Dear Patrick: I like that, "May the forest be with you". I did quite a lot of reading about fuelwood production while I was working on my master's in the 80s. A good place to look for readings is in Unasylva, an FAO-sponsored journal devoted to forestry and forestry-related topics. Another excellent journal is Agroforestry Systems. There are also numerous books on the topic of fuelwood. A couple of things that struck me while researcing this topic: 1) I am unconvinced that fuelwood gathering is the culprit in many cases of deforestation. Poor agricultural practices (including reserving the best lands for cash crops and forcing subsistence food production to marginal sites) seem, to me, to account for the greatest part of the deforestation. Coupling what traditionally were acceptable practices with increasing populations seems to spell disaster. 2) Plantations are the best idea I have ever heard for alleviating the problems faced by those relying on wood for fuel, however, I notice that many plantations are of species not always the most suitable for fuelwood (e.g. eucalyptus or pine) and that they oftentimes are species not native to the region. It is true that the needs are critical in many places and that in such cases any tree or shrub that can produce burnable biomass can and should be used - for the present. Nevertheless importing species that are non-native and which, in many cases, exhibit weedy characteristics can also hasten environmental degradation as clearly as deforestation and should be used with caution. Biological invasions across the globe are coming to our attention more and more every day and scientists are busy documenting the environmental damage that many of these invasions cause. Plantations for fuelwood production should be promoted - but always the long-range picture in mind. Will introduction or dissemination of certain species threaten the landscape one decade or many decades later? I am reminded of the story of some good hearted, well intentioned development person who decided that mesquite trees would be ideal for fuelwood in the Sahel. Why not? It burns beautifully, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen, and best of all, it is drought tolerant. The thing is, mesquite is not drought tolerant, it is a drought avoider. That is, it survives in dry areas by sending down an incredibly long root system -- right down into the water table! The result is a lower water table and dried up wells. This story may easily have been told about a native plants as well, the point I want to make is that before we identify and lable species as "ideal" for certain needs, including fuelwood, we should carefully weigh all of that species characteristics including its potential environmental impacts. Hallie Dozier School of Forest Resources and Conservation
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