Economics and Forestry: Problems

            Forests provide some of the most important ecosystem services in our economy; forests act as carbon sinks that purify air, purify water sources, and create habitats that shelter biodiversity. They also provide wood for fuel, construction, paper, and serve other purposes essential to our economy. However, as we harvest trees in order to support our economy, we are damaging resources that could be used in the future and eliminating other ecosystem services.

            One of the major issues with harvesting trees is clear-cutting. When companies clear-cut a forest in order to harvest timber, all of the trees are removed from the ecosystem, effectively destroying it. Once the forest ecosystem is destroyed, the economy loses valuable services. For instance, by destroying forests, we are destroying carbon sinks. Trees take in carbon, produce oxygen, and remove pollutants from the air. Without forests serving as carbon sinks, governments have to spend millions of dollars removing air pollution. Overharvesting trees also damages habitats of other organisms, which decreases the biodiversity in the area. When biodiversity decreases, the productivity of the land decreases and what was once an economically prosperous source of resources becomes infertile and useless.

Public Land: Issues - - An information source about the environmental impact of clear-cutting forests, published by the Nova Scotia Public Lands Coalition.