Find out the latest in forest news in this week’s Forest Digest!

Credit: Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr.

• India’s forests are worth $1.7 trillion, more than the GDP of Russia or Canada — Qz.com
  India evaluated the net present value of its forest land in order to compare it to the benefits of converting forests into other uses. The massive valuation of $1.7 trillion will be used to properly adjust fees for developing forested land.
• Rising avocado prices fuelling illegal deforestation in Mexico — The Guardian
  High demand and a premium price on avocados has encouraged Mexican farmers to thin out pine forests in order to plant avocado trees, which may cause drought and a decline in Monarch butterfly populations.
• Getting New Yorkers Into the City’s Wilderness. All 10,000 Acres of It — The New York Times
  Nearly 10,000 acres of New York City’s public parks are forests maintained as if they were wild — without any playgrounds or urban amenities. A new guide to these areas offers ways to escape the urban bustle without leaving the city.
• Extinction Closing in on Hundreds of Species in Dwindling Asian Forests, Duke Study Finds — National Geographic
  A new study on Southeast Asia’s forests reveals that 40 percent of the species are at a higher risk of extinction, more than previously estimated. Protecting their habitat will require international collaboration, as many of the endangered species’ habitats cross national borders.