Essay On Logging

According to White and Pickett (1985) disturbance is defined as any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystems, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment.” It is also considered as a temporary change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem (Underwood, 1994). Glenn-Lewin and van der Maarel (1992) described it as any distinct events that interfere with the function of ecosystems. While Foster et al., (1998) explained that it as a fundamental element of forest ecosystems. It is any isolated event that removes organisms thus creating both space and resources to be used by new individuals (Townsend and Hildrew 1994; Begon et al.,

It comprises of tree felling, de-branching, cross-cutting, skidding, loading and primary transportation. It is also the process of cutting and processing trees to produce timber and pulp to supply the world’s markets for furniture, construction, paper, and other products (Asner et al., 2005). Logging activities range from large-scale commercial timber plantations to individuals harvesting fuel wood.

Logging can be categorized into two;

 Selective logging; According to silvicultural term, selective logging is the most common intervention in tropical forests that are managed for timber production (Gunter et al., 2011).It is the extraction or cutting of individual trees from a forest and also leaving a variable proportion of trees and vegetation standing which contradicts clear cutting method (Putz et al., 2000; Asner et al., 2005).

 Clear-cutting/felling: This is a logging practice in which most or all the trees in the area are cut down. As defined by Helms (1998), clear-cutting entails cutting of essentially all trees, producing a fully exposed microclimate for the development of a new age class with the primary objectives of producing forest products and creating conditions needed to reestablish even-aged stands of relatively shade-intolerant