PART II SELECTED CURRENT ISSUES IN THE FOREST SECTOR 91 forest land more profitable while maintaining these non-wood forest products(NWFPs) are of biological diversity. Post-harvest surveys of a particular value to the local people, providing a spectrum of tropical forests indicate a range of ready store of products to meet their everyda logging effects, from local extirpation to needs for health, food and aesthetic pleasure substantial increases in the local density of some Animal species are also highly valued at the local pecies( Bawa and Seidler, 1998). This suggests and global levels, with the trade in skins, meat and that there are no easy answers. live animals accounting for hundreds of millions A review of research on the impact of logging of dollars per year(Reynolds et aL., 2001) practices on tropical forest ecosystems and Although people in rural areas depend on biological diversity concluded that the logging of hunting as a source of food or income and have mature forests commonly leads to a local increase been sustainably harvesting wild products for microclimatic changes create patches of habitat and more sophisticated technology and changi n on, in species diversity as structural and associated thousands of years, todays increasing populat food resources that are attractive to species ocial, economic and political structures have typically residing in secondary forest and forest removed most traditional controls over how such edges (ohns, 1997). However, populations of resources are harvested. Serious problems many taxa typically resident in forest understoreys concerning hunting seem particularly difficult to markedly decline and remain locally scarce or address where governance is weak. Moreover, absent for many years. Thus the most appropriate with greater access to remote forest areas and high compromise between logging and the conservation prices on the international market, wildlife of biological diversity in tropical forests is to have management agencies are too stretched to deal small undisturbed forest areas preserved within a with increased incidences of overharvesting larger matrix of production forest, a prescription If benefits are to be provided on a sustainable that is being attempted in peninsular Malaysia and basis to local communities and to countries at large, more effective controls may be required to Several studies indicate that sustained timber- yield management of tropical moist forest can be echnically and economically feasible(rietbergen, TABLE 1993: Dykstra and Heinrich, 1992; Poore et al Selected economic uses of Southeast Asian 1989), although little such technology is as yet tropical rain forest plants being applied. However, it is possible, especially with low-intensity selective felling, to design harvesting operations that satisfy requirements for environmental, social and economic sustainability while reducing costs by a substantial margin Timber trees Recent developments in certifying environment friendly timber indicate that progress is being Ornamental plants 52 made on the timber production side of sustainable forest management(Donovan, 2001 ), especially in Edible fruits and nuts temperate forests Fibres Non-wood forest products oisonous and insecticidal plants While timber is economically the most important 110 forest product, many other products are valued Spices and condiments both on world markets and by local people. One study found that nearly 6 000 species of rain foest Total plants in Southeast Asia have economic uses Source: lansen et al., 1991 hansen et al, 1991; see Table 8). Moreover, many of91 SECTOR FOREST THE IN ISSUES CURRENT SELECTED II PART maintaining while profitable more land forest a of surveys harvest-Post. diversity biological of range a indicate forests tropical of spectrum to extirpation local from, effects logging some of density local the in increases substantial suggests This). 1998, Seidler and Bawa (species .answers easy no are there that logging of impact the on research of review A and ecosystems forest tropical on practices of logging the that concluded diversity biological increase local a to leads commonly forests mature associated and structural as diversity species in and habitat of patches create changes microclimatic species to attractive are that resources food forest and forest secondary in residing typically of populations, However). 1997, Johns (edges understoreys forest in resident typically taxa many or scarce locally remain and decline markedly appropriate most the Thus. years many for absent conservation the and logging between compromise have to is forests tropical in diversity biological of a within preserved areas forest undisturbed small prescription a, forest production of matrix larger and Malaysia peninsular in attempted being is that .(1989., al et Poore (elsewhere be can forest moist tropical of management yield￾timber sustained that indicate studies Several ,Rietbergen (feasible economically and technically ,.al et Poore; 1992, Heinrich and Dykstra; 1993 yet as is technology such little although), 1989 especially, possible is it, However. applied being design to, felling selective intensity-low with for requirements satisfy that operations harvesting sustainability economic and social, environmental .margin substantial a by costs reducing while being is progress that indicate timber friendly￾environment certifying in developments Recent sustainable of side production timber the on made in especially), 2001, Donovan (management forest .forests temperate products forest wood-Non important most the economically is timber While valued are products other many, product forest One. people local by and markets world on both forest rain of species 000 6 nearly that found study uses economic have Asia Southeast in plants of many, Moreover). 8 Table see; 1991., al et Jansen( of are) NWFPs (products forest wood-non these a providing, people local the to value particular everyday their meet to products of store ready .pleasure aesthetic and food, health for needs local the at valued highly also are species Animal and meat, skins in trade the with, levels global and millions of hundreds for accounting animals live .(2001., al et Reynolds (year per dollars of on depend areas rural in people Although have and income or food of source a as hunting for products wild harvesting sustainably been ,population increasing s’today, years of thousands changing and technology sophisticated more have structures political and economic, social such how over controls traditional most removed problems Serious. harvested are resources to difficult particularly seem hunting concerning ,Moreover. weak is governance where address high and areas forest remote to access greater with wildlife, market international the on prices deal to stretched too are agencies management .overharvesting of incidences increased with sustainable a on provided be to are benefits If at countries to and communities local to basis to required be may controls effective more, large Species group commodity/Product (number( 462 1 trees Timber 135 1 plants Medicinal 520 plants Ornamental 389 nuts and fruits Edible 227 Fibres 170 Rattans 147 plants insecticidal and Poisonous 110 condiments and Spices 790 1 Others 950 5 Total .1991., al et Jansen: Source 8 TABLE Asian Southeast of uses economic Selected plants forest rain tropical