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PalletCentral • July-August 2022 33 Sustainable Logging Practices No two tracts of land will be logged in exactly the same manner. Sustainable logging brings together a team of experts who compile a comprehensive analysis of the area. Biologists, geologists, ecologists, and more lend their expertise to each project. Each project has its own profile. But similar sustainable logging practices are adapted for sites across the country and, increasingly, around the world. Patchwork Logging While a company used to clear-cut an entire forest, sustainable logging is far more targeted and precise. Harvesting trees from a small area allows the surrounding forest to adapt to the clearing like it would to a natural event. Keeping harvested areas far enough apart maintains habitat and biodiversity. Tree type and growth, soil conditions, and other factors determine how many trees can be harvested from an individual area. In places where fire or damaging storms are common, the overall environment may be able to regenerate a larger area. Patchwork logging leaves trees within a harvested area to better mimic natural conditions. It also allows for the preservation of tree species that are endangered or play an oversized role in ecosystem balance. Sustainable logging is done in cycles. Some models propose that a cycle be no shorter than 80 years. is allows the forest to recover and continuously produce harvestable trees. Areas that have been harvested are planted with saplings. e emergence of wild grasses attracts wildlife to the clearing, and the ecosystem evolves and grows. Selective Harvesting Selective harvesting removes individual trees, thinning the forest to allow existing smaller trees more space and light to grow. is type of sustainable logging is especially beneficial in tropical areas that don't have natural events that mimic areas of clear-cutting. Selective harvesting preserves undergrowth. is helps prevent soil erosion and maintain the health of the larger ecosystem. Both patchwork and selective sustainable logging use fewer and smaller roads and less equipment, reducing damage to the surrounding forest. Careful attention is paid to the protection of unharvested trees. Other Benefits of Sustainable Logging Sustainable logging offers additional environmental benefits. Harvested trees and areas are kept well away from waterways to minimize erosion and runoff. Sufficient space is left between harvested areas to provide an uninterrupted habitat for wildlife. Sustainable logging also provides a safer working environment. Fewer people and less equipment in each area help reduce the chance of accidents. Sustainable Logging: Forest Management and Climate Change Sustainable logging can play a major role in forest management. An unlogged forest is not necessarily a healthy forest. e work that goes into profiling a forest or tract of trees before harvesting provides valuable information. at information includes soil, geography, and tree health analysis. Invasive species are documented, as are biodiversity, wildlife habitat and density, erosion, and any disease or damage present in the area. Logging is sometimes the first step in returning a forest to good health. Removing diseased, damaged, or low-quality trees helps the higher quality trees grow. is is called an improvement harvest. e branches and other wood left behind by this careful removal provides wildlife habitat while it decays and enriches the soil. Removing invasive trees, vines, and other plants provides better conditions for the remaining trees. Sustainable logging practices are used and adapted by forest managers to improve the overall health of their woodlands, even if no trees are harvested for lumber. Sustainable forestry is also becoming the focus of climate action. Sustainable logging can result in more trees as well as healthier trees able to capture more carbon. Tropical forests are an area of particular interest for climate action. 1.5 million square miles of tropical forest are currently being selectively logged. Widespread adoption of selective harvesting practices would allow these forests to maintain much of their carbon stores and biodiversity while continuing to anchor economies. Sustainable logging practices combine common sense, careful study, and new technologies to improve the health of forests around the world. At the same time, they provide economic stability for many communities and meet the continuing demand for lumber and other forest-based products .

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