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Navigating the biodiversity crisis — the vital role of planted forests in conservation efforts

Hlengiwe Ndlovu
By Hlengiwe Ndlovu
17 Oct 2024
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Planted forests account for 7% of the world’s forest area but produce around 50% of the world’s wood. They act as natural buffers against encroachment on indigenous forests, and provide a haven in which flora and fauna can thrive.

Most countries in the world, including South Africa, will need to show how they plan to fulfil their pledge to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and water and restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 when they gather at COP 16.

COP16 — the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity — is being held from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia.

The urgency comes from a biodiversity crisis, driven by human activities such as agricultural expansion and unsustainable management of our global food systems.

Biodiversity conservation is critical for human existence and survival. Many of the services we get from animals, plants and ecosystems – such as the generation of the oxygen that we breathe – cannot be replicated through other means. It is also a valuable resource for business opportunities, such as ecotourism.

Forests, in particular, are vital – they cover about 30% of our planet’s land area and house 80% of the terrestrial biomass, while providing habitat for more than half of the world’s known plant and animal species.

In a world with a continuously growing population and the accompanying demand for access to living space, food resources and timber, these indigenous forests are becoming increasingly endangered.

It’s also a reality that the world needs timber for much-needed development. Various kinds of applications depend on timber and, in many cases, such as construction lumber and the paper and cardboard industries, there are no real substitutes for these products. Timber is a naturally renewable resource that can serve as an alternative to various plastic products — for instance, wood fibre-based packaging or viscose and lyocell in the textiles sector.

If we don’t want to decimate our natural indigenous forests, we need to source our timber from alternative sources. In other words, we need to plant and maintain forests to provide these resources.

Criticised on conservation grounds


The forestry industry, and specifically planted forests, is often criticised on conservation grounds, and given labels like “green deserts” due to perceptions of their ecological sterility. This, in my opinion, is a rather simplistic view.

While not as diverse and ecologically important as our natural forests, planted forests are an important part of our natural infrastructure that offer multiple benefits to our environment. Through careful management and design, these forests, including in South Africa, play an increasingly valuable role in protecting and promoting our country’s treasured biodiversity.

Planted forests account for 7% of the world’s forest area but produce about 50% of the world’s wood. They hold a commercial value and act as natural buffers against encroachment on indigenous forests, while they provide a haven in which flora and fauna can thrive.

In designing modern planted forests, special care is taken to protect biodiversity and the natural resources — such as water resources, soil, species and habitat integrity — that exist in and around the forests.

Planted forests in South Africa are managed under strict laws, such as the National Water Act 36 of 1998 and National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998, as well as various international certification bodies, such as the Forest Stewardship Council, which commit plantation owners to responsible, sustainable management of forests, especially when it comes to economic, socioeconomic, and environmental sustainability.

Prior to the Forest Act of 1972, South Africa’s forests were unregulated and planted in areas where people thought they could make a profit from them. The amended act introduced the foundations for environmental protection in plantations, making it possible for us to today have more than 80% of planted forests in South Africa certified and closely managed.

An important facet of forest design is having unplanted, conserved natural corridor areas between forests to ensure that animals can move freely between areas. Special buffer zones are created between protected areas and the forests to minimise, as far as possible, the influence of the forest on these protected regions.

Our hidden cameras show that larger mammals often take refuge in our planted forests when they move between protected areas.

The companies that manage planted forests in South Africa are committed and work proactively with conservation authorities and NGOs to identify areas that need to be conserved. In many cases, they drive the process to officially declare nature reserves on their properties.

Critical biodiversity areas


These companies also work closely with the government in declaring some parts of their land as nature reserves, which are then designated as critical biodiversity areas, due to their importance for certain species, such as the Roelton Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

This reserve is one of only a few breeding sites for the critically endangered blue swallow. It is also home to the endangered mistbelt chirping frog.

In these cases, the companies would go so far as to translate the importance of these areas for biodiversity into endorsements of the property’s title deeds so that if the property is sold, future owners would be compelled to preserve it as a biodiversity protection area.

Working in an industry often, and unfairly, perceived as environmentally harmful can be challenging and demoralising for us environmental professionals.

Yet, when you walk through a forest and encounter a protected species like a long-toed tree frog thriving in an area that isn’t actively managed as a conservation zone, it brings a unique sense of fulfilment – one that no professional accolade can ever replicate. It reassures you that, despite the challenges, you’re making a real positive difference.

There is no doubt in my mind that managed planted forests contribute directly to biodiversity protection and regeneration; their socioeconomic value helps safeguard the long-term health and resilience of all forests, natural habitats, and ecosystem services. DM

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