reader speech This is an entry in the discussion, written by an external contributor. The publication expresses the views of the author.
The use of the forest as a resource has been crucial to our civilization. In the 17th century, the first industrial exploitation began and timber from the forest became an important commodity. Whole logs and timber were sold to many European countries and provided Norway with currency to buy the goods we needed to develop our society. As the forestry industry began to demand more timber, it was discovered that things weren’t looking good in the Norwegian forests. Regeneration was neglected, production was low and so was the volume of timber. It has become important to know how to create forests that produce more. The answer was to move to open cutting and planting. So forests are still an important source of raw materials today.
If going green is going to be anything more than a transition to green energy, many of the products currently produced from oil and gas must be given a different resource basis. Today there are already many products that show that forests can replace oil and gas as a raw material.
Species diversity in the forest
The focus on biodiversity in nature has intensified significantly in recent decades with increased knowledge and international agreements as a background. This has led to significant changes in forest management and the costs associated with logging and securing biologically important areas. The consequences for some forest owners have been significant.
Despite this, the standard has been introduced and all types of forests have been environmentally certified over the past twenty-five years. Ecological recordings made by foresters aim to secure the habitats of the most vulnerable species. Biologists want to focus more on species discoveries, and thus are calling for more detailed biological investigations. That would be a step in the wrong direction. Natural elements are in a relatively stable state because they are caused by soil conditions, moisture, and solar radiation. Species migrate into nature and disappear from it. Some species are not visible for long periods although they are present in life stages. Research also shows that many species establish themselves relatively quickly when the right living conditions are established. It is estimated that there are 72,000 species in the country. So far, just under 47,000 have been found. Demanding full species registration would be unscientific and anti-industry!
The highly endangered are the least important
Of the 1,339 Red List species in forests, 124 are threatened with extinction. Of these, there are only 7 types as more than 50% of the European population is found in Norway. One of these is Trønderknopplav. In Norway, it is only known from Orkdal, where it has not been noticed since it was found 30 years ago. However, they are listed as threatened by forests. With 103 critically endangered species, the population in Norway is less than 1% of the world’s population. So many of them are likely to be on the edge of their normal distribution. There are huge gaps in knowledge about species.
New old recording methods
In the EU Directive on Forests, there are demands for more use of closed lots. May suit Central Europe where the soil is rich. In a northern coniferous forest, it will restore the forest to the conditions it had before the introduction of surface forest. Nordic research has shown that it will reduce productivity by 30 to 40%. On medium to poor soils, annual detritus from trees accumulates into an unmarketable humus carpet. Acids are released from such humus mats. Combined with the low temperatures, they create an acidic and cold environment in which few species can survive. It is not site-specific forests to provide a common standard for how forests should be managed across Europe.
Climate struggle
The forest is cited by the United Nations Climate Panel as one of the most important tools for carbon dioxide sequestration. Norway plans to rely only on additional carbon dioxide uptake from the reference year 1990. This turns out to be unfortunate for forests in the Nordic region, all of which have experienced strong resource accumulation. Rather than further developing the forest’s potential for CO2 sequestration, the forest could become a negative contributor if extraction increased beyond the level in the reference year. Such a situation completely ignores the long-term storage that occurs when wood products are used in constructions that last for many years.
natural law
The United Nations recently adopted a law of nature. The goal is to protect at least 30% of the sea and land area by conservation. The Nature Index for Norway measures the state of biodiversity. The Nature Index for Forests has an approximate primeval forest condition as a starting point. When almost all forests in Norway have been affected by humans for thousands of years, the Nature Index for forests must be low. A reference state like it was before flat forests will say more about the developments of our time.
The forest has the potential to make a huge difference in going green. Politicians must balance various considerations in a well-balanced way when these matters are decided in the coming months. Sustainable use is the best choice for a green future!
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