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Degeneration versus regeneration — logging in tropical rain forests

  • Chapter
Tropical Rain Forest: A Wider Perspective

Part of the book series: Conservation Biology Series ((COBI,volume 10))

Abstract

Tropical rain forests are widely regarded as being very ancient climax ecosystems composed of highly specialized organisms. This has encouraged a view that they are potentially extremely fragile and that human intervention will inevitably lead to their destruction. As a consequence, many of those who are concerned about the loss of this important ecosystem have campaigned against the use of tropical rain forests for timber production. Despite this pressure, it is almost certain that within the next few decades virtually all tropical rain forest not set aside exclusively for conservation will be logged. This chapter examines the assertion that tropical rain forests are fragile and that their use for timber production is ecologically incompatible with their conservation. The process of natural regeneration in tropical rain forests is reviewed in order to understand the likely consequences of a logging operation.

‘Naturœ, nisi parendo non imperatur’ (Obedience is the only way to command nature)

Francis Bacon

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  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK

    N. Brown

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  1. Ecology and Conservation Unit, Department of Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    F. B. Goldsmith

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Brown, N. (1998). Degeneration versus regeneration — logging in tropical rain forests. In: Goldsmith, F.B. (eds) Tropical Rain Forest: A Wider Perspective. Conservation Biology Series, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4912-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4912-9_3

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