Forestry & Society
What is the Problem?
HORT/RGSC 302
J.G. Mexal
Spring 2002
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem?
• We are the problem--our insatiable demand
for wood!
Historical Forest Use
• 1826 1st railroad near Boston
• 1884 = 150,000 mi
– 396,000,000 ties
– 198,000,000 trees
– Harvested 3.96 million ac
– Needed 113 ac/mi or road
– Replaced every 7 years
• Today: 171,098 miles of RR
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem?
• Trees are the solution.
• But a landowner is better off financially to
clearcut the land, sell the timber,
sell the land, and put
the money in the bank!
Forestry & Society
How Many Big Chief® Tablets?/AP 10/12/99
No. (billion)
6
4
2
0
1000
1250
1500
Year (A.D.)
1750
2000
Forestry & Society
How Many Big Chief® Tablets?/AP 10/12/99
Population Change
2000
1900
L.A.
0.09
Europe
0.49
N.A.
0.10
L.A.
0.55
Europe
0.42
Asia
1.15
Africa
1.19
N.A.
0.29
Asia
3.55
2050
N.A.
0.44
L.A.
0.77
Europe
0.66
Africa
1.76
Asia
4.91
Africa
0.16
TOTAL = 2 billion
6 billion
9 billion
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem?
• The demand for wood is directly related to
population growth and affluence.
• World:
– 3.4 billion m3/yr (1 mi x 1 mi x 1 mi)
– ~0.6 m3/person/yr or ~500 lb/person/yr
– China used 13 lb/person/yr
• USA:
– 1 tree/person/yr (DBH = 10”; Ht = 100’; ~0.75 cords)
• 700 lb paper/person/yr
• 200 BF/yr
• 87 ft2 plywood + 59 ft2 structure wood/yr
– 2,000 sq ft house = 12,975 BF lumber + 2,000 sq ft
plywood
Forestry & Society
Forest Area 2005/ FAO
• Forests (3.45kkk ha) cover 30% of earth’s
land surface
• 1990-2000 deforestation = 8.9kk ha/yr
• 2000-2005 deforestation = 7.3kk ha/yr
(0.18%)
– Area = MA, NJ, CT, DE, RI combined
– Conversion to agriculture
•
•
•
•
33% of world’s forests = primary
3.8% (140kk ha) = exotic species plantations
11% = protected for conservation
84% = publicly owned
www.fao.ort/forestry/site/fra/
Forestry & Society
World Forests & Land Use/ Pop. Act. Int’l 1999
Billions
8
Forest land
Cropland
Population
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
6000BC
0
AD1000
1500
1800
1900
1950
1990
2000
2010
Forestry & Society
People and Forests/Pop.Act.Int’l 1999
1960
1995
World Population = 3.0 billion
Forest-to-People ratio
= 1.2 ha/cap.
Total wood consumption
= 2.2 billion m3
= 0.7 m3/capita
Industrial
= 1.1 billion m3
= 0.34 m3/capita
Fuelwood
= 1.1 billion m3
= 0.33 m3/capita
World Population = 5.7 billion
Forest-to-People ratio
= 0.6 ha/cap.
Total wood consumption
= 3.3 billion m3
= 0.6 m3/capita
Industrial
= 1.5 billion m3
= 0.26 m3/capita
Fuelwood
= 1.8 billion m3
= 0.32 m3/capita
Wood Consumption/
J.For. 100(4):6:’02
Million cubic meters
Million tons pulp
160
120
80
40
0
Top Roundwood Producers--2006/
Source: UN FAO
473
USA
329
Country
India
China
298
Brazil
Canada
0
100
240
206
200
300
Roundwood (million m3/yr)
400
500
Forestry & Society
World Forests/ Pop. Act. Int’l 1999
World Forests (1995)
146
565
950
Total forest area
= 3.45 billion ha
Developing Countries
= 1.96 billion ha
Developed Countries
= 1.49 billion ha
816
520
L.A.
0.77
Europe
0.66
457
Million ha
Africa
1.76
N.A.
