Many countries in the world today, America included, take part in the practice of clear cutting. Clear cutting, other wise known as logging or deforestation, by definition provided by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) is, "the removal of all trees or shrubbery from a given tract of land or forest" (NRDC Web). Clear cutting is a prevalent part of today's world, even dating back to ancient Rome and Greece. Today though, clear cutting seems to have been given a predestined name tag that gives off a negative outlook. Many people associate clear cutting with the unethical destruction of the environment and shrubbery, only causing unforgiving harm to an ecosystem. One could even say that because of these repercussions, the act of clear cutting should be put to an end for ever. What many people do not know or consider is that clear cutting can just as much help an environment or population, rather than fatally destroy it. Without clear cutting, there is a chance that whole forests and jungles can disappear instead of a small area of it. Clear cutting is beneficial to a tract of land or surrounding area because it will encourage the growth of certain animal and plant species, it puts an end to the spread of environmentally harmful affects that can damage an ecosystem, and clear cutting will influence the economy and circulation of money in many towns and states.

During and after clear cutting, when the trees go down, the abundance of some animal species goes up. Yes, this may seem to be a counter intuitive statement because of the squirrels or common birds that make their homes in the trees that have to relocate. However, in the grand scheme of things these creatures are very common and always seem to appear shortly after again without a moments notice. Having been said, many other plants and species are actually benefitted from clear cutting. As Juha Pykala states, "there is an immediate increase in plant species richness after clear cutting or herb rich forests" (Pykala 30). One of the few reasons for this is due to the removal of common invasive moss species. Having species such as these removed benefits the land because it leaves room for additional, more wanted plants, to take root and appear. Pykala's research was based around the amount of plant species found in forests after clear cutting and many mature forests. A mature forest is one that has grown naturally and has had little to no human interaction in its lifetime. Her research findings show that, "The total number of plant species was 209 in clear cuttings and 128 in mature forests" (Pykala 31). She then goes on to say that, "of the species not found in mature forests, 37 were found in at least half of the clear cuttings" (Pykala 31). These research findings show that nearly one hundred additional plant species were found in the forests that received some sort of clear cut or logging along with thirty seven species that were never before seen in the mature forests to begin with. This is not only due to the absence of space consuming mosses, but also because there is more direct sunlight being received by plants that would other wise not get it. "These light demanding herbaceous plants is considerably larger than the pool of shade tolerant herbaceous plants" says Pykala (Pykala 32). Even though there is a great removal of plants that require shade, many more plant species that require sunlight come to take their place in the ecosystem. These plants can vary anywhere between flowers and shrubs. For instance, one of the many species of plants that are benefitted from clear cutting is the lichen. Lichen are small but nutritious, composite organism that that arises from algae and decaying plant life. They come in many different colors and sizes but remain comparably small to other plants. As it states in a journal that describes some after affects of clear cuting, "more dead wood and old trees may serve as why the number of species is higher" (Rudolphi and Gustafsson 2). The decayed trees serve as a natural resource that lichens use to increase their presence in a forest. The increase of lichens only benefit the environment they inhabit as many animal species eat them. For instance, these little providers are a key role towards a healthy reindeer and elk diet because it is one of their most eaten substances on earth. However, a lichen's availability and most living plants in general are hard to find during the colder winter months between December and February. In Erikson's journal, he states it well by saying, "Availability of lichen range is of utmost importance to reindeer in the wintertime" (Erikson 111). If these deer have no lichen to eat, not only is the amount of lichen dangerously low but deer numbers will start to go down as well. This increase in lichen also helps other plant species grow during the winter as well. When the reindeer look for food during the winter, they dig up and destroy young saplings and infant plants the use the winter to store energy and grow. One would say that maybe lichen growth is not good because it increases reindeer numbers which inevitably would decrees other plant species numbers. How ever this is not the case. Erikson did studies of forests that received clear cutting or logging and examined how this deforestation affected different plant species and animal inhabitants of the environment. The two main focuses being lichens and deer.  Erikson later states that, "the amount of small deciduous saplings and herbs had approximately doubled during the two years after logging" (Erikson 113). The reason so many saplings and plants were able to survive not only the winter, but also the reindeer's grazing, was because the abundance of lichens created a food source that was readily available for the deer to eat during the winter. This increase in lichens not only increased the amount of deer, but also inadvertently increased other plant species and herbs. Destruction of animal homes aside, clear cutting and logging increases the amount of species that will inhabit a surrounding forest or piece of land because there will be more room to grow and these newly grown plants will invite other types of animals

Many times, clear cutting and logging can help stop the eradication of some trees and different animal or plant species. A quick example is in rare cases, one of the last resorts to stop the spread of destructive forest fires is to clear cut cut in the location that the fire will eventually reach. This is then where fire fighters and forest rangers can put a stop to the fire. In a more prevalent situation, clear cutting is used to remove or relocate animal species that harm a surrounding area of forest or land. One of these animals is the notorious Gray Squirrel. They get such a bad name because there are so many, acorns and tree seeds cannot grow because they are the main source of food for the Gray Squirrel. Gray Squirrels are a very common indigenous species here in America. They can be found, for the most part, through out the entire country but Nixon, Mclain, and Donohoe's research was centered in the Ohio area. They did a study that surveyed the amount of Gray Squirrels in an area a couple years after a clear cut. The survey also analyzed the amount of acorns and plant species in the area that these squirrels usually eat. According to their research, "squirrels captured in late summer declined about 54%" (Nixon, Mclain, Donohoe 406). This great decline in the squirrel population eventually showed an increase in new trees and baby saplings. This was because the clear cut partially removed an  animal that is nowhere close to being endangered, and led to the production of even more trees in the area. 

