Dear Netters,
David South has initiated a stimulating discussion about how much forest we
should have in each of our countries and whether artificially creating
forest ( by planting or seeding) is a "good" or valid way of increasing
forest area.
Chris Dean has made some comments that raise the topic of the ethics of a
wood importing country such as Japan acquiring the raw material it needs to
the possible detriment of the country from which it imports that wood.
Chris used Australia as an example as the quotes below illustrate:
>Obviously Japan is not the only country responsible for the deforestaion.
>The amount cleared is actually unknown but a minimum is given as
>550,000 hectares per annum. (Habitat Australia, 1995, 23(3), p20.)
>
I don't know what area of forest cleared annually in Australia is either
but I suggest that it is a fraction of what is claimed. Like most countries
with a colonial history, much of Australias forests were cleared to provide
land for food crops. The actual number of Aborigines living in Australia
before Europeans arrived is not known but estimates range from 300 000 to
about 3 times that number, ie less than one million people. There are 18
million people living in Australia now and the reason they do not starve,
ideed that they have all the amenities associated with modern civilisation
is because they have worked the land using the full range of modern
technology. I suggest that there is no point in decrying this, the people
cannot be wished away, they are here to stay! The area of about 500 000 ha
cleared annually can be derived from a division of the total area cleared
from what was supposed to be the area of forest before colonisation, by 150
years of development to get an annual rate. The unsupported inference from
this is that that rate continues today - it does not.
>Also what might be happening with
>the Australian data is that some of cleared areas of forest (for forestry) are
>being seeded with eucalypt and so the area is claimed to be forested once
>again.
Well yes, that is exactly what is happening. Forest is being harvested and
regenerated in the time honoured fashion that Foresters have employed on a
scientific basis for at least 150 years. I grant that of course Foresters
have not always been sucessful in their attempts to regenerate forest nor
even always been ethical in their attempts to do so. Today in Australia
native forests which are managed for yield are managed by public bodies
which have sustained yield and all that that implies for forest maintenance
and regeneration written into their charters; plus safguards for the
environment that are as strict or stricter than any where in the world.
It is a matter of fact that the forested area of Australia is currently
increasing. We can argue whether it is the same kind of forest and whether
felled and regenerated forest or replacing native forest with exotic
plantations are or are not "good things", but the area under associations
of woody plants achieving a height of at least 10 metres is actually
increasing.
I put this down to increases in agricultural productivity which mean that
we no longer have to clear land to produce more food. A slowing in
population growth which means that pressure on food supplies goes not grow
so fast, and an increased awareness of the additional values to society
that forests bring. Foresters have always known about this but it is now
appreciated by more of the population at large --- even if they way they
express this new appreciation is to attack the professional forester.
Most of what is written above is opinion -- mine alone ( although I hope
others might share some of the views expressed).
Ryde James
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Ryde James | Forestry/Science
Tel: (61+6)249-4330 | Australian National University
Fax: (61+6)249-0746 | Canberra, ACT 0200
|
___________________________________________________________________________
email: Ryde.james@anu.edu.au
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