0.44
Asia
4.91
2050 Population
Forestry & Society
Forest Area 2005/ FAO (kk ha)
Peru, 69, 2%
India, 68, 2%
Indonesia, 88, 2%
Congo, 134, 3%
Australia, 164, 4%
Others, 1333, 34%
China, 197, 5%
USA, 303, 8%
Canada, 310, 8%
Russia, 809, 20%
Brazil, 478, 12%
Russia
Brazil
Canada
USA
China
Australia
Congo
Indonesia
Peru
India
Others
Forestry & Society
European Forestry
Country
Population
(millions)
Area
(kk ha)
Forest
(%)
Timber
(kk m3)
France
54.7
54.3
28
39.0
Spain
38.2
49.5
25
13.7
Italy
56.8
30.1
27
9.4
W. Germ.
64.1
24.3
30
30.7
UK
56.4
24.1
10
5.1
Greece
9.8
12.9
45
2.7
Portugal
9.9
8.6
35
9.3
Ireland
3.5
6.9
6
1.3
Denmark
5.1
4.2
11
2.7
Netherlands
14.4
3.4
10
1.1
Belgium
9.9
3.3
23
3.1
EEC
322.8
222.0
25
118.0
Forestry & Society
The Situation
• World:
– 90 million additional people/yr (pop.= Mexico)
– Convert 0.8%/yr from forest to crop land
• 42 million acres/yr = 1/2 of New Mexico
• ‘shifting’ or ‘subsistence’ agriculture
• USA:
– Forest land = stable since 1920s
• plant over 1.0 billion seedlings/yr
• plant about 6 seedlings for every tree cut.
Forestry & Society
U.S. Land Use and Population /
Pop.Act.Int’l 1999
Millions (ha)
350
300
250
200
150
Population
Forestland
Cropland
100
50
Year
2016
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
1890
1880
1870
1860
1850
0
US Forestry Facts/ Natl Hdwd Lum Assoc
• Forests are Renewable:
– Plant 1.7 billion trees on 2.6 million acres/yr
• Forests are Abundant:
– 70% of forestland in 1600 still in forest
– Ingrowth exceeds harvest by 47%
– 37% of forest land protected from harvest
• Forests are Sustainable:
– Forests are managed for multiple benefits (air, water,
recreation, wildlife, timber) without depleting the
ability of future generations to manage the forests for
their needs.
Forestry and Society
Softwood Lumber and Panel board Production/
PNW-RB-230, 1999
Billion board feet
40
Total Lumber
30
20
US Panel board
Western Region Lumber
10
Southern Region Lumber
0
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
Year
Forestry and Society
Timber Volume Sold by USDA in Western US
PNW-RB-230, 1999
Volume (million board feet)
10000
8000
Northern
SW
Rocky Mtn
Intermtn
6000
PSW
PNW-W
PNW-E
Alaska
4000
2000
0
1987
1989
1991
1993
Year
1995
1997
Southern Pulpwood Production /
SRS-69, 34p. 2000
Volume (std cords)
Volume (kkk cu ft)
n.d.
State
Forestry & Society
The Billion Board Foot Club-US
Rank in Company
2004
1
Weyerhaeuser
Annual
MMBF
7,187
Annual
M3 (000)
11,534
Mills
41
5
Int’l Paper
2,985
4,790
27
9
Georgia Pacific
1,749
2,807
23
10
Sierra-Pacific
1,731
2,778
12
12
Hampton Affil.
1,387
2,226
6
15
Simpson Timber
1,175
1,886
5
18
Stinson Lumber
1,145
1,837
11
Forestry Source 10(11):20:2005
Forestry & Society
The Billion Board Foot Club-Canada
Rank in Company
2004
2
Cantor
Annual
MMBF
5,200
Annual
M3 (000)
8,345
Mills
3
West Fraser
4,021
6,453
21
6
Abitibi-Consol.
2,148
3,447
20
8
Toiko
2,074
3,328
11
11
Tembec
1,524
2,446
21
19
Buchanan Lumber 1,100
1,765
7
20
Interfor
1,748
10
1,089
21
Forestry Source 10(11):20:2005
Forestry & Society
The Billion Board Foot Club-Others
Rank
Company
in 2004
5
Stora Enso-Finland
Annual
MMBF
3,322
Annual
M3 (000)
6,664
Mills
7
FinnForest-Finland
2,104
4,220
30
13
Klausner Grp-Ger.
1,203
2,200
3
14
UPM_Kymmene-Fin.
1,201
2,409
10
16
Arauco-Chile
1,165
2,750
14
17
Setra Grp-Sweden
1,147
2,300
12
25
Forestry Source 10(11):20:2005
Forestry Facts
• One cord of hardwood (~1 ton)
–
–
–
–
1,000-2,000 lbs of paper
4,384,000 postage stamps
460,000 personal checks
94,200 pages of hard-cover book (the next
Harry Potter book)
– 2,700 copies of average daily newspaper
– 1,200 copies of National Geographic
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem?--Forest Uses!
