20^th Eco-gen Ambassador Program- 2^nd Report April 2018

Is cutting down of trees always injurious to the environment?

Whenever we think about cutting trees, we think of the worst case scenarios, stripped rainforests, soil erosion, and habitat destruction, without any regard for the health of forests and biosphere.

However, cutting of trees need not be an environmental hazard as is the case in Austria, through the process of Selection Cutting

Selection Cutting

The Selection Cutting approach to harvesting wood, which is derived from the study of old growth forests, forms an important part of Austrian Timber Industry. It is a part of a sustainable silviculture system which nurtures the health of the forest and its wildlife, through forest management. To quote Wikipedia, Selection Cutting "manages the establishment, continued growth, and final harvest of multiple age classes (usually three) of trees within a stand."

Forest Land in Austria

About half of Austria's land is covered by forests. Austria has a land area of 8 385 000 ha and a total population of about 7 988 000. The forest land is approximately 3 878 000 ha; this is 46.2 percent of the land area or half a hectare per capita. Natural protective effects of forests - especially regarding avalanches, torrents and mud-rock flows, are a blessing to the Alpine region.   

Forestry in Austria

The Austrian Forest Act ensures sustainable management of forests with a balance between ecological conditions and economic objectives. It guarantees a continuous supply of timber and a steady flow of income for employers as well as employees of the forest industry.

A forest inventory continually assesses the state and development of forests. It covers various aspects of forest management, size of the wooded grown area, growing stock, increment, distribution of tree species and their composition, age classes and growth classes, altitude, exposure and inclination of the forest area, damages, silvicultural treatments, density of skidding tracks and forest roads, soil and site, etc.

Forestry Training

Austria provides Forest education and forest research opportunities with various levels of forestry education: Foresters are trained at two technical forestry high schools for five years. Their education prepares them for guarding and supervision of forests.  Professional training of forest workers is also regularly conducted and is carried out by agricultural schools as well as by the training centers for farmers or forest workers.

Sustainable Management of Forests

The most significant objectives of the Austrian Forest Act dealing with a sustainable management of forests are the following four principles: production, protection, environment and recreation. Forest grants and research also help improve forest conditions, assess growth and territorial distribution and employ protection and conservation methods.

Conclusion

Woodlands and timber industry provides employment to about 300,000 Austrian people, besides being the backbone of many other industries. In fact Timber and Paper are among the major exports from Austria. However, this is done without compromising the environment or sustainability.

Wood industry in Austria proves that it is possible to nurture a healthy forest while enjoying the benefits of the forest as a resource.

References and Sources

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w3722E/w3722e05.htm

http://www.dcifurn.com/blog/article/is-cutting-down-trees-bad-for-the-environment

http://www.austria-export.biz/en/industries/wood-timber-austria-572170