Forests of the World:
Economic, Social and Environmental Values
Tim White
School of Forest Resources and Conservation
138 NZ Hall, UF, IFAS
846-0850; tlwhite@ufl.edu
June, 2011
Objectives
1. Importance of Forests:
•
•
•
Economic benefits
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
2. Forests of the World
•
•
•
Global trends
State of the world’s forests
Types of forests
3. Forests of Florida
4. Discussion
5. References for Your Use
Importance and Benefits from Forests
Domestic
Uses
Non-Timber
Products
Wood
Products
Recreation
Economic
Values
Social &
Ecological
Services
Social
Values
Forests
Climate
Mitigation
Ecological
Values
Habitats &
Biodiversity
Aesthetics
& Spiritual
H2O & Soil
Amelioration
Objectives
1. Importance of Forests:
•
•
•
Economic benefits
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
2. Forests of the World
•
•
•
Global trends
State of the world’s forests
Types and distribution of forests
3. Forests of Florida
4. Discussion
5. References for Your Use
Global Demand for Wood
Consumption is Growing
• Up 1.6% annually (up 60% by 2030)
• 50/50 for domestic/industrial wood
• 80% of consumption is for industrial purposes in developed countries
• 80% of consumption is for domestic use in developing countries
• Both uses (domestic and industrial) will continue to be important
• 10,000 products made from wood
Global Demand and Supply of Wood
•
•
•
•
World’s population is growing
World’s demand for wood is growing
World’s area of forests to meet demand is shrinking
Forest-to-people ratio:
 1960 = 1.2 ha per capita (3 acres/person)
 2005 = 0.6 ha per capita (1.5 acres/person)
170
% of 1980 values
160
150
140
Total Wood Consumption
World Population
Forest Area
130
120
110
100
90
80
1980
1990
2000
2010
Non-Wood Forest Products:
150 Products Traded Globally
Chemicals: Dyes, turpentine, latex …
Edibles: Food, drink, flavors, spices
Medicines and herbs
Crafts, fodder, decoratives, other …
Other Global Forest Values:
Demand is Growing!




Recreation: hunting, fishing, hiking
Ecotourism (7% of global tourism)
Ecosystem services
Conservation of biodiversity
(11% of world’s forests)
Half of world’s biodiversity lives in TRF
Two-thirds of all species live in forests
Half of all terrestrial carbon is in forests
Local Peoples:
350 Million Live in Forests
Home, livelihoods, medicines,
construction, fodder, etc.
Objectives
1. Importance of Forests:
•
•
•
Economic benefits
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
2. Forests of the World
•
•
•
Global trends
State of the world’s forests
Types of forests
3. Forests of Florida
4. Discussion
5. References for Your Use
State of the World’s Forests
• 4 billion ha of forests (10 billion acres)
• 30% of global land area
• Important on all continents
State of the World’s Forests
 Forests grow where climates and soils permit
 Current distribution also reflects historical deforestation
associated with colonization: Now 50% of original area
Low Species Richness
High Species Richness
33%
11%
9%
47%
State of the World’s Forests:
Global Deforestation and Degradation
Deforestation
 30 to 50% loss of total forest area
in last 8,000 yrs
 Last 50 years
 1.2 ha/person in 1960
 0.6 ha/person in 2005
 Current annual net deforestation
 8 million ha (20 million acres)
 2/3 of Florida
 Roads lead to access
Degradation
 High grading of valuable timber
 Unsustainable harvest levels
 Poor practices leading to soil
erosion, loss of wildlife habitat, etc.
Settlement in tropical dry rainforest
State of the World’s Forests:
Global Deforestation and Reforestation
Current deforestation mostly in developing countries
Deforestation in TRF could mean extinction of 100 species per day
State of the World’s Forests:
Mitigating Climate Change
World Resources Inc, PAGE, 2000
Objectives
1. Importance of Forests:
•
•
•
Economic benefits
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
2. Forests of the World
•
•
•
Global trends
State of the world’s forests
Types of forests
3. Forests of Florida
4. Discussion
5. References for Your Use
Types of Forests in the World:
Native or Natural Forests
90% of the world’s forests
• Undisturbed or secondgrowth
• Managed or unmanaged
11% of the world’s forests are in
reserves: Parks, national forests,
wilderness areas, conservation
reserves
Tropical Rain Forests
Temperate Rain Forests
Native Working Forests
National Parks and Forests
Types of Forests in the World:
Planted Forests or Plantations
Seedling of E. grandis
• Reforestation & afforestation
• 4% of the world’s forest area
• Supply 30% of industrial wood
• Grow faster than native forests
• Have less biodiversity
• Half the plantations are for
fuelwood
3.5 yr plantation
6 yr plantation harvest
E. grandis:
Breeding, Reforestation & Silviculture
• Natural Range (Red): Coastal NSW & Queensland
• Exotic Range (Yellow): 10MM ha in > 30 countries
• Most widley planted tree species
Clonal Forestry:
First-Cycle Program
Clonal Forestry: Mass Selection
Clonal Testing: Pure Species & Hybrids
Operational Propagation of Tested Clones
Crop and Product Uniformity
Types of Forests in the World:
Other Types of Forests
Agroforests
Urban Forests
Forested Wetlands
Types of Forests in the World:
Forested Area by Different Types
Types of Forests:
Ecological Value
The World Needs All Types
Conservation Reserves 11%
Primary Forests
Managed Old
Growth Forests
Intensively Managed
Regrowth Forests
Plantations
Economic Value
5%
Objectives
1. Importance of Forests:
•
•
•
Economic benefits
Social benefits
Environmental benefits
2. Forests of the World
•
•
•
Global trends
State of the world’s forests
Types of forests
3. Forests of Florida
4. Discussion
5. References for Your Use
Forests in Florida
By far, the most important land use:
• Half of FL land area is forested
• Mostly in N FL
• Pastures are distant second (17%)
$16 billion/yr industry (#1 “crop”)
$8.0 billion/yr for hunting, fishing
and wildlife viewing
$1.8 billion/yr in recreation and
ecotourism at FL parks
Pine straw, palmetto, silvopastures
Critical ecological services
Forests in Florida:
Increasing Demands For All Goods & Services
Population: 16 million people
• Fastest-growing state east of MS River
• 28 new people per hour (400,000/yr)
• 92% live in urban areas, mostly in S FL
Increasing Demands for:
• Large quantities of high quality water
• Jobs and products
• Biomass for energy and fuels
• Recreation and other social services
• All ecosystem goods and services
Forests in Florida:
Urbanization!
