Balancing Act

by Kimmins, J. P.; Kimmins, Hamish

• ISBN13: 9780774805742
• ISBN10: 0774805749
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of British Columbia Pr

Summary

In Balancing Act Hamish Kimmins calls for a balanced, more objective approach to forestry issues. He argues that these issues are too often debated without any common understanding of what forestry is really all about or about how forest ecosystems work. This new edition of the bestselling book has been revised to reflect new thinking about sustainable forestry and includes three completely new chapters. The new chapters look at the on-going debate over the meaning of 'sustainable forestry, ' 'respect for nature, ' 'ecosystem management, ' and ecosystem 'health and integrity.'. This new edition of Balancing Act goes further in clarifying the issues at the heart of the forestry/environment debate. Readers will gain a new understanding of how our forest ecosystems work and how they can be managed sustainably.

Author Biography

Hamish Kimmins is a professor of forestry ecology in the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He is past chairman of the BC Ecological Reserves Committee, was moderator of the National Forest Round Table, and has been a consultant to government, the forest industry and environmental groups on proposals for wilderness areas, parks, and ecological reserves, and on a variety of environmental issues in forestry.

Table of Contents

Illustrations, Figures, and Tables	viii	(1)
Preface to the Second Edition	ix	(1)
Acknowledgments	x
1 Words, Pictures, and Reality	3	(3)
2 The Peter Pan Principle in Renewable Resource Conflicts	6	(8)
3 Causes and Time Scales of Environmental Change	14	(12)
4 A Brief Primer on Ecology and Forest Ecosystems	26	(22)
5 A Brief Primer on Forestry	48	(26)
6 Clearcutting: Ecosystem Destruction or Environmentally Sound Timber Harvesting?	74	(32)
7 Slashburning: Responsible Land Management or Playing with Fire?	106	(14)
8 Chemicals in Forest Management: Responsible Use or Environmental Abuse?	120	(22)
9 Are Old-Growth Forests Forever?	142	(11)
10 Where Have All the Species Gone? The Question of Loss of Biological Diversity	153	(19)
11 From 'Old Forestry' to 'New Forestry,' and Thence to 'Ecosystem Management'	172	(18)
12 Forestry and Climate Change	190	(18)
13 Acid Rain: Is It as Bad for Forests as It Is for Lakes?	208	(8)
14 'Brazil North': Is Forestry in British Columbia Comparable to Deforestation in the Tropics?	216	(9)
15 'Future Shock' in Forecasting Forest Growth, Ecosystem Conditions, and Timber Yields: How Cloudy Is Our Crystal Ball?	225	(10)
16 Ecosystem Health and Integrity: Does Forestry 'Destroy' Ecosystems, and Can They Be 'Unhealthy?	235	(11)
17 Respect for Nature: The Ecological Foundation for Sustainable Forest Management	246	(9)
18 Certification: A Market-Driven Mechanism to Promote Sustainable Forest Management	255	(16)
19 Sustainable Development and Forestry: Can We Use and Sustain Our Forests?	271	(14)
Epilogue: Reality, Pictures, and Words	285	(4)
Bibliography	289	(12)
Index	301