A: List the major ideas, concepts or key points- point by point
Deforestation in the tropics continue in vast amounts due to widespread logging. Logging companies have to decide what to do. One option is to harvest the trees immediately and invest in the proceeds. The other way is to delay the harvesting of the trees, in this case mahogany which allows it to regenerate it's population. Harvesting the trees immediately is 2-5 times profitable than letting the trees regrow, compared to the benefits of letting the tree regrow. The immediate harvesting will make companies happy, but not environmentalists. The limit of the tree harvesting will not profit the companies but make the environmentalists happy. Companies should manage forests in a way that is both sustainable for timber and minimally disturbing to environment.
C: Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views
I think the problem regarding the logging companies and environmentalists is big. One option will make the logging companies happy and not satisfy the environmentalists. The other option would make environmentalists happy, but have no profit for the logging company. Not only that, but disasters could also destroy the trees, which will upset both the environmentalists and the companies. I agree with the authors when they say that there should be a way to limit the number of trees cut, but at the same time create a profit for the logging companies. With a way of doing this I think this may solve the problem of deforestation by logging, but still won't find a way to protect the trees from disasters such as fire.
- Scientists properly investigated only a small fraction of fauna and flora. Deforestation in tropics continue on a vast scale driven by widespread logging
- To reverse this, conservationists embraced the notion of carefully regulated timber production. Forest management is attractive strategy because it reconciles the economic interest of producers with need of conservation.
- Conservationists favored this strategy, until they concluded that most of the efforts had a slim chance for success.
- Mahogany is the most valuable species in tropical Americas. 1980- International Tropical Timber Organization selected Chimanes Forest as model site for sustainable management.
- Mahogany seedlings grew and prospered only after sizable natural disturbances. In Chimanes Region, young mahogany trees stood only near rivers, where there were floods.
- Disturbances dispersed pockets where seedlings could grow. Produced group of trees of approx. uniform age and size. Aspect of mahogany was alarming, meant that uncontrolled logging would obliterate older stands.
- Worries exacerbated by realization that there would be little natural growth to replace the harvested trees. With no natural growth, human intervention would be needed to maintain the mahogany.
- How could a helping hand be provided? Loggers could create proper conditions for mahogany to grow by mimicking nature and clearing large openings in the forest, but effort would be enormous and judging from previous attempts, costly periodic "thinnings" would be needed to remove competing vegetation. Efforts would disturb the whole forest.
- Timber companies had no economic incentive to invest in sustainable management. Less than one eight of 1% of world's tropical production forest were operating on sustained-yield basis as of late 1980s.
- Logging rapidly harvests the most highly valued trees. Number of species may be as low as one or as high as 80 to 90.
- Logging companies show no concern for condition of residual stands and makes no investment in regeneration
- In deciding whether to restrict harvests, companies face a choice between immediately cutting down trees and bank profits, or delay the harvest to allow the stand to grow in volume and value over time.
- If choosing the first option, the company would harvest the tree asap, invest the proceeds and earn the rate of return. Risks are considerable and capital is scarce, real interest rates are higher in developing countries than industrial countries. Companies that rapidly harvest their assets can invest their profits immediately.
- Benefits of delaying harvest is small. Price increases for mahogany averaged 1% a year. Average annual growth in volume of commercial sized mahogany trees is less than 4 percent. Combo of slow growth and modest price increases means that mahogany trees rise in value annually by 4 to 5 percent.
- Value of trees left to grow can plummet if wind, fire or disease destroyed them in the future, therefore choosing to leave mahogany growing amounts to rather uncertain investment is the same.
- After carefully analyzing the economy of logging in the Chimanes, they discovered that unrestricted logging is 2-5 times more profitable than logging in a way that would ensure a continued supply of mahogany.
- Incentives for uncontrolled logging in developing countries is weak. With slim support, govt. regulators in Bolivia are hard-pressed to counterbalance the rewards of cutting all the valuable trees at once, therefore the reason why timber companies do not invest in regeneration the species.
- Physical effects of logging on the forest as a whole is mild. One or two mahogany trees grow in 10-hectare plot. Road building, felling and log removal disrupts less than 5% of land. Current logging practice is estimated to do less damage than some forms of sustainable management.
- Sustainability is a poor guide to the environmental harm. Logging that's unsustainable don't need to be highly damaging, but also doesn't guarantee low environmental toll. Companies should manage forests in a way that is both sustainable for timber and minimally disturbing to environment. When forced to choose unsustainable, low-impact logging or sustainable high-impact logging, environmentalists should make sure they pick option that meets their conservation objectives.
