森林退化/衰退的研究与实践

Forest degradation/decline: Research and practice

森林退化可以理解为森林面积减少、结构丧失、质量降低、功能下降;森林衰退则是森林退化的一种形式,指森林(树木)在生长发育过程中出现的生理机能下降、生长发育滞缓、生产力降低甚至死亡,以及地力衰退等状态.国内外研究表明,森林采伐/毁林是造成森林面积减少的最主要原因,有关森林采伐/毁林引起的森林退化研究主要集中在森林退化的后果、国家/国际政策的影响、加强全球性合作以及寻求解决途径等方面.森林衰退原因可归纳为:工、农业污染,自然胁迫/致衰因子,林分动态发生变化,森林衰退病或生态病,人工纯林以及纯林连栽导致的地力、生产力衰退等.中国的森林退化/衰退现状与世界各地森林退化基本一致,但由于历史原因,中国森林退化又有其自身特点:近一个世纪的强烈人为干扰,使大部分原始天然林退化为次生林;中国拥有世界上最多的人工林,且多数人工林均具有质量差、功能低等衰退特征.本文在综述森林退化/衰退研究与实践基础上,提出中国现代森林退化/衰退的的主要原因,给出中国森林退化/衰退的基本对策.

As one of the most critical environmental problems in the 21^st, century, forest has been facing worldwide. There are many definitions about forest degradation, but degradation its common features are the permanent loss of forests, stand structure destructed, forest quality decreased, and forest functions lowered. Forest decline or tree decline in fact is one of the causes of forest degradation, which includes the general reduction of trees in vigor, low level growth of trees in productivi- ty, death of trees, and even, decline of soil fertility. Many researches indicated that deforestation is the permanent loss of forests in area, which is shifted to other land uses. Deforestation is the product of the interactions between environmental, social, economic, cultural, and political forces at work in any given country/region, and thus, more and more attention is focused on the negative socioeconomic and environmental effects after forest degradation, especially on the reduction of forest area induced by deforestation. The effects of any decisions or policies in national and international levels on forest degradation induced by deforestation have been paid attention as well. How to make efforts and strengthen the worldwide cooperation to combat the forest degradation induced by defor- estation must be challenged to find appropriate solutions. There are many researches on forest de cline, because of its complexity and uncertainties. The major causes of forest decline include： 1 ） pollution from both industry and agriculture, 2） stress factors, e. g. , desiccation, 3） changes in stand dynamics, 4） decline disease of forest or diseases of complex etiology, 5 ） degradation of productivity and/or soil fertility in pure plantation forests. Forest degradation in China is similar to that all over the world, but with the characteristics in forest components, i. e. , 1 ） secondary forests are the major forest resources, 2） China has the most plantation forests in the world, some of which have low qualities or functions. Based on the above reviews and perceptions on forest degradation and related practices, the main causes of contemporary forest degradation were summarized, and the general countermeasures for combating forest degradation/decline were given.