Sustainable use of Forest

 Introduction

Forest ecosystem are degraded and lost because of the rapid growth of population and its influence on natural resources. Increase population leads over exploitation of natural resources. Excessive consumption not gives enough time for replenishment and renewal. In economic perspective forests are valuable that make more profitable. All ecological functions of forest are related to economic functions but important functions have no market to estimate the apparent economic value of forest land and it uses and other purposes. The environmental services also provided great value. On a global scale forest are reserves of biodiversity. Forests are act as a carbon reservoir. 

Forest is renewable or replenishes able resources. Sustainable development is the guiding principal in the management of renewable resources. We examine here how to achieve a sustainable use of forest through environmental, social and economic principles of natural resource management. 

Environmental Principles

In environmental view sustainability identified with ecological resilience – the ability of ecosystems to maintain their physical and biological functioning after disturbance. 

        i.            Maintain a constant stock:

Ensure that socks are not entirely depleted and be able to regenerate or recover before it is consumed again. Aim to get maximum benefit from harvested products without producing wastes and while avoid over exploitation and replace non-renewable with renewable resources. When forests are exploited faster than its regeneration it will become as non-renewable resource.  

      ii.            Safeguarding ecological functions:

Ensure the ecological functions are not getting affected when using forests resources. Therefore plane to meet the current needs without degrading ecosystems. For example, sensitive areas should not be logged. A zoning system can be used to identify these areas.

Afforestation or silvicultural techniques are important for maintain stability of ecosystems due to environmental changes such as forest clearing. 

Economic Principles

In economic view particular information’s are required for achieving sustainability. 

   i.            Stocks of resources are highlights by economic activity –

This includes (a) short and long term impacts of economic activity on the natural environment and (b) impacts of environmental changes on economic activity. Growing populations need to convert forest areas for their uses such as industrial activities (wood production, fuel wood, etc….), agricultural activities (Shifting cultivation, grazing). On the contrary some environmental changes cause disturbance or degradation for forest ecosystem. Example: fire suppression in forest leads to fuel build – ups and deforestation.

There is a Possibility for replacing exhaustible resources with renewable resources and created assets. Example – Forest plantation

   ii.            Technology improvement allows more outputs and new outputs and opens the possibilities for new input substitution –

Enhance early warning signals and develop researchers to prevent the degradation and improve forest plantations.  Monitoring systems are providing national and international perspective in sustainable forest. 

    iii.            The preference of future community members include that allow switching from exhaustible to renewable resource use. 

Social Principles

Social principal include mainly community forest management to setting toward to sustainable development. This management strategy includes social equity, national regional and international cooperation in sustainable forest development. 

Community Forestry Development can achieve through two ways.

• Social equity

(i)                 Village forestry – Encourage the traditional planting and ensure the equitable distribution of forest resources that who are depended upon this resources and ensure sustained food supply for local people.

(ii)               Urban forestry – Urban landscapes with nature ecosystem is the one way for urban forestry sustainable development. Community tree planting, gardening and urban parks are setting land use practices in a sustainable way.

•  National, regional and international cooperation –

            Government should encourage their citizens about environmental issues and provide awareness about forest resources. Encourage the recreation forestry. This is the one of the effective approaches to improve national policy of forest management. Provide international trade criteria for forest products. Establish a national and international network for forest management.

 

Forests are resilient ecosystem and composed with species diversity and life support system that has renewed itself. Understanding this capacity allows us to recognize the limits of this resources and its ability to withstand with environmental changes.

References : 

(1). Ian Wills (2007); Economic and the Environment - A Signally and incentives approach ;   Allen&Unwin; Australia
(2). Barbara Murck (2005); Environmental Science ; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; USA
(3). David Waugh (2003); The New Wider World; Nelson Thornes; UK

(4). http://www.fao.org/docrep/u6010e/u6010e03.htm