When we think of conservation, our immediate thoughts go out to tigers and rhinos on the brink of extinction in Asia but little do we think about the conservation of the plants that surround them, and the role that all these species play in a very delicate eco-system.
Deforestation for both logging and to clear land for commercial plantations has been happening around the world for years now, and on such a vast scale that the deforestation process actually now accounts for around 20% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions.
Musical instruments such as violins are made from rosewood
Obviously besides this enormous release of waste material into our atmosphere, deforestation also means that hundreds of thousands of species, both plants and animals alike, are either made homeless or fatally injured in the process, something which can be devastating to species that are already under threat.
Last month saw the announcement by CITES of the protection of a number of precious woods native to the island of Madagascar, in an attempt to try to take control of illegal logging which has grown rapidly in Madagascar over the past year. The move mainly sees the protection of Madagascar's rosewood and ebony trees.
Illegal Rosewood Logging
The new listing for these precious woods now bans the illegal trade of them and means that other countries are now able to enforce the laws should they come into contact with the offenders. And with further evaluation of Madagascar's precious woods set to be carried out in 2013, this really is a positive step for timber conservation on the island.