In his spare time, Nikolas Tesla dreamed about using atmospheric electricity and electromagnetic fields to boost plant growth. His concept sparked new research to optimize agriculture and farming in the early 1900s, but the introduction of chemical fertilizers overshadowed the power of electroculture

As Tesla suggested, electroculture harnesses the power of atmospheric electricity to boost plant growth. Thanks to Tesla, the simple concept has made many gardeners believers.

What Is Electroculture

Electroculture is a “method of applying atmospheric electricity to the fertilization of plant life,” according to the book “Electroculture,” by Justin Christofleau. A well-known French scientist and inventor in the early 1900’s, Christofleau was a member of the Society of Scientists and Inventors, Knight of Merit of Agriculture, and had many other titles. He devoted years of research to electroculture and patented nearly 40 of his numerous inventions including a “Moto-solar thermo-magnetic network,” and a “Bio-electro-magnetic focus,” electroculture device, which was aimed at capturing telluric currents and electromagnetic waves for use on plants. His book has several photos of crops which were grown using his apparatus compared to crops grown without.

Electroculture involves placing conductive materials, such as metal rods or wires, into the soil around plants, with the belief that they act as antennas to capture “free” energy and direct it toward the plants. The theory behind electroculture suggests that these elements can modulate subtle energy fields, influencing positive plant development. While the science has been around for a long time, it is still evolving. The concept is rooted in the understanding that plants are naturally responsive to subtle electrical signals within their environment.

History of Electroculture 

Inventors and scientists have researched this field, dating as far back as 1749, when Abbe Nollett was one of the first scientists to note the effects of electricity on plant life. 

In 1783 Abbe Bertholon made known his work in the field and invented an “electro-vegetometre.” A Russian scientist, M. Spechnoff, later perfected the invention, finding that the composition of the soil is “modified by the action of the currents.” He recorded “an overproduction of 62% for oats, 56% for wheat and 34% for linseed. Brother Paulin, the Director of the Agricultural Institute of Beauvai, invented the “Geomagnetifere,” which he reported “gave wonderful results, especially with grapes, which were richer in sugar and alcohol, matured sooner and more regularly.

An electroculture antenna is a simple device, usually made from copper wire wrapped around a non-conductive rod (like wood), designed to capture atmospheric energy and channel it into the soil to boost plant growth, nutrient absorption, and soil health, with popular designs involving clockwise spirals for the Northern Hemisphere, aiming to revitalize depleted electromagnetism for natural, chemical-free gardening.

The concept of using electricity to influence plant growth dates back centuries. In the 1700s, researchers began exploring the effects of electricity on plants. In the 18th century, it was noted that trees grew faster beneath the aurora borealis because of its electrical field. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists and farmers continued exploring different electroculture techniques. 

Nikola Tesla significantly influenced the concept of electroculture, a practice using atmospheric electricity and electromagnetic fields to boost plant growth, with patents for devices to capture telluric currents for agriculture and research suggesting he used electric stimulation to improve crop yields, though modern interpretations vary on the effectiveness of simple copper antennas versus complex scientific applications of his principles. While electroculture dates earlier (18th century), Tesla’s work on wireless power and electromagnetic fields connected it to modern science, inspiring both DIY gardening methods (copper antennas) and advanced agricultural research.

Tesla provided a scientific framework and advanced concepts for using electricity in agriculture, inspiring both practical gardening trends and advanced scientific studies in the field. Tesla’s ideas have spurred ongoing research in precision agriculture, blending ancient concepts with modern technology to optimize farming. 

World War II and the introduction of chemical fertilizers halted most of the electroculture research. Today, popular interest in natural gardening has prompted renewed interest and studies.

Tesla’s Connection to Electroculture

• Patents: He developed and patented devices like the “Bio-electro-magnetic focus,” designed to use natural energy for plants, and a “Moto-solar thermo-magnetic network”.
• Research: Tesla experimented with using electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and air ionization to promote plant growth, showing increased yields and improved plant health in some studies.
• Goal: His vision was to harness natural energy for agriculture, aiming for better yields and enhanced plant vitality, much like his broader work on wireless energy transmission.

How Does Electroculture Work

The basic premise is that the cell membranes of plants can respond to and benefit from exposure to electrical currents or heightened electromagnetic fields. Common electroculture techniques include antennas, ground rods and magnetic coils. The antennas are metal wires or rods that capture energy from the atmosphere (rain, wind, temperature changes) and channel it into the soil. Ground rods are driven into the soil beside the plant to facilitate the flow of electricity. Magnetic coils are copper wire wrapped around plant stems or bases to create a concentrated electromagnetic field.

Advocates of electroculture gardening claim that when an electrical current applies to a plant, it stimulates the production of plant hormones responsible for cell elongation and growth. Plants exhibit faster growth, larger yields and more abundant blooms. Additionally, electricity enhances the movement of nutrients and water within the plant, improving overall plant health. 

Proponents suggest that the electrical fields may: 

• Stimulate the production of plant hormones responsible for cell elongation and growth.
• Increase nutrient and water movement and uptake within the plant and soil.
• Promote beneficial microbial activity in the soil.
• Improve overall plant health, potentially making them more resistant to pests and diseases. 

While more research is needed, gardeners report success using electroculture techniques with fruit-bearing plants like tomatoes, peppers and berries. Leafy greens and root vegetables have also shown promise. Flowers that attract pollinators also fare especially well.

Common Techniques for Trees

The primary method involves placing conductive systems into the ground near the tree. 

• Antennas/Ground Rods: Metal rods or wires (often copper) are driven into the soil next to the tree to capture atmospheric energy and direct it into the root zone.
• Coils: Copper wire is coiled into specific geometric shapes (like a spiral or an open-ended loop) and placed in the soil or attached to a nearby wooden stake to encircle the plant.
• Branch Wrapping: Copper wire can be wrapped in a loose spiral pattern around specific healthy, actively growing branches, ensuring good contact without constricting growth. 

Research

Several centuries of research have demonstrated that crop growth and yield are improved by electrical stimulation. Exploratory investigation of the impacts of power on plant development started in 1746, when Dr. Maimbray of Edinburg treated myrtle plants with the yield of an electrostatic generator, consequently upgrading their development and blooming. The yield of raspberries was expanded by 95%, what’s more, the yield of carrots was expanded by 125%. Yields of cabbage, turnips, and flax, be that as it may, became preferred without jolt over with it.

In the late 19 th century, Selim Lemström reported that electrical stimulus improved the growth of potatoes, celery, and carrots by 40-70% over a two month period.

In 1909, the Swiss minister J.J. Gasner acquired comparable outcomes with his replication of Laemstrom’s work. Likewise that year, Prof. G. Stone showed that a couple of sparks of friction based electricity released into the dirt every day expanded soil microbes up to 600%.

