Selection cutting is a new trend in forestry that many people believe could be the key to preserving the delicate natural forests scattered throughout the world while still providing the population with an ample supply of wood for building and production.
Selection cutting is a harvesting process that eliminates only a portion of the tree population within a forest, leaving the remaining trees to aid in the forest’s replenishment. There are four different types of selection cutting procedures currently in use today. Each process has its own benefits, as well as disadvantages, and the true usefulness of these practices is still being studied.
Types of Selection Cutting
Single tree selection is the most widely used selection cutting process. This type of harvesting regulates the trees within a particular forest or area based on various factors in an attempt to help the forest regenerate the trees that are removed. When single tree selection cutting is used, each tree within the area is inspected and noted based on their q-ratio, the quality of their base, and their diameter. The trees least likely to flourish and reproduce are marked for harvest and removed, leaving the others to replenish the forest. Single tree selection cutting is very beneficial to the environment and causes minimal damage to natural forests.
The next type of selection cutting, group selection, is often used in combination with single tree selection. Group selection is usually an effort to aid in the repopulation of tree species that need direct sunlight rather than shade. In this process, larger groups of trees are harvested, allowing more direct sunlight into the forest. Group selection cutting alters the climate of the forest, affecting moisture, humidity, and the temperature. While these changes may benefit some species, it could have harmful affects on others in the forest.
Overstory removal is a selection cutting process that can prove to be very effective if it is done properly. This procedure removes all of the taller trees from the forest, leaving the younger trees to flourish and providing a nearly 75% crown reduction. At the same time, the temperature and dampness in the forest is unchanged so the animal population isn’t affected and there is plenty of space for the remaining trees to grow.
The most questionable type of selection cutting used today is called high grading. This procedure is used to harvest the best trees for the most profit, rather than protect the forest. High grading selection cutting removes all the healthy, attractive trees from a forest while the only remaining trees are weak and often malformed. The replenishment of the forest is left to these unhealthy
trees, meaning it may be years before the forest can be harvested again.
Benefits of Selection Cutting
Using selection cutting processes to harvest trees is said to hold many environmental benefits for natural forests. Proper selection cutting can improve the forest’s appearance and the various wildlife in the area, while it protects the forest floor from alterations. These harvesting procedures can also aid in the healthy development of the remaining trees in the forest, allowing them to reproduce and supporting a variety of tree species.
Research has been done on a variety of forests in China to determine the effects of selection cutting over a brief amount of time. Single selection cutting processes used moderately were found to have practically no effect on the forest’s climate, species, or wildlife. The leading tree species before the harvest remained the primary species in the following years. When single selection cutting was used more intensely within the forest, significant changes were seen and the leading tree species declined in population drastically. The canopy of the forest also suffered damaging alterations.
The most beneficial results of utilizing selection cutting process are the healthy replenishment and regeneration of the forest. Selection cutting allows weak, damaged trees to be removed, leaving strong trees that can flourish. Removing groups of trees adds to the diversity of the forest because it allows new species to grow and replenish.
The biggest downfall of selection cutting is the adverse effects to the wildlife in the forest due to the climate changes, especially in the moisture level. Especially in group selection processes, the forest becomes drier and various reptiles and amphibians in the forest may not survive without the previous dampness of the ground. Removing trees from the forest can also disturb the homes of many animals, causing them to move elsewhere.
Global warming is a threat that will affect generations to come. The atmosphere surrounding us that supports life is a God-given gift. It must be protected. We should be leaders in efforts to curb global warming, not resistant followers. Erin Hunt is an avid writer and activist. She discovered that many are still unaware of the dangers of global warming and thus created a website to educate others on how they can play a role in the fight against global warming. Find out how you can make a difference at http://www.fightagainstglobalwarming.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Hunt
Friday, July 13, 2007
Bamboo Flooring: The Environmentally Safe Way to Decorate
The popularity of bamboo flooring has seen a significant increase in recent years as more and more people become concerned about the condition of our environment. There is no doubt that bamboo flooring is beautiful, but what about its cost and its performance? Before making a decision to use bamboo flooring in your home, you should feel confident that your choice is making a positive impact on the environment and should understand both the positive and negative aspects of this natural flooring option.
The primary reason bamboo flooring is so much more environmentally friendly than other types of flooring, especially those made of wood, is because bamboo is a renewable resource that replenishes quickly and effortlessly. Bamboo is a type of grass, rather than a tree, and grass grows much faster and in larger quantities than trees. So bamboo flooring can be produced with little damage to the supply of bamboo.
