- +27 60 370 9893
- info@blueblueearth.co.za
Menu
Questions & Answers
The UN defines a forest as an area of a minimum of 500m², with a tree cover of 10-30%.
Sustainable forest planting is any method that mimics forests while being sensitive to the ecosystem one wants to plant in. It should minimize potential harm to the local environment, including the people who reside in the area identified for forest planting.
If left alone, forests have the capacity to regenerate themselves. This is Archaela’s preferred method of forest protection and requires national and international heritage or sustainability status being given to particularly sensitive forest areas.
Reforestation refers to growing a forest in the spaces where the original natural forest has been cut back. To be sustainable reforestation projects mimic the original forest. Some people have been known to dedicate a lifetime to reforest an area. A quicker way, using volunteers, is explained in the following video:
Volunteers plant trees to revitalise South African forest:
While no tree or forest planting can ever replace the value of a natural forest, planting trees outside of forest areas makes tree planting a potential threat to the sustainability of other natural ecosystems. Because tree and forest planting add pressure to other biomes, ecosystems and habitats, afforestation projects require careful design.
What’s wrong with planting new forests? – BBC News
Deforestation refers to destruction of natural forests. This may be the result of logging, clearing forest land for agricultural purposes or building infrastructure such as roads and industrial plants. This cutting back or burning down of natural forests leads to a decrease in air production. If you are interested in a fuller explanation view:
The destruction of the Amazon, explained below in the video
Afforestation refers to planting forests in originally non-forested areas. This usually happens around human habitations, from cities to remote rural villages and farms. Johannesburg’s urban forest is an example of afforestation in a seasonal wetland and grassland biome. To make these projects sustainable requires multi-disciplinary input and adherence to holistic best practices.
A popular method of afforestation is the Miyawaki method:
Growing Mini Forest in the Backyard / Growing Forest Fast with Miyawaki Afforestation/ CF02/01
Miyawaki Method of Plantation / Afforestation / Akira Miyawaki / Man Made Forest / urban forest