March 14th, 2004
Forest companies lie about fertilization
There is shortage of timber. Forest companies argue for logging oldgrowth forest which the authorities plans to protect. Companies cut forest on "islands" in mires and in steep hillsides which have previously been left alone. Companies argue for nitrogen fertilization, in order to be able to harvest more volume in ten years.
The FSC-certified companies were prescribed to present evidence that fertilization did not damage biological multitude or redlisted species. Some research was reported in "Nitrogen 2002" from SkogForsk, an institute owned half by the state, half by the forest companies. The report demonstrated that one species (Cladonia parasitica) was damaged by nitrogen fertilization and that other species ran the risk of being damaged. The studies did not take up the most serious problem, that of damage to mycorrizal fungi, of which several are redlisted and supposed to be very sensitive to fertilization.
"Nitrogen 2002" was launched by the forest companies under the slogan: "Fertilization of forest land does not cause any serious environmental effects - but the fertilizer has to land at the right place". This is a lie. If such a conclusion had been drawn by a scientist it would have caused a scandal. Now it is just one more example of the forest companies' lack of respect for the truth.
Now the forest companies seem to believe that "Nitrogen 2002" is forgotten, and claim that they have to fertilize in order to produce enough round wood in the near future. The companies plan to offend against this paragraph in the FSC standard.
Fertilization is not the worst form of nature destruction that the companies are guilty of. Logging of oldgrowth forest is worse. The transformation of large landscapes into clearcuts is worse. The negligent treatment of local populations is worse. The impoverishment of a Swedish nature resource is worse.
But the forest companies' tricky and false interpretation of "Nitrogen 2002" is serious enough, since it proves that the forest companies lie in order to increase their production and profit.
Anders Delin
And nineteen others