Eucalyptus Woodland
Benefits
•Timber for building
•Firewood and charcoal
•Jobs and incomes
•Limited soil stabilisation (when compared
to bare soil)
•Some shelter for other plants and animals
Problems
•Soil erosion from clearing land
•Poor soil health – low soil microbial diversity
•Eucalyptus are very ‘thirsty’ and highly efficient at extracting soil water, decreasing that
available for other plants or downstream human use
•Alien species, provides almost no food for native animals
Big Issues – Impacted by and impacts on:
•Climate Change
•Energy
•Water
•Soil
•Air
How does deforestation impact on each of these?
How does each of these affect land that has been
deforested?
In Madagascar? In Northern Ireland? On a global scale?
•
Biodiversity
•Waste and Pollution
•Health
•Food
7
Connections
•Land use impacts on water quality
•Climate change exaggerates the
impacts of poor soil management and
damages infrastructure, and leads to
droughts and famine
•Slash and Burn is having serious
impacts on the biodiversity and ability
of the land to support varied wildlife
•Use of charcoal as the main energy source drives expansion of plantings of exotic trees
and further clearing of forests
•Human health suffers from poor water quality, reduced ability to travel to healthcare and
a limited diet
Big Actions for Madagascar
•Raise awareness of the impacts of deforestation on people’s lives
•Help local people understand the problems caused by deforesting uplands
•Develop local, multiple use reserves that show the benefits of rainforests
•Provide alternatives so people stop deforestation
•Encourage renewable energy solutions for cooking to replace wood and charcoal
•Manage land to reduce negative impacts – promoting sustainable agricultural practices,
halting erosion, improving water retention
•Promote jobs and incomes that rely on intact rainforest, such as tourism
•Reinstate forests
•Provide incentives for replanting forests and woodlands
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