Secondary forest management and plantations forestry technologies to improve the use of converted tropical lands

Cutover and volunteer forests, termed secondary, are potentially productive of wood on some 900 million hectares in the tropics, an area larger than needed to supply the projected wood requirements of the tropics in the year 2000. The extent of these forests is essentially stable at present, declining only about 0.2 percent per year. Five alternative technologies for treating these forests are assessed: no treatment, refining, natural regeneration, underplanting, and field planting. Each has limitations but each may have a place. Untreated forests is important as fallow between periods of food crop production. Field planting may be integrated with periodic or continuous farming. The key to improving and implementing these technologies in the lesser developed countries is the effectiveness of the primary national institution of the country concerned. More coordination of international assistance should precede consideration of more funding. The means for coordination are the multinational, regional, and global institutions. These will prove effective only if national governments and donors are active participants in their planning and operation. An appeal is made to shift funding toward these at the expense of bilateral programs. This shift is considered to be also one in emphasis toward progress rather than expenditure. The United States government is asked to assert leadership in furthering this shift internationally. At home, better identification, development, and utilization of U.S. citizens (particularly federal employees) who could undertake key assignments in such programs is recommended. Two university-level curricula in tropical forestry are proposed within the U.S. The initial role of the U.S. Congress involves little or no funding. The Department of State should be assigned leadership for the Executive Branch of government. It should be requested to inventory all federal funding legally usable for tropical forestry assistance. A period of two years is proposed for the Department to reorganize efforts to pursue the proposed program using existing authorities or others to be requested. A report back to the Congress on progress by the end of that period would be the basis for any new policies, authorizations, or funding.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	130220 Wadsworth, F.H.
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	[sl] 1984
Subjects:	MANEJO FORESTAL, REGENERACION NATURAL, PLANTACION FORESTAL, PRODUCTIVIDAD, CRECIMIENTO, ASPECTOS SOCIOECONOMICOS, SISTEMAS SILVICULTURALES, TECNOLOGIA APROPIADA, BOSQUE SECUNDARIO,
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