Biodiversity

How does the sustainable use of American hardwoods contribute to biodiversity conservation?

Demand for American hardwoods has provided a strong economic incentive for U.S. land owners to manage and conserve natural hardwood forests for the long-term supply of high value decorative hardwoods and has discouraged conversion for other economic uses such as agriculture or fast-growing tree plantations.

American hardwoods derive from managed natural forests which have high natural bio-diversity, provide a habitat for a wide range of species, and are very resilient to fire and pests. The 2000 RPA Assessment indicates that overall hardwood forests are getting older in the United States and that this maturation is leading to increased eco-system diversity.

Selection harvesting, involving the removal of specified individuals or small groups of trees, is typical in American hardwood forests. Clear-felling of hardwood trees of the same diameter and age group is carried out only occasionally for specific management objectives, for example to open up a section of the forest for grazing purposes.

Fertile forest soils and favourable growing conditions mean that American hardwood forests are most effectively renewed through natural regeneration. Following felling, trees sprout vigorously from naturally occurring seed or shoot from the stumps of harvested trees.

U.S. hardwood forests offer a greater diversity of timber species than any other temperate hardwood forest resource. Unlike the European and Asian forests, which are heavily dominated by beech and oak, American hardwood forests can supply commercial volumes of over 20 hardwood species.

AHEC is contributing to the maintenance of this diversity by promoting the full range of hardwood species and by not just focusing on the most commercially valuable species.

Is there a risk that American hardwood harvesting could damage biodiversity?

The 2008 Seneca Creek study commissioned by AHEC confirms there is a low risk of harvesting in U.S. hardwood forests causing damage to biodiversity.

The study includes a comprehensive assessment of the risk of American hardwoods being derived from the five categories of wood that should be avoided according to the FSC Controlled Wood standard (FSC-STD-40-005) that applies to the non-certified portion of FSC mixed products. Two of these categories of “unacceptable source” are directly relevant to biodiversity conservation. The Seneca Creek study indicates that there is a low risk of American hardwoods being harvested in forests where high conservation values are threatened by management activities. There is also a low risk of American hardwoods being harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use.