| Global demand for forest products is
continuing to increase and at the same time
the land base used for forest production is
shifting from natural forests to plantations.
Plantations that have been owned and managed
principally by forest industry, are now
increasingly, being owned by other investors
and managed by consultants. Plantation
management is also undergoing changes with
the recognition that the potential exists in
many areas of the world to produce more wood
and generate greater value than currently
realized. Integrated management of site
(nutrients and water) and genetic resources
is now recognized as essential if more,
higher valued forest products are to be grown
in a cost effective and environmentally
sustainable manner. Forest lands are
undergoing dramatic changes in ownership and
the area and intensity of plantation
management are both responding to and
affecting the supply and price of wood. In
this dynamic time, development of new
knowledge and rapid implementation of new
practices are critical for success. |
Loblolly Pine
Plantation
|
