Forests are the lungs of the planet; they regulate the climate, yield water, protect soils, provide habitat for fauna and flora. But often they are undervalued and destruction of indigenous forests is, sadly, still a common occurrence.
The famous cloud forests of the tropical Andes in the Intag Valley are under threat right now. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa is about to auction the area for mining, an activity which will not only leave behind toxic water, but it will also drive endangered species to extinction, and it will kill the forest forever. One of the crucial species, the longnose harlequin frog, not seen since the 1980s, was found again in 2016 and has since become a symbol of defiance against mining plans in the Intag Valley.
Climate change and habitat loss are major factors in the decline of indigenous rare frogs. These do not seem to be of interest to politicians in either Ecuador or in New Zealand. And yet, they are prolific insect eaters, perfect natural pest control agents and play a significant role in controlling, for example, mosquitoes that carry diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
Key biodiverse areas in Argentina, Brazil, China and Mexico top the rankings for total surface mining areas. These areas are the planet’s most precious natural capital.
Mining companies are notorious for not sharing their environmental impacts. Nowadays, satellite imagery helps researchers to assess the footprint of mining and associated environmental degradation. To be able to show these negative aspects of mining may possibly reduce the number of investors in this industry.
Many values of forests remain invisible. Cash-based transactions are captured as conventional economic indicators. Informal employment and ecosystem services are generally excluded from national accounts. This results in undervaluation and underinvestment into forests.
According to the Global Forest Watch, New Zealand had 9.65m hectares of natural forest covering over 43% of our land area in 2010. We have continued to lose natural forest every year since. In 2023, we lost 7460ha of natural forest.
According to Niwa (2017) New Zealand’s forests and other land areas may be absorbing up to 60% more CO2 than has been calculated, with much of this uptake likely occurring in native forests.
Forest canopy collapse is a major threat. Wild animals such as deer, goats and wallabies are increasingly stripping the understorey including tree saplings, the future canopy trees, in many forests. These invaders are in direct competition with native insects, reptiles and birds. Wild animals are undermining efforts to tackle carbon emissions by destroying plant diversity.
We owe it to future generations to protect our native forest, not plunder them.
- Ines Stager is a landscape architect based in Geraldine, and a committee member of the local branch of the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society.
