The issue of deforestation and changes in world forests is more evident each year. I had the incredible opportunity to meet with climate researchers at the University of Manchester (UK) and discuss issues regarding wildfires, carbon sequestration, and growing concerns in emergency management issues, such as population movement and demographic changes. Remote sensing and GIS mapping are the key technologies in developing what we know and project how our world may change and impact those changes may have on emergency management priorities in the 50 years. One of the specific areas I dealt with was the changes in forests and projections for more serious forest fires in the future. To help focus on a world view, the World Resources Institute offers a global forest map that shows the world's forests as they used to be and as they are today.
The maps green areas are the landscapes of today's forests. Brown areas represent estimates of historical forest coverâ"areas where climate conditions are believed to have allowed forests to grow at some point after the latest glaciation, but where forests have been replaced by developed land and croplands (dark brown) or pastures and grasslands (light brown). Red areas show recent (2000 to 2005) tropical deforestation. The website also offers information, a brochure, a powerpoint presentation, and a high resolution map.
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The maps green areas are the landscapes of today's forests. Brown areas represent estimates of historical forest coverâ"areas where climate conditions are believed to have allowed forests to grow at some point after the latest glaciation, but where forests have been replaced by developed land and croplands (dark brown) or pastures and grasslands (light brown). Red areas show recent (2000 to 2005) tropical deforestation. The website also offers information, a brochure, a powerpoint presentation, and a high resolution map. 
