Natural Forest Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Tropical Forests

Abstract

As a reaction to the continued dwindling of tropical forest resources, many research and development organizations have turned to the idea of natural forest management in the hope of making tropical forest lands more profitable while maintaining biodiversity. Assertions of sustainability in logging practices have been inadequately supported, however. We begin with a review of the present knowledge of the effects of logging operations on various organisms. Post-harvest surveys of a spectrum of tropical forests indicate a range of logging effects from local extirpation to substantial increases in local densities of some species. The state of our knowledge does not permit quantitative predictions, but logging at any level appears to have simplifying and homogenizing effects on tropical forest diversity when examined at community or regional scales. Furthermore, the social and economic problems presented by natural forest management systems have not yet been adequately addressed. We present alternatives to the strong emphasis on "sustainable natural forest management" as a means of retaining the diversity of tropical forest communities. These alternatives include increased support for management of secondary forests, restoration of degraded lands, plantation forestry, nontimber uses for some forests, changes in accounting procedures to reflect the true value of natural forests, and support for forestry agencies charged with protecting forest reserves. Manejo de Bosques Naturales y Conservación de la Biodiversidad en Bosques TropicalesResumen: Como una reacción a la constante reducción de los recursos en bosques tropicales, muchos investigadores y organizaciónes de desarrolo se han enfocado en la idea del manejo de bosques naturales, con la esperanza de que las tierras con bosques tropicales sean mas rentables, al mismo tiempo que se pretende mantener la biodiversidad. Sin embargo, algunas aseveraciones de sustentabilidad en prácticas de tala han sido inadecuadamente soportadas. Iniciamos con una revisión del conocimiento actual de los efectos de operaciones de tala en varios organismos. Estudios posteriores a las cosechas en un espectro de bosques tropicales indican que el rango de efectos de la tal varían desde la extriparción local hasta el incremento sustancial en la densidad local de algunas especies. El estado actual de nuestro conocimiento no nos pemite realizar predicciones cuantitativas, pero la tala a cualquier nivel aparenta tener efectos de simplificación y homogeneización en la diversidad de los bosques tropicales cuando se examina a nivel de escala regional. Mas aún, los problemas sociales y económicos en sistemas de manejo de bosques naturales no han sido abordados adecuadamente. Presentamos alternativas para el enfatizado "manejo sustentable de bosques naturales" como una medida para retener la diversidad de las comunidades de bosques tropicales. Estas alternativas incluyen un soporte mayor en el manejo de bosques secundarios, la restauración de tierras degradadas, plantaciones forestales, usos diferen...

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