During the 1920s, V.H. Blackman revealed his examinations with an aeronautical framework like that of Laemstrom. He applied 60 volts DC/1 milliamp through 3 steel wires each 32 ft long and suspended 6 ft separated and 7 ft high on posts. The application expanded yields about half for a few plant types (Nelson 1982)

The French rancher/author Justin Christofloreau stood out in 1925 with his contraption to gather barometrical energy for his yields. Clover treated by his strategy grew 7 feet high. ​​Christofloreau claimed that the amassed power obliterated parasites (Barinov, 2012).

Abbot Jean Nolet discovered that seeds germinate faster and the plants grow faster when developed under charged terminals. Harvest yields and quality are improved similarly. The energies are applied to the seeds, plants, soil or the water and supplements. With this method, huge loads of food can be developed in a quarter section of land or less, in gardens, on galleries, housetops, in window boxes or aqua-farming or permaculture. That converts into immeasurably expanded benefits for cannabis cultivators. Aqua-farming also is appropriate for electroculture (Nelson, 1982).

Electroculture can shield plants from infections and creepy crawly and moreover diminish the prerequisites for manure or pesticides. Farmers can develop greater and better harvests in less time, with less exertion (Barinov, 2012).

More robust research is needed to fully validate the claims. But trying electroculture costs little money and the coils make for some pretty garden art. The next question is whether the technology can be applied on a commercial scale and can it impact the health of trees.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications. We seek sponsors, donors and volunteers.

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Deforestation and degradation – especially in the tropics – contribute to more annual CO2 emissions in the atmosphere than any human activity other than energy production and consumption. 

Deforestation also cripples our planet’s ability to filter carbon dioxide from our air. Destroying these carbon sinks threatens entire watersheds, endangered species and endangered cultures. According to the IPCC, “reducing deforestation and forest degradation rates represents one of the most effective and robust options for climate change mitigation.”

During a panel at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad unveiled “Tropical Forests Forever,” which aims to raise $250 billion for efforts to protect and restore the world’s tropical forests. This proposal builds on the earlier work led by the World Bank, the Center for Global Development and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Environment ministers of the Group of 20 nations agreed Thursday to support the creation of funding sources for ecosystem services, acknowledging Brazil’s proposal to establish a trust fund for forest conservation.

Known as the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), the Brazilian initiative would reward tropical forest countries for protecting the critical biomes. The environment ministers of leading rich and developing countries assembled this week in Rio de Janeiro for four-day meetings to discuss climate change and sustainability. The topic is one of Brazil’s priorities as it hosts the G20 presidency until the end of the year, with heads of state convening in Rio next month.

The TFFF would reward tropical forest countries for protecting the natural tropical forests that provide enormous development benefits and are a critical part of humanity’s effort to combat climate change. The funds, which would be raised from governments and the private sector, would go into an independently-managed fund which could be drawn upon by tropical countries that meet expectations for forest conservation and deforestation. Countries would see a reduction in the availability of funding if their deforestation rate increased.

By providing an explicit payment for conservation and restoration of tropical forests, the facility would help to address a significant market failure, placing a value to the ecosystem services that those forests render to water management, biodiversity preservation, soil protection, nutrient cycling, continental and global climate regulation, and climate resilience.

Correcting this market failure will also help reduce poverty and advance economic development, both in forest countries and globally. As this market failure has gone unaddressed, deforestation and degradation have proceeded unabated in many developing countries as a result of seemingly compelling economic incentives. 

Existing initiatives and programs have made progress, but they have not proven sufficient to overcome entrenched interests in the business-as-usual drivers of destruction, and reverse global trends in deforestation and degradation of forests. A new large incentive is needed to generate political will, support country ownership of conservation objectives, and draw attention of key decision makers, including heads of state and ministers of finance and planning, to address the governance changes needed.

The TFFF will offer a substantial, long-term reward for successfully tackling deforestation. It provides an additional incentive for forest nations to meet this challenge and to seek out and effectively utilize the international community’s existing mechanisms, without increasing funding demands on government budgets. The proposed facility seeks to establish financial transfers that do not rely on grant contributions strategically designed as conditional incentives for results-based efforts at halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation.

While the TFFF would provide a major incentive for forest nations to conserve and enhance these important resources, it is not intended to be the only solution. It would complement, not replace, other policies and initiatives necessary to achieve this key objective, including REDD+ program, development of effective carbon credit markets, and changes in agricultural policies and practices.

The TFFF proposal emerges amid a growing interest in nature-based solutions for addressing climate change and other environmental challenges. It also follows a significant decrease in Amazon deforestation after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election as President of Brazil.In the first ten months since Lula’s return to office, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has dropped by 50 percent compared to 2022.

“We need more economic incentives to expedite forest conservation,” said Gary Chandler, founder of Sacred Seedlings. “Economic incentives are driving deforestation and global warming, so we must fight fire with fire to defend ecosystems and the livability of our planet.”

During last year’s presidential campaign against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, Lula committed to addressing rampant deforestation in the Earth’s largest rainforest. Since taking office, his administration has been working to rebuild the environmental policy framework dismantled under Bolsonaro while proposing new initiatives to protect forests. Lula has also advanced the idea of an alliance of tropical forest nations, including Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to secure global support for conservation.

After unveiling the Tropical Forests Forever, Brazil continued on its tropical forests push at COP28 by announcing the Arc of Restoration program, which will allocate up to $205 million to restore 60,000 square km (23,160 square miles) of deforested and degraded forest land in the Amazon by 2030.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Tropical rainforests cover about 12 percent of Africa. They represent a substantial percentage of global forest cover. They contain the richest biodiversity on the continent, but deforestation and degradation are accelerating at alarming rates.

Large-scale exploitation of African forests went hand-in-hand with European colonization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when natural resources like timber, ebony and ivory began to be harvested and exported at unprecedented scales.

Throughout the 20th century, colonial powers granted themselves or private companies large swathes of forested lands in the form of concessions, with the rights to exploit natural resources in exchange for a share of the profits (and/or various obligations to govern and ‘develop’ the area).

In many cases, this meant slashing and burning virgin forests for commercial crops, such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber and tea. During the 1960s, as many African nations won independence, governments often passed on concession contracts to the same private companies. The concession model persists in many tropical nations today. Stockholders’ interests are overshadowing the interests of local and global stakeholders.

During the 1960s, as many African nations won independence, governments often maintained the concession model, passing on contracts to the same private companies or similar new ones. The objectives of those concessions varied in line with the chosen ‘development’ model.

Liberia lost 12 percent of its forests in between 1990 and 2010. Since 2010, the DRC has lost more than 500,000 ha of forest per year, including a loss of 1.3 million hectares in 2013 alone.

