Existing comment:
The Southern Forest Industry Today:
As demand for forest products soared in the late 20th century, foresters turned to intensive plantation forestry, a specialized form of agriculture that dramatically increases the amount of wood that can be grown. By growing more volume on fewer acres, intensive forest management helped to meet society's needs for wood products while still allowing other forests to be managed for different objectives. Today, tree farms are the mainstay of the Southern forest industry. Their growth, often on old cotton fields, cutover woodlands, and marginal farm land, has restored much of the forest cover that South Carolina had lost by 1920 because of extensive harvesting without replanting.
But changing public attitudes demand that forests be managed for more than growing wood. Recreation, wildlife habitat, soil conservation, and simple beauty are just a few of the benefits forests provide. Laws and regulations to protect those values have constrained wood production from "natural" forests, even as a growing population consumes more and more wood products.
As a result, the forest industry increasing relies on technology and research to expand production, reduce waste, and protect the environment. |