Mahogany grows in Latin America and is one of the most commonly used tree species in this area. Swietenia macrophylla King (mahogany) has the potential of becoming the basis of the management system for sustainable use in the tropical forest. In order to see this happen, however, it’s important to look at the current and former systems for harvesting the best trees. With this type of harvesting process, the best trees are used without consideration of future growth and natural forest regeneration.
Management of Mahogany
The use and harvesting of Mahogany go back many centuries. The Central American Mayans used this wood to build their canoes and during the time of Spanish colonization, the timber was exported to Europe to make furniture and cabinets. Regionally mahogany was harvested for domestic use and to build ships.
In the 20th century, the extraction of this type of timber began on a large-scale basis in Mexico. At this time the government granted international companies concessions to exploit these natural mahogany resources. This activity carried on throughout the 1970s. Today the harvesting of Mahogany must be re-examined in order to preserve the integrity of this wood species.
Ethical Investing in Forestry
In order to maintain the ethical integrity of forestry, the harvesting of the mahogany species needs to be closely monitored. The genetic characteristics of Mahogany have been severely affected over the course of the last decades due to the exploitation of selecting the best trees, stand fragmentation and natural evolution interruption. By selecting only the mahogany trees that are the best of the best, the resilience of the tree species has been compromised.
One of the biggest problems we are currently facing involves the natural regeneration of the trees. It is scarce in the communities where it naturally grows due to a decreased number of mature trees that contribute to the dispersion of seeds for regrowth.
Mahogany Investment
In order to maintain and increase our investment in mahogany, it is necessary to decrease the amount of deforestation as much as humanly possible and to implement and follow clear guidelines in the management of these forests. This is the only way to see a substantial conservation of the genetic resources.
Over the years other species such as S. mahogany have been affected by genetic erosion due to a great loss of the best trees. The trees growing now are deformed and are different from their original predecessors. It’s important to ensure that the Swietenia macrophylla does not experience the same kind of fate.
For more information about eco-forests and ethical investing in forestry, please contact us by calling 1-855-876-3775 or by filling out our online form. Timberland is a long-term investment opportunity and we make sure that our investors see maximum returns at all stages of tree harvesting.