Botkin Environmental Science Earth as Living Planet 8th txtbk

12.1 Forests and Forestry 239
Should a forest be used only as a resource to provide
materials for people and civilization, or should a forest
be used only to conserve natural ecosystems and biological
diversity (see Figure 12.2), including specific endangered
species?
Can a forest serve some of both of these functions at the
same time and in the same place?
Can a forest be managed sustainably for either use? If
so, how?
What role do forests play in our global environment,
such as climate?
When are forests habitats for specific endangered species?
When and where do we need to conserve forests for our
water supply?
FIGURE 12.2 The dual human uses of forests. This temperate
rain forest on Vancouver Island illustrates the beauty of forests. Its
tree species are also among those most desired for commercial
timber production.
is relatively little known by the general public except where
forestry is a major livelihood, as it is in the state of Maine.
In sum, then, modern conflicts about forests center
on the following questions:
World Forest Area and Global
Production and Consumption
of Forest Resources
At the beginning of the 21st century, approximately 26%
of Earth’s surface was forested—about 3.8 billion hectares
(15 million square miles) (Figure 12.3). 5 This works out
to about 0.6 hectares (about 1 acre) per person. The forest
area is up from 3.45 billion hectares (13.1 million square
Forest Other wooded land Other land Water
FIGURE 12.3 Forests of the world. (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.)