Environmental Factors
Impacts of Clearcutting
Some of the impacts of the large-scale clearcutting of natural forests include the loss of wildlife habitat, soil erosion, and siltation of rivers and lakes. In the images below of the Deschutes National Forest (Oregon), the white areas are clear cuts. Take particular note of the lake in the lower left, now full of silt:
Ancient or Frontier Forests
The most controversial logging is in forests that have been around for a long time. These ancient or “old-growth” forests are likely to contain rare species and the most vital ecosystems on the earth. In most parts of the world these forests only remain in remote areas, so they are also occasionally referred to as "frontier forests". If the remaining old-growth forests continue to be harvested, the effects will be devastating. When they are cut down it causes extreme habitat damage and reduces biodiversity, while also releasing carbon into the atmosphere. The world’s frontier forests have dwindled dramatically since people began logging them about 8,000 years ago:
Illegal Logging
Some of the most destructive logging that takes place in the world is illegal cut-and-run logging where there is no attempt at forest management. Illegal logging is most widespread in the tropics, but it is also a big problem in the Russian Far East and parts of Eastern Europe. Illegal wood is sometimes consumed in the country of origin, but it is often laundered through international trade and manufacturing and imported into Europe and North America as finished products like decking, flooring, plywood, and furniture. A USAID estimate suggests that 50% of the hardwood imported into the U.S. comes from illegal logging.
Illegal
Wood Trade
Today, about
a third of the world’s illegal wood is processed in China. From
1997 to 2006, exports of manufactured wood products from China to
the U.S. increased by 1000%. Much of China’s imported wood comes
from Russia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. According to researchers,
China’s increased wood imports are “worsening the problems of deforestation,
unsustainable harvesting practices, illegal logging, marginalization
of the indigenous and other poor communities…”
The graphs below show the rate of illegal logging around the world
(Source: World Wildlife Fund’s “Keep It Legal” Guide, 2007).
Global Warming
Currently, deforestation and the burning of tropical forests is the second leading cause of global warming. These two devastating practices are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, trucks, ships, trains and other forms of transportation combined. When forests are cleared for agriculture and other uses they release enormous amounts of carbon into the air, adding to rising global temperatures.
Subsistence Farming
Roads that are cut into tropical forests by illegal loggers, miners and oil companies open the way for subsistence farming. Millions of people, each clearing a few acres of forest every few years adds up to an ecological catastrophe. One primary method of clearing the land is to use the slash and burn technique, which can be extremely destructive, especially when done on such a large scale.
Responsible Forestry & Harvesting
Logging does not need to harm or destroy the world’s forests. Natural forests can be managed carefully in ways that preserve their diversity and the services they provide. Wood can also be grown efficiently in plantations or tree farms. But because forest ecosystems are valuable, tree farms should complement natural forests rather than replace them.
The left-side photo above is a managed natural forest -- it is logged but the ecosystem is still healthy and diverse. The photo on the right is a teak plantation which was established 30 years ago on degraded cattle pasture. It helps take pressure off of natural forests, rather than replacing them.
Wood
has the potential to be a very sustainable product, but we need
to harvest it responsibly from forests, thus allowing them to continue
to produce clean water, air and healthy soil.
Bamboo or Wood?
Because
it grows much faster than trees, bamboo is an excellent flooring
choice for those looking for more sustainable flooring options,
and EcoTimber is proud to offer a range of top-quality bamboo flooring
products. However, the idea that bamboo flooring is a more environmentally-friendly
choice than wood is an oversimplification.
Buying sustainably-harvested wood pushes the timber industry in
a more responsible direction, discourages illegal logging, and helps
create economic value for a forest ecosystem that might otherwise
be cleared for agriculture or development. For these reasons, we
believe that sustainably-harvested wood is a more proactive environmental
choice than agricultural products like bamboo.