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TPO 14
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Every year, forest fires and severe stormscause a great deal of damage to forests in the northwestern United States. Oneway of dealing with aftermath of these disasters is called salvage logging,which is the practice of
removing dead trees from affected areas andusing the wood for lumber, plywood, and other wood products. There are severalreasons why salvage logging is beneficial both to a damaged forest and to theeconomy.
First, after a devastating fire, forestsare choked with dead trees. If the trees are not removed, they will take yearsto decompose; in the meantime, no new trees can grow in the cramped spaces.Salvage logging, however, removes the remains of dead trees and makes room forfresh growth immediately, which is likely to help forest areas recover from thedisaster.
Also, dead trees do more than just take upspace. Decaying wood is highly suitable habitat for insects such as the sprucebark beetle, which in large numbers can damage live, healthy spruce trees. Soby removing rotting wood, salvage logging helps minimize the dangers of insectinfestation, thus contributing to the health of the forest.
Third and last, salvage logging haseconomic benefits. Many industries depend upon the forests for their production,and because of this a fire can have a very harmful effect on the economy. Often,however, the trees that have been damaged by natural disasters still canprovide much wood that is usable by industries. Furthermore, salvage loggingrequires more workers than traditional logging operations do, and so it helps createadditional jobs for local residents.
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Professor
Salvage logging may appear to be aneffective way of helping forests recover after a destructive fire or storm, butit can actually result in serious longer-term environmental damage. Itseconomic benefits are also questionable.
First, cleaning up a forest after a fire orstorm does not necessarily create the right conditions for tree growth. In fact,the natural process of wood decomposition enriches the soil and makes it moresuitable for future generations of tree. The rapid removal of dead trees canresult in soil that lacks the nutrients necessary for growth.
Second, it’s true that rotting wood canincrease insect population, but is this really bad for the forest? In fact, sprucebark beetles have lived in Alaskan forest for nearly a hundred years withoutcausing major damage. And of course dead trees do not provide habitats only forharmful insects. They are also used by birds and other insects that areimportant contributors to the long-term health of forests. In the long run,therefore, salvage logging may end up doing more harm to forests than harmfulinsects do.
And third, the economic benefits of salvagelogging are small and don’t last very long, in severely damaged forests, muchof the lumber can be recovered only by using helicopters and other vehiclesthat are expensive to use and maintain. Furthermore, jobs created by salvagelogging are only temporary and are often fitted by outsiders with moreexperience or training than local residents have.
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