Forest Industry

C

Other Countries

Despite the perception by some that the Amazon rain forest supplies much of Brazil’s wood, the majority of Brazil’s timber is harvested from extensive plantations of eucalyptus and pine in the country’s southern temperate regions.

The trees blanketing one-third of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) constitute more than one-quarter of the earth’s forest cover. The most densely wooded region is a vast east-west zone reaching from the western border of Russia to the Pacific Ocean. These forests consist primarily of softwood trees (conifers) in the north and hardwood trees in the south. The Soviet forestry industry was state-owned. It supplied wood for the pulp and paper, chemical, and woodworking industries, primarily for domestic use. Total production was about 400 million cu m (about 14 billion cu ft) per year in the late 1980s. Since then, the shift from a centrally planned economy to a market economy has resulted in the end of state subsidies and monopolies and thus a decline in production. Most forested areas in Russia are distant from the markets for forest products, making it too costly to manufacture and transport such products competitively.

Finland and Sweden have 23 and 28 million hectares (56 and 68 million acres) of forest land, respectively. More than 70 percent of these forest lands is privately owned. Both countries have highly developed forest industries and are major exporters of wood and paper products—particularly to other European countries. Sweden has the largest timber reserves in western Europe and is western Europe’s largest producer of timber products. Timber production in Sweden was 98.7 million cu m (3.49 billion cu ft) in 2005. About half of the log supply is made into lumber, and the other half is used in making paper. About 51.6 million cu m (1.82 billion cu ft) of roundwood were harvested in Finland in 2005.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines contain extensive rain forests and supply world markets with tropical hardwoods such as teak and Philippine mahogany. These three Southeast Asian countries are developing plantations of native and exotic species, and are major exporters of hardwood plywood and lumber products. In addition, these countries are rapidly developing industries producing medium density fiberboard and paper.

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Chile and New Zealand have developed large plantations of radiata pine, a species native to California that grows rapidly in these southern hemisphere countries. An increasing percentage of pine products sold in the United States is made from imported radiata pine.

VI

Environmental Effects of the Forest Industry

Forests are considered a renewable resource because if soils are left intact and trees are replanted, forests can grow back in harvested areas. As more natural resources are needed to supply a growing human population, some forest companies are adopting a life-cycle approach to consider the environmental and economic effects incurred through the entire pathway of a product—from its production through its consumption and disposal. This approach helps companies evaluate processes and materials that produce less pollution, are more energy efficient, and create products that are easier to recycle or reuse.

Harvesting timber can cause environmental problems. At the end of the 20th century, one of the greatest environmental concerns worldwide was deforestation, particularly the destruction of the tropical rain forests of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Countries such as Brazil and Indonesia have rapidly growing populations migrating from crowded cities to less populated regions typically occupied by rain forest. These countries have programs that give settlers a parcel of land to clear and farm, so roads are built into the rain forest, valuable timber is removed, and the remaining rain forest is burned to clear the land for farming. In many cases, settlers raise crops for only a few years before the thin soil is leached (emptied) of nutrients and can no longer support agriculture. When the soil becomes barren, settlers are forced to clear additional rain forest to raise crops, resulting in more soil erosion. Species of wildlife that live in rain forests are also displaced or killed when these forests are cleared by loggers and farmers. Not only are wildlife species endangered by habitat destruction, but many tree species are facing extinction as well. According to a 1998 study published by the World Conservation Monitoring Center, 976 tree species currently face extinction worldwide. Malaysia has 197 tree species currently facing extinction, Indonesia has 121, India has 48, and Brazil has 38.

Wood products often fare well in life-cycle comparisons with materials such as steel, concrete, and brick. For example, relative to these materials, wood products require relatively little energy to manufacture. Wood is a good insulating material (poor conductor of heat). As a result, buildings made from wood do not consume as much heat energy as those made from steel, concrete, and brick, which must be insulated to help slow escaping heat. Wood-based products such as paper and paperboard are also relatively easy to recycle—many paper products sold today contain paper fibers that have been recycled. Lastly, unlike other building and packaging products, such as concrete and plastic, wood products are biodegradable (capable of being decomposed) when disposed of.

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