Trees are everywhere. They are found in 2.3 billion acres of land throughout the United States in areas such as; parks, stores, and our front yards, nearly anywhere outside (lesson 9). So are they our key to a sustainable future? Are there really better ways that we can harvest trees? Trees can be a phenomenal sustainable energy source as they are so common. They can be used for items such as housing, furniture, tools, energy, and many other things (lesson 8). The question isn't whether they are useful or not, it is if it's worth it.

The manufacturing process of trees into whatever the product is has many steps that should be evaluated to determine their sustainability. This process is heavily dependent on machinery, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The process also greatly depends on the type of forest the trees are coming from. There are two main types of harvesting lands that trees mainly come from. Natural forests occur without huge amounts of human interaction for the benefit of the forest and plantation forests, which are entirely managed by humans for the benefit of the people (lesson 8).

Plantation forests are increasing in popularity throughout many countries. They are most useful to maximize economic value and have superior quality wood. According to the chart with data from 2020, North America has nearly 46,000 ha of land for plantation forests (Saw Mill Process). Plantation forests may use GMO testing can be used along with pesticides and artificial fertilizers (lesson 8). The optimal trees are selected and ensured that they are the ones to continue to reproduce. One might wonder if these can have harmful effects on the ecosystem. The answer is not entirely as many good things can be done, but it’s not all good. Ecological diversity can be lost when using plantation forests, as well as harm to the wildlife that may live in these forests (Forests, or Plantations). Is there a better alternative?

The other main option would be to rely on natural forests. These are forests that do not depend on any artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or GMOs (lesson 8). Just hearing about these makes them sound like a better alternative to the other options of pesticides and GMOs because who would really want that in their wood? However, there are some major problems in the natural forest industry that plantation forests do exceptionally well in, such as energy and efficiency. Since natural forests are focused on having the best environment for the trees sometimes that can take more work and more money.

So how do you know what is the best place to get your wood from? Thankfully some certifications can be implemented in both plantation forests and natural forests that ensure that certain qualifications are being met. The two most recognized international certifications are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (FSI) (Forest certification). Companies certify their forests for many reasons like having a healthier forest, better markets, better long-term management, and so many other reasons (An Introduction to Forest Certification). However, you might be wondering why not all forests are certified as only about 11% of the world's forests are certified (Certified Forests). This is mostly because of money (An Introduction to Forest Certification). To get a forest-certified is a costly endeavor and companies have to decide whether that will be worth it.

Maybe like most people in the world, you don't care about where your wood comes from. Whether it has been certified or not or comes from a plantation or natural forest. This is the average way of thinking for most people, but what happens if forests become our future would you care then?

Works Cited:

Lesson 8, Woody Biomass Production, BBE 1002, UMN

Lesson 9, Forest trends, BBE 1002, UMN

Saw Mill Process

https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/specialized_industrial_products/wood_processing_products/lumber_sawmill_equipment