328 CHAPTER 13 Land ResourcesOliver Berg Deut
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The Forest Stewardship
Council ecologically certifies
“green” wood. Often, the
consumer pays no additional
premium, or only slightly
more, for ecologically
certified wood, which has
become so popular that
demand threatens to exceed
supply.overharvesting, declining biological diversity, and reduced
soil fertility. Causes of the decades-long trend of deforesta-
tion include fires triggered by drought and land-clearing
practices, expansion of agriculture, construction of roads,
tree harvests, insects, disease, and mining.
Most of the world’s deforestation is currently tak-
ing place in South America and Africa, according to the
FAO. Between 2000 and 2010, South America lost about
4.0 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of forest per year,
and Africa lost 3.4 million hectares (8.4 million acres)
annually. In contrast, estimated forested area in NorthDeforestation
The most serious problem facing the world’s forests is
deforestation. According to latest FAO estimates, world
forests shrank by more than 13 million hectares (32 mil-
lion acres) annually between 2000
and 2010. This amounts to a net
10-year loss equivalent to an area
the size of Costa Rica. This esti-
mate of forest loss does not take
into account remaining forests that
have been thinned or degraded byEnviroDiscovery
Ecologically Certified Wood
deforestation
The temporary or
permanent clearance
of large expanses of
forest for agriculture
or other uses.Many homebuilders and homeowners are interested in
“green” wood for flooring and other building materials (see
photograph). Such wood is ecologically certified by a legitimate
third party, such as the German-based Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC), to have come from a forest managed with
environmentally sound and socially responsible practices.
Although these areas remain a small percentage of world
forests, by mid 2012 the FSC had certified, as well managed,
more than 150 million hectares (more than 371 million acres)
in 80 countries. Certification is based on sustainability of
timber resources, socioeconomic benefits provided tolocal people, and forest ecosystem health, which includes
such considerations as preservation of wildlife habitat and
watershed stability.
Green forestry has its detractors. Traditional forestry
organizations are skeptical about the reliability of FSC
investigations and the economic viability of this type of forestry.
Trade experts caution that government efforts to specify the
purchase of certified timber could violate global free-trade
agreements. Still, green timber is gaining market share, pleasing
business owners and consumers alike, and offering the promise
of better conservation practices in managed forests.