in the trenches/forest
2. Web Resources
World Conservation Monitoring CenterThis indispensible site is brought to you by people who like data. Excellent maps and statistics on forests in over 80 countries, with information on protected areas and certified sustainable forest operations. The WCMC works with many international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, and has information on innumerable international forest monitoring projects, with a focus on data collection & analysis and mapping.
The Forest Partnership: The Sustainable Forests DirectoryForest links uber alles! These guys have done their homework on websites. Emphasis is on sustainable forestry, but with links to the forest products industry, certification organizations, environmental groups, foundations, government, magazines and other publications, meeting announcements, research organizations, and WWW directories, it's like being a logger in a stand of old-growth. Hack away.
Society of American Foresters: Forest Ecology Working GroupIt's day 73 in your protestor's platform 120 feet up a Douglas Fir. It's raining (again!), things are a little tedious, and you're wondering what these little creatures are that keep floating by your solitary roost. Fortunately, you've got your laptop, a cellular modem connection, and the address for this website, which tells you that those are aeroplankton covering your keyboard in a fine coating of organic goo. Yes, this site has an invaluable glossary of forest ecology terms, almost 500 pages, which will give you the meaning of words from treeline to watershed, amensalism to xeric. Don't enter the woods without it.
From the agency that manages over 190 million acres of forestland. Very heavy on data and reports, primarily those issued by the Forest Service itself. A number of databases and forest issues, extensive maps on publications on U.S. national forests, and descriptions of the Forest Service's international programs are all helpful. An excellent place to start if looking for information on two currently prominent debates: forest health and forest fire.
University of Minnesota, Forestry Library: Social Sciences in Forestry gopherThis is a Golden Gopher server for the "Social Sciences in Forestry" annotated bibliography distributed by the Forestry Library, College of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. Briefly annotated descriptions of thousands of academic articles going back to 1985, organized into 39 topical areas covering all aspects of forests and forestry.
University of Minnesota, Forestry Library: Tropical Forestry gopherAnother Golden Gopher, this one on tropical forests, with briefly annotated academic articles (again, thousands) organized into ten issues specifically focused on tropical forestry.
World Wide Web Virtual Library: ForestryLinks to numerous governmental, private sector, academic, and non-profit sites related to forests. Of particular value are the governmental links (which connect to governmental agencies all over the world), links to international agencies (including U.N. agencies and research institutions and the multi-lateral development banks) and links to private sector companies.
Food and Agriculture OrganizationA wealth of database information on forests. Two statistical databases are very useful: FAOSTAT (country data on wood, paper, & pulp production) and Forest Resources Assessment (assessments of forest resources in over 100 countries, including data sets which measure baseline forest coverage). Also has other databases, including a Directory of Forest Research Organizations (lists over 740 organizations in 115 countries), a Directory of Forestry Education and Training Institutions, a Directory of Forestry Extension Organizations (currently under development), and several others. Plus: here is where you go to download the entire "State of the World's Forests 1997", a 200-page comprehensive report of global forests.
Non-governmental research organization with databases that include an overview of European forests (with a map), tabular and graphical details about European forests, and detailed information on global timber trade flows. Links to data sets, databases, and maps of 11 other international organizations.
International Union of Forestry Research OrganizationsInternational scientific union open to all organizations and individuals involved in forestry research. Objectives are to promote international cooperation in forestry and forest products research, primarily through its 270 specialized Working Units in eight technical divisions. Contact information on 700 member organizations, plus links to many other resources.
The Woods Hole Research CenterOne of the premier small forestry research organizations in the world. Excellent information on two global hotspots for forest issues: the Amazon and Siberia. Landcover Map of South America, based on satellite imagery, details on WHRC's work in the region, and links to Brazilian partner institutions. Satellite-based Forest Cover Map of the Former Soviet Union and an explanation of current forest conservation efforts there. The site also has good primers on Tropical Forest Ecology and the Global Carbon Cycle.
Ecological Enterprises: Gaia Forest Conservation Archives
A veritable smorgasbord of forest information and links to forest websites, primarily but not exclusively focused on tropical forests. Literally thousands of articles on forests, organized geographically and topically. Tends to espouse the more activist/radical end of forest issues and encourages browsers to get involved through action alerts and two forest email lists.
NASA Landsat Pathfinder: Humid Tropical Forest Inventory ProjectSuper-detailed satellite imagery maps of most of the world's humid tropical forests. Unfortunately, despite detailed data, the maps produced are not of much use as they appear on a normal computer screen. Index numbers are provided for all maps, however, and contact information is given.
International Tropical Timber OrganizationIncludes the ITTO's Annual Review and Assessment of the Tropical Timber Situation, which has comprehensive information on the current status of trade in tropical timber products. Current market prices for every imaginable tropical timber product from every country, updated every two weeks.
More on Forests:
Table of Contents | Twelve Hundred Words or Less... | Web Resources
Activist Groups | Voices | New in the Literature
Hotspots | On the Other Hand... | Funders