Conservation and Utilization of Forests
Conservationists connect a lot of values on existence and bequest uses of the forest, while utilitarian maintain that forests should be conserved for their benefits to human. Conversely, administration of forest is only justifiable if there are no significant costs involved. In order to ensure that the expenses of managing forests are justifiable, it is important to balance the productive use with biodiversity conservation. Activities, which have a small affect on the biodiversity, should be allowed, while these with the detrimental consequences should be prohibited.
Allowable Activities Near Coniferous Forests
In this regard, people, who are living near the coniferous forest, have to be allowed to perform activities such as mushroom harvesting, camping, hiking, and snowmobiling. These activities are non-consumptive uses of the forest. Impact, which is made because of the above-mentioned activities, is very small. Instead, camping and hiking encourage people to use their forest responsibly and enjoy biodiversity. They are likely to conserve the biodiversity when they see and enjoy such benefits. People will start appreciating the bequest and existence values of the forest and hence participate in conservation measures.
Prohibited Activities and their Negative Effects
On the contrary, I would prohibit activities such as logging, making camp fires, and mining. They have the potential to destroy coniferous forests over time. Overgrazing can destroy the grass in a forest leading to disruption of the ecosystem. On the other hand, campfires can cause the forest fires, which destroy biodiversity.
Effects of Activities on Forests: Conservation vs Destruction
I’d defend my choices by highlighting how these activities impact the forests. Activities such as camping, hiking, and snowmobiling have little to no impact at all on the forest. Logging, camp fires, mining, and grazing poses a great threat to the existence of the forest and its biodiversity. Informing the public of these negative effects would be critical to defending my choices. I would highlight past incidences of forest fires, mining, and logging. I would explain to the public the negative effects they had on the forests and its biodiversity.
Importance of Allowing Community Utilization with Limitations
To conclude, it’s therefore of paramount importance to allow people living near the forest to utilize it for their daily needs. By allowing this, the community acts as protectors against people who might try to degrade the forests since they benefit from its existence. However, these activities need to be limited to avoid things that may lead to forest extinction.
