Geography – Uses of Tropical Rainforests Case Study (Assignment)
Logging in the Solomon Islands
Edward Speller
Overview
Lying east of Papua New Guinea and north-east of Australia are the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands is technically a sovereign country and consists of six major islands as well as over 900 islands in Oceania. The Solomon Islands is primarily the tropical rainforest biome (due to its proximity to the equator) – even despite all of the impacts man has had on them (including logging), they were originally fully tropical rainforests.
Having been primarily tropical rainforest covered, this left the island vulnerable to deforestation, in this case, ‘logging’. Deforestation is the clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land. Logging is the activity or business of felling trees and cutting and preparing the timber as a result of the cutting of the trees. Whilst there are many mixed opinions on the subject, the logging of the Solomon Islands has impacted it dramatically and will only further impact it. Logging is one of the most prominent and best-known forms of rainforest degradation and destruction. Despite improved logging techniques and greater international awareness and concern for the rainforests, unsustainable logging of tropical rainforests continues—much of it practiced illegally by criminal syndicates.
In a study undertaken by CIA World Factbook and published by [http://www.indexmundi.com/australia/land_use.html] in 2011, useful information regarding the land use was made available. 3.9% of the land was considered agricultural land, 0.7% was deemed arable land, 2.9% was named as permanent crops, 0.3% was permanent pasture and 17.2% was consider as ‘other’ resulting in 78.9% of the Solomon Islands being forest (tropical rainforest). Other consisted of any land not arable or under permanent crops; includes permanent meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads, barren land and so on. With a population of 599,419 (2016), it is understandable that some of the deforestation was necessary to allow for urbanisation, but it also highlights that most of the logging was due to exports (and the so-called benefits that resulted from it).
Brief History of Deforestation (Logging) in the Solomon Islands
Before the 1920’s, the Solomon Islands was simply inhabited by its people who typically lived in small rural communities. However, after this date, the Solomon Islands was subtly given another ‘use’ which has expanded into a much larger, debatable issue nowadays. This small timber company ignited the spark in the commercial logging business and further businesses followed afterwards. In the late 1990’s, after depleting much of their own timber stocks, Asian logging companies began aggressively moving into rainforest areas as such as the Solomon Islands.
It is also necessary to note that in modern times Tourism has contributed to the economy of the Solomon Islands, but it isn’t a major source of income. The Solomon Island’s main resources, with timber from logging being one of them, have been excessively exploited. As a result, this led to their depletion. Additionally, other major export products from the Solomon Islands include plantation crops, palm oil, copra and cacao which is furthermore worsening the environment. China and Australia are the major recipients.
In 2010 the FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment estimated Solomon Island’s total forest cover to be around 79%. However, other assessments have found that this figure is more likely to be around 76% due to extensive logging in recent years.
The Impacts of Logging (in the Solomon Islands)
The logging of trees has significant implications, with some being positive and others being negative. Logging operations are very damaging to the tropical rainforest biome. Multiple issues stem from the same root cause. Not only has logging in the Solomon Islands led to a lack of timber (in some cases as it is mostly being exported), the amount of trees substantially deceases, especially due to the fact that the roots of trees are generally connected meaning once a tree is logged, it can lead to the death of other trees in its immediate surroundings. Logging in the Solomon Islands depletes its tropical rainforests, affects wildlife, vegetation and in cases its overall climate.
Also, the logging of trees in the Solomon Islands exposes soil to heat and rain. When forests are cleared, their soil cover (which includes vegetation) is removed and the soil is then subjected to extremes that they haven’t adapted to. Plus, the logging of Solomon Island’s tropical rainforests can result in flooding, as the ground can no longer sustain and regulate water flows that they previously could deal with. It is useful to note that trees are
highly effective in absorbing water quantities, in which they keep the amount of floodwater to a manageable level. Due to the flooding and extremes, fertile topsoil is eroded away.
The logging of tropical rainforests like the ones in the Solomon Islands displaces indigenous and native communities, but most importantly causes a loss of biodiversity. In summary, this means the destruction and extinction of many plant and animal species, (some of which remain unknown and whose benefits will be left undiscovered).
The layout of the tropical rainforests themselves in the Solomon Islands only causes further problems. No species of trees specifically dominate and attractive, most-useful timber trees are widely dispersed making it at time more profitable to clear-cut whole sections of the forest.
