Last stand for Europe's remaining ancient forest as loggers prepare to move in

theguardian.com ^ | 18 May 2016 | Arthur Neslen

[Berlin_Freeper]

Europe’s last primeval forest is facing what campaigners call its last stand as loggers prepare to start clear-cutting trees, following the dismissal of dozens of scientists and conservation experts opposed to the plan.

Poland’s new far right government says logging is needed because more than 10% of spruce trees in the Unesco world heritage site of Białowieża are suffering from a bark beetle outbreak. But nearly half the logging will be of other species, according to its only published inventory.

Oak trees as high as 150 feet that have grown for 450 years could be reduced to stumps under the planned threefold increase in tree fells. Białowieża hosts Europe’s largest bison population and wolves and lynx still roam freely across its sun-mottled interior. Its foliage stretches for nearly 1,000 square miles across the border between Poland and Belarus.

Beneath its green canopy, sunlight filters down on to a panorama of skyscraper trees soaring as much as 180 feet into the air, swampy water pools dammed by beavers, and psychedelic fungi that sprout from tree trunks.

But a recently-passed logging law to allow work to begin on the old-growth forest has divided families, and led to death threats against campaigners and allegations of an “environmental coup” by state interests linked to the timber trade. The logging in Białowieża is expected to raise about 700m złotys (£124m), and pave the way for extensive and more lucrative tree clearances.

Sources say that internal government discussions have already begun on extending the new timber regime to the national park, which covers 17% of the forest and has been untouched by humans since the ice age.

[Paladin2]

Forests are sustaneable.

[dfwgator]

Long overdue.

[Carriage Hill]

The Psychedelic Fungi Association is upset.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Białowieża Forest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Named oaks

My daughter communing ("I am your greatest fan") last week with her favorite neighborhood tree, she calls: Lady Tree.

[Little Ray]

Sounds like a necessary evil to me.
Just so long as they plant new trees behind them.

[dfwgator]

It will save the forest from a devastating fire down the road.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yep. There are now more forests in the US than any time since the revolution.

[cyclotic]

Trees are nothing but a slow growing crop.

[dfwgator]

Poland’s new far right government

Of course they just had to get that "far right" jab in there.

[Snickering Hound]

[piasa]

Beneath its green canopy, sunlight filters down on to a panorama of skyscraper trees soaring as much as 180 feet into the air, ...

The way that's written it sounds like the 180 foot trees are the understory. Maybe the author's a little too emotional to think straight.

[GingisK]

The fire in Yellowstone proved that those natural events are actually good for the forest in the long run.

[Little Ray]

And save other trees from the borer beetle.

[dfwgator]

Reminds me of the Cold War when all of the propaganda films accused the CIA of dumping Potato Beetles to kill the crops in the Satellite countries.

[immadashell]

Can they selectively cut diseased and damaged trees? There has to be an alternative to “clean cut,”

[piasa]

"Untouched by humans since the last ice age"

From Wikipedia: Before 1426 a wooden hunting manor for king Władysław Jagiełło was built in the middle of the Białowieża Forest on the Lutownia stream. It was most probably one of the first permanent settlements in the area, although the forest was already penetrated by hunters from the nearby areas and by the king himself... Hunter's manor - the oldest surviving building in Białowieża From 1538 the forest was protected by the laws of king Sigismund I the Old. However, until the times of John Casimir the forest was mostly unpopulated. Sporadic settlements were established in various places, but the manor in Białowieża was the only one to be permanent. In the late 17th century, several small villages were started for development of local iron ore deposits and tar production.../snip

[agere_contra]

The Ents will wake up and realize that they are strong.

[Paladin2]

Turning trees into lumber keeps the C locked up and apparently younger trees suck up more CO2/acre. Cut down ~0.5%/yr and then taper off after 50 years.

[Paladin2]

Solar energy plants...