STATUS AND PERSPECTIVES ON SECONDARY FORESTS IN TROPICAL CHINA

Abstract

Tropical China has relatively low forest cover and faces high pressures for its depleting forests. Following intensive exploitation of its forest resources over several decades, large areas of post-extraction secondary forests exist. These remaining natural forests play very important roles in water resources retention, and the supply of small-diameter timber, fuelwood, poles, and non-timber forest products for sustaining the livelihoods of mountain communities. However, the extent of these resources is fast diminishing and most of it is highly degraded.The paper illustrates that the transfer of forest-use
rights to local communities can in fact lead to increased forest degradation when implemented in the context of a long history of changing policies on forest-use rights. The paper also suggests that a shortage of financial support, incentive mechanisms, management knowledge and techniques, the over-taxation of wood, and poverty are affecting the management and use of secondary forests. Policy requirements and management options need to be explored for overcoming the constraints to the ecologically and economically viable use of secondary forests, and the integrated development of the communities that depend on this resource.