Issue date: 04 Apr, 2011
2011 has been declared by United Nations as International Year of Forests and member countries of PostEurop join this Universal Declaration devoting this year’s Europa stamp to Forests. Each member country depicts those trees or forests characteristic to their ecosystems. Correos has chosen the Hayedo de la Pedrosa in Segovia.
The conservation and sustainable development of forests is an increasing concern to society and conservation movements have emerged to support and protect these natural ecosystems. It is estimated that forests cover between 25% and 35% of the land surface and are seriously threatened by indiscriminate logging, fires and industrial pollution. Forest provide habitat to many animal species and play key roles in human life and the balance of the biosphere. Forests act as hydrologic flow modulators and soil conservers, they affect the weather, the temperature and humidity of the air, they absorb carbon dioxide slowing down the negative effects of CO2 and purify the atmosphere.
Depending on the geographical latitude and altitude, there are different examples of forests. The most common type are the dense evergreen tropical rainforest; the Mediterranean forest, with holm oaks, cork trees and thick undergrowth rockrose, lavenders and thyme; Temperate forest, deciduous with abundant beech, elm and oak forests; Taiga forests, where growing conditions are not adequate to maintain a continuous closed forest cover due to the extreme cold temperatures so tree cover is both sparse and discontinuous with large tracts of coniferous found in the northern hemisphere through Europe, America and Asia.
The stamp depicts a photograph of autumn in the Hayedo de la Pedrosa by Juan A. González. This beech wood is located northeast of the province of Segovia, in the municipality of Riofrio de Riaza. It covers an area of 1,930 hectares and is one of the main beech forests of southern Europe.
The stamps of the Europa series, issued by PostEurop member countries, have began to use this year the new logo of the organization and take part in the online contest to choose the best Europa stamp of the year.
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