The timberland companies have learned from the mistakes in the previous practices and are seeking and applying new ways to engage in sustainable forestry practices.
Here are the benefits of forestry.
Bringing back the forests
Forests were initially abandoned. Now, over 1.7 billion seedlings are planted every year, which equates to six seedlings planted for every tree harvested.
Better water quality
Watersheds are areas where drinking water is collected from riparian zones, which is the land bordering lakes, streams, and rivers. The trees, soil and bacteria help the water be clean and safe to drink.
Curbs air pollution
One fully grown tree absorbs roughly 13 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. This implies that a forest removes 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide.
Lesser wildfires
The incidence of wildfires has been reduced by 90% through education, prevention, and control.
Wildlife
Forestry applies some techniques that benefit wildlife. Harvesting and thinning stimulate growth for food sources to help the habitat flourish.
Benefits the urban environment
Forests reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and reduce stormwater runoffs.
Good for soil fertility
The growth of the food resources depends upon the soil. Foresters foster techniques to increase the fertility of the earth for better growth activities.
Energy-efficient products
Timber is a renewable source of energy because the tree can be planted again. Steels and the likes can be reused and recycles but not replaces. Recycling requires lesser energy.
Human lives depend on the forests. They also make a wonderful playground and an outdoor retreat. The diverse array of plants and animals that forest houses makes preserving them further necessary. These days, we are all prone to air pollution. But the forest filters the hair and performs damage control for us. They keep the water clean and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which is a major contributor to climate change.
Social benefits
Wilderness areas like forested parks and reserves are great for camping and hiking as it lets the tourists get a breather from the hubbub of the city life. Many set out to seek tranquility in the forest, and also, being exposed to such a green environment has a lot of physical and mental benefits. It allows people to feel one with nature.
Economic benefits
Forestry employs an array of jobs related to forests and wood products. The timber harvested every year retains plenty of jobs in the “forest sector.” It also provides livelihood to the rural indigenous communities, which are nearly a third of the economic base. We can only look to our forests to purify the air we breathe and prevent climate change. In no way should we allow them to disappear.