Agriculture and Environment: Wood Pulp

Better Management Practices: Maintain Species Diversity

In some instances, yields have bee increased by planting multiple species.

In Hawaii, for example, eucalyptus planted with leguminous trees produced half again more dry weight than monocropped eucalyptus (Wadsworth 1997). In addition, mixed-species plantations can be better ecologically because they offer a better balance of soil nutrients and more variety of habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Most pulp plantations, however, are planted to a single species rather than a mix of trees. Even so, managers have found ways to reduce some of the negative impacts of large areas of monocrop tree plantations. Interspersing plantations with native reserves, especially if these are linked to form biological corridors, tends to maintain ecological balance and promote biodiversity within plantation estates.

By supporting populations of natural predators and breaking up extensive monoculture stands, such areas help to control pests and diseases. Several plantations in Asia and the Americas have maintained 20-30% of their area in natural habitat.

In Brazil one company utilizes trees harvested from 162 different farms in 23 municipalities (WR et al. 1998). While this increases transportation costs considerably, the company has decided to not concentrate the production of raw material in large plantations to avoid the environmental and social problems associated with such plantations.