Timber
balance (new growth/harvest)
RD-6
Resource
Depletion
Pressure
1 Indicator
definition and unit of measurement
Total
annual balance of timber (production-consumption), expressed in cubic metres
per year.
2 Placement
in the framework
5EAP:
Partly
deals with natural resources in Chapter 5: The themes and targets of the
programme, section 5.3: Protection of nature and biodiversity, table 10. See
also Chapter 4: Selected target sectors, section 4.4: The agriculture sector,
Forestry.
Agenda
21:
Agenda
21 in many of its chapters calls for policies and actions in various areas,
that take into account the vulnerability and availability of natural resources,
and for an increased efficiency in the use of these resources.
Chapter
11: Combating deforestation, calls for a sustainable utilization and production
of goods and services from forests and woods and for an improved efficiency in
the management of forests.
International
conventions and agreements:
Article
130 of the Treaty on the European Union (Maastricht, 1992) calls for prudent
and rational utilisation of natural resources. The Agreements of Geneva (1983)
and of New York (1994) call for a reduction of the use of tropical timber. The
Protocol of Brdo (1996) protects mountain forests. The UN World Charter for
Nature (1982) proclaims that forestry practices shall be adapted to the natural
characteristics and constraints of given areas. The Convention on the
conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern, 1979) in article
9 calls for the prevention of serious damages to forests.
Ranking:
Core
ranking:
6
(33%)
Policy
Relevance:
8
(2.8)
Analytical
Soundness:
8
(3 )
Responsiveness:
9
(2.5)
Most
appropriate related state indicator:
The
total annual stock of timber standing in forests used for timber production.
3 Significance
Purpose:
The
indicator reflects the use of timber and, partly, the dependence on external
wood resources. A very negative balance during a long period indicates that the
use is too high and not sustainable.
Relevance:
The
demand for timber is the main pressure on the cutting of wood from natural
forests and production forests. The new growth of wood in production forests
should be high enough to provide for the demand of timber. If not, it puts
pressure on both natural and production forests. The balance is highly
indicative for the pressure on non production forests.
Linkages
to other pressure indicators:
None.
Targets:
None.
Reference levels for this indicator can be derived from sustainability levels
for the use of timber, which are derived from the yearly amount of timber
available from production forests. The 5EAP calls for an optimisation of forest
areas as to fulfill all their functions through an increase in forest
plantation, including on agricultural land (new afforestation and regeneration
of existing forest, favouring the most adequate means for the environment -
slow growing trees, mixed afforestation).
4 Methodological
description and underlying definitions
Underlying
definitions and concepts:
The
timber balance includes tropical and non tropical wood, and wood from
production forests as well as natural forests. The unsustainable use of timber
is well known in relation to tropical timber, however the problem also occurs
in non tropical natural forests.
Measurement
methods:
The
indicator is measured in cubic metres. Yearly imports in cubic metres are added
to domestic production in cubic metres and consequently yearly exports in cubic
metres are subtracted. The balance is considered to equal the amount of
tropical timber from natural forests plus the amount of non tropical timber
from production forests that is used yearly.
Limitations
of the indicator:
The
indicator is rather straightforward and has only minor limitations. The only
limitation is that it is not possible to distinguish timber originating from
natural forests, which hampers the use of the indicator for policy on the
reduction of timber from non-sustainably managed forests.
Alternative
definitions:
The
indicator could be restricted to timber from production forests, however in
this case the problem of cutting of natural forests would be missed.
