Sustainability and Forestry
How do we meet an expanding global demand for wood, in a sustainable way, from a shrinking forest land base? This module examines the challenges of and opportunities for sustainable forest management in both natural and planted forests, and presents numerous examples from around the world that illustrate both the environmental concerns and specific options for sustainable forest management practices.
Learning Objectives
After viewing this presentation and relevant support material, users should be able to:
- Describe the environmental concerns regarding forest management practices in both temperate and tropical natural forests.
- Give examples of sustainable forest practices in natural forests from various places in the world, and explain how these examples demonstrate sustainability.
- Understand the increasing importance of planted forests in the world.
- Describe the environmental concerns regarding planted forests and ways to address these concerns.
- Explain what sustainable forest management (SFM) agreements are and give examples of these agreements that are used in various parts of the world.
- Describe the seven criteria for sustainable forest management that make up the Montreal Process SFM agreement.
Presenter
Dr. John Innes, Professor
Listen to Dr. Innes respond to the question: How did I get interested in this area of study?
For more information about Dr. Innes, please check UBC, Faculty of Forestry
Module Resources
Before viewing a presentation or lab, be sure to read the instructions on using this resource.
Presentation
Sustainability and ForestryDr. John Innes illustrates what sustainable forestry looks like in both natural and planted forests using examples from both temperate and tropical forest areas. A number of national and international processes have led to the development of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) agreements that can form the basis for improved practices.
Other Resources
Potential Questions for use by Instructors
- Give several examples of practices that a professional forester working in British Columbia can use to meet criteria for sustainable forest management from the Montreal Process. Be sure to explain which criterion/criteria are met by the practice. What challenges might a forester encounter in trying to implement these kinds of practices?
- You are a forester in charge of making several areas of planted forests in China. What factors, in terms of sustainable forest management, do you need to consider in planning these forests? Discuss how you would address four of these factors.