What Is Sustainable Forestry?

Guest Blogger: Tania Holembovska from Earth Observing System Data Analytics (EOS.com)

Deforestation is one of the most critical environmental problems in the modern world: the Earth loses about 5 billion trees every year. However, managed deforestation helps keep this process under control by using digital technologies in the form of forestry software.

We can monitor and analyze the state of the forest to further optimize their use so anyone involved in the process (from large corporations to private farms) can ensure sustainable forestry. This article is about what sustainable forestry is and why it is critical for the entire planet.

What Does "Sustainable Forestry" Actually Mean?

Sustainable forestry is about balancing deforestation and tree conservation between human and environmental needs. In other words, it should imitate the natural processes of forest destruction and restoration. It is important to remember that business and society can protect the trees in different ways, while still generating income and products which are necessary for life.

How Does It Work?

There are international bodies that oversee sustainable forestry, develop forest management standards, and certify forestry enterprises. The Forest Stewardship Council is one of these bodies that make sure that certified timber is on sale, thus identifying contraband timber.

Surveyors and forest managers supervise the forestry process on-site. They analyze the condition of the land and determine how much of the forest can be cut down, focusing on old or too large trees. After that, new trees must be planted and given time to grow.

As forest cover worldwide continues to decline, we must acknowledge gaps in the legislation and its process which contribute to disruptions and errors in operation. Therefore, like any other ecological enterprise, sustainable forestry requires further expansion.

Sustainable Forestry Practices

Sustainable forestry projects differ depending on the state of the resource and environmental conditions. To determine a specific method of sustainable forestry, we need to study trees and local fauna representatives carefully; as there may be endangered species among them. We also need to make sure that forestry does not provoke other environmental problems.

Sustainable forestry practices include:

  • felling and planting trees;

  • controlled burning to accelerate forest regeneration;

  • monitoring the forest state and interacting with the local community to protect it.

Training of forestry workers is an essential aspect to the successful implementation of sustainable forestry projects. They should clearly understand how specific methods work and which are best suited for a given region. They should also be competent in sustainable development methods, such as construction with minimal environmental damage.

Why Sustainable Forestry Is a Good Investment?

By investing in sustainable forestry, we contribute to restoring and conserving the ecosystem we are a part of, and we also improve the conditions of our existence.

Take the mangrove jungle restoration program in Senegal as an example. Ten years after replanting, 80 million trees have begun to contain up to 160,000 tons of carbon. About 100,000 vehicles would have to be removed from the roads to achieve the same result. Thanks to the ecosystem restoration, the number of fish, oysters, and shrimp has increased in local waters.

A principal investor in sustainable forestry is the Livelihoods Carbon Fund. The ten companies that invested in the fund have improved living conditions in developing countries and partially offset carbon emissions from their industries.

Also, investors are starting to invest in innovative projects regularly. These projects will enable them to profit while reducing greenhouse gas and other waste emissions, improving air and water quality and ecosystems as a whole.

In Conclusion

Sustainable forestry is the most crucial way to preserve the ecosystem and improve human living conditions in the modern world. Deforestation is a global problem, and therefore, its solution requires the interaction of the entire international community, effective legislation development, and the creation of conditions for implementation and investment.

Sustainable forestry does not exclude profit, rather it helps optimize production and use of resources, ultimately reducing operating costs. Therefore, sustainable forestry is gradually being introduced by governments, public organizations, and business structures.