VoRLD's FoRESTS 2001 for wood are predicted to be met largely from the planned pulp and paper industry. In a few plantations. They are considered to be an efficient countries, plantations have superseded natural means to produce forest products on a relatively forests as a source of wood. In Chile, Indone limited land base, and they are therefore seen by Myanmar and South Africa, for example, many as helping to reduce deforestation and supplementing wood supplies from natural forests degradation of natural forests. However, if they has been a primary objective of plantation are poorly planned and managed and if existing establishment. In some Asian countries( China, land uses are not taken into consideration Japan and the republic of Korea)and a number of plantations can have negative environmental and European countries, plantation establishment has social impacts. This concern is reflected in the served primarily as a means of increasing or opposition to plantations that is voiced by some replenishing forest estates. New Zealand, the groups, particularly environmental non- Philippines and Thailand have withdrawn all,or governmental organizations(NGOs)and civil most, of their natural forests from timber society groups. production as a conservation strategy. Many of the The global trend is towards increased countries mentioned have substantial areas of establishment of plantations and reliance on them available land and thus have the potential for as a source of industrial wood (see box 4 ) In further plantation establishment. tropical countries, for example, plantations will be While plantations have a long history in some a particularly important source of raw material for countries, the development of a globally significant plantation estate is a relatively new phenomenon. This is illustrated by the global age- class distribution of industrial forest plantations in 95, as displayed in Figure 1. FAc plea rapid increase (Brown, in prep )suggest that some the global area of industrial plantations in 1995 comprised trees less than 15 years of age, with 21 percent planted between 1990 and 1995. The The Philippines, Mexico and China are three of several coun plantations that are older than 50 years are tries that have taken specific measures aimed at increasing located almost exclusively in temperate and In the 1930s, the Philippines had about 17 million ha of In most countries, rates of plantation forest. By 1994, however, the conversion of forests to establishment vary annually and are influenced by agriculture and other land uses had reduced the country's a range of factors, including government finances, forest area to 5. 7 million ha. In response, the government general economic conditions, incentives offered to banned logging in undisturbed and ecologically sensitive of the forests, and it recently introduced fiscal incentives for the profitability of forest activities and levels of establishment of forest plantations. The Master Plan for promotional activities. a notable feature of recent Forestry sets a target of 2.5 million ha of forest planta patterns of establishment has been the emergence tions to be established over the period 1990-2015. of Asia as the dominant region for new plantings In 1997, the Govemment of Mexico introduced a 25-year Asian plantations constituted 40 percent of global forest plantation programme, PRODEPLAN, which provides industrial plantations in 1995 and 57 percent of the economic incentives for the establishment of forest plant plantations established since 1985 ations in degraded and abandoned lands The development of forest plantations in some China plans to increase its forest cover to about 7 percent countries has already had a major impact on wood by 2010, mainly by establishing 9.7 million ha of forest production. In Chile and New Zealand, for example, plantations between 1996 and 2010 the establishment of extensive areas of plantations has enabled these countries to meet all their domestic wood needs and also to support a significant export8 STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS 2001 the planned pulp and paper industry. In a few countries, plantations have superseded natural forests as a source of wood. In Chile, Indonesia, Myanmar and South Africa, for example, supplementing wood supplies from natural forests has been a primary objective of plantation establishment. In some Asian countries (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) and a number of European countries, plantation establishment has served primarily as a means of increasing or replenishing forest estates. New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand have withdrawn all, or most, of their natural forests from timber production as a conservation strategy. Many of the countries mentioned have substantial areas of available land and thus have the potential for further plantation establishment. While plantations have a long history in some countries, the development of a globally significant plantation estate is a relatively new phenomenon. This is illustrated by the global age￾class distribution of industrial forest plantations in 1995, as displayed in Figure 1. FAO estimates (Brown, in prep.) suggest that some 54 percent of the global area of industrial plantations in 1995 comprised trees less than 15 years of age, with 21 percent planted between 1990 and 1995. The plantations that are older than 50 years are located almost exclusively in temperate and boreal regions. In most countries, rates of plantation establishment vary annually and are influenced by a range of factors, including government finances, general economic conditions, incentives offered to private sector interests, perceptions of the profitability of forest activities and levels of promotional activities. A notable feature of recent patterns of establishment has been the emergence of Asia as the dominant region for new plantings. Asian plantations constituted 40 percent of global industrial plantations in 1995 and 57 percent of the plantations established since 1985. The development of forest plantations in some countries has already had a major impact on wood production. In Chile and New Zealand, for example, the establishment of extensive areas of plantations has enabled these countries to meet all their domestic wood needs and also to support a significant export for wood are predicted to be met largely from plantations. They are considered to be an efficient means to produce forest products on a relatively limited land base, and they are therefore seen by many as helping to reduce deforestation and degradation of natural forests. However, if they are poorly planned and managed and if existing land uses are not taken into consideration, plantations can have negative environmental and social impacts. This concern is reflected in the opposition to plantations that is voiced by some groups, particularly environmental non￾governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups. The global trend is towards increased establishment of plantations and reliance on them as a source of industrial wood (see Box 4). In tropical countries, for example, plantations will be a particularly important source of raw material for The Philippines, Mexico and China are three of several coun￾tries that have taken specific measures aimed at increasing their national forest plantation areas. •In the 1930s, the Philippines had about 17 million ha of forest. By 1994, however, the conversion of forests to agriculture and other land uses had reduced the country’s forest area to 5.7 million ha. In response, the government banned logging in undisturbed and ecologically sensitive forests, and it recently introduced fiscal incentives for the establishment of forest plantations. The Master Plan for Forestry sets a target of 2.5 million ha of forest planta￾tions to be established over the period 1990-2015. •In 1997, the Government of Mexico introduced a 25-year forest plantation programme, PRODEPLAN, which provides economic incentives for the establishment of forest plant￾ations in degraded and abandoned lands. •China plans to increase its forest cover to about 7 percent by 2010, mainly by establishing 9.7 million ha of forest plantations between 1996 and 2010. BOX 4 Countries seeking a rapid increase in forest plantation area