Native timber production in southern Brazil: a retrospective analysis with implications for public forest policies

Timber has been one of Brazil’s most important natural resources since its earliest economic cycles. However, logging practices lacking technical criteria have directly contributed to the degradation of native forests and to the risk of extinction faced by numerous timber species. Temporal variations in timber production from 378 native species in southern Brazil between 2006 and 2017 were analyzed using data from the ‘Forest Origin Document’ (DOF), a system used to control and monitor the harvesting, commercialization, and transport of native forest resources in Brazil. Additionally, species were evaluated in terms of exploitation intensity and evidence of harvesting pressure. The results indicate a decline in both timber volume and number of exploited species after 2012, possibly reflecting the effects of forest/environmental policies and macroeconomic constraints. Furthermore, harvesting pressure was strongly concentrated on a small number of timber species, which accounted for most of the harvested volume; in addition, many species were harvested primarily from native forests, with only a small part from planted forests. Evidence of harvesting pressure, combined with decreasing traded volumes, may have important ecological and economic implications, suggesting overexploitation of natural populations and a potential shortage in native timber supply. Key strategies to improve the native timber production chain include promoting the silviculture of native species, diversifying forest production with alternative native species, and strengthening monitoring and enforcement mechanisms for timber harvesting in both native and planted forests. These strategies are essential to reconcile timber supply diversification with the conservation of native timber species in southern Brazil.