Analysis of Forests’ Genetic Vulnerability and Arguments to Reduce Deforestation

Abstract

Forests play an essential role in protecting natural resources such as soil, water and environmental services. The aims of the current study are to analyze definitions involving issues such as forest cover and its vulnerability, as well as to present arguments to help reducing deforestation. Solutions focused on mitigating tree vulnerability are herein presented, namely: genetic conservation and local creation of genetic databases on natural forests; pursuit of maximum genetic diversity to maintain reproduction index and avoid cloning effects; scientifically investigating how to help trees to adapt to environmental changes; use of genetic improvement and programs such as Payment for Environmental Services, Bolsa Floresta Program, Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration and ABC Program to reduce deforestation in tropical forests.

Emerging complexities and rising omission: Contrasts among socio-ecological contexts of infectious diseases, research and policy in Brazil

“…Thirdly, the current conjuncture signals a growing threat to ecosystems, especially with regard to the deforestation of the Amazon, the impacts on indigenous communities and the weakening of institutions responsible for their protection. This demonstrates the prevalence of predatory economic discourses in relation to natural resources, but which refutes the intrinsic importance of ecosystems and their services and biodiversity (Kulevicz et al, 2020).…”

Mind the lag: understanding delayed genetic erosion

“…In the case of extensive clear-cuts, the population size of all tree species declines dramatically causing increased drift which affects allele frequencies in the natural regeneration. Light-demanding and fast-growing pioneer species with efficient seed dispersal emerge first and gain abundance in clear-cut sites while shade-tolerant, slowgrowing species emerge with delay and at lower densities making them more vulnerable to genetic erosion especially in tropical forest ecosystems [47,48]. Silvicultural practices, such as avoiding clearcuts, raising minimum logging diameters, and rotation lengths, can attenuate these effects [49,50].…”

Forest management schemes based on carbon sequestration models

“…Reducing deforestation can be seen as a "flow control" measure to reduce the release of CO2 while increasing forest area, increasing forest cover, and fixing CO2 in the atmosphere with the higher carbon storage density of forest ecosystems are "open source" measures to increase CO2 absorption. [17]The increase of forest area, forest cover, and carbon storage density of forest ecosystem to fix CO2 in the atmosphere is the "open source" measures to increase CO2 absorption. There are two main ways to increase forest area: first, to restore abandoned land, agricultural land, or other land types suitable for afforestation into forests, mainly suitable for tropical regions and some developed countries in Europe and the United States; second, to plant forests on barren land ideal for afforestation, primarily ideal for temperate and boreal developing countries [18].…”