Logging in the Solomon Islands has further led to corruption (which wreaks havoc in situations like these). Poor forest planning and management alongside existing forestry laws leads to a very severe and unenforceable problem. Additionally, lack of detail with transactions can lead to concessions to cronies further developing the issues of logging in the Solomon Islands.
Furthermore, while the economy benefits from logging, it can worsen it at times too. Developing countries often see only a fraction of the money generated legal logging operations, and lose even more from illegal logging. Logging firms can often find or create loopholes in legislation that allow them to pay very little for concessions while sometimes avoiding excise taxes on the logs they remove.
Similarly, logging results in more greenhouse gas emissions. Also, the thinning of the protective canopy exposes the forest to increased sunlight and drying winds that can kill soil organisms that are essential for decomposition and nutrient-fixing. These tropical logging operations in the Solomon Islands widely fail to safeguard timber stocks for the future.
In addition to this, the construction of logging roads to reach forest resources is destructive in the its own right and encourages settlement of previously inaccessible forest lands by speculators, land developers, and poor farmers. As well as this, research has found a high correlation between the presence of logging roads and consumption of ‘bushmeat’—wild animals hunted as food adding further problems branching off this root cause of logging.
Although the negatives outweigh the positives in this situation, there are positive aspects that arise as a result of the deforestation of the tropical rainforests in the Solomon Islands.
Depending on the social groups concerned, deforestation of the Solomon Islands has made it possible for communities to be built. Forests make way for buildings and other infrastructure like residential houses, office buildings and factories. Governments are able to build roads to make trade and transport easier and therefore more convenient to residents (except all of this has its downsides, some of which were mentioned above).
Additionally, deforestation can also mean the conversion of forest land to productive land for agricultural uses. This results in better and more abundant production of food and materials, virtually eradicating periods of want and lack. Economically, deforestation has contributed much in giving many communities the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives.
Lastly, deforestation and the logging of the Solomon Islands results in a stronger economy overall. Not only do the logging companies profit, the government has a steady income, especially due to the amount of timber exports. The wood from logging and many uses making it extremely profitable (particularly when trees a cut down in mass amounts).
Stakeholder’s Views
With the numerous impacts that result from logging, many of which are negative, there are mixed views between stakeholders of the logging in the Solomon Islands.
The Indigenous people have been caught in the middle of the whole operation, but likely remain ‘on the fence’ or lean towards the negative side of logging. Whilst they benefit from a larger sense of community when logging clears areas (sometimes communities) bringing more of them together, it is clear they’ve lost traditional homes and land in the process. They lose their traditional way of life and are generally ignored by governments (in general they are hardly included in economic and political decisions that directly affect their lives). These encroachments ignore their rights, alongside taking away their resources. However, the logging of forests can provide jobs to some of the indigenous and they benefit from the agricultural opportunities it can provide. On the other hand, it is known that they collect brazil nuts (which are good exports), hand them in to markets and profit, but once the tropical rainforests are logged conditions for brazil nuts are undesirable negatively impacting on the indigenous.
Despite this, the government takes a different view on the logging of the tropical rainforests in the Solomon Islands. They significantly benefit from a stronger, more profitable and better economy (especially as a result of the exports that come from the timber). Additionally, the logging of tropical rainforests opens up more jobs furthering the better economy and leaving the government in a better position. With a better economy, the lifestyles of so many are improved.
Alike the government, the logging company takes the same stance as the government on the matter. As a result of the work in the logging trade, there are more jobs while it allows them to make more money.
Farmers, however, face both positive and negative impacts. The logging of tropical rainforests in the Solomon Islands brings about more land for them to make agricultural use of, but some of the land isn’t farmable. Most of the areas that have undergone deforestation are actually unsuitable for long-term agricultural use such as ranching and farming. Due to the conditions the defenceless ground faces, the nutritious soil can erode away and growing conditions may be poor. Once deprived of their forest cover, the lands rapidly degrade in quality, losing their fertility and arability. The soil in many deforested areas is unsuitable for supporting annual crops – much of the grassy areas are also not as productive compared to more arable soils and are therefore not fit for long-term cattle grazing. Though this does mean there is a boost in the economy with more agriculture.
Lastly, environmental activists take a very strong view against the deforestation and logging of the Solomon Islands. They are strongly against the logging, as it has severe adverse effects on the environment and are obviously trying to change the current situation.
It is clear that many of these stakeholders generally fail to address the negative aspects of deforesting the Solomon Islands, including but not limited to, the detrimental impact it has on the environment for future generations).