Although reforestation should not be seen in isolation and considered the key to all problems with regard to climate and our environment, efforts to stop deforestation, promote sustainable use of forests, and reforestation efforts together combine many beneficial effects. Forests prevent erosion and the loss of fertile soil, and have an important impact on both flooding control as well as promoting local infiltration of water into soil. As such, they contribute to the availability of water and soil, and thus promote sustainable agricultural yields. In the long term, there is no doubt that preservation of natural forest results in higher and more sustainable agricultural production. But even on the short term – thinking in terms of a few years – setting aside part of the land, especially along hill slopes, for the preservation of natural forest, will result in a higher biomass production on the remaining land, and thus results in more food for people and livestock, or any other production.
Natural forest does all this better than cultivated land or tree plantations. The preservation of natural forest and indigenous trees therefore has important added value. First, it is now well established that biodiversity increases productivity of ecosystems, and results in a better coverage by vegetation as well as higher amounts of biomass. Secondly, indigenous trees are the source of seeds and seedlings that allow natural rejuvenation of forests and forest fragments.
Not to forget the role forests play in the regulation of climate, both on a more regional scale as well as at a global level, and both through their impact on the water cycle as well as on their effect on carbon dioxide levels.
In short, highly diverse natural forest not only deserves protection for ethical reasons or for its beauty, but has very important added value to human societies. It is not because chopping a tree may gain you some money that its cost is not very high.
Luc De Meester
Filed under: Trees For Farmers | getagged: blog action day, herbebossing, ontbossing, Trees For Farmers