Wooden flooring, on the other hand, is produced from trees that take many, many years to grow. While bamboo can be planted and ready to harvest within three years, trees can take up to 120 years to mature. It is much easier and faster to replenish the bamboo supply than it is to replenish our forests, which is why bamboo flooring has become so popular with environmentally conscious people.
This increasing demand for environmentally friendly bamboo flooring may have detrimental effects on the environment in the long run, however. Because so many people are opting for bamboo flooring in an effort to protect our natural forests, there are a number of countries that are enjoying great profits from the production and harvest of bamboo. While bamboo does grow and replenish itself quickly, if the demand continues to increase then more land will be dedicated to bamboo crops, possibly taking land away from other natural ecosystems like the forests we were trying to protect.
In recent years, this problem has become evident. A number of natural forests have already been cleared to make room for more bamboo production. Many lands that were once used to harvest other resources and foods have now been turned into bamboo crops, lessening the supply of these other needed items.
Although bamboo flooring offers the environment a boost when used sparingly, it seems that as more people choose to help the environment this way, it actually starts causing damage instead. As more and more land is devoted to growing bamboo, our environment loses more precious ecology and the variety of fauna becomes less diverse.
The durability of bamboo flooring may also have a negative impact on the environment. Many homeowners are debating the strength and actual lifespan of bamboo flooring, claiming it may not be as durable as other types of flooring. If bamboo flooring is indeed less durable, than it will need to be replaced more frequently than wooden flooring. In this case, there would be an even greater demand for bamboo crops and even more damage would be done to the environment with the sacrifice of other plants.
Bamboo flooring is a beautiful, environmentally safe option for those wanting the look of hardwood flooring. Unfortunately, like most efforts, bamboo flooring can also have negative impacts on the environment as well. Consider all the various flooring options available to you and decide on the one that is best for you.
Global warming is a threat that will affect generations to come. The atmosphere surrounding us that supports life is a God-given gift. It must be protected. We should be leaders in efforts to curb global warming, not resistant followers. Erin Hunt is an avid writer and activist. She discovered that many are still unaware of the dangers of global warming and thus created a website to educate others on how they can play a role in the fight against global warming. Find out how you can make a difference at http://www.fightagainstglobalwarming.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Hunt
The primary reason bamboo flooring is so much more environmentally friendly than other types of flooring, especially those made of wood, is because bamboo is a renewable resource that replenishes quickly and effortlessly. Bamboo is a type of grass, rather than a tree, and grass grows much faster and in larger quantities than trees. So bamboo flooring can be produced with little damage to the supply of bamboo.
Wooden flooring, on the other hand, is produced from trees that take many, many years to grow. While bamboo can be planted and ready to harvest within three years, trees can take up to 120 years to mature. It is much easier and faster to replenish the bamboo supply than it is to replenish our forests, which is why bamboo flooring has become so popular with environmentally conscious people.
This increasing demand for environmentally friendly bamboo flooring may have detrimental effects on the environment in the long run, however. Because so many people are opting for bamboo flooring in an effort to protect our natural forests, there are a number of countries that are enjoying great profits from the production and harvest of bamboo. While bamboo does grow and replenish itself quickly, if the demand continues to increase then more land will be dedicated to bamboo crops, possibly taking land away from other natural ecosystems like the forests we were trying to protect.
In recent years, this problem has become evident. A number of natural forests have already been cleared to make room for more bamboo production. Many lands that were once used to harvest other resources and foods have now been turned into bamboo crops, lessening the supply of these other needed items.
Although bamboo flooring offers the environment a boost when used sparingly, it seems that as more people choose to help the environment this way, it actually starts causing damage instead. As more and more land is devoted to growing bamboo, our environment loses more precious ecology and the variety of fauna becomes less diverse.
The durability of bamboo flooring may also have a negative impact on the environment. Many homeowners are debating the strength and actual lifespan of bamboo flooring, claiming it may not be as durable as other types of flooring. If bamboo flooring is indeed less durable, than it will need to be replaced more frequently than wooden flooring. In this case, there would be an even greater demand for bamboo crops and even more damage would be done to the environment with the sacrifice of other plants.
Bamboo flooring is a beautiful, environmentally safe option for those wanting the look of hardwood flooring. Unfortunately, like most efforts, bamboo flooring can also have negative impacts on the environment as well. Consider all the various flooring options available to you and decide on the one that is best for you.
Global warming is a threat that will affect generations to come. The atmosphere surrounding us that supports life is a God-given gift. It must be protected. We should be leaders in efforts to curb global warming, not resistant followers. Erin Hunt is an avid writer and activist. She discovered that many are still unaware of the dangers of global warming and thus created a website to educate others on how they can play a role in the fight against global warming. Find out how you can make a difference at http://www.fightagainstglobalwarming.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Hunt
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