Assessing forest sustainability trajectory with temporal changes in timber output and ecological reserve: the case of China

Abstract

We classified forest resources into four modes: high timber output and high ecological reserve (Mode T-E); high timber output and low ecological reserve (Mode T-e); low timber output and low ecological reserve (Mode t-e); and low timber output and high ecological reserve (Mode t-E). Ecological reserve is stand volume per unit area of natural forests and total area of natural forests; timber output is defined as total area of timber forests and unit area of timber production. We used this classification system to examine forest development in China between 1950 and 2013. Data were acquired mainly from forest inventory statistics published by China’s Forestry Administration between the 1970s and 2013. I Information from the 1950s was acquired from relevant literature. Our analysis suggests that China’s forest resources transitioned from Mode t-E to Mode T-e during the period between the early 1950s and late 1970s, resulting in the destruction of both ecological vigor and timber resources. During the following 20 years, strategies were implemented to improve the ecological reserve and increase timber supply, resulting in a decline in the rate of forest degradation. Over the past decade, China’s forest resources have reached Mode T-E as a result of improvements in both the ecological reserve and the timber supply. Currently, the total area of timber forests is relatively low, representing the limiting factor for improvement in overall forest functionality. Nevertheless, along with increased efforts to protect natural forests and develop fast-growing forest plantations, it is hopeful that China’s forest resources will achieve a sustainable state. The four-mode TOER (timber output, ecological reserve) method introduced in this paper is a simple but an effective approach for characterizing the overall quality and quantity of forest resources. The data used for this type of evaluation are typically easy to obtain and reliable. This methodology has potential to be applied to forests in various regions and countries.