Seeing the forest's ecosystem beyond the trees

A bird’s eye view of the FSC certified forest in New Hampshire that supplies Domtar’s manufacturing base. Photograph: Domtar

When you look at a forest, what do you see? Most people see trees. But trees are only one piece of the larger puzzle, which includes plants, people, animals, water, air and soil. Forests provide a host of unique economic, ecological, social and recreational benefits.

To truly protect the health of North America’s forests, paper companies must address all elements of this ecosystem. For more than a decade, Domtar has worked hand-in-hand with leading non-government organizations, promoting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification as a means of ensuring that the forests supplying its manufacturing base are responsibly – and holistically – managed. Through FSC certification these forests can remain lively and productive for years to come.

Here are three ways in which forests are more than just trees:

Endangered species

An endangered Sumatran orangutan with a baby holding onto her clings on tree branches in the forest of Bukit Lawang, part of the vast Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Photograph: Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

Forests are home to nearly half of the world’s species, including endangered animals such as orangutans and Northern spotted owls. Responsibly managed forests are able to sustain a high degree of biodiversity, meaning that species are protected from extinction and can maintain diversity and healthy breeding patterns.

Livelihoods

Worldwide, 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods – including for food, clothing or shelter. FSC certification is currently the only standard that explicitly protects the rights and resources of indigenous people, and it requires forest managers to assess the impacts of their activities on these local communities.

Carbon

View of Earth’s atmosphere from the International Space Station, showing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. Photograph: ISS/Nasa

The world’s forests store 283bn tons of carbon, meaning that they play a crucial role in curbing the negative effects of CO2 emissions. Old, natural forests are able to store more carbon than recently planted agricultural plantations.

Domtar’s approach to forestry assesses more than the quantity of the trees; it also measures the quality of the forest. That’s why the company has set yearly goals for increasing its use of FSC certified wood fiber, with the aspirational goal of eventually procuring 100% of its fiber from FSC certified forests.

Flowers bloom in the forest. Photograph: Domtar

Content on this page is provided by Domtar, a sponsor of the Vital Signs platform.