Logging in the Brazilian Amazon

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Logging in the Brazilian Amazon

• Michael Keller
• USDA Forest Service
• Intl Institute of Tropical Forestry

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Logging in the Brazilian Amazon

• Extent of Logging
• Logging Techniques
• Logging Effects
• Carbon
• Long Term Sustainability?

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Selective Logging
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Logging Centers in the Brazilian Amazon Region
Nepstad et al, 1999
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AutoMCU Results
1999
2000
Asner et al., in press
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Logging Approaches

• Conventional Logging
• Reduced Impact Logging
• Sustained Yield Management
• Sustainable Forest Management

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Pereira et al. (2002) Forest Ecology and
Management)
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Pereira et al. (2002) Forest Ecology and
Management
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Logging and Carbon

• Carbon losses and recovery following logging
• Comparison of logging practices

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Carbon Loss (Tg C) from Logging30 Year
Integration, 15000 km2 y-1
(Keller et al. in press)
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Logging and Sustainability

• Biological
• Water and Energy Exchange
• Carbon Storage
• Nutrient Cycling
• Habitat and Diversity
• Production system
• Economic and social

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Potential Nutrient Limitation Selective Logging
(30 m3 removed each 30 y) Nutrients in kg ha-1
y-1
() Estimated maximum Mg owing to detection
limit Data from Silver et al. 2000 and Fernandes
et al. 1997
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Logging and Sustainability

• Production Systems
• Given realistic inputs, costs, and benefits, at
  what rate can logs be selectively removed from
  the forest over a long period of harvest cycles?
• A critical factor in determining production
  system sustainability is the range of species
  acceptable to the market.

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CAFOGROM Model (Alder Silva)
Keller et al. in press
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Logging and Sustainability

• Long term sustainability of logging depends upon
  protection of the forest against risks such as
  fire.

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Risk Positive Flammability Feedback
Source Nepstad et al. 2001
Forest Fire
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Conclusions

• Selective logging may release substantial carbon
  to the atmosphere but this is highly dependent
  upon area logged and the logging techniques.
• Nutrients, with the possible exception of K, Mg,
  and Ca, are unlikely to severely limit
  productivity on most soils
• With good management, current models suggest that
  log production may be maintained at presently
  profitable levels if the number of merchantable
  species increases in the future

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Acknowledgements

• Natalino Silva, Greg Asner,
• MCT and the LBA Central Office at CPTEC
• LBA-ECO Project
• Johan Zweede and FFT
• NASA, US Forest Service, USAID, DFID, EMBRAPA

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Estimation of Potential Nutrient Limitation
Selective Logging (30 m3 removed each 30 y)
Nutrients in kg ha-1 y-1
() Estimated maximum Mg owing to detection
limit Data from Silver et al. 2000, Fernandes et
al. 1997, Williams et al. 1997
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