To understand the causes and effects of deforestation in Africa today, it’s important to note that there are important differences between a rainforest and a dry forest. The rainforests are found in three distinct areas:

• These are the Congo Basin rainforests; 
• the ‘Upper Guinea’ forests of West Africa (which are separated from the Congo Basin by a dry area between Nigeria and Ghana); and 
• isolated forest ‘islands’ on mountains, and along the East African coast. Africa’s rainforests are not as wet as those on other continents, and have gone through phases of contraction and expansion over the millennia in response to climate change.

Forests and woodlands cover vast areas of Africa. Within Africa’s 3.5 million square kilometers of rainforests there are just five world heritage sites, covering an area of 63,000 km2:

• (Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon; 
• Lope National Park in Gabon; 
• Salonga National Park: 
• Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo): and 
• (Tai National Park in Cote D’Ivoire) is in the Upper Guinea forest block.  

The greatest concentration of intact rainforest in Africa is found in the Congo basin, covering an area of around 2 million square km across countries including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, DRC Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo. 

Dry forests cover a greater area of the continent than rainforests, stretching across the Sahel region from Senegal to Somalia, and across regions like the Miombo forest in Southern Africa. They are not as dense as rainforests, but a relatively small tree must withstand harsher climate conditions and may have taken more than a century to reach its size prior to harvesting. The destruction of highly valuable commercial tree species in a dry forest – like those grouped under the common name rosewood – at the rates seen in recent years is devastating. Once lost, the entire fragile ecosystem is permanently altered and hard to recover.

Agriculture accounts for approximately 75 percent of deforestation in Africa. This includes both subsistence farming and industrial agriculture (cocoa, palm oil and cattle).

Continuous deforestation in Africa, as in other regions, can have severe and far-reaching negative consequences, most urgently including damage to habitats, biodiversity and ecosystem services that are essential for planetary health and human wellbeing, including the availability of nutritional food, climate and water regulation.

Deforestation is a complex challenge in Africa due to land ownership patterns that are different from other continents. In many African countries, there is little privately owned land. Most land is owned by the state. People cultivate areas that their families have used for generations, but they are reluctant to invest or employ sustainability principles since they own nothing.

Meanwhile, most of Africa’s energy needs are still met by burning wood, either directly or in the form of locally produced charcoal. As the continent’s population increases, governments will have to invest heavily in the energy transition to reduce impacts on dry forests and rainforests alike.

Both agriculture and charcoal-making – among several other activities conducted in and around forests such as timber extraction and collection and commercialization of non-wood timber products – remain almost entirely informal. This adds another layer of complexity.

These sectors contribute to huge informal economies at the national level, which sustain local livelihoods but are extremely difficult to monitor, manage and frame into development plans and effective policies. Given the lack of clear rights and documentation, a great deal of confusion exists about what type of land use is taking place and where.

Millions of informal workers, while providing the engine of Africa’s economy, have almost no legal rights to their land and livelihoods. Many live under the constant uncertainty of a system which may confiscate ‘their’ land and hand it to large mining, logging and agribusiness companies as part of broader ‘development’ plans issued by central governments.

This deters informal workers from taking a long-term, sustainable approach to their activities, instead compelling them to exploit forests as intensely as possible while they still can – chopping down trees and using the resources immediately, rather than conserving them for future generations.

The present-day distributions of different species owe much to climate change over the millennia, and the ability of individual species to survive (as forests have contracted during dry periods) and re-colonize areas (as warmer, wetter conditions take hold and forests are able to expand). The okapi – a kind of forest giraffe – lives only in the north-eastern corner of the Congo Basin;  the pygmy hippo is restricted to West African rainforests; and the bonobo (pygmy chimpanzee) occurs only to the south of the great Congo River. Thus conservation of the full range of African rainforest species requires protection of a network of carefully selected sites, each protecting a different suite of species.

There are 45 natural world heritage sites in Africa, including four on the islands of Madagascar and the Seychelles. The five existing world heritage sites in the lowland rainforests, together with those straddling the Great Rift, represent an excellent opportunity to protect most of the key species typical of Africa’s rainforests.

A major initiative is currently underway to identify possible additional sites in the central African lowland rainforests (the Central African World Heritage Forests Initiative, CAWHFI), and there is still a need for world heritage status for the highly distinctive forests of the ‘Eastern Arc Mountains’ in Tanzania, as well as the East African coastal forests from Kenya to southern Mozambique.

The high number of African sites on the endangered list reflects the particular challenges of this continent, especially the occurrence of periodic civil unrest and war. Other threats include:

Mining and mineral exploitation. The present boom in commodity prices has resulted in a huge surge in mineral exploration activity across Africa.

Dam-building, water diversion and abstraction. Water is needed everywhere – for power generation, agricultural irrigation and industrial development.

Roads and infrastructure development. Plans for major new roads through world heritage sites – such as the infamous motorway scheme that would have passed through the Giza Pyramids’ site, or the new Serengeti highway – tend to attract strong opposition and the threat they pose can often be averted through a combination of approaches involving the international media, public protest, diplomatic and political channels.

Poaching, logging and resource exploitation. Most natural sites are affected to some extent by illegal hunting and other forms of resource use, but this only becomes a serious problem when the level of off-take exceeds the natural replenishment rate. Large mammals that are targeted for their valuable trophies, such as rhino and elephant are particularly vulnerable.

Human settlement. Africa’s portfolio of world heritage sites encompasses everything from bustling historical cities and living rural landscapes to pristine wilderness areas free of human settlement. Often the protection of heritage values requires the exclusion of people, especially in the case of archaeological and natural sites.

Climate change. The long-term impact of climate change is difficult to assess but natural sites are likely to be significantly altered as global temperatures warm. The glaciers on East Africa’s high mountains (Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzoris and Mount Kenya) are melting fast and are likely to disappear altogether within two or three decades. Ecological communities will ‘migrate’ to higher elevations, pushing out the rare plants and animals that presently occur near mountain summits. Meanwhile, rising sea-levels may submerge coastal wetlands and mudflats such as those at Banc D’Arguin affecting the congregations of migrant waders.

Poorly regulated tourism development. Tourism brings enormous economic benefits and most African sites are not yet over-burdened by excessive numbers of visitors. There is still an opportunity to ‘do things right’ as far as tourism development is concerned, providing an effective regulatory framework to ensure that heritage values are protected while maximizing visitor satisfaction. There are a few sites where tourism-related pressures already present a real threat, including damage to some of the Egyptian monuments and Roman ruins of north Africa (where people often climb on the monuments), and loss of wilderness values associated with lodge developments, camps, off-road driving and other infrastructure in some of the more popular national parks such as Victoria Falls, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Selous, and Mana Pools.

Lack of political will and leadership. The job of politicians is to balance the (often conflicting) demands of various stakeholders in making development decisions.  From a heritage perspective, short-term economic gains are too often favored over longer-term goals that protect heritage values.  Ever since the decision to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt (1960-71), politicians have embraced grand schemes that come at a heavy cost to heritage. The Serengeti highway may have been averted for now, but strong political leadership is required to prevent other potentially damaging developments such as the proposed new port at Lamu, the series of dams on Lake Turkana’s main inflowing rivers, the flooding of the Zambezi Valley at Mana Pools or the expansion of mining on Mount Nimba.

