Logging and Rainforests

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by Dharmendra Kapri | 06-08-2015 00:34 recommendations 0

Rainforests have been exploited for years for the high-value hardwoods like teak and mahogany to supply the timber markets in Europe, Japan and the USA.! An estimated 5 million hectares (50,000 square kilometres) of rainforest is lost each year to logging.! Many logging companies are now trying to reduce the impact of logging by taking only ?selected? trees and allowing the forest to regrow naturally.

However, large, valuable trees do not tend to live close to each other, meaning that logging operations spread out over a wide area.! When a large tree is felled, it brings down many of the smaller trees around it, along with all the vines, lianas and climbers on it. !

Removing the felled tree causes further destruction, as the massive logging vehicles used in the process plough through areas of forest to get to the felled trees, destroying all the smaller trees in the way.! It is estimated that in South-East Asia, up to 75% of the trees remaining after logging has taken place have been damaged or destroyed.! The tracks left by the huge vehicles leave the soil exposed, so that it can be easily washed away by the rains, clogging rivers with silt and increasing the chances of flooding.

Each time trees are felled, habitat for the birds, mammals and other wildlife that lived there is lost.! Once their habitat is destroyed, the creatures that lived there have to move on or die.! They can?t wait for the forest to grow back.

The growth of sustainable hardwoods

Modern ?sustainable? hardwood plantations are becoming more common. But most hardwood trees take at least 60 years to grow to a size at which they can be felled, so it?s difficult to predict how sustainable these new plantations will be. In Scandinavia, sustainable forests are becoming the norm, with growing times of 100 years on the slowgrowing pine forests meaning that no forester ever harvests the trees he or she plants, so there is hope, but it will take some time to know whether this works.

DharmendraKapri

Former E-gen Ambassador Dharmendra Kapri

5 Comments

Rohan Kapur says :
Developing a forest take many decades but destroying this natural wonder takes a few months.
How ironical. At all costs we must preserve & conserve the forests. Amazing report Dharmendra.
Posted 07-08-2015 02:54

Arushi Madan says :
Logging is one of the main reasons of cutting countless trees every year. Deforestation not only deprives millions of species of their habitats but also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without(enough) trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.
Forests should be managed in a sustainable manner- environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable for present and future generations.
Thanks for sharing , Dharmendra.
Posted 07-08-2015 00:53

Luiz Bispo says :
That is very sad. The question is: what is happening with people? Destroying its own planet! We need to take action as soon as possible!!!
Posted 06-08-2015 12:24

says :
Well reported Dharmendra. This is for sure that sustainable forests are the future hope else the problem is staring right at the face & we have to suffer.
Posted 06-08-2015 03:07

says :
Logging has emerged to be a huge problem.But as mentioned in the report,it has far reaching effects.It affects wildlife of that particular area,and the smaller trees that are felled.I am surprised to know that it causes washing away of the fertile top layer of soil.Serious and concentrated efforts have to be made to address this problem.
Posted 06-08-2015 02:36