On Wed, 12 Jul 1995, David South wrote: > It would be good if other countries that sell wood to Japan would adopt a > forest policy similar to Japan. That is, > (a) protect native forests by relying mostly on plantations to supply wood; This gives a distinct economic advantage to the European countries that have little or no native forests left. I believe that we must set aside a certain percentage in protected areas (the number 12% gets used a lot since the Brundtland Report). On the remaining forest landbase, I think there is latitude for a wide range of management, from intensively managed plantations to extensively managed stands (e.g. reliance on natural regeneration). In the "protected areas", we need to clarify what is being protecting. In the Boreal forest region of Canada, the fire return cycle averages about 50 or 60 years, with few areas remaining unburned for longer than 150 years, so protection from fire creates an unnatural condition. Protect "ecosystem integrity", not the components of the ecosystem that are there today. > (b) protect native forests by not converting forests to pastures (eat less > red meat); I agree with not converting forests to pastures. Forest management is becoming more ecosystem based in most Canadian jurisdictions. Regarding red meat, I will continue my omnivorous ways (1. many prairie ecosystems are better suited to grazing cattle than to growing grains or vegetables ... 2. most of the meat that I eat is moose or deer, harvested from young regenerating forest areas). > (c) protect native forests by importing plantation wood from New Zealand; I don't think this would make either economic or environmental sense for Canada. > (d) protect native forests by being efficient (i.e. not wasting wood). Agreed to a point. However, lets not be so efficient that no organic matter gets returned to the soil. > (e) protect native forests by keeping the population growth low. Agreed. > Other countries could also protect native forests by establishing > plantations on pastures. I disagree with this for the same reason that I agree with not converting forests to pastures. The exception would be where a forest ecosystem had been previously converted to pasture. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Phil Loseth | NRCan - Canadian Forest Service | Standard Prince Albert, Saskatchewan | Disclaimers CANADA | Apply Internet: ploseth@sdo.nofc.forestry.ca | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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