ABSTRACT
Forests, like fisheries, are primarily biological systems. An important factor in forest management policy is the cumulative nature of forest growth: biomass accumulated over years, decades, or even centuries will remain available if left undisturbed, either for human use at a later time, or to fulfill functions such as carbon storage, water retention, and maintenance of biological diversity. The mean annual increment (MAI), or average growth rate, is obtained by dividing the total biomass, or weight of timber, by the age of the forest. The Chaco forest, covering parts of Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, is considered Latin America's second-most important forest behind the Amazon. The principles of commercial forest management can thus often conflict with ecological goals. Clear-cut logging and conversion to agriculture often prove more profitable than sustainable forest management. Human activity has reduced forest area in some cases and increased it in others, as well as changing forest biodiversity.
