Deforestation rates remain high in developing countries
Copyright © 2000 The Earth Times
December 29, 2000
By ROBERT E. SULLIVAN
There's good news and bad news on the state of the world's forests, according to a new survey released by the World Resources Institute (WRI) of Washington.
First the good: forestry in developed countries is increasing slightly, and the production of wood products, worldwide, is keeping up with demand. And that's about it for the good news.
The bad news that forests in developing countries are losing at least 54,000 square miles every year, according to the WRI and the demand that it is being met for wood fiber is overwhelmingly coming from older forests, not new ones which would be more environmentally sound.
"We have to think more about forest quality not just forest quantity," said Emily Matthews, the principal author of the new report.
"We are not running out of trees, especially in the developed countries, " she said," We are, however running through our old-growth or primary forests."
The problem with commercial forestry, according to the report, is that it "leads to significant changes in the ecology of the forests."
"Trees tend to be younger, smaller, and more uniform in species composition. Vegetation under tree canopies is simpler or thinner and, as a result, the rich variety of birds, insects, mammals, plants and fungi that typically thrive in natural forests is reduced," it said.
The commercial plantations supply about 20 percent of the wood demand, according to the WRI, leaving 80 percent to come from older forests. And worse news: it looks like commercial forestry growth will not meet future demand.
"If the current economic inventive structure is not changed, we will continue to establish plantations and harvest from forests, including old growth forests," the report said.