world news - 05.10.2004
China still faces large gap between supply and demand of wood products
The results of the latest nation-wide forest resource inventory from the State Forestry Administration show that China still faces major challenges because of the inadequate harvestable volumes, the imbalanced distribution of resources, the very high demand for wood products and the severe damage that has occurred, according to report by ITTO.
Natural forest is not stable and healthy and that the ecological balance has been disturbed. Forested land in China covers only 159 million hectare, or just 60% of the land available for forestry (263 million hectare). In addition the report says that the average stocking per hectare is only 78 cubic metres. The average stocking volume of plantation per hectare is only 35 cubic metres.
The distribution of forest resources is uneven with forest cover in 11 provinces in the eastern coastal regions reported at 27% whereas the forest cover in 11 provinces in the western regions is only 9% and for 5 provinces is only 3%. Also, the report says the forest age structure is distorted. The proportion of young and medium age forest plantations is high at about 70%. In addition the species represented are few with 58% of the plantations being of Mason pine, Fir and Poplar.
The rapidly changing social situation in the country is also putting considerable pressure on forest management, there is large gap between supply and demand of wood products. The supply of wood products from national forest resources can only meet around 40% of the demand for wood products. Also the demand for the multiple environmental benefits of forests is increasing and this will likely lead to a further lowering of the areas available for logging.
Finally the report points to continued forest destruction. According to inventory results the harvest levels in 34 counties (bureaus) are too high and inappropriate change of land use were recorded in 202 counties (bureaus. The conversion of forested land to non-forest use is said to exceed some 562,000 hectares.
Lesprom
See also:
- — World chemical market pulp producer inventories increased by 200,000 tonnes in August
- — Mechanical paper shipments and demand in western Europe increased in August
- — Byelorussia intends to modernize timber machinery fleet by acquiring Byelorussian machines worth $25.999 million
- — German forest law revised
- — UNECE region countries tackle illegal logging and trade of illegally derived forest products