Sustainable Management of the Taiga (Edexcel GCSE Geography: B (1GB0))

• 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

• The main conflicting views regarding the taiga are people and organisations who:
  • Believe it should be conserved and protected
  • Believe it should be exploited for its resources: wood, oil and gas
• There is often conflict between these groups 

Conflicting Views on the Management of the Taiga

Group/organisation	Area of conflict
Indigenous communities	Expansion of oil and gas exploration has forced indigenous communities into smaller and smaller areas of land Areas for hunting are reduced as are animal populations Increased air and water pollution have an impact on health
Oil and gas companies	Increased demand for energy has led to exploitation of areas like the Alberta Tar Sands Has led to water pollution and deforestation. Exploitation uses large quantities of water Companies state that they are partnering with indigenous communities to minimise impacts.
Visitors and tourists	Want to use the areas for recreation and leisure Brings money into the area May leave litter which can cause wildfires Scare or disturb wildlife
National Park authorities	Role is to try and balance the needs of different groups  Challenge due to opposing views
Environmental and scientific groups	Argue that oil, gas and HEP exploration are damaging to the ecosystem and are impacting on food webs: such as the decline in woodland caribou populations in Canada
HEP companies	Want to exploit the areas for HEP due to increase demand for energy This will mean felling and clearance of trees for building the dams and access roads Large areas will also be flooded for reservoirs
Logging companies	Potential for large supplies of timber for paper and furniture construction Leads to wide scale deforestation Access roads affect migration routes  May be sustainable or unsustainable forestry