Forests in Indonesia and the UK

Type - Tropical Rainforest

Impact of Human activity - Increasing since 1960s, rainforest decreased by 40% between 1960s and 2005)

Reasons:

• Increased foreign earnings from felling, timber is a major export
• Oil palm plantations increased eight-fold in 20 years, at the expense of the forest
• Increased clearance for mining and oil expolitaion
• Pollution from mining, i.e. mercury, cyanide which are used in gold mining
• Growing population, 1% each year, needing more land for food crops

Type - Temperate deciduous woodland

Impacts of Human activity - Decreasing since 1960s, forest cover has now increased from 3% to 12%

Reasons:

• Seen as a way of developing rural areas, EU grants
• Trees have been planted to regenerate waste areas, i.e. old coal tips
• Increased use for recreation, i.e. new National Forest in the Midlands, 520km²
• SSSIs and other nature reserves have been created, i.e. New Forest
• Forests are now seen as a source of renewable energy and a carbon trap
• Desire to landscape and add beauty, i.e. National Urban Forestry Unit created
• Community Forest Scheme created in 1990, 10,000 ha planted and upgraded 27,000 ha; 12 community areas aiming to increase forests to 30% of the area
• Tax incentives and grants for private planting, 50% still private
• Forestry Commision set up to manage forests and create jobs