282
D. Peptenatu et al.
[56]. Therefore, reducing the preventive risk through the spatial planning process
of land use (the way forest exploitation is used for example) is an important but
interdependent process with the management of flood risk [57, 58].
Besides the roles that play in social and environmental terms, the forest has also a
very important impact globally and economically, role given mainly by the products
it provides for many human communities, whose economic functionality is closely
related to it. In this context, it is imperative to monitor and study the evolution of
deforested areas and the causes of this evolution, especially since it is economically important for local communities whose economy is based on its existence [31,
59–62].
With the expansion of deforested areas, major imbalances in the territorial systems
can occur, imbalances that may have negative consequences for the local community in terms of development. Therefore, identifying the key factors that lead to the
amplification or favoring of what deforestation means and their analysis, gain an
important role for the scientific environment, but especially for the authorities, due
to the complexity of existing relationships between certain systemic components
where the forest plays an important role [25, 27, 29, 63–66]. Although from a socioeconomic and ecological point of view, the benefits of forest areas are well known,
the deforested areas extend from year to year, so restraining forest areas has become
one of the greatest challenges for decision makers. These factors are facing a great
deal of pressure on the existing forestry background on the economic avenue and,
in particular, on the economic sectors based on the exploitation and processing of
wood.
In many of the specialty studies, there are several factors identified by the growth of
deforested areas around the globe: agriculture, by increasing demand for agricultural
land (demand for food), corruption, poverty, and the price of wood materials [67–72].
These factors determine the excessive exploitation of the forest fund with negative
consequences on the functionality of the ecosystem, as well as the difficulties in
the supply of wood [73]. Despite the fact that the protection of forest areas and the
reduction of deforested areas are central concerns worldwide [5], the deforested area
has increased year-on-year, with the deforestation rate for the period 2000–2010 of
13 million hectares per year, according to UNEP [74].
The amplification of the deforestation phenomenon is based on favorable causes
such as the over-development of the economic sectors that are based on the exploitation and processing of wood, over the local support capacity, the smaller incomes of
the local communities and, of course, the legislative gaps. On this line, clarifying are
the experiences of states with large forest areas presented in some studies that talk
about, for example, the pressure exerted on the forest ecosystem in Maine Province
of the United States of America, where the deforestation of 1970–1990 with a devastating impact, was based on the intense activities of papermaking companies [75].
Another example may be Portugal, where in the times when the economy was on the
rise, the forest management system was forced to adapt to the needs of development
[76].
In Europe, the demand for wood for construction and fuel has become increasingly
important and is a determining factor in transforming the natural environment by
D. Peptenatu et al.
[56]. Therefore, reducing the preventive risk through the spatial planning process
of land use (the way forest exploitation is used for example) is an important but
interdependent process with the management of flood risk [57, 58].
Besides the roles that play in social and environmental terms, the forest has also a
very important impact globally and economically, role given mainly by the products
it provides for many human communities, whose economic functionality is closely
related to it. In this context, it is imperative to monitor and study the evolution of
deforested areas and the causes of this evolution, especially since it is economically important for local communities whose economy is based on its existence [31,
59–62].
With the expansion of deforested areas, major imbalances in the territorial systems
can occur, imbalances that may have negative consequences for the local community in terms of development. Therefore, identifying the key factors that lead to the
amplification or favoring of what deforestation means and their analysis, gain an
important role for the scientific environment, but especially for the authorities, due
to the complexity of existing relationships between certain systemic components
where the forest plays an important role [25, 27, 29, 63–66]. Although from a socioeconomic and ecological point of view, the benefits of forest areas are well known,
the deforested areas extend from year to year, so restraining forest areas has become
one of the greatest challenges for decision makers. These factors are facing a great
deal of pressure on the existing forestry background on the economic avenue and,
in particular, on the economic sectors based on the exploitation and processing of
wood.
In many of the specialty studies, there are several factors identified by the growth of
deforested areas around the globe: agriculture, by increasing demand for agricultural
land (demand for food), corruption, poverty, and the price of wood materials [67–72].
These factors determine the excessive exploitation of the forest fund with negative
consequences on the functionality of the ecosystem, as well as the difficulties in
the supply of wood [73]. Despite the fact that the protection of forest areas and the
reduction of deforested areas are central concerns worldwide [5], the deforested area
has increased year-on-year, with the deforestation rate for the period 2000–2010 of
13 million hectares per year, according to UNEP [74].
The amplification of the deforestation phenomenon is based on favorable causes
such as the over-development of the economic sectors that are based on the exploitation and processing of wood, over the local support capacity, the smaller incomes of
the local communities and, of course, the legislative gaps. On this line, clarifying are
the experiences of states with large forest areas presented in some studies that talk
about, for example, the pressure exerted on the forest ecosystem in Maine Province
of the United States of America, where the deforestation of 1970–1990 with a devastating impact, was based on the intense activities of papermaking companies [75].
Another example may be Portugal, where in the times when the economy was on the
rise, the forest management system was forced to adapt to the needs of development
[76].
In Europe, the demand for wood for construction and fuel has become increasingly
important and is a determining factor in transforming the natural environment by