• Historic Use:
– Food
– Fuel
– Fiber
taxol
medicinals
• Current Use:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Fiber
Recreation
Water
Habitat (esp. TES)
Food
Fuel
Extractives
Botanicals
hunting
camping
skiing
hiking
scenic beauty
cattle
mushrooms
piñon
minerals
metals
Table of Wood Elements/
J. For.100(4):6:’02
Forestry & Society
Forest Facts: Tree Usage
Trunk:
lumber
rayon
pencils
tools
Stumps:
veneer
pitch
Saps, gums, resin:
maple syrup
ink
pulp
tencel
plastics
charcoal
tar
gum
paints
Forestry & Society
Forest Facts: Tree Usage
Leaves:
pine oil
cedar oil
Roots:
oil
-- tea
Bark:
mulch
-- dyes
medicine
-- tannins
fuel
-- flavorings
horticulture
Forestry & Society
Forest Facts: Forest Usage
Water
Wildlife
Lifestock
Recreation
camping
hunting
skiing
hiking
off-roading
fishing
Environmental Protection
carbon sequestration
soil erosion
Forestry & Society
Forest Products in Developing Countries/
Pop.Act.Int’l 1999
0.2
Billion cubic meters
0.6
1.0
1.4
1.8
Paper
Pulp
Percent
Volume
Panels
Lumber
Fuelwood
0
20
40
60
80
Percent of World Production
100
Forestry & Society
Forest Facts: Tree Usage- charcoal
World:
– 50% = fuel (cooking)
– 50% = lumber, paper
Guatemala
USA:
49% = wood products
28% = pulpwood
23% = fuel, chemicals
H/R 302
A “paperless” society?
2001:
318
million
tons
2101:
~440
million
tons
2001 = 53 kg/person
1998 = 49 kg/person
1968 = 32 kg/person
USA in the year 2000
Total paper production = 45.6 KK tons
#1 Wisconsin = 5.4 KK tons
#2 Maine
= 4.0 KK tons
H/R 302
A “paperless” society?
Paper Consumption (kg/cap/yr)
250
Industrialized
Developing
200
150
100
50
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2010
WorldWatch Mar/Apr ‘98
Home Sizes
Http://www.nahb.com/facts/forecast/sf.html
3 Little Pigs: which house would you build?/
Steel
• Requires 26% more
energy that wood
• Emits 34% more
greenhouse gasses
• Releases 24% more
pollutants
• Discharges 400% more
water
• Produces 8% more solid
waste
• Uses 11% more resources
Concrete
• Requires 57% more
energy that wood
• Emits 81% more
greenhouse gasses
• Releases 47% more
pollutants
• Discharges 350% more
water
• Produces 23% more solid
waste
• Uses 81% more resources
3 Little Pigs: which house would you build?/
J.For. 100(8):34:2002
Σ= 232 GJ
Σ= 396 GJ
Σ= 553 GJ
Forestry & Society
Wood is Valuable
• 2003 prices (after housing boom)
–
–
–
–
Red Oak
Pine
Plywood
OSB
= $700/MBF (wholesale)
= $894/MBF (retail) [ 55%]
= $510/Mft2 (from $268) [ 90%]
= $428/Mft2 (from $170) [ 152%]
Forestry and Society
Trees are the Solution!
Most lands have been cutover -- and regenerated
• Europe: 400 years of forestry
• The Americas: the coastlines were cutover during
the 1700s and 1800s
Some lands have not recovered:
• Middle east
• Easter Island
• Iceland
• Chaco Canyon
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem? Questions:
• How has forest use changed from historic times? What were
the uses then and now?
• What products can be derived from trees? From what parts
of trees?
• Compare tree usage in the US to world usage. Compare
how much wood is used and what general products are
made.
• What is deforestation? What is the global impact of
deforestation? What are the immediate, short-term impacts
of deforestation?
• Discuss the direct and indirect causes of deforestation.
Forestry & Society
What is the Problem? Questions:
• If the world population in 1960 was 3.0 billion and the
‘forest-to-people’ ratio was 1.2 ha/person; and the world
population in 1995 was 5.7 billion and the ‘forest-topeople’ ratio was 0.6 ha/person; how much forest land (in
hectares [ha]) has been lost worldwide? Where did it go?
• How would you compare the forest situation in the US to
world forests? Over the last 70 years? Over the last 150
years?
• What are the problems facing world forests? Where are
the problems greatest? Least? Why?
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 1997
Forestry & Society
Wood is Valuable
2004 wholesale prices (Weyco annual report)
RoT
1 m3 ≈ 450 kg (ρ =.45)
1 m3 ≈ 427 ft2
Thus, 1 kg ≈ 1 ft2
Or 1 MBF = 1 ton
Commodity
$/unit
Dougfir
So.
Pine
2X4
$/MBF
459
387
Plywood
$/MSF
448
403
OSB
$/MSF
374
Pulp
$/t
640
Paper
$/t
358
Newsprint
$/t
57