Inferring phylogenies : an epic worth the wait

by foresters, natural fire regimes have been dramatically altered, with concomitant changes in forest composition. Soulé argues that, because we often have no viable concept of natural baseline conditions or normal variability in forest ecosystems, the only viable strategy is to maintain all forest species and natural ecological processes, such as fire. He further asserts that large carnivores should be reintroduced to forests wherever possible, to help maintain natural abundances of their prey species. In addition to such biological challenges, foresters are being forced to adapt to fundamental changes in the forest industry. One of the most profound changes is that, in some temperate areas, logging of native forests is being phased out altogether, in favor of wood from tree plantations. In particular, cutting of old-growth forests is declining because of intense pressures applied by conservation organizations that have initiated successful boycotts of companies that produce and use products from ancient forests. Even the famously recalcitrant Boise Cascade Corporation, labeled the ‘dinosaur of the timber industry’ by the Rainforest Action Network, which once floated a giant dinosaur balloon over the company’s headquarters in Idaho, recently announced that it would phase out oldgrowth logging. Finally, modern forestry is being rocked by the forces of globalization, as centers of production shift to where items can be produced most cheaply. In the case of rapidly expanding tree plantations, where wood fibre is produced by fast-growing exotic species, this means a dramatic rise in production from the southern hemisphere. New Zealand has already shifted completely from logging its native forests to exotic-pine plantations, and several developing countries, such as Chile, Argentina and South Africa, are also becoming major tree-farming centers. This has serious ramifications for regions such as British Columbia, where well paid forest workers formerly generated a third of the global softwood production by cutting old-growth forests. Today, demand for British Columbian timber is collapsing under an influx of cheaper, environmentally more-benign wood from southern-hemisphere plantations. If there is one constant for modern foresters, it is that nothing is constant. Shifting markets and production centers, changing environmental demands, the looming prospect of global climatic change, and a myriad of other challenges mean that the goalposts are constantly shifting for forest managers. For those interested in the conservation and management of temperate forests, Towards Forest Sustainability is important reading, for the profound changes it describes will have far-reaching implications for forest ecosystems and wildlife.