Restricted and Endangered Wood Species

by Eric MeierThe ethical issues surrounding the harvesting of trees for lumber are both expansive and ambiguous. Concerns about sustainability and habitat destruction prompt many of these ethical questions. For instance, can a given species continue to reproduce at a sustainable rate given the current rate of harvesting? Even if a tree species can be sustainably harvested from the wild, would doing so destroy or endanger other species in the same habitat? Will harvesting encroach upon indigenous peoples’ rights and/or local communities’ well-being?Further mixed into this murky cocktail is the fact that for some countries (especially poorer third-world countries) lumber is big business, and placing a restriction on such a lucrative sector of commerce would be seen as counter-productive, and consequently, actual or potential levels of exploitation may not be easily or readily discovered.However, despite thecomplexityof the issue, and the incomplete or even possibly faulty data, some info...