Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

Interaction of the Overexploitation Syndrome with other syndromes G 2.4
261
landowners arrive. These players, not really directly
related to the Overexploitation Syndrome, can now
transform large areas of forest into arable land.These
areas are subsequently degraded by the outbreak of
the Sahel or Dust Bowl Syndrome. In fact, in some
cases at this stage the timber companies themselves
take on the role of cattle ranchers on the converted
forestland, for one thing to obtain long-term land
rights and also to invest their profits in stable land
assets.
This mechanism clearly shows the true potential
for damage of selective logging. Since for selective
logging of high-grade timbers (such as mahogany)
routes of up to 500km first have to be developed
(Verissimo et al, 1995), this form of forestry that in
many cases is referred to as ‘environmentally
friendly’, can cause considerable subsequent damage.‘Small’
interventions of this sort generally lead to
the large-scale development of forest areas, which
are thus opened up to modern civilization and its
various utilization interests. This type of degradation
often triggers complete destruction of the usable soil
layer. This effect of the Overexploitation Syndrome
as the triggering factor for the Sahel Syndrome and
the Dust Bowl Syndrome is depicted in Fig. G 2.4-1.
This process is described in many case studies on
tropical deforestation (Heilig, 1994; Walker and
Homma, 1996; Mertens and Lambin, 1997; Lambin
and Mertens, 1997; Rudel and Roper, 1997; WRI,
1997; Parayil and Tong, 1998; Stone, 1998).
This type of causal link also exists between the
development of previously inaccessible regions and
the upgrading of infrastructure for the construction
of large-scale technical projects (such as dams) and
the mining of mineral reserves. These patterns of
environmental degradation were attributed to the
Aral Sea Syndrome and the Katanga Syndrome
(WBGU, 1998a), but the Overexploitation Syndrome
can set these processes in motion.