Dovetail Report: August 2005
Reduced Impact Logging

A Lighter Approach to Harvesting in the World's Tropical Forests

Dr. Jim Bowyer

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Introduction
 

To many people, the terms “deforestation” and “logging” are one in the same. According to conventional wisdom, logging in tropical forests is tantamount to total and irreversible devastation.  

Logging activity does result in significant tropical deforestation and because of this a number of initiatives are underway to reduce the environmental impact of periodic timber harvesting.   New standards of practice, as described by the term Reduced Impact Logging (RIL), result in minimal forest disturbance in both the short and long term and serve as a basis for sustainable management of tropical forests.   Because application of RIL allows generation of significant income from forests while leaving forests largely intact, RIL (both alone and as part of more comprehensive forest certification programs) effectively provides an alternative to conversion of forests to agriculture.

Sometimes clearing of forest land to create agricultural fields is confused as logging.   Throughout history including today, the conversion of forestland to agriculture is the dominant driver behind deforestation.   In fact, estimates generally attribute 65 to 80+ percent of forest loss in tropical areas to agricultural conversion.   So, while removal of trees is an initial step in   the conversion process it is useful to recognize this activity as “clearing”, a farming activity, rather than “logging,” a forestry practice.   Logging accounts or some 6 to 15 percent of tropical forest loss.

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Dr. Jim Bowyer is a professor within the University of Minnesota's Department of Bio-based Products (part time) and an Elected Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science.  He is the current Chairman of the Tropical Forest Foundation, Chair of the Minnesota Bio-fiber Council, Scientific Advisor to the Temperate Forest Foundation and Past President of the Forest Products Society (93-94), and of the Society of Wood Science and Technology (87-88).