Forests of West Virginia, U.S.A. and Shaanxi, China: a study in forest exploitation and recovery

Abstract

A review of the period of unregulated exploitation of forests in the state of West Virginia (U.S.) and in Shaanxi Province, PRC was presented. Economic and ecological recovery from exploitation has been different in the two regions due to basic differences in nature of the forest and in the degree and persistence of exploitive pressures. After a century since unregulated exploitation, West Virginia forests are well on the road to management for sustainability and conservation. Shaanxi's recovery from overuse and unregulated exploitation is less certain; forests are still in the early phases of ecological recovery there. Full recovery to a period of sustainability will take a century or longer. Suggestions are made for measures needed to enhance the forest recovery.

Keywords

Forests / Shaanxi / West Virginia / Central China / Forest exploitation / Recovery / S754 / A / 1007-662X(2004)01-0049-06

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