Potential ecological impact of increased intensity of tropical forest utilization

ABOUT 200 PUBLICATIONS HAD DIRECT RELEVANCE TO THE PROJECT; 90 PERCENT OF THIS DATA CAME FROM STUDIES OF ASIAN FORESTS. UNTIL RECENTLY, THE LOGGING OF TROPICAL FORESTS WAS A SELECTIVE PROCESS. AS WOOD DEMANDS CONTINUE TO RISE THERE IS A NEED TO INCREASE THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY OF USING A WIDER RANGE OF SPECIES AND BETTER SILVICULTURAL MANAGEMENT. INTENSIVE FOREST USE AND MANAGEMENT APPLIED TO SMALLER AREAS CAN PROVIDE A MEANS FOR TAKING PRESSURE OFF OF OTHER LANDS WHILE PERMITTING DEVELOPING TROPICAL NATIONS TO TAP THE HIGH POTENTIAL PRODUCTIVITY OF THEIR FORESTS. USED WISELY, THIS COULD BE AN ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL SILVICULTURAL TOOL WHICH COULD BE USED TO MAINTAIN TROPICAL FORESTS AS HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE, DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS -- A RENEWABLE TROPICAL RESOURCE. THIS REVIEW HAS SECTIONS ON POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON VEGETATION, SOIL, WATER, AND ANIMALS. THERE IS A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH NEEDS AND CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE REVIEW. IT IS STRESSED THAT TROPICAL FORESTS MUST BE MANAGED AS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE AND THAT NARROW CLEAR CUT STRIPS AVOID MANY OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF FOREST CLEARCUTTING. THE BENEFITS OF USING A BROADER RANGE OF TROPICAL WOODS INCLUDE MEETING WOOD NEEDS FROM LESS LAND, PERMITTING THE MAINTENANCE OF A DIVERSE MIXTURE OF HIGH-NET-PRODUCTIVITY ECOSYSTEMS, COMBINING FOOD PRODUCTION WITH FORESTRY, REDUCING THE WASTAGE OF WOOD, AND REGENERATING THE WHOLE FOREST SYSTEM. STATISTICAL DATA AND AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY WERE INCLUDED.