It is no great news to anyone anymore that the world’s forests are being depleted at a rapid rate. But now the areas of forestation that are considered the world’s last remaining “pristine” example are under threat.

The boreal forest runs through large areas across Canada, Russia and other smaller northern countries. It comprises one third of the remaining forest area in the world and stores one third of the world’s carbon. If this area were to suffer great damage the world’s store of carbon would be seriously depleted.

The long survival of the trees in the area can be attributed in large part to the lack of human population in the area for centuries. But according to the researchers who undertook a new study of the area that is now changing, and the forests are suffering.

The researchers are from the University of Adelaide in Australia, Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada and the National University of Singapore.

They are, as a result of their work, now calling for these areas to be afforded greater protection to avoid yet another major environmental catastrophe.

During their studies they found that the incidences of fires in the area are increasing, mainly caused by human hands, although overall climate change may also be contributing to the rise in fire related damage to the trees.  In addition increased activities such as logging, mining and general urban development have also had a detrimental effect in most of the countries in which this boreal forestation exists.

According to the researchers the trees found in Russia have suffered the most damage, but in all countries there are protections in place that only cover 10% of the forested areas from timber exploitation. The exception is Sweden, but even there the amount of forest protected from harvesting is a measly 20%.

The boreal forests, which are also known as the Taiga, are home to a number of plant and animal species not found anywhere else, so their destruction would potentially put them in danger as well.

The situation is becoming direr, according to Associate Professor Corey Bradshaw, who is from the University of Adelaide and a co-author of the study. He points to the fact that much concern has been paid to the destruction of the Amazon rainforests over the past few decades but that similar concern should now be focused upon the forests he studied since he says “the boreal forest is poised to become the next Amazon,”