Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 13-26 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Bois et Forets des Tropiques |
Issue number | 328 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Logging roads are considered to be a major cause of forest degradation because of their direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Given the prevalence of logging in tropical forests around the world, effective road management is of crucial importance to reduce both logging- related environmental impacts and the costs of logging operations. Through a review of the literature, our study analysed how logging roads have been addressed in scientific articles to date. We compared studies published over the past 65 years in the Bois et Forêts des Tropiques journal (BFT), mostly written in French, with a range of more recent articles from the Scopus and Web of Knowledge databases. Half of the articles in BFT were published before 1972, while the more generalist databases show a steady increase in publications on the subject since then, up to the current peak number. From the entire body of literature, we selected 126 articles dealing with impacts and management of logging roads in tropical forests around the world for critical appraisal. The BFT articles were characterized by a strong focus on practical issues in forest road engineering, while the focus of many publications written in English was on the identification of road impacts on forest ecosystems. Road-related environmental impacts stem from the loss of forest cover during construction, the increase in edge effects, soil erosion and interference with wildlife, as well as from the resulting easier access to the forest for hunting and agricultural colonization. Based on this review, we present a list of recommended measures to reduce these impacts. We conclude that, despite the continuing attention given to the subject of logging roads, little is known about how they evolve in the forest landscape over the long term.
Keywords
- Biodiversity conservation, Forest degradation, Low-impact logging, Road ecology, Selective logging, Soils, Sustainable forest management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Forestry
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Bois et Forets des Tropiques, No. 328, 2016, p. 13-26.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Logging roads in tropical forests
T2 - Synthesis of literature written in French and English highlights environmental impact reduction through improved engineering
AU - Kleinschroth, Fritz
AU - Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie
AU - Gond, Valéry
AU - Sist, Plinio
AU - Healey, John R.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Logging roads are considered to be a major cause of forest degradation because of their direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Given the prevalence of logging in tropical forests around the world, effective road management is of crucial importance to reduce both logging- related environmental impacts and the costs of logging operations. Through a review of the literature, our study analysed how logging roads have been addressed in scientific articles to date. We compared studies published over the past 65 years in the Bois et Forêts des Tropiques journal (BFT), mostly written in French, with a range of more recent articles from the Scopus and Web of Knowledge databases. Half of the articles in BFT were published before 1972, while the more generalist databases show a steady increase in publications on the subject since then, up to the current peak number. From the entire body of literature, we selected 126 articles dealing with impacts and management of logging roads in tropical forests around the world for critical appraisal. The BFT articles were characterized by a strong focus on practical issues in forest road engineering, while the focus of many publications written in English was on the identification of road impacts on forest ecosystems. Road-related environmental impacts stem from the loss of forest cover during construction, the increase in edge effects, soil erosion and interference with wildlife, as well as from the resulting easier access to the forest for hunting and agricultural colonization. Based on this review, we present a list of recommended measures to reduce these impacts. We conclude that, despite the continuing attention given to the subject of logging roads, little is known about how they evolve in the forest landscape over the long term.
AB - Logging roads are considered to be a major cause of forest degradation because of their direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Given the prevalence of logging in tropical forests around the world, effective road management is of crucial importance to reduce both logging- related environmental impacts and the costs of logging operations. Through a review of the literature, our study analysed how logging roads have been addressed in scientific articles to date. We compared studies published over the past 65 years in the Bois et Forêts des Tropiques journal (BFT), mostly written in French, with a range of more recent articles from the Scopus and Web of Knowledge databases. Half of the articles in BFT were published before 1972, while the more generalist databases show a steady increase in publications on the subject since then, up to the current peak number. From the entire body of literature, we selected 126 articles dealing with impacts and management of logging roads in tropical forests around the world for critical appraisal. The BFT articles were characterized by a strong focus on practical issues in forest road engineering, while the focus of many publications written in English was on the identification of road impacts on forest ecosystems. Road-related environmental impacts stem from the loss of forest cover during construction, the increase in edge effects, soil erosion and interference with wildlife, as well as from the resulting easier access to the forest for hunting and agricultural colonization. Based on this review, we present a list of recommended measures to reduce these impacts. We conclude that, despite the continuing attention given to the subject of logging roads, little is known about how they evolve in the forest landscape over the long term.
KW - Biodiversity conservation
KW - Forest degradation
KW - Low-impact logging
KW - Road ecology
KW - Selective logging
KW - Soils
KW - Sustainable forest management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028800098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85028800098
SP - 13
EP - 26
JO - Bois et Forets des Tropiques
JF - Bois et Forets des Tropiques
SN - 0006-579X
IS - 328
ER -