Clear-Cutting Practices Threaten Forest Biodiversity, Expert Argues

Seppo Vuokko, a non-fiction author, has voiced criticism regarding the media's portrayal of clear-cutting in forests. He argues that reporting on studies concerning clear-cutting often presents an excessively negative picture, failing to compare it adequately with natural disturbances like forest fires or to continuous forest management practices.

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In forest fires, plenty of both living and dead trees remain in the forest, providing habitats for many species.

Vuokko draws parallels between clear-cutting and the open landscapes that emerged after the last ice age, and more directly, with natural forest fires. He points out that natural fires leave behind a significant amount of dead and living trees, which provide crucial habitats for numerous species, supporting biodiversity for decades or even centuries. Natural fires, however, occur infrequently, allowing forests to develop into old-growth stands, which are rich in biodiversity. In contrast, clear-cutting removes nearly all trees, preventing forests from maturing and leading to the loss of habitats for many species, with benefits for some species often being short-lived and not necessarily indicative of true forest-dwelling species.

The studies Vuokko refers to do not call for an outright ban on clear-cutting. Instead, they propose methods to reduce its negative impacts. Current practices often leave too few trees on harvested areas. The recommendation is to leave more trees permanently and to extend the time between harvests. This would allow forests to age and enable forest species to recover from the effects of successive logging operations.

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In clear-cuts, almost all trees are removed, and forests do not develop into old ones, causing many species to lose their habitats.

Furthermore, Vuokko emphasizes that not all forest species can survive in managed forests. Therefore, sufficient protected areas, especially old-growth forests that resemble natural conditions, are essential. These diverse, naturally aged forests maintain a rich variety of species, a feat that managed forests, especially after intensive clear-cutting, cannot replicate. Since the majority of Finland's forests are clear-cut, the key to preserving forest biodiversity lies not just in whether logging occurs, but in how clear-cutting is executed. Forestry practices that continuously degrade forest habitats are unsustainable from a nature conservation perspective.

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Forestry is not sustainable from nature's perspective if logging continuously degrades forest habitats.