Forest management balances economic, social, and forestry needs. It has two main aspects: administrative and scientific. Logging is necessary, but strict rules and partnerships with the industry are essential to prevent widespread devastation. Forest management criteria and indicators provide a framework for the industry and focus for researchers.
Forest management is a set of tools, techniques and concepts used to balance economic, social and forestry requirements in managing large forests. Forestry is the study of trees and related ecosystems. As a branch of forestry, this discipline is about the practical recognition of these pressures and the development of standards to balance conflicting requirements.
There are two main aspects of forest management: administrative and scientific. The administrative aspect is focused on supporting the economic and social needs of forestry. The scientific aspect is focused on exploring and understanding the forest ecosystem and the impact of the forest on the global environment.
From an administrative perspective of forest management, it is generally accepted that logging is necessary to support local economies and provide raw materials for a variety of products and needs. The application of strict rules around this activity and working in partnership with the forestry industry are essential to prevent widespread devastation of the forest, but also to allow for the cutting of the forest.
Techniques used include replanting requirements, limiting the amount of logging in a specific area, the methods used to extract the logs from the forest, and much more. Adherence to these rules can be monitored using global satellite imagery, which tracks the status and size of forest canopies. Legal enforcement is less common, but is still an excellent motivator for compliance.
From a scientific point of view, it is essential to determine how much of a forest can be cut down without irreparably damaging the forest. The timing of replanting efforts, along with the success or failure of those efforts, plays a huge role in forest management procedures. Research in this area is growing rapidly as the long-term impacts for a specific area are large.
The increased public profile of the environment and concerns about the future of the planet and the impact on the use of natural resources have significantly raised the profile of forest management. Persons interested in a career in this field must complete a post-secondary training program in forestry, forest management or environmental science. These programs are widely available at local community colleges or universities.
In 1992, the Forestry Principles were adopted as an international standard for sustainable forest management. This high-level document was then used to develop a detailed set of forest management criteria and indicators that are used around the world. These standards are designed to provide a framework for the forestry industry, while providing focus for researchers.
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