Decreasing Forest Land Area
• Losing 40,000 acres per year (mostly to urbanization)
 1960: 4 acres of forests per person
 2000: 1 acre of forests per person
Forests in Florida:
Urbanization!
Increasing Fragmentation of Rural Forests
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•
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Increasing WUI (1 out of 5 acres in FL in WUI)
Impacting wildlife and bird populations
Increasing role of fire
Impacts of rural development
Increasing Role of Urban Forests
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•
•
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Microclimate amelioration
Stormwater runoff
Recreation
Aesthetics
Psychological benefits
Forests in Florida:
Production and Protection
Production Forestry
• Meet demands from fewer acres (timber, fiber, NTP, energy)
• Increase production efficiency of plantations
• All in sustainable manner (BMPs, certification, etc)
Conservation Programs
• State buying 2 million acres (1/8 of all forest land) + easements
• FL already owns more forest land than any other state in south
• Manifests desire of citizens to support conservation
Conclusions:
Forests are Important in this World!
All types of forests
Native forests, plantations, agroforests, urban forests
All forest products
Timber, paper, medicinals, recreation, hunting, homes
All forest practices
Preservation, conservation, production, multiple use
All forest uses
Reserves, family forests, industrial timberlands, city parks, etc.
All forest values
Social values (recreation, water & soil quality, homes for people)
Economic values (products, jobs, direct and indirect impact)
Environmental values (C sequestration, habitats, biodiversity)
Importance and Benefits from Forests:
Need to Understand Human Dimensions to Realize these Benefits
Domestic
Uses
Non-Timber
Products
Wood
Products
Recreation
Economic
Values
Social &
Ecological
Services
Social
Values
Forests
Climate
Mitigation
Ecological
Values
Habitats &
Biodiversity
Aesthetics
& Spiritual
H2O & Soil
Amelioration
Discussion
References and Websites
Boyle, J.R. 1999. Planted forests: views and viewpoints. New Forests 17: 5-9.
Diesen, Magnus (ed).1998. Economics of the Pulp and Paper Industry. Fapet Oy Publishing, Helsinki, Finland. 186 pp.
Earth Trends, World Resources Institute 2007. http://earthtrends.wri.org/
Evans, J. 1992. Plantation forestry in the tropics. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 403p.
FAO Forest Assessment 1990. Global synthesis . FAO Paper 124. Rome. 1995.
FAO Forest Assessment 1990. Tropical plantations. FAO Paper 128. Rome. 1995.
FAO State of the World’s Forests 2007. http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/sofo/en/
FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/003/X9835e/.
FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005. http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/008/a0400e/a0400e00.htm
Florida’s Forest Resources Plan. I. An Assessment. 2005. http://www.fl-dof.com/plans_support/future_forest_resources.html
Florida’s Forest Resources Plan. II. Condition and Trends. 2005. http://www.fl-dof.com/plans_support/future_forest_resources.html
Forestry Encyclopedia Network. http://www.forestryencyclopedia.net/
Forestry Figures and Facts. American Forest and Paper Association. http://www.afandpa.org/
Fox, T.R. 2000. Sustained productivity in intensively managed plantations. For. Ecol Manage. 138: 202-213.
Hagler, R.W. 1996. The global wood fiber equation-- a new world order? Forest Products J. 79:51-54.
Hodges, Alan, et al., 2003. Economic impact of the forest industry in Florida. Final Report to the Florida Forestry Association.
McLaren, J. (ed) 1999. Issues in Global Timber Supplies. Miller Freeman, San Francisco. 231pp.
Sedjo, R.A. 1999. The potential of high-yield plantation forestry for meeting timber needs. New Forests 17: 339-359.
Sedjo, R.A. 2001.The role of forest plantations in the world’s future timber supply. Forest Chronicle 77:221-225.
Sedjo, R.A and D. Botkin. 1997. Using forest plantations to spare natural forests. Environment 39: 14-20.
Spears, J. 1998. Forests at the crossroads: Environmental challenges for Canada in the 21st century. Forestry Chronicle 74: 812-821.
Sutton, W.R.J. 1999. Does the world need planted forests? New Zealand J Forestry 44: 24-29.
World Conservation Union (IUCN). http://www.iucn.org/
World Resources 1994-1995. Oxford Press. 400p