World Heritage At Risk

Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic) was added to the Danger list in 1997 on account of the worsening security situation in the north of the country and the inability of park authorities to operate effectively in combating threats to the property. Poaching escalated and most of the larger mammals have been killed in subsequent years.  There is still no immediate prospect of improvement as the area remains insecure and most of the park infrastructure has been destroyed. 

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Cote D’Ivoire) was added to the Danger list in 1992 on account of the threat from mining. A large part of the original trans-boundary reserve, on the Guinean side of the border,  was de-gazetted to allow for a major open cast iron-ore mining operation to be undertaken in the higher reaches of the mountain. As much of the mountain consists of high-grade iron ore, there remains a very real risk of further excisions and total destruction of much of the higher-elevation forest, grasslands and unique biodiversity.  The Liberian ‘end’ of the range has already been extensively damaged by similar mining operations in the past.

Comoe National Park (Cote D’Ivoire) was added to the Danger list in 2003 as Cote D’Ivoire broke down into civil war and the park and surrounding areas fell into the hands of ‘rebel’ forces. Most park staff were withdrawn and poaching escalated. Although the war is now over, much of the park infrastructure has been destroyed, park access roads are no longer accessible and park staff  are only slowly returning to their posts. It will take many years – even under the best of circumstances – for wildlife populations to recover. 

Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of Congo’s world heritage sites have suffered as an indirect result of the rebellion which led to the overthrow of President Mobutu in the mid-90s; turmoil surrounding the Rwandan genocide and associated influx of refugees; followed by subsequent periods of civil unrest. Parks in the east of the country have been most affected, but even Salonga National Park was added to the danger List in 1999. Earlier, Virunga National Park was In Danger by 1994, quickly followed by Garamba National Park in 1996, and both Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve in 1997.

Abu Mena (Egypt) was added to the Danger list in 2001 as many of the ancient structures began to suffer as a result of subsidence associated with a rising water-table because of new irrigation and agricultural development in the area. Efforts are being made to counteract this by improving drainage and shoring up the affected buildings.  But an effective long-term solution has not yet been achieved.

Simien National Park (Ethiopia) was added to the Danger list in 1996 as rebel armies took control of this region of northern Ethiopia and the park suffered a further influx of people, threatening the habitat of the Simien fox, Walia ibex and other critically endangered endemic wildlife. Although wildlife populations are now recovering well, there is still some way to go in achieving long-term sustainable management for the park and re-establishing viable populations of key species.

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Guinea) was added to the Danger list in 1992 due to a mining threat.

Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar) were added to the Danger list in 2010 on account of political and civil unrest throughout the country, the withdrawal of much international aid (including funds that were critical to the management of the various separate forests that make up the property), and an escalating problem of illegal timber cutting.

Air and Tenere Natural Reserves (Niger) was added to the Danger list in 1992 as the area fell under the control of rebel Tuareg groups and government lost control. Most of the large mammals and other endangered wildlife has subsequently been destroyed.

Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) was added to the Danger list in 2007 in response to a pervasive deterioration in management capacity and the decline of large mammal populations as a result of poaching. 

Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (Tanzania) were added to the Danger list in 2004 as a result of a general deterioration of the structures and lack of capacity to take remedial action.

Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda) was added to the Danger list in 2010 following its destruction by fire.

Timbuktu and the Tomb of Askia (Mali) were added to the Danger list in 2012 following the destruction of some of the ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu by religious extremists seeking to establish their own fundamentalist Islamist state in northern Mali

Sites Removed From The Danger List

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park (Uganda) was added to the Danger List in 1999 when a rebel insurgency resulted in loss of management control and closure of the park to visitors. Peace was subsequently restored and the park removed from the Danger List in 2004.

Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (Senegal) was included on the Danger List between 2000 and 2006 on the basis of threats from invasive species of aquatic plant, and problems of salinity and siltation associated with the construction of dams and sluices to control the flow of the Senegal River.

Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia) was included on the Danger List between 1996 and 2006 due to salinity problems resulting from the damming of inflowing rivers. This affected the ecology of the lake severely, reducing the quantity of freshwater plant life and the populations of over-wintering waterfowl. These have never fully recovered.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania) was one of the first sites to be inscribed on the List of World Heritage In Danger, from 1984-89, due to a deterioration in its general ecological condition resulting from poor management. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of Africa’s most important wildlife areas and a bold experiment in multiple land use. At its core is the world famous Ngorongoro Crater – a giant caldera in which the dramas of life on the African plains are played out each day by a diverse assemblage of large mammals – wildebeest, zebra, lion and rhino – in a primeval garden of Eden.

Beyond the crater rim, Maasai pastoralists herd their cattle across the plains, seemingly oblivious to the herds of wild animals sharing this vast landscape, the ‘endless plains’ of Serengeti. Lake-filled Empakaai crater and the active volcano of Oldonyo Lengai are nearby. The area is also of great significance in tracing the origins of mankind with excavations in the Oldupai Gorge and Laetoli, resulting in discoveries of fossil remains of Homo habilis, and 3.5 million-year old human footprints.

Twice a year ungulate herds migrate across the Serengeti to reach seasonal grazing grounds which stretch from the Ngorongoro highlands in the south to Kenya’s Masai Mara in the north. The migration includes herds of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles, followed by predators.

Meanwhile, The UN has recommended reforesting the greater Mt. Kilimanjaro area. It represents a collection of several ecosystems across Tanzania and even Kenya. These are some of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Millions of people and priceless biodiversity rely on these ecosystems for food, water and survival. Several local NGOs have stepped forward with action plans. Hope is on the horizon, but they need your help.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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By Frank Gregory, Director, Green Land Group

The greater Kilimanjaro region represents one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. If these multiple biomes fail, it will impact millions of people and biodiversity across several countries. Forest conservation, reforestation, sustainable agriculture and cross-border cooperation can help save this region in the face of climate change and surging populations.

In Tanzania, for example, Lushoto district is home to 50,000 people across several villages. Deforestation and land conversion to agriculture has been a huge problem—even in the Magamba Reserve—9,700 protected hectares in the Usambara Mountains.

Deforestation is causing desertification and a severe drop in local food production. Poverty and hunger threaten the survival of several communities. Biodiversity across the region also is threatened, as more critical habitat is lost each year to agriculture a sprawling human population.

To make matters worse, a war between crop farmers and livestock keepers erupted between 2008 and 2009. It destroyed agriculture lands and promoted soil erosion across the region. It also destroyed local irrigation systems, which is exasperating the problem. The Magamba Forest Reserve now experiences frequent fires. The rest of the forest is under siege to meet timber demands and charcoal production.

