Ecoforestry

Ecological forestry, or ecoforestry, refers to sustainable practices that conserve
forests even as humans receive value from them. Ecoforestry can be thought of as equivalent to sustainable forestry.

For centuries people measured the value of forests in terms of the natural resources they provided: wood, paper, maple syrup, fruit, etc. Forests will undoubtedly continue to provide these things, but in order to assure a future for forests ecoforestry offers ways in which people can help forest ecology even while forests provide products. In order to sustain a forest so it can provide monetary (also called instrumental benefits) and aesthetic (or intrinsic) benefits, people must follow many of the sustainable techniques discussed in this chapter. For instance, sound fire management, selective tree harvesting, and protecting forests from encroachment play roles in ecoforestry. The following list summarizes the main aspects of ecoforestry:

» manage forests to conserve biodiversity, soil, and water

» consider nonwood products to replace wood products

» choose selective cutting over strip cutting and strip cutting over clear-cutting

» limit logging and road-building that fragments uncut forests

» avoid clear-cutting, seed-tree harvesting, and shelterwood harvesting on steeply sloped hillsides

» leave fallen and dead trees to provide habitat and to recycle nutrients

» buy only woods certified as grown in a sustainable manner

» choose natural regeneration over monoculture methods

» use low-impact cutting, harvesting, and yarding methods

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) administers a certification program that assures the public that wood or paper products have been produced by sustainable methods. Timber companies can apply for this certification by fulfilling the council’s requirements. During the certification process, council representatives inspect the path of a wood-derived product from the forest all the way to the final product, whether it is a sheet of paper, a cardboard box, or a plank of lumber. FSC-certified products bear a logo that informs the public whether a wood product comes from sustainable harvesting and manufacturing methods.

Ecoforestry also promotes new technologies in alternate wood products and new sciences for maintaining forest health. Forest biotechnology provides an example of a fast growing specialty within ecoforestry.

Source of Information : Green Technology Conservation Protecting Our Plant Resources