| Logging is a wood harvesting practice of extracting | | | | forest contains many thousands of tree species, only |
| commercial with mostly merchantable timber from a | | | | about a dozen or less of the tree species have |
| forest. What does this mean? What and why is | | | | commercial values or are traded in the world's wood |
| tropical forest degradation? | | | | market. This is how forest degradation starts. As a |
| Tropical forest is diverse in terms of flora (plant | | | | matter of the real world practices, loggers as well as |
| species) and fauna (wildlife species); it provides | | | | forest dwellers when entered the forests look for |
| various goods such as timber for construction, and | | | | commercial timber species and harvest. Although they |
| non-timber products such as tree resin, medicines, | | | | are likely to fell only the merchantable trees, |
| bee honey, mushroom, food, meat, firewood etc. for | | | | unmerchantable trees are likely to be felled as well |
| daily livelihood of the local population. Forest also | | | | when there are no more commercial merchantable |
| provides various services such as protection of local | | | | trees left. So, every time the logging takes place, |
| cultures and belief, clean water, watershed | | | | commercially trees are targeted again and again, |
| protection, fresh air and climate regulation. | | | | leaving only UNWANTED and uncommercial trees in |
| Unfortunately, tropical forest is located in a continent | | | | the forest. As the time goes by, commercial trees |
| experiencing rapid economic development and fast | | | | area gradually degraded, and even disappeared |
| growing population along with political uncertainties, | | | | leading to the degradation of the forest and |
| and where most of the poor live. | | | | biodiversity loss. Forest dependent communities |
| Tropical forest has been cleared for population | | | | suffer the most from such degradation since |
| resettlements or displacements, agricultural cultivation, | | | | commercial trees from which they collect non-forest |
| and sometimes due to the indiscriminate logging | | | | products (resins, bee honey and others) are losing. |
| practices that open uncontrolled accessible road to | | | | Traditionally in Cambodia, newly married couples had |
| the anarchic landless farmers who continue to settle | | | | inherited some dozen of trees (commercial trees) |
| and clear the forests for housing and agricultural | | | | from their parents for living in stead of money. |
| cultivation. The rate of deforestation of the tropical | | | | One would ask about the forest laws and logging |
| natural forest is about 0.7% or 14.4 million ha annually | | | | regulations in the tropics. As per my knowledge, |
| between 1980 and 2003. Tropical deforestation is | | | | almost every country has them, but enforcement is |
| responsible for the release of about 20-29% of the | | | | the problem. There are high illegal logging rates (up to |
| global carbon emissions. It has been estimated that | | | | about 80% in some countries), corruption and political |
| total area of tropical rain forest declines from 14% of | | | | uncertainties in the tropics. Political situation and |
| the earth's total land surface to 6% in recent year. | | | | commitment play an important role is illegal logging. |
| Tropical rain forest is losing about 137 plant, animal | | | | Most illegal logging usually occurs when political |
| and insect species every due to deforestation. | | | | situation in a country in concern is not stable such as |
| In additional to tropical deforestation, forest | | | | during the Coup De'tat, civil war and election |
| degradation and biodiversity loss are facing the | | | | campaigns. |
| tropical forest. Logging (legal and illegal) has | | | | Furthermore, it has been estimated globally that |
| contributed to tropical forest degradation and | | | | about one-fifth of the wood production comes from |
| biodiversity loss. How does it happen? Selective | | | | illegal source. The continuous illegal logging activities |
| logging practice is a common system being used in | | | | may also have resulted from the availability of |
| logging industry in the tropics. Selective logging is a | | | | markets that provide access to the illegally logged |
| practice whereby only commercial and merchantable | | | | timber. With high illegal logging rate and its continuous |
| trees are harvested leaving behind uncommercial and | | | | existence, it is clearly that valuable trees (commercial |
| unmerchantable trees in the forests. Uncommercial | | | | and merchantable trees) are being targeted, and |
| tree is tree which is unsuitable for industrial wood | | | | therefore degraded. As tropical forest degradation |
| products; thus has less value in the wood market, | | | | and deforestation continue, the loss of biodiversity in |
| while unmerchantable tree is tree that its size, quality | | | | the tropics also continues. The non-inclusion of tropical |
| and condition are not suitable for wood market. | | | | forest management in the present Kyoto Protocol |
| Tropical forest is uneven-aged forest, having many | | | | agreement has discouraged sound forest |
| trees of various ages or age classes. | | | | management in the tropics. |
| Tropical forest regenerates naturally. Although tropical | | | | |