Our goal is to reforest degraded areas in the Usambara Mountains with indigenous trees and grasses. We also will promote agroforestry and sustainable agriculture, including fruit trees. We will plant 250,000 trees across the region. So far, we have planted 50,000 trees and restored more than 400 hectares in Lushoto District. If we achieve our goal, more than 2,000 animal species will regain their habitat, helping to restore biodiversity.

The projects will help provide clean drinking water, while empowering women with education and other resources. We also will distribute stoves that are more efficient and require less firewood. The projects will include all stakeholders, including farmers, beekeepers, landowners, local chiefs and Traditional Authorities, to district Forestry Commissions, Water Boards.

Planting the trees helps regulate the climate. At the same time, we want to improve agroforestry, water harvesting and livestock management. In Lushoto District, we plan to restore 10 water resources. This involves removing invasive species and materials and planting native trees around the resources to ensure their sustainable use.

The restoration project will help restore the Magamba Forest Reserve, while restoring the livelihood of the community of Lushoto district through more employment opportunities and increased food production.

There are many bird species in the area, including owls, swifts, Caprimulgus guttifer (Usambara nightjar) Bubo vosseleri (Usambara eagle owl), Neocossyehus poensis (White tailed ant-thrush), Turdus pelios (African thrush), Turdus roehli (Usambara thrush), Sheppardia Montana (Usambara akalat), Nectarinia usambaricus (Usambara sunbird), Ploceus melanogaster (Black billed weaver) and Pachyphates supperciliosus (Compact weaver). Local wildlife includes bush pig, black and white Colobus monkeys, rabbits, antelope and squirrels.

The Green Land Group assists local communities with their daily needs where it can have the largest sustainable impact. The proposed project will support communities to restore impacted areas providing alternative income sources through land restoration. The project is one of many that can help save critical ecosystems across East Africa, while helping us all defend the planted from global warming and climate change.

It costs $1.50 to grow each seedling and plant them properly.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Forests are critical to the way Earth functions. They lock up vast amounts of carbon and release oxygen. They influence rainfall, filter fresh water and prevent flooding and soil erosion. They produce wild foods, fuelwood and medicines for the people that live in and around them. They are storehouses of potential future crop varieties and genetic materials with untapped healing qualities.

Global deforestation rates in 2023 are still high, but there are some signs of progress. According to the Global Forest Watch, the world lost 22.8 million hectares of tree cover in 2022, which is equivalent to the size of Portugal. This is a slight decrease from 2021, but it is still significantly higher than the average deforestation rate of the past decade.

The rise in greenhouse gases, both human caused and natural, is contributing to unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which contributes to climate change, extreme weather and threats to life as we know it.

Deforestation also cripples our planet’s capacity to capture carbon from the atmosphere, while contributing to the loss of endangered species, including orangutans, tigers, elephants and many others.

The tropics account for the majority of global deforestation, with Brazil and Indonesia losing the most forest cover each year. However, deforestation is also a problem in other regions, such as Southeast Asia and Africa.

The main drivers of deforestation are agriculture, logging, and mining. Agriculture is responsible for about 70% of global deforestation, as farmers clear forests to create new land for crops and livestock. Logging and mining also contribute to deforestation, as they involve the removal of trees from large areas of land.

There are a number of underlying causes of deforestation, including:

• Economic development: As countries develop, there is an increased demand for land for agriculture, housing, and infrastructure. This can lead to deforestation, as forests are cleared to make way for these new developments.
• Population growth: As the world’s population grows, there is an increased demand for food and other resources. This can also lead to deforestation, as forests are cleared to produce more food and other goods.
• Poverty: Poverty is a major driver of deforestation, as people living in poverty may rely on deforestation for their livelihoods. For example, they may clear forests to farm, to sell timber, or to produce charcoal.
• Weak governance: Weak governance can also contribute to deforestation, as it can make it easier for people to illegally clear forests without facing consequences.

Effects Of Deforestation

Deforestation has a number of negative consequences for the environment and human society. Forests play a vital role in regulating the climate, protecting biodiversity, and providing clean water and air. Deforestation can also lead to soil erosion, landslides, and droughts. Here are some of the specific effects of deforestation:

• Climate change: Deforestation contributes to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When forests are cleared, this carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
• Biodiversity loss: Deforestation is a major threat to biodiversity. Forests are home to a wide variety of plants and animals. When forests are cleared, these plants and animals lose their habitat and are at risk of extinction.
• Water cycle disruption: Forests play an important role in the water cycle. They help to regulate rainfall, prevent flooding, and recharge groundwater supplies. Deforestation can disrupt the water cycle, leading to water shortages, droughts, and floods.
• Soil erosion: Deforestation can lead to soil erosion, as trees help to hold soil in place. When forests are cleared, soil is more likely to be washed away by rain and wind. This can lead to decreased soil fertility and crop yields, as well as an increased risk of landslides.

What can be done to reduce deforestation?

There are a number of things that can be done to reduce deforestation, including:

• Promote sustainable agriculture and forestry practices. This includes practices such as agroforestry, which involves planting trees and crops together, and sustainable logging, which involves harvesting trees in a way that does not damage the forest ecosystem.
• Reduce the consumption of products that contribute to deforestation. This includes products such as palm oil, beef, and soy. Consumers can choose to buy products that are certified sustainable, or they can choose to reduce their consumption of these products altogether.
• Support policies that protect forests and indigenous communities. Governments can play a role in reducing deforestation by enacting and enforcing laws that protect forests and by supporting indigenous communities who rely on forests for their livelihoods.
• Donate to organizations that are working to protect forests. There are a number of organizations working to protect forests around the world. Consumers can donate to these organizations to support their work.

Deforestation is a complex problem with no easy solutions. However, by taking the steps outlined above, we can help to reduce deforestation and protect the world’s forests for future generations.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Cities around the globe are home to about 50 percent of the world’s population, but cities generate 80 percent of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, not to mention other forms of pollution. Cities are consuming a disproportionate share of natural resources, as well.

Fortunately, many sustainable cities are taking steps to minimize their impacts on the environment and to minimize the threats that natural disasters pose to them. Urban forests are a vital part of the equation. Saving and planting trees strategically offers multiple benefits:

• Reduce Energy Consumption: Strategically placing more trees near residential and commercial properties will help minimize energy use. Trees can help to reduce energy demand for heating and cooling buildings. In the summer, trees provide shade, which can help to keep buildings cooler. In the winter, trees can block cold winds, which can help to keep buildings warmer;
• Carbon Sequestration: Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. This carbon is then stored in the tree’s wood and leaves. Urban forests can store a significant amount of carbon, helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions from other sources. Maximize tree placements along roadways, railways, and other open spaces to help offset carbon dioxide gases, while minimizing the heat-island effect along transportation corridors and in urban areas;
• Reduce Air Pollution: Trees can help to filter air pollution, while producing oxygen. This improves air quality and reduces the risk of respiratory problems for people living in cities;
• Protect Public Health: Studies have shown that living near trees and green spaces offers a number of health benefits, including reduced stress, improved mental health, and a lower risk of chronic diseases; and
• Reduce Heat Island Effect: Urban areas are usually warmer than surrounding rural areas, due to the presence of buildings and other infrastructure. This is known as the urban heat island effect. Trees can help reduce the urban heat island effect by providing shade and releasing water vapor into the air.

