Evaluation of Logging Operations in terms of Sustainable Forest Management

Today, the importance given to the sustainability of the existence of forests and using from forests has increased. This brings to the forefront that forestry activities should be carried out in accordance with sustainable forest management (SFM) criteria. Sustainable forest management criteria and indicators determined in Near East and Helsinki processes have been assessed by the General Directorate of Forestry (GDF) and 6 criteria and 28 indicators have been put forward for Turkey. The forest ecosystem is influenced by every factors originating from nature or human. Forestry activity which has the largest share in terms of production of goods in forests is the logging activity that requires periodical intervention to forests in every year. The logging activities have economic functions in terms of meeting the wood needs of the country, ecological functions in terms of some of the services offered and social functions in terms of being realized by forest villagers or near forest villages. Sustainable forest management has briefly been defined that the environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of forests for present and future generations. This study includes assessment of wood logging activities according to sustainable forest management criteria and indicators.