Challenges of Sustainability
- There are a number of threats to the taiga including:
- Logging
- Mining
- Drilling for oil and gas
- Acid rain
- Pests and diseases
- Wildfires
- Management of these threats is a challenge because:
- In 2014 deforestation cleared 12 million hectares in Siberia alone, much of this was illegal logging
- In 2009 US oil pipelines were responsible for the spillage of 2 million gallons of oil into the environment
- Increasing demand for energy is leading to more exploration of the taiga for oil and gas
- Many taiga species migrate and so do not stay within protected areas
- Acid rain travels over long distances and so the cause needs to be tackled at the source not within the taiga
Sustainable management of the taiga
- Sustainable forestry: where in areas of logging the area is replanted with native species (afforestation) and natural forests are not converted into tree plantations
- It balances the needs of the current population, environment, wildlife and indigenous communities whilst ensuring that the forests are maintained for future generations
- Ensures that the forests are replanted at a faster rate than they are used
- Boreal Forest Platform (BFP): is an example of industry (IKEA) together with NGOs such as WWF working together to ensure logging can continue without the loss of biodiversity or intact forests
- National parks and protected areas: areas protected by the government to conserve the wildlife, environment and resources for indigenous communities, examples include:
- The proposed Dvinsky Reserve in Russia will protect over 300,000 hectares of intact forest
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park protects 75% of the taiga in northern Cape Breton, Canada
- Designated wilderness areas: in the USA in these areas motorised vehicles are banned, as are logging and road building
National parks and protected areas in Alaska, USA