In addition, urban forests promote urban agroforestry initiatives, including produce grown in the trees and other crops grown under them. Urban forests also provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including mammals, birds, butterflies, and insects. This promotes biodiversity in cities and makes them more livable for people. Urban forests also provide places for people to gather, socialize, and recreate.

Urban forests play an important role in fighting climate change and making cities more sustainable and livable places.

Here are some examples of how urban forests are being used to fight climate change around the world:

In Los Angeles, California, the city has planted over 1 million trees since 2010. The goal is to plant 9 million trees by 2050. This would create one of the largest urban forests in the world and help to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 25 percent.

In Singapore, the city government will plant one million trees by 2030. The city has already planted over 500,000 trees, and it is on track to reach its goal. Singapore’s urban forest helps to reduce the city’s temperature and improve air quality.

In Medellín, Colombia, the city has planted over 5 million trees in the last 20 years. This has helped to reduce the city’s temperature by 2 degrees Celsius and improve air quality. Medellín’s urban forest is now a model for other cities around the world. These are just a few examples of how urban forests are fighting global warming and climate change. As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, urban forests will play an even more important role in mitigating the effects of climate change and making cities more sustainable and livable places.

More examples of urban forests fighting climate change

• Chicago, Illinois has a goal of planting 75,000 trees per year. The city has also created a “heat island mitigation plan” that includes increasing tree cover in low-income communities of color, which are often disproportionately affected by the heat island effect;
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a goal of doubling its tree canopy by 2050;
• Austin, Texas has a goal of planting 1 million trees by 2030. The city has also created a “heat island mitigation plan” that includes planting trees in strategic locations to reduce the urban heat island effect;
• Portland, Oregon has a goal of planting 3 million trees by 2030; and
• Seattle, Washington has a goal of planting 30 percent of its land area with trees.

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, urban forests will play an even more important role in mitigating the effects of climate change and making cities more sustainable and livable places.

In addition to the cities listed above, here are more examples:

• Melbourne, Australia has a goal of planting 5 million trees by 2030.
• London, England has a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 25 percent by 2025.
• Berlin, Germany has a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 40 percent by 2030.
• Paris, France has a goal of planting 100,000 trees by 2030.
• Tokyo, Japan has a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 30 percent by 2030.

These are just a few examples of the many cities around the world that are using urban forests to fight climate change. Urban forests are a powerful tool that can help cities mitigate the effects of climate change, improve air quality, and make cities more livable and sustainable places.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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The U.S. is on the brink of making a historic investment in farmers, ranchers and rural communities, helping them cut emissions, prepare for climate impacts that are already here, and create good jobs along the way.

The Inflation Reduction Act — which passed the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and which President Biden is expected to sign into law in the coming days — will direct about $20 billion toward agricultural conservation programs and nearly $14 billion toward clean energy for rural America.

To stabilize the climate and maintain a safe, vibrant planet, we need to transition to climate-smart agriculture and clean energy. This bill will expedite efforts already underway and jumpstart new ones. Here are the most impactful climate investments in rural America. 

Opens Up Conservation Programs

U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs are oversubscribed. On average, three farmers want to participate for every slot available. With this additional funding, USDA can hold the door open a little bit wider, letting more farmers participate in conservation programs. These are farmers who have already bought in to the value of conservation but need financial assistance or technical assistance to make the transition. This increased funding should get climate-smart practices on the ground quickly.  

Just as important, climate mitigation is now a stated priority for these conservation programs, with guidance in the bill to prioritize practices that reduce methane and nitrous oxide and help sequester carbon in soils. These programs will continue to prioritize other vitally important conservation outcomes like clean water when reviewing farmer applications, but now, climate change will be on the list too.

The farm bill — a mammoth bill that comes up every five years and determines much about what we eat and how it’s grown — is the largest source of funding for conservation on private lands. It’s a powerful vehicle for cutting emissions and building resilience nationwide.

The Inflation Reduction Act funds existing conservation program funds authorized by the 2018 farm bill. That means that as Congress writes the 2023 farm bill, funding for the conservation title is assured. Instead of focusing on preserving the amount of conservation funding available, energy can be directed toward creative ideas to advance climate-smart farming.

This new conservation funding provides enormous potential for agricultural producers and environmentalists to work together on incentive-based solutions that are durable and equitable.

Measure climate progress

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $300 million for USDA’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy to set up a program to measure the climate impact of conservation programs managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. These funds can be used for aggregating and analyzing existing data or conducting new research to improve on-farm and regional measurement, reporting and verification. 

This is the decisive decade for knowing what climate future we’re locked into. Having dedicated funds for measuring progress is incredibly important for farmers, ranchers, taxpayers and the climate. The results will help shape future investment decisions.

Clean energy

One of the most impactful portions of the Inflation Reduction Act, for both rural economies and climate change, is the $14 billion investment in helping farms and rural electric coops transition to clean energy.  

This will create an estimated 90,000 good jobs in rural communities, which have seen thousands of jobs migrate to cities in recent decades. This won’t reverse the trend on its own, but it will jumpstart economic revitalization and opportunity. It’s also one of the largest emissions reductions opportunities in the bill and will make rural electric grids more reliable and resilient. 

These investments in rural America show that the U.S. is serious about reducing climate risks and expanding opportunities to be part of the climate solution. Over the coming decades, we will all benefit from lower pollution and more resilient economies and food supplies. 

Read the full story about Rural America and Climate Change

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Tulsi Gowind Gowda, a 72-year-old environmentalist from India, has planted more than 30,000 trees and has been involved in environmental conservation activities for more than 60 years.

As a member of the Halakki indigenous tribe in Karnataka, Gowda comes from a poor family. Now 73 years old, she never received a formal education, but she is respected as the Encyclopedia of the Forest because of her impressive knowledge of trees, herbs and plants.

Karnataka is a state in South India known for its popular ecotourism destinations. Since she was 12, Gowda has nurtured and planted thousands of trees to help restore and protect the region.

As a young adult, Gowda cared for the seeds that were grown and harvested at the Karnataka Forestry Department. She specifically cared for the seeds destined for the Agasur seedbed. Gowda worked at the nursery alongside her mother for 35 years. She retired at the age of 70.

At the nursery, she worked to aid the afforestation efforts of the forest department by using her traditional knowledge of the land. She has not just planted saplings that will grow to help the world at large, but she has also worked to prevent poachers and many forest fires from destroying local biodiversity.

