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Forest products benefits for the world lie in the fact that they are renewable. Wood pulp that is made from thinning or softwoods can be produced from a group that is not much more than decade old. It is true that fossil fuels are also derived from ancient vegetation but the geological age of coal, oil and gas are such that they are not regarded as renewable resources in contemporary thinking.

Forest products benefits for the world lie in the fact that they are renewable. Wood pulp that is made from thinning or softwoods can be produced from a group that is not much more than decade old. It is true that fossil fuels are also derived from ancient vegetation but the geological age of coal, oil and gas are such that they are not regarded as renewable resources in contemporary thinking.

Sustainable development has become an industry in its own right because survival in the future hinges upon it. Ways must be found to provide for human development that will not make such huge demands on natural resources that they become extinct. Their extinction will mean the extinction of the human species on earth. We will not be the first species to suffer that fate.

The enormous economic growth of China and India is making huge demands on the remaining mineral resources of the world. Iron, coal and other industrial metals like platinum are exported in massive amounts from countries like Canada, Australian and South Africa. The oceans adjacent to Middle Eastern deserts are lined with gigantic oil tankers taking fuel to be used in industries in the developed world.

The huge populations of China and India are now demanding the quality of life enjoyed by people in Germany and America. Their rightful aspirations will quite possibly be the breaking point for the supply of natural resources. At some point in the future the demand for iron and coal will exceed the cost of mining the final remains of such resources.

Forest products are renewable, and their use does not pose the same problem that attends the use of non-renewable resources. Nevertheless there are two major concerns. In the first place people worry about the destruction of forests as big as those in Brazil, and in England children are asked to donate their pocket money towards saving the rain forests. In the second place there are concerns about the huge artificial forests planted in grasslands that destroy the water resources and natural habitats of life beneath them. Improved forest management systems that take account of long term effects can answer both sets of concerns.

Products from natural forests may range from hardwoods for furniture to medicines and fungi. From artificial forests wood pulp is derived and this has many industrial uses. However, planks and packaging materials such as wooden pallets are also very important. They can be used instead of plastic and iron, thus saving on other resource use. Ethanol for bio-fuel is also an important derivative as it is a renewable fuel source.

The land beneath forests is also a resource that is non-renewable. It has increased in value over the centuries and wars have been fought for it. An interesting new development for forest management is to use such land for residential purposes. People living in plantations in retirement or holiday homes represent a wise use of a scarce resource. The people will be happy and the owners will be able to make use of land that is best not used for trees for ecological reasons.

Forest products benefits for the future will depend to a large extent on silvicultural research. Ways must be found to use natural forests in a sustainable way so that large trees are replaced by young ones in the correct balance so that water resources and natural habitats are conserved. In man-made plantations the bad effects of monoculture can be ameliorated in many ways through the development of new cultivars and wise land use practices.