A closed logging road. (Image: Fritz Kleinschroth / ETH Zurich)
Regulated forestry in tropical forests is not the same as deforestation. On the contrary, in high-forest-cover countries the use of tropical timber can be an important, alternative source of income to other land uses that compete directly with the forest, such as large-scale cultivation of soy or palm oil. Tropical forestry is typically characterised by the selective removal of a few trees, often only one to two per hectare. And within regulated concessions, responsible timber companies use only a small area each year, which is then left alone for about 30 years. Even the roads necessary for transporting the timber are often only accessible for a short time before the companies close them again.
Our results show that selective logging and temporary roads can allow long-term forest cover. Other studies
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in the Congo Basin even indicate that animal species such as gorillas and chimpanzees can coexist with roads and selective forest use, as long as logging concessions effectively prevent poaching.
Not all roads are the same
However, things get problematic when forest roads are converted into permanent public roads. This can be an attractive option for governments, as it keeps construction costs to a minimum, and new roads mean that natural resources and trade routes can be exploited. But once open to the public, they encourage longer-term use, settlements and commercial hunting – all of which have serious consequences for the forest ecosystem.