At the age of 73, Gowda continues to nurture plants and shares her vast knowledge with the younger generation to help spread the importance of environmental conservation.

In 2020, she earned the prestigious Padma Shri award for defending critical ecosystems. President Ram Nath Kovind presented Gowda with India’s fourth-highest civilian award at a special ceremony. After winning the award, Gowda explained that she is honored to have received the Padma Shri, but she values the forests and trees even more.

In addition to her extensive tenure at the Karnataka Forestry Department, Gowda has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in seed development and conservation. In 1986, she received the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award, also known as the IPVM award, which recognizes pioneering and innovative contributions made by individuals or institutions in the field of afforestation and wasteland development.

In 1999, Gowda received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, sometimes known as the Kannada Rayjotsava Award, and it is the “second highest civilian honor of the Karnataka state of India.” The Karnataka Rajyotsava award is given yearly to citizens over age 60 of Karnataka State who is distinguished in their respective fields. In 1999, Gowda was 1 of 68 people to receive this award and she was 1 of 2 people to receive it for contributions to the environment.

Gowda is known by environmentalists as the “Encyclopedia of Forest” and by her tribe as the “tree goddess” because of her extensive knowledge of the forest and all of the plants that grow within it. She is renowned for her ability to identify the mother tree of every species of tree in the forest no matter its location. Mother trees are significant because of their age and size which make them the most connected nodes in the forest. These underground nodes are used to connect mother trees with saplings and seedlings as the mother tree exchanges nitrogen and nutrients. 

Gowda is also a master of seed collecting. Seed collecting is the extraction of seeds from mother trees in order to regenerate and regrow entire plant species. It is a very difficult process as the seeds must be collected at the peak of germination from the mother tree in order to ensure the survival of the seedlings and Gowda is able to decipher this exact time. This extraction of seeds is particularly useful within the Karnataka Forestry Department as they describe their four main goals as “regulatory, protection, conservation, and sustainable management.”

It is astounding how Gowda gathered her extensive knowledge of the forest. When asked about it, she says that she “speaks the language of the forest.” 

Her tribe, the Halakki Vokkaliga, also has a deeply rooted heritage where the matriarchy is connected to nature and is in charge of caring for the land. Gowda’s lasting commitment to her community, citing the fact that Gowda has planted and identified over 300 medicinal plants that have since been used to treat ailments within their village.

Although Gowda has retired from the Karnataka Forestry Department, she has dedicated the rest of her life to teaching the children of her village about the importance of the forest as well as how to find and care for seeds. Outside of environmentalism, Gowda has also championed women’s rights within her village.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Half of the world’s population lives in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change. That means that 3.6 billion people could become refugees in search of food, water and shelter. Such a mass migration will not end well.

A quarter of the world’s natural landscapes now face longer fire seasons as a result of global warming and changes in precipitation. Scientists have shown that degraded ecosystems are more likely to burn.

Global warming and biodiversity loss promote more deadly wildfires. As both problems escalate, scientists are racing to understand all of the ways that climate change and biodiversity loss are already compounding one another – and how the world can deploy solutions that tackle both.

Many of the options on the table for tackling climate change, such as stopping deforestation and restoring natural ecosystems, would come with obvious benefits for biodiversity. However, other proposed climate solutions, such as burning crops for energy, ar not the answer.

Addressing climate change will be crucial for the natural world. One in 10 species is likely to face a very high risk of extinction at 2C of global warming, the upper limit of the Paris Agreement. This rises to 15 percent at 5C.

Though the overlap between the two challenges is becoming clearer, politicians still tackle each problem separately. The next biodiversity summit, COP15, is due to take place in China later this year after several postponements, while the next climate summit, COP27, will take place in Egypt in November. 

Both climate change and biodiversity loss are already causing severe impacts for people.

Average global temperatures have risen by 1.2C since the start of the industrial era, while CO2 in the atmosphere is at its highest level in at least two million years, according to the world’s climate authority, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 

This has caused an increase in weather and climate extremes in every world region.

Human-caused climate change is already influencing the severity of extreme events, such as heat waves, floods and wildfires. For example, the deadly heat sweeping India and Pakistan in 2022 was made 30 times more likely by climate change. In addition, extreme flooding in Western Europe in 2021, which killed 220 people in Germany and Belgium, was made up to nine times more likely by climate change.

Depending on what actions humanity takes to tackle climate change, 50-75% of the global population could face “life-threatening” extreme heat by the end of the century, the IPCC says. Tropical coral reefs, which provide food or income to half a billion people, are projected to disappear if temperatures exceed 1.5C, the aspiration of the Paris Agreement.

The world’s most marginalized communities are suffering disproportionately from the impacts of climate change. This is despite the fact that most emissions come from a wealthy few. Carbon Brief analysis shows the US and Europe have together produced nearly half of all the CO2 that has been released into the atmosphere since the start of the industrial era.

The loss of biodiversity across the world is also having a major impact on people.

While many people associate the term “biodiversity” with iconic species and tropical forests, it actually covers much more than this, explains Dr Nathalie Pettorelli, a senior research fellow at the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology. 

“Biodiversity is everything that defines our living world,” she said. “It’s not only species – it’s ecosystems, it’s habitats, it’s the genetic makeup of individuals. It’s how communities assemble to be something bigger than the sum of their parts.”

The variety of living things found on Earth is crucial to human survival, explains Dr Charlie Outhwaite, a postdoctoral research associate at the Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research at University College London.

“It’s not just nice to have biodiversity on the planet, it also provides a lot of important things,” Outhwaite said. “Biodiversity is important for the pollination of crops, for maintaining nutrients in the soil and for maintaining water quality that we need to water crops. If we lose biodiversity, we lose a lot of the benefits that humans rely on.” 

While the pace of climate change can be measured through global temperature rise and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, understanding the extent of human-caused biodiversity loss is far more complex. This is largely because humans can affect biodiversity in myriad, far-reaching ways – for example, by destroying habitats, causing species extinctions or converting diverse ecosystems to monocultures. (Climate change also poses a major risk to biodiversity.) While human-caused climate change became evident in the 1800s, biodiversity loss has occurred since the dawn of human civilization. We simply filed it under the theme of evolution.

Biodiversity loss is now at an unprecedented level because of human activities. An important report released in 2019 from the world’s biodiversity authority, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), found that one million animal and plant species now face extinction. At least 680 vertebrate species have already been driven to extinction since the 16th century.

A separate report from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) released this year found that human activities have already altered 70 percent of the Earth’s land surface, degrading up to 40 percent of it. Four of the nine “planetary boundaries” – limits on how humans can safely use Earth’s resources – have already been exceeded, according to the report. The report also said that, across the world, populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish decreased by an average of 68 percent between 1970 and 2016. In tropical central and South America, animal populations fell by 94 percent.

