[LUM#21] The Call of the Wild
Whether tropical, boreal, or temperate, forests cover 31% of the Earth’s land surface. That’s more than enough reason to devote all 31 pages of this 21st issue of Lum magazine, published in February 2024, to them.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines forests as “areas of land covering more than 0.5 hectares, with trees reaching a height of more than 5 meters and a forest cover of more than 10%.” They are found on every continent, in the north and south, from the small islands of the Pacific to the vast steppes of Central Asia.
In the first part of this magazine, we invite you to explore these rich and fragile ecosystems, from Canada’s cold forests threatened by megafires to the lush mangroves of French Guiana, and the island forests vulnerable to hurricanes. We’ll also examine how France’s expanding forests are coping with climate change. The forest is also a complete ecosystem that is home to the majority of terrestrial biodiversity—a topic to which we dedicate the second part of this magazine. This biodiversity is brought to light through iconic species such as the Pyrenean bear. Critically endangered, it is now the subject of extensive monitoring, in which modelers are participating to facilitate censuses and better understand its distribution.
At the other end of the spectrum is the wild boar, whose populations are steadily increasing. A source of conflict and an easy target for hunters—who kill 800,000 of them annually, compared to 50,000 in the 1980s—researchers are now working to facilitate integrated management of this highly social animal. Another hunt is underway: the pursuit of viruses that scientists are tracking down with the help of valuable allies: ants. Finally, and most importantly, the forest still shelters men and women, such as the Bakas of Cameroon, who seek refuge there when everything conspires to drive them out.
Despite all these benefits, forests are paying the price for decades of human activity: between 1990 and 2020, deforestation led to the loss of 420 million hectares of forest, according to a report published in 2022 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). To help protect these essential areas, the Green Climate Fund and the European Green Deal are mobilizing a wide range of policy and legal instruments. In particular, new strict criteria will be applied to prevent unsustainable forest exploitation and protect areas of high biodiversity. In our third part, ecologists, soil specialists, as well as tax experts and economists share the results of their research, which contributes to preserving our planet’s green lungs.
Explore these forests by reading the 21st issue of Lum magazine, now available in an augmented version, which gives you access to UM’s podcasts: “Science at UM” and “Lumlu.”
(If you would like to receive a print copy ofLum, please send an email to the communications department with your contact information and mailing address.)
Articles in this issue
Wallpaper
