By Sharad Gupta

Tree logging, often referred to as forestry or timber harvesting, involves cutting down trees for various purposes, including commercial use, fuel, and construction. While it’s often seen as detrimental to the environment, forest officials believe its benefits, both for the environment and the economy, outweigh the losses. In fact, except for some areas in the Western Ghats, most forests in India have been re-laid and restructured at least once.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Delhi), Dr. Suneesh Buxy, in a candid conversation with Indian Masterminds, claimed, “With a growing population, forest area is getting limited. We can’t grow forests on agricultural land. Hence, old trees need to be chopped down to make way for new plants.”

Moreover, as a tree grows older, it starts a process called ‘reverse respiration’. There comes a time when they start emitting more carbon dioxide than oxygen. That is the time when we need to replace them with young plants. “Old trees often develop hollow trunks. We identify such trees for logging,” he said.

Read Full Story https://indianmasterminds.com/features/beyond-headlines/tree-logging-is-as-important-for-forest-growth-as-tree-plantation/