Sustainable forestry is described as sustaining and consuming forestry not only for present consumption but also for future generations. 

What is sustainable forestry?

Sustainable forestry is preservation of trees and forests in such a way that they can be beneficial for the present usage and consumption, as well as sustaining the same forests for future generations.

This includes discouraging mindless deforestation, which leads to decrease in the number of trees over the generations.

The effects of deforestation are immensely reduced by sustainable forestry. The bonus point is that the benefits of these trees can be reaped alongwith their preservance for future generations.

This maintains the balance in the environment and minimises negative effects of cutting trees on the ecosystem.

Importance of Forests

The importance of forests in our life cannot be denied. Some of the main uses are 

• To maintain the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the air and make it breathable for us
• Maintaining the temperature of earth by transpiration through leaves.
• Providing resources for humans like wood, shelter and cash- (approximately 1.6 billion people in the world use forests as their means of earning)
• Maintaining flora and fauna species in the forests (forests are home to about 70 billion species of animals and insects)
• Providing medicinal herbs and plant extracts that can be used in medical sciences.

Unsustainable human consumption 

Unsustainable human consumption of forests has resulted in the loss of forestation and In turn, the green part of the world to alarming levels.

Approx 32 million acres of forests are lost each year to combat the human needs. With the increasing population of the world, natural resources like forests and trees are running out fast. This is where sustainable forestry comes handy and needs to be implemented.

Goals of sustainable forestry 

There are three major goals of sustainable forestry

• Biological
• Economical
• Socio-cultural

Biological goals to be met are preserving biologically diverse species of the world, prevention of major climatic changes and maintaining the balance in ecosystems where different species and groups co exist.

Financial goals are the usage of forests for obtaining wood for construction, which in the long run can replace cement which is gossip fuel. Although replacing the whole construction industry with wood is not possible, it is believed that sustainable forestry can do both, preserve the forests as well as use them as a natural resource with no side effects.

Socio-cultural goals are to maintain forests as picnic spots, for camping, hiking and other recreational activities. They are recently used as peaceful spots for meditation and other peace gaining activities due to serenity and mindfulness of the forests.

Hence, to achieve sustainable forestry, for each tree cut, another one has to be planted in its place. The wood can be utilised and the newly planted tree provides oxygen to the environment, while it grows to be a strong tree for coming generations.

What is deforestation?

Deforestation means a decrease in the number of forests over time. This decrease can be due to urbanisation, increase in the agricultural lands for crops or activities like mining etc.

The effects of Deforestation are negatively impacting the ecosystem, hence measures should be taken to combat this issue.

Causes of deforestation

The main causes of deforestation are

• Agriculture, which is known as the prime and most common cause. With the increase in world population, there is an increase in the food requirements. The lands are obtained by deforestation to grow crops, raise livestocks and grow other food items. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has estimated that about 80% of deforestation is because of agricultural lands.
• Infrastructure to maintain the human population. Roads and buildings are the means of transportation, maintaining lifestyle and survival of the human race. Construction of roads, railway tracks, airports etc has contributed to approximately 10 percent of deforestation.
• Urbanisation is important for maintenance of lifestyle. The more the population, the more is the requirement for the housing and boarding of people. Number of houses built is increasing every year and so is the shortage of space and deforestation.

Effects of Deforestation

Deforestation can affect the ecosystem in the following ways

1. Affecting the biodiversity of forests by disturbing natural flora and fauna. A forest is home to many species, from insects to animals, herbs to flowering trees. 
2. Local people use forests as their main source of earning bread and butter. They do small-scale hunting, collect wild herbs and sell them for cash, collect log wood and even sell wild fruits for cash. All these are small scale jobs and mostly affect poor people of the community who work hard to make ends meet.
3. Deforestation can cause soil erosion as trees and their roots provide support and anchor to the soil. Once the trees are cut down, the soil underneath becomes vulnerable and starts eroding. This increases the chances of natural disasters In the vicinity like land sliding, floods etc.
4. Balance of the ecosystem is disturbed after deforestation. The amount of oxygen emitted by trees helps purify the air we breathe. On the other hand, it increases the temperature of the surrounding area, leading to global warming and other deteriorating effects on the environment.

We can stop deforestation by planting more trees and flourishing the idea of sustainable forestry, to ensure seeking benefits of the forests along with maintaining the trees for future generations.

Table comparing sustainable forestry and Deforestation

Summary of Differences between sustainable forestry and deforestation

1. Sustainable forestry is the consumption of trees along with preservation for future generations while deforestation is only consumption with no regard for preservation.
2. More trees are planted in sustainable forestry while no concept of planting trees is present in deforestation.
3. Sustainable forestry is designed in such a way that it has either minimum or no negative side effects on the ecosystem while deforestation has negative effects.
4. Effects of sustainable forestry are more trees, clear air and a cleaner and greener environment. Deforestation can result in massive climate changes, natural disasters, pollutants in the air and global warming.

FAQs

What’s the difference between sustainable forestry and deforestation? 

Sustainable forestry provides consumption and preservation of forest while deforestation is only consumption of forests with no plan of preservation.

What is the difference between deforestation and forest degradation? 

Deforestation is when forests are cleared to use for agricultural, urbanisation and other uses. Forest degradation is destruction of forests for no particular use or benefits.

What is the explanation of sustainable forestry? 

Sustainable forestry means planting more trees when one tree is cut to use for wood consumption or any other reason. It advocates the consumption of trees along with preservation for future generations.

What are the 3 components of sustainable forestry? 

Three components are

• Biological
• Financial
• Socio-cultural 

What are examples of sustainable forestry? 

Examples of sustainable forestry are replanting, maturity and selective logging.

What are the benefits of sustainable forestry? 

Benefits of sustainable forestry are less air pollution, maintenance of earth temperature, reduction in soil erosion results in less vulnerability to the natural disasters and preservation of biodiversity in the forest.

What are the 3 types of deforestation? 

Three types of deforestation are 

1. Agricultural usage
2. Infrastructure building
3. Urbanisation 

What are the two main methods of deforestation? 

Two main methods of deforestation are

• Burning down trees
• Clear logging means cutting all the trees of a particular area at once.

What is the difference between deforestation and reforestation?

Deforestation means cutting the trees and reforestation means replanting the trees.

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