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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

A Simple Planting Technique for Re-establishing Trees Where Frequent Inundation Occurs

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Published on: January 26, 2018

Maintaining ecosystem function and services in logged tropical forests.

David P Edwards¹, Joseph A Tobias², Douglas Sheil³

¹Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK; Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|August 6, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Selective logging in tropical forests largely preserves biodiversity and ecosystem services. Protecting these valuable production forests from degradation is crucial for conservation efforts.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Forestry
Conservation Biology

Background:

Tropical forests globally face significant impacts from selective logging practices.
The ecological and ecosystem service value of production forests is often underestimated.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the environmental impacts of selective logging in tropical forests.
To highlight the importance of logged forests in conservation strategies.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing research on the environmental impacts of selective logging.
Assessment of biodiversity retention, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services in logged forests.

Main Results:

Selective logging generally retains most biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Logged forests provide essential carbon, climatic, and soil-hydrological services.
These forests are vulnerable to degradation, including clearing, fires, and hunting.

Conclusions:

Logged tropical forests are extensive, functionally diverse, and provide critical ecosystem services.
Urgent conservation strategies are needed to expand the role of logged forests.
Priorities include improving harvest practices and preventing forest conversion and loss.