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Forestry is a sister science to agriculture, although it is somewhat less well known, and is responsible for the cultivation and maintenance of forests. When we talk about forestry we are talking about the conservation of the environment and nature through the cultivation of forests, environmental quality and the production and maintenance of pastures for livestock. For example, in Spain, forestry generates, within the forestry industry sector, mainly wood and cork farms.
To know in more detail what is forestry or logging Continue reading this Green Ecologist article, where you will learn about the characteristics of this scientific discipline, as well as the different types of forestry that exist and the associated advantages and disadvantages.
What is forestry - definition
Forestry encompasses the activities of planting, maintenance and exploitation of forest crops (forests and mountains). It is considered a sister science of agriculture, although with certain differences between them, mainly in terms of the production methodology, since in forestry results are obtained after dozens of years (depending on the cultivated species), while in the agriculture, the fruits and crops are obtained in months.
During the practice of forestry Forests are cultivated with different treatments and techniques, with the aim of ensuring their maintenance and optimally using the different natural resources that they can produce. In this way, forestry is responsible for maintaining the well-being and productivity of the different forest ecosystems that we can find in any corner of the planet.
What is forestry or logging for - examples
Forestry is responsible for forest and forest management in order to obtain from them a permanent production that meets the needs and services that are demanded by society. It is based on the principles of The sustainability of goods and quality, using various treatments that allow the use of the crop for different purposes and over a long period of time.
In this way, depending on the role of a certain crop, the forester will apply different treatments to obtain, for example, wood, firewood or fruits.
The main objective of forestry will always be to allocate the forest spaces available for growth, to tree cultivation from which some benefit can be obtained, such as, wood, cork or paper. Different plants that will be used as fodder for livestock are also included in forestry crops.
In the early days of forestry, optimal production of wood crops was exclusively pursued. However, other ecological objectives that include more resources of the silvicultural system are currently also being considered, such as: producing several crops in the long term and having a balance between the biological, ecological and economic needs of the crop, in order to always guarantee the renewal of its resources.
So that you better understand the need for forestry or logging, always well managed, we recommend you read What is the importance of forests and jungles, as well as think about all the benefits that they bring you on a daily basis (from cleaning the air to paper, wood, food …).
Types of forestry - extensive and intensive
We can find two types of logging or forestry:
What is extensive forestry
It encompasses activities within the environmental, economic and social environments. In this type of forestry, the crops are distributed in different areas of natural forests. With the practice of extensive forestry, environmental protection is achieved in cultivated forest areas, as well as offering different services to the population (tourism and environmental education) and guaranteeing the production and maintenance of forests and mountains.
What is intensive forestry
It uses different varieties of silvicultural management techniques to guarantee optimal productivity of the forest area dedicated to cultivation.
Advantages of forestry or logging
Like everything else, forestry has advantages and disadvantages. These are the advantages of forestry:
- Among the main advantages of forestry is the afforestation of areas with few trees and / or even in desert areas, such as reforestation after a fire. Here you can learn what reforestation is, its importance and objectives.
- It is also a source of life for many species, both plant and animal.
- It also provides many environmental benefits because it helps purify the air through carbon fixation, cleans and feeds rivers, and supplies different sources of drinking water.
For all these forestry benefits, this is of great importance to us. Currently, it can contribute significantly to overcoming the challenges faced by forests and at the same time minimizing climate change, also meeting different sustainable development goals.
Disadvantages of logging or forestry
However, forestry has some disadvantages, mainly when it is not well managed. Thus, it is vitally important that foresters know well the land of the crops that work to maintain forests and mountains. Otherwise, it will be very easy for them to harm the environment, endangering the animal and plant species that inhabit the area. In this way, poorly managed, forestry can pose an environmental problem if there is an imbalance caused by human factors, such as overcutting, planting incompatible species, and so on.
If you are interested in forests, their care and their regulated exploitation, we recommend that you look for ways to participate in the improvement of these green spaces, both as a community and individually. For this, we offer you this other Green Ecologist article in which we tell you how to take care of the forests. In addition, in this other post you can discover all the Types of forests, their characteristics and photos.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is forestry or logging, we recommend that you enter our category of Other environment.
Bibliography- D. Granados-Sánchez et. to the. (2004) Ecology and Silviculture in temperate forests. Chapingo Magazine, online version.
- T. W. Daniel et. to the. (2000) Principles of forestry. Forest Library, UNLP Argentina.
- D. Donoso (1989) Basic background for evergreen forest type forestry. Forestry Institute, Austral University of Chile, pp: 37-53.
