WWF Study Shows Wildlife Thrives in FSC-certified Forests
WWF recently published a briefing synthesizing the latest scientific research showing FSC-certified concessions can harbor a diversity of species, from big cats to small insects. Based on two different studies, the research showed that commercially logged tropical forests can help preserve wildlife when they are managed according to the FSC standards. WWF also created a new website offering visitors a virtual tour of an FSC-certified forest to discover some of the species recorded by the researchers.
For the first study from 2014, researchers from San Diego Zoo Global – supported by WWF – used camera traps to evaluate populations of mammals, such as jaguars, tapirs and pumas, in five FSC-certified logging areas managed by independent concessions.
The camera traps showed that FSC-certified concessions have healthy populations of large and medium-sized mammals as these were the most represented groups of animals among the 27 species recorded over a four-month period.
The results also indicated that some mammals used logging roads for ease of movement. This was particularly true for predators like jaguars and pumas, as they tend to travel long distances to hunt. Read more…
