Send this page to somebody

The Possibility of Plantations: Integrating Ecological Forestry into Plantation Systems

Plantations systems increasingly make up a larger share of the world's wood fiber supply. This trend shows no sign of diminishing in the years ahead. Consequently, wood fiber plantations have, and will continue to have, a significant influence on the biodiversity of our landscapes and the quality of habitat for many wildlife species. Our report looks closely at various plantation systems; in particular innovations in the U.S. and worldwide that demonstrate how such systems can be more than just "fiber farms". We hope to promote a more vigorous conversation about what is possible in plantation forestry, in terms of better integration of wildlife and biodiversity values. In helping foster such a conversation, our report should not be construed however as either a broad endorsement of all plantation systems, nor suggest that the impacts of intensive plantation forestry can be adequately mitigated in each instance. We also acknowledge that plantation systems raise many social issues in different parts of the world over land claims, access rights, and community benefits. These are important issues, but they are beyond the scope of this report and our expertise. In general, NWF concludes: · Plantation systems "can do better" in many areas from individual stand to landscape level innovations that benefit wildlife; · A handful of companies and land managers are actively pushing integration of non-timber biodiversity values in their plantation systems, and these efforts need to be more widely shared and evaluated; · Plantations can play an important role in carbon sequestration, provided they are properly managed--especially for soil conservation--and net carbon benefits from management are verified; · Innovation and support for models that provide concentrated fiber production in exchange for secured biodiversity conservation and set-asides is needed.