Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the establishment of successful smallholder systems are reviewed. Strategies to
transform traditional smallholder systems towards market-oriented systems that
better serve public environmental and economic goals are also discussed. The chapter
is concluded with lessons learned that stress experience from the Philippines and
conclusions that support the chapter's main message. As often as possible we reiterate
the relevance of previous chapters, including data and citations.
21.2
Forest Loss, Environmental Degradation and a
Loss of Forest Services
The forest loss projections made in the
Food and Agricultural Organization
(
FAO
)
1997 forestry sector outlook studies are clearly alarming. In the Asia-Pacific Region
alone over 32 million hectares of
forests and woodlands
(
wooded lands
)
1
have been
or will be lost by 2010; an additional 22 million hectares of
natural exploitable forests
2
area, forests that can produce commercial timber, will be lost. These losses equal
3.8 and 8.5 percent of the respective 1995 area (Blanchez 1997). The projected loss
is particularly distressing for Southeast Asia, where
forests and woodlands
area and
natural exploitable forests
area will decline by more than 11 percent and 14 percent,
respectively, between the two benchmark dates. For South Asia respective losses
are 2.5 percent of forests and woodlands and 8.6 percent for natural exploitable for-
ests. While less severe than Southeast Asia, these rates of natural forest loss are very
high and occur in a sub-region where the forest base is already greatly reduced from
decades of unchecked forest conversion. The next FAO forestry sector outlook is in
preparation and expected to be available December 2008 (see Nair 2006). An interim
report (FAO 2005) documents an average annual net forest loss rate of 2.7 million
hectares for South and Southeast Asia, which exceeds the dire projections made in
the 1997 outlook study (Blanchez 1997). Since the net losses account for replanting
and natural regeneration the actual rate of deforestation is undoubtedly higher.
Reforestation is being achieved through the expansions of forest plantations.
Between 1995 and 2010 forest plantations are projected to increase by 21.0 million hec-
tares (35 percent) across the Asia-Pacific region, by 6.0 million hectares (73 percent)
in Southeast Asia, and 4.5 million hectares (30 percent) in South Asia (Blanchez
1997). Forest plantations are an important and efficient source of wood and non-
wood products. The systems reduce production pressure on natural forests, and may have
a tempering effect on the rate of natural forests loss. Globally, forest plantations
1
Forests
are areas with wild flora, fauna and natural soil conditions; with a minimum crown cover
of 10 percent.
Wooded lands
compose of forest fallows (all complexes of woody vegetation derived
from clearing natural forest for shifting cultivation) and shrubs (vegetation types where the domi-
nant woody elements are shrubs of more than 50 cm and less than 5 m in height in maturity).
2
Natural exploitable forests
are natural or semi-natural forests, composed of tree species known
to be indigenous to the area, that are commercially productive and economically accessible/avail-
able for timber wood supply. Legally protected and economically restricted forests are excluded.
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