Increased use of plantation forests

In addition to the continuing demand for timber, the ever-increasing demand for tree biomass for energy and industrial use requires a more intensive use of forests. As a result, forest plantations are replacing natural forests to meet the growing demand for wood. However, plantations can have negative environmental impacts such as loss of biodiversity, increased water use and problems with land tenure and community rights.

Nº 47
  • Forestry
  • Forest Management
  • Promotion of Bio-Economy
some attempts made
past case
Region-1
Region-2
Region-3
Region-4
ongoing case
no attempts made

None

Increased use of plantation forests

In addition to the continuing demand for timber, the ever-increasing demand for tree biomass for energy and industrial use requires a more intensive use of forests. As a result, forest plantations are replacing natural forests to meet the growing demand for wood. However, plantations can have negative environmental impacts such as loss of biodiversity, increased water use and problems with land tenure and community rights.

The promotion of monoculture tree plantations, driven by climate change objectives and the need for raw materials mainly in the Global North, has negative environmental and social impacts in the Global South. These include negative impacts on biodiversity, water resources, local communities and the climate.

  • The problem-shift had no effect on the efforts to address the initial problem
  • Multilple (effects disconected from each other)

Global Forest Coalition (2019). Negative impacts of tree plantations ignored by Northern consumer countries. Global Forest Coalition. https://globalforestcoalition.org/negative-impacts-tree-plantations-ignored-northern-consumer-countries/

Lindenmayer, D., & Taylor, C. (2022). Diversifying Forest Landscape Management—A Case Study of a Shift from Native Forest Logging to Plantations in Australian Wet Forests. Land, 11(3), 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030407

Wageningen University. (n.d.). Sustainable forest management. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.wur.nl/en/project/Sustainable-forest-management.htm

Castano-Villa, G. J., Estevez, J. V., Guevara, G., Bohada-Murillo, M., & Fonturbel, F. E. (2019). Differential effects of forestry plantations on bird diversity: A global assessment. Forest Ecology and Management, 440, 202-207.

Freer-Smith, P., Muys, B., Bozzano, M., Drössler, L., Farrelly, N., Jactel, H., Korhonen, J., Minotta, G., Nijnik, M. and Orazio, C. (2019). Plantation forests in Europe: challenges and opportunities. From Science to Policy 9. European Forest Institute. https://doi.org/10.36333/fs09

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