Earth System Science News

In an era of ever-increasing environmental awareness, few industries receive more scrutiny than logging. For decades, environmental groups have claimed that commercial logging practices result in devastating consequences, including deforestation, soil erosion, a loss of biodiversity and increased global climate change. Advocates of the logging industry counter that without their “proactive forest management,” North American forests would become overcrowded, unhealthy and fire-prone. In addition, they argue that many rural communities depend on the logging industry for their livelihood.