AFFORESTATION: CHARACTERISTICS, ACTIVITY IN MEXICO - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The afforestation is the economic activity focused on research and management of fast - growing plantations, especially forests, for planting and harvesting later. It should be noted that one of the main objectives of this practice is the use of renewable resources in order to generate little environmental impact.

In this concept, we can also include the creation of artificial forests that seek the production of wood for human consumption, always preserving the principle of conservation and sustainability, while paying attention to the environmental characteristics of the place.

Sierra Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Some of the most common and widely spread plantations are those of pine, willow, eucalyptus and trees that bear fruit, since thanks to these, if a tree is cut down, another can be planted in its place.

It is important to note that this term should not be confused with reforestation, an activity that consists of planting trees and native plant species in their places of origin for the recovery of said space.

characteristics

Afforestation is an alternative that is born in order to take advantage of natural and renewable resources. To be more successful, it is also combined with forestry, which consists of the study of the realization of these crops and the best techniques to apply in them.

-It refers to the creation of a new forest in order to use its resources for human consumption.

-Seeks to manage in the best possible way, natural and renewable resources.

-It is a measure that governmental and non-governmental entities have adopted to stop the exploitation of nature.

-They take large spaces for the realization of artificial forests, which allow the planting of specific types of wood that are required for commercial consumption.

-Forestation also promotes the study of new plant and tree species for their use or preservation.

-It also considers other aspects of vital environmental importance such as sanitary research to ensure the maximum use of forest resources.

-It seeks to mitigate the consequences of global warming.

Forestation in Mexico

Despite the importance of forests for the use of their resources for commercial needs, in Mexico this activity, although legal, has not been studied or explored.

There is even talk of a space of more than 20 million hectares that could be used for commercial purposes but currently only a quarter is used.

Spaces with timber and non-timber resources

The country has a series of spaces for both timber and non-timber resources. To next, some of them:

- Forests: Which occupy about 18% of the territory and are located in Durango, Chihuahua, Michoacán and Oaxaca. In addition, it is where the largest number of pine and cedar plantations are concentrated.

- Jungles: The main ones are in Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas. Among the woods that can be found are the so-called "precious woods" such as cedar and mahogany.

- Shrubs: They are present throughout the country; From San Luis Potosí to Baja California, Mexican scrub provides non-timber resources but is very important for commercial consumption. For example, lechuguilla, which is the raw material for the manufacture of scourers, candelilla (used to extract wax), rubber, and even jojoba, used to make beauty products.

It should be noted that a non-timber resource of high national importance is the nopal, a species of primary vegetable in the diet of the inhabitants of this country. In addition, it is a resource that does not require too much production and is always suitable for the whole year.

problems

On the other hand, one of the problems facing afforestation in Mexico is the lack of preparation on the subject, the resources for proper production and the absence of an adequate infrastructure that allows the wide development of this activity.

This has also contributed to an even bigger problem: Over-logging has prevented the forests from recovering, thus also threatening certain plant species such as cypress, oyamel, mahogany and ebony.

Despite this panorama, the Mexican government created a network for the environmental protection of certain areas in the country such as monuments, national parks and sanctuaries, in order to avoid the exploitation of the resources found there, while maintaining activities reforestation.

Forestry activity

As mentioned above, forestry is a discipline that complements afforestation since, through this, not only the types of forests and plant species are studied, but also indicates which are the best means for the use of them and thus meet the growing demand for wood resources.

One way to combine both concepts is through cultivation, which is also the main activity of forestry. This takes advantage of the regeneration and felling of the trees to extract the raw material according to what is needed.

On the other hand, thanks to the positive impact of afforestation, it is expected that the technological advances applied to this area will bring about the genetic improvement of certain plant species that will go hand in hand with the growth of needs in the future.

At the same time, it is also expected that factories can take better advantage of fiber, pulp and paper derivatives for the generation of MDF, a versatile material that has gained importance in the market thanks to its low price and its multiple purposes in the area. of construction and decoration.

International effort in favor of afforestation

At present, there are countries that maintain an effort to prioritize afforestation not only as an economic activity, but also as a main tool for maintaining environmental balance.

China is one of the biggest examples of afforestation in recent years. The government, since 2008, implemented the policy where each child under the age of 11 had to plant at least three trees per year. Thanks to this, the country has been able to recover important spaces.

Likewise, the European Union has applied a series of forestry policies since 1990. Even countries like Poland implemented forestry programs after the Second World War to cover 20% of the country with forests.

Australia and the United States are not far behind in afforestation and preservation of natural environments not only for commercial use but also for visitor enjoyment.

References

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5. Forestry sector in Mexico. (sf). In Gestiópolis. Retrieved: January 31, 2018 from Gestiópolis at gestiopolis.com.
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