Green Practices Guideline for Forest Operation

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 ABOUT THE SECTOR THREE CRITICAL PARAMETERS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY Site productivity is a function of the number of species and individual trees growing in a location, soil fertility, and climate. RENEWAL CAPACITY Renewal of a forest ecosystem, following harvesting or other forms of disturbances, is dependent on the nature and intensity of disturbance and the mode of reproduction of species located on the site. SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Forests are a rich repository of planet Earth’s genetic heritage. Tropical forests contain more than 50 percent of all plant and animal species in about six percent of the world’s surface area. Species diversity and ecological diversity are closely related, and their preservation is an integral component of efforts to maintain future options. The Green Practices Guideline for Forest Operation serves as a reference document to assist industries in achieving the objectives outlined in the Green Technology Master Plan. The government of Malaysia is dedicated to maintaining at least 50% of the country’s landmass under forest cover, as pledged during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Currently, 55.3% of Malaysia’s land area, equivalent to 18.27 million hectares, is covered by forests. As part of the greening Malaysia agenda, there is a particular emphasis on enhancing forest conservation through tree planting, rehabilitation, and restoration of degraded forest areas in collaboration with state governments. To support these efforts, special financial instruments have been established, including the National Conservation Trust Fund for Natural Resources and Forest Development Trust Fund under the state governments in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF). 9 GREEN PRACTICES GUIDELINE FOR FOREST OPERATION