- Quest to sustain yield of wood indefinitely has become central theme in efforts to preserve tropic rainforest. Conservation-minded people have proposed many strategies to overcome economic obstacles to sustainable forest management.
- Efforts to increase utilization of lesser known tree species provide informative. Advocates of sustainable management argue that boosting market demand for lesser known species will make it worthwhile to maintain a production forest that otherwise might be converted to farm/rangeland.
- There is no such thing as faster growth or a brighter price outlook. Investments regenerating species will be any more attractive than investments in regenerating a targeted species. Large markets for secondary species may only increase # of trees that are harvested unsustainably
- An argument could be made with regard to secondary processing. Processing is often said to have dual advantages of allowing the use of a wide variety of species while providing a stronger economic incentive to manage forests sustainably. Promotion of secondary processing reduced overall earnings while increasing pace and scale of forest destruction.
- Arguments promoting secure land tenure suffer from similar limitation. Environmental advocates point to lack of long term access to timber as a major cause of unsustainable management.
- Commonsense argument favoring tenure security is that without it, timber companies have to be reluctant in investing future harvests. More secure land tenure makes investments in regeneration possible for timber companies to consider. It can also lower risk of making larger investments in logging equipment, which encourages swifter liquidation of resource.
- Lengthy tenure for loggers won't solve the problem of unsustainable logging. It could hurt thousands of people who roam woods in search of a gum. Local authorities drafted a proposal to allow timber interests long-term concessions in hopes of promoting sustainable management.
- People are concerned with future of the rain forest view timber certification as means of providing economic incentive needed to spur sustainable management. Certification programs call for voluntary compliance with est. environmental standards for high prices or greater market access.
- Experts debate whether certification actually leads to higher market prices.
- Analysis of Chimanes operations indicated that valuable species, current patterns of unsustainable logging can be as much as 5x profit as a more sustainable alternative. Consumers willing to spend 10% more for certified timber than uncertified.
- Certification has potential to be important tool for forest conservation. There is not yet broad consumer demand for certified wood. There appears to be a growing niche that could be filled if the costs are kept to minimum. In meantime, it would be best to avoid altering the economic incentive facing all logging operations. W/O acceptance of certification, policies may speed degradation of tropical forests.
- Management of tropical forest for sustainable timber is unlikely to be a widespread phenomenon. Economic incentives, limited govt control and lack of local political support will consistently thwart the best efforts in that direction. Environmentalists need to recognize this reality.
- One possible way is to provide timber companies low-interest loans to fund regeneration and protection of biodiversity. Logging that includes this activity is not sufficiently profitable at a high interest rate typical in developing countries.
- Another way is to promote preservation of large forested areas within and around timber concessions. Such set-asides would be inexpensive to monitor and could aid substantially in conservation of biodiversity. Protected areas could maintain forest that had nearly its full complement of species and old-growth structure. To minimize cost, we suggest focusing on commercially inoperable areas.
- Timber companies are likely to resist any restrictions at all on their movements. Timber companies can designate up to 30 percent of their concessions as off-limits to logging. Policy should encourage loggers to protect commercially marginal lands.
- Forests in Chimanes where uncontrolled logging is selective, accepting elements of status quo may be best option.
- Current patterns of selective harvest of large number of commercial species is a process that could require decades to complete.
- Environmentalists need to remember that threats to tropical forests would continue even if sustainable management were to be adopted. Reducing destruction could do more for forest conservation than revamping current forestry practices.
- No single strategy will work for all forests. Producers will have an ever greater incentive to enter currently uneconomic areas.
- Measures suggested may be the most realistic means to harmonize conservation with tropical timber extraction.
Deforestation in the tropics continue in vast amounts due to widespread logging. Logging companies have to decide what to do. One option is to harvest the trees immediately and invest in the proceeds. The other way is to delay the harvesting of the trees, in this case mahogany which allows it to regenerate it's population. Harvesting the trees immediately is 2-5 times profitable than letting the trees regrow, compared to the benefits of letting the tree regrow. The immediate harvesting will make companies happy, but not environmentalists. The limit of the tree harvesting will not profit the companies but make the environmentalists happy. Companies should manage forests in a way that is both sustainable for timber and minimally disturbing to environment.
C: Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views
I think the problem regarding the logging companies and environmentalists is big. One option will make the logging companies happy and not satisfy the environmentalists. The other option would make environmentalists happy, but have no profit for the logging company. Not only that, but disasters could also destroy the trees, which will upset both the environmentalists and the companies. I agree with the authors when they say that there should be a way to limit the number of trees cut, but at the same time create a profit for the logging companies. With a way of doing this I think this may solve the problem of deforestation by logging, but still won't find a way to protect the trees from disasters such as fire.