Animal species are not the only thing that cause harm to an environment that can be removed. In many cases, plants that take up too much space and grow very quickly tend to destroy or overpower all the other plant species trying to live in a given piece of land. These plants are known as invasive species. Invasive species are plants or animals that live in an ecosystem but did not originate from that environment. One of the more common types are the Himalayan Black Berries (HBB) which are located on the west coast. Jonathan Soll explains the threat when he says, "once it becomes well established, HBB out competes low stature native plants and can prevent establishment of shade intolerant trees" (Soll 4). These blackberries grow so rapidly and in such wide spread distances, they strangle the existence of any other plant species that tries to coexist. This is where clear cutting coms into play. By clear cutting all the affected land, all of the invasive black berries will be removed and then the native plants can grow back in a short time. Soll agrees with this when he writes, "mechanical removal, whether by hand or machine, or burning, are affective options" (Soll 4). Since the presence of these Himalayan Blackberries ruin the chance of native plants survival, and causes a great hindrance to animal species when they try to traverse the land, it only makes sense for them to be removed. Once the black berries are gone, indigenous plants can regrow and re-bloom while animals can begin to remake their homes through out the area. With these various instances in mind, one can see how how clear cutting can stop the spread of harmful affects that can devastate the environment.

Clear cutting and logging not only affects plants and animals but also affects us humans and our economy beneficially. Logging is an essential part of todays economy for towns and businesses. According to the Oregon Forests Organization's databanks, "clear cutting represents the most efficient and economical method of harvesting a large group of trees" ("When is clear cutting the right choice?" Web.) On a small scale, clear cutting benefits a home owner or land owner. Cutting down these trees can bring money right back into the pocket of the various owner. Andy Schultz explains that, "logging is good when: landowners understand their properties future potential and how harvesting in the near term helps them reach that potential" (Schultz 1). These land owners mentioned who have the land can make smart investments in the removal of the trees or shrubs to create space to either add something for their business or replace the trees with some more desirable plants. With the addition of a business practice adds more money to be circulated in the town or economy. If the landowner replaces the trees or shrubs with other plants, he/she is ultimately giving back to the environment. The long term benefits for both of these scenarios is added money to either the land owner or the economy. In general, clear cutting and logging is a great way to create jobs that can positively affect a state or towns work force. A video produced by the Pacific Forest Foundation explains this clearly when a logging worker interviewed describes the various added jobs, "timber falling, equipment operation, water management" (LoginBC YouTube). These are just a few examples of jobs that are created from the logging industry. With more job availabilities and abler bodies in the work force, this adds even more cash flow to be circulated into a town or states economy. In the state of Maine, a petition was signed by state residents that wanted to put an end to a clear cutting project the was occurring in the northern region. In Peter Passell's New York Times article, he explains how he, "expects the state to lose about 750 forest jobs a year" (Passell 1). With the state losing so many jobs, this will ultimately lead to the states economy to decline as well. Peter Passell's article shows how clear cutting is only beneficial in regards to a town and states economy by creating jobs for the citizens. Now people may say it is too expensive to harvest so many trees with minimal return. One could even say that the cost of felling the trees out weighs the return profit, whether its money in an economy or just the fresh oxygen they produce. This can be true if the logging or clear cutting is done recklessly. Advantage Tim Lumber's video gives a good example of why this is not the case when the narrator explains, "forest engineers select these trees because they are hollowed out and no longer produce seeds" (AdvantageTrimLumber Youtube). As explained in their video, most of the trees that get removed from acts of clear cutting are almost useless to the environment and provide little to no use for the ecosystem. These trees just cause more of a hindrance than a benefit to the environment. By being cut down, the trees earn a profit for the lumber industry which intern increase the economy and expands the money flow. It also allows for plants that require more sun to grow that other wise would not due to the large amount of shade. Another company could even come back and replant more trees that can be eventually cut down creating a full circle of profit. They could also just let nature take its course and allow plants to regrow in the empty space. Either way, both will be a benefit not only to the environment but will also boost the economy. 

A majority of todays world may not be ready to come to terms with the fact that clear cutting can be more beneficial to an environment or surrounding area. People will still cling to the over used and said facts about what clear cutting does to the environment. Hopefully by the time they are done beating the dead horse they will come to realize how great the benefits of clear cutting can really be. When the trees are cut down, the decomposition process encourages the growth of many plant and animal species. This intern can only progress towards a stronger healthier environment. The world also needs to realize how clear cutting saves plant and animal species from dangerous and environmentally threatening affects. These can be anything from forest fires to other invasive plant species that only cause harm to an ecosystem. One of the most important benefits that clear cutting and logging has directly affects our human lives. By clear cutting the land in the area, businesses will be gaining money with boosts our economy. This also creates jobs for men and women to make money so they can do their part to circulate money back into the economy. What many people do not understand that as long as there is a demand for paper products and goods, the business of logging and clear cutting will not be going anywhere anytime soon. These are only some of the many ways of how the pros of clear cutting out weight the negatives in the long run of our planet earths life. 

     

