forests that are privately owned.

There are many parts of the world where dreadful forestry practices are underway and de-forestation is a fact of life. But as an Irishwoman let me assure you that this is not the case in Tasmania. Our forestry practices here are ensuring there are sustainable wood products being produced responsibly and reducing the import of suspect wood products to Australia.

Check out Forestry Tasmania's website at www.forestrytas.com.au for more information.

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Tasmania Ancient Forest Film Screening & Info Night

Comments (1 of 1)