Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Forestry Practices

Sustainable forestry might sound like an oxymoron, but in the real sense, it’s an easy concept. This is where as a population, we strike a balance between the needs of the forest communities, the environment, and wildlife. That is, conserving the forest cover for future generations while supporting income-generating activities for the communities around. Essentially, sustainable forestry involves carefully imitating the natural regeneration and consumption of the forests.

Some of the sustainable forestry practices include:

•     Conserve biodiversity and set up protected areas. This includes conserving the forest's water sources, soil, plant species, and wildlife.
•     Use a management and harvesting plan. This involves setting up a schedule that could include selective or small-scale clear harvesting. This ensures enough time for the species to regenerate, maintaining the forest’s overall ecological health.
•     Block forest conversion. Ensure that the forests are protected against fires and deforestation for purposes of farming and other activities.
•     Use less impactful log harvesting techniques. It’s possible to go about logging without using a bulldozer that’ll damage other parts of the forest. This also reduces soil erosion and carbon emissions.
•     Collaborate with local communities. For sustainable forestry to be successful, the surrounding communities must be on board with the project. Creating awareness about the environmental implications while also improving their economy will ensure the locals don't engage in destructive activities like illegal logging.

Sustainable forest practices have a huge impact on the environment, including:

Reduced flooding

Trees act as a natural barrier to water streams, slowing the water down whenever it rains. This reduces the chances of flooding that might affect the surrounding communities.

Improved air quality

More trees mean there’s more oxygen produced daily. The forests also capture air pollutants, which means there’s a constant clean air cycle, improving the overall air quality.

Prevents loss of biodiversity

When there’s proper sustainable forestry practice management, there will be less loss of the forest’s biodiversity since all plant and animal species will be conserved. There is always an opportunity for a particular plant to regenerate, as logging, for example, is done selectively.

Prevents soil erosion

Forest cover stops soil erosion from wind or rain, as the trees hold the soil firmly with the forest floor and the trees’ root systems. The denser the tree cover, the less soil erosion is bound to occur.

Alleviates the impact of climate change

With about 50% of the mass in dry trees consisting of carbon, trees and soil accumulate a lot of carbon which reduces the impact of the gas on the climate.

Conclusion

Sustainable forestry plays a massive role in conserving the environment, and it’s vital that the government, environmental organizations, and local communities work together in executing the practices seamlessly. Once that is done, we can be sure that future generations are well catered for, the forests will continue growing, and the ecosystem will thrive. All this will be helpful in saving the planet in the long run.