Forest Tent Caterpillar – Malacosoma Disstria

Hosts Sugar maple, birch, oak, aspen and other deciduous. Evidence Shiny brown egg masses are present from July until early spring of the following year. They differ from those of eastern tent caterpillar in having square edges, and they completely encircle the twigs of host trees. Larvae, which are present in early spring, have distinctive … Read more

Shaggy Moss “Electrified Cat’s Tail Moss”

General – wide-spreading masses; dark- to bright-green or yellowish-green; up to 10 cm tall. Leaves – stem leaves egg- to heart-shaped, with a long tapered and pointed tip. Sporophytes – cylindrical, curved capsules, horizontal to hanging; stalks reddish-brown. Habitat On humus, mineral or organic soils, rotting logs and stumps; mostly in fresh to wet, moderately … Read more

Plume Moss “Knight’s Plume”

General – green to golden-green, 3 – 12 cm long; branches somewhat upright to drooping, symmetrical, feather, tapered; plumes ‘well-groomed’; forms decorative mats. Leaves – branch leaves pleated, egg-shaped, to 2 mm long, all curled towards branch below; stem leaves pleated, curled towards stem base. Sporophytes – stalk reddish, 2 – 4.5 cm long; capsule … Read more

Forest Management in Russia

Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Russia has 22% of the world’s forest area (as defined by FAO – the most in the world. By comparison, the next largest forest countries are: Brazil with 16%, Canada 7% and U.S. 6 % of the world’s forest cover. The most often referred figure for Russia’s total forested … Read more

Sweden – Forests and Forestry

Sweden extends from the southern Baltic Sea to north of the Arctic Circle. The country has an area of 450,000 km (174,000 sq. mi.) and is 1,600 km long, equal to the distance from the southern tip of Sweden to southern Italy.                            … Read more

Norway – Forests and Forestry

Forests and other wooded land cover approximately 37 per cent, or 119,000 km2, of the Norwegian mainland. Of this, almost 23 per cent, or approximately 72,000 km2 is regarded as productive forest. The productive forest is distributed between 125,000 forest properties. About 79 per cent of the productive forest area is owned by private individuals. Norwegian … Read more

World Boreal Forests – Largest Biome Taiga

World Boreal Forests

In the uppermost Northern Hemisphere, North America, Europe, and Asia have significant expanses of land. The boreal forests ring the regions immediately south of the Arctic Circle in a vast expanse that easily rivals the rainforest regions of the world. The northern boreal ecoregion accounts for about one-third of this planet’s total forest area. This … Read more

Finland – Forests and Forestry

Finland - Forests and Forestry

Forest resources Finland is Europe’s most heavily-forested country. Forests as defined by the FAO cover 23 million hectares or 74.2% of the land area. In Europe, Finland is a “forest giant”, there being over sixteen times more forest per capita than in European countries on average. Finland’s forests have been intensively harvested over the last … Read more

Forest Fire Prevention – What You Need to Know

Forest Fire Prevention Guide

Forest fires are dangerous, and we should all take special precautions year-round to make sure fires are not carelessly ignited. Forest fires threaten people needlessly, kill wildlife and destroy forests that provide a livelihood and recreation for millions of people around the world. Grass fires are a major concern for firefighters in early spring; they … Read more

Destructive Power of Forest Fires: Causes, Consequences And Prevention

Forest Fire

In the grand tapestry of nature, forests stand as ancient sentinels, their roots delving deep into the earth, their branches reaching out to the sky. They are the lungs of our planet, the homes of countless species, and the source of life-sustaining resources for humanity. Yet, these majestic guardians face a relentless adversary, one that … Read more