This biodiversity loss has consequences for people. An estimated $44tn – roughly half the world’s annual economic output – is currently being put at risk by the depletion of natural resources, according to the UNCCD. The loss of pollinator species specifically threatens global crops worth $577bn per year. The loss of coastal habitats that provide a natural buffer against extreme weather events has put 100-300 million people at an increased risk of floods and hurricanes. If the unsustainable use of land continues to 2050, an additional 16m square kilometers – an area the size of South America – could be degraded globally.

And research shows that climate change could become the largest risk facing biodiversity sometime this century. Much like climate change, the global challenge of biodiversity loss is defined by large geographic and economic disparities. According to the UK Natural History Museum’s biodiversity intactness index, high levels of biodiversity loss has occurred in regions including the UK and Ireland, parts of western Europe and stretches of North America. By contrast, areas with high levels of biodiversity tend to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and parts of Asia.

Meanwhile, marginalized groups today play a disproportionate role in protecting the world’s biodiversity. For example, Indigenous peoples represent around 6 percent of the global population, yet act as stewards over 40 percent of intact ecosystems and protected areas.

Humans are responsible for driving both climate change and biodiversity loss.

For example, in 2019, CO2 from the fossil fuel industry accounted for 64 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuel extraction also poses a major threat to biodiversity, both directly through the destruction of ecosystems and indirectly by driving climate change.

Humans’ impact on land – primarily for food production – is also a major driver of both climate change and biodiversity loss. Food systems – a catch-all term to describe the way humans produce, process, transport and consume food – are the leading driver of biodiversity loss and also account for 29 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to UNCCD.

Animal agriculture has a large climate impact. Meat and dairy accounts for around 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Beef has a greater climate impact than any other food. One major reason for this is cows are ruminant animals, meaning they belch out the potent greenhouse gas methane when digesting food. 

Another reason is that meat production requires vast areas of land to be converted for grazing or to grow animal feed. Because of this, livestock production takes up nearly 80 percent of global agricultural land, despite supplying less than 20 percent of the world’s calories. This land conversion also makes animal agriculture a profound driver of biodiversity loss. A study published in 2018 found that the mass of animals raised for slaughter on Earth now outweighs wild mammal populations by a factor of 15-to-1.

The destruction of tropical forests for livestock production has a particularly severe climate and biodiversity impact. This is because tropical forests store a quarter of all land carbon and supporting two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity.

In addition to cattle rearing, tropical forests are also cleared for palm oil production, logging, mining and other exploitative activities. A recent report found that, in 2021 alone, humans cut down 3.75m hectares of tropical forest – creating emissions equivalent to those caused by India’s annual fossil fuel use. In addition to tropical forests, humans are fast degrading other carbon-rich and diverse ecosystems, including tropical mangroves, grasslands and underwater kelp forests.

At the root of both climate change and biodiversity loss is overconsumption of Earth’s resources, says Professor Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy.

“The interlinking nature of these crises is all due to humans’ unsustainable use of resources,” she said. “We have been living as if the world were infinite and flat. And it isn’t.”

In addition to climate change and biodiversity loss sharing common drivers, each global challenge can worsen the other. While humans’ impact on land remains the chief driver of biodiversity loss, climate change is playing an increasingly large role. The IPCC’s most recent assessment of the impacts of climate change concluded that warming has already caused “substantial damages and increasing irreversible losses to land ecosystems across every region of the world.”

“The climate is changing faster now than any time in the history of humans on this planet,” she said. “It’s changing faster than all plant and animal species that currently exist have ever experienced as well. So climate change is a threat multiplier for biodiversity.”

As temperatures increase and rainfall changes, some species are being forced to seek out new areas with climate conditions they are able to tolerate. A scientific review of 40,000 species across the world published in 2008 found that around half are already on the move as a result of changing climate conditions.

Many species are seeking cooler temperatures by moving towards Earth’s poles. Land animals are moving toward the poles at an average rate of 10 miles per decade, whereas marine species are moving at a rate of 45 miles per decade.

This global movement of species in response to warming will have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, explains Professor Hans-Otto Poertner, head of biosciences at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and co-chair of the IPCC’s climate impacts assessment.

“It’s habitat modification – by the warming climate making species move to higher altitudes, higher latitudes or deeper waters. This does not happen to the same extent for all species. So we’re getting new ecosystems. The projection is that this leads to a decline in species numbers, abundance and overall biomass.”

The reshuffling of ecosystems could be creating new risks, including increased opportunities for animals to spread their viruses. Increased virus sharing between animals could in turn boost the chances of a “zoonotic spillover” – the passing of harmful pathogens from animals to humans. Read the full story via the link below and thanks to Carbon Brief.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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There’s only one place left on the planet where tigers, elephants, orangutans, and rhinos live together in the wild—the Leuser Ecosystem World Heritage Site on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Clouded leopards, pangolins, macaques, hornbills, sun bears, and unique butterflies also call the region home.

The greater Leuser Ecosystem spans 6 million acres, almost three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. It includes lowland and highland rainforests, nine rivers, three lakes, and more than 185,000 hectares of carbon-rich peat. One of the last remaining intact rainforests in all of Indonesia, it is a crucial source of clean drinking water and agricultural livelihoods for more than four million people. Gunung Leuser is named after one of the mountains, which rises prominently in the northwest region of the park.

There are less than 80 wild Sumatran rhinos in the world. Most of them live in the Leuser region. At most, there are 400 Sumatran tigers alive in the wild. More than 100 live in Leuser. About 85 percent of the world’s critically endangered Sumatran orangutans call this forest home. There are almost 4,000 species of plants residing in Southeast Asia’s largest expanse of rainforest. It hosts 380 species of birds, 194 reptiles and amphibians and nearly 130 species of mammals.

As Sumatra’s forests are destroyed, it becomes more likely that Sumatran orangutans will become the first great ape to go extinct. 

It was designated a national park in 1980, one of the first five in the country. The park represents the largest forest block in northern Sumatra. This rainforest is a treasure of biodiversity, but it’s highly endangered. The threats have accelerated since the end of the civil war in northern Sumatra. Post-war stability has encouraged the rapid invasion of commercial interests. Elephants and tigers are being slaughtered for their skins and tusks. It’s insane.

Between 1985 and 2009, half of Sumatra’s forests were destroyed. The decimation continues today. Despite its protected status, Leuser has lost 20 percent of its lowland forests to illegal commercial activities in the past five years. The forest will be gone in 20 years.

Illegal palm oil plantations are the greatest threat to this unique ecosystem. As global demand for palm oil rises, oil palm growers convert more jungle into plantations, which are not friends of biodiversity. This critical ecosystem has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger. In addition to palm oil, it faces accelerating threats from logging, mining, and new roads.

Due to the wide range of biodiversity in Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP) and considering its importance to the world, GLNP is included in Biosphere Reserve and Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra by UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area also includes Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve.

Read The Full Story About Illegal Deforestation In Gunung Leuser National Park

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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