Question

Direct and indirect utilisation of forest ecosystem

Answer 1

FOREST UTILIZATION can have impacts on the environment both at the forest level and at the macro level.

At the forest level, several activities can have direct and indirect negative impacts on plant and animal resources and on ecological functions of the forests (including conservation of biological diversity and carbon and water cycles). These include poorly planned and implemented extraction of timber and non-timber products, the construction of logging and transport roads, the construction of facilities for logging camps or for recreational activities in the forests and waste accumulation. Active forest utilization can also have direct and indirect impacts on human health and on cultural and social foundations in nearby areas. Different forms of forest utilization vary in the severity, irreversibility, probability of occurrence and significance of their impacts. They range from low-impact activities such as occasional collection of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) to high-impact ones such as commercial timber harvesting or conversion of natural forest to plantations.