Redwood furniture is also the root cause of environmental degradation

Nowadays, mahogany furniture, which is regarded as a symbol of identity and taste, continues to sell well. However, people may not realize that this consumption boom has become the “killer” of tropical rain forests. The reporter learned from relevant experts that it is manufacturing mahogany furniture due to excessive logging. The tree species such as yellow rosewood have been extinct in China, and tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia are on the verge of desperation. The destruction of the tropical rain forest is one of the scourges of the deterioration of the global environment.

It is illegal to use mahogany for furniture in the United Kingdom

The “redwood” heat in the furniture market continues to heat up. Since last year, the prices of different types of mahogany furniture have risen by 30% to 80%. In spite of this, mahogany furniture is still in short supply, and some people even “fired” mahogany to start investment business.

The environmental concerns behind the hot sales of mahogany furniture have not yet attracted the attention of the people. Recently, the British media veteran and famous environmentalist Paul Brown came to China to visit China. Advertisements on mahogany furniture on the street have caused him annoyance: “This is illegal in the UK because redwood is a protected species. However, buying oak furniture is legal. Because oak is a sustainable tree species, it is required that two trees must be replanted."

According to investigations, Hongmu has been deforested worldwide. The United Nations has explicitly ordered the protection of tropical rain forest plants, including redwood, and prohibited the indiscriminate cutting.

Deforestation of Redwoods Causes Global Environmental Deterioration

Why is Rosewood so precious?

According to national standards, there are five types of redwood species, including 33 species of furniture-made wood, mainly rosewood and Dalbergia.

According to Professor Chen Zhaohui of the Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, redwood is mainly distributed in India, Myanmar, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as in Hainan, Yunnan, and Guangdong-Guangzhou areas of China. It is a precious tree species growing in tropical rain forests, among which rosewood produced in Hainan It is a treasure in mahogany.

Mahogany is hard and solid, and is inherently dark in nature. It doesn't need to be painted again to make furniture, and the longer it is used, the more glossy it is. However, the growth rate of mahogany is very slow. Folks are said to have “millennium sandalwood and centuries-old rosewood”, and their production often takes hundreds or even thousands of years. Due to the large consumption of mahogany in our country, the mahogany trees in China had basically been depleted before and after the 50s of the last century. Now wood is mainly imported from countries such as Myanmar and Indonesia. "Deforestation of redwood is very damaging to the rainforest." Chen Chaohui said that tropical rainforests can regulate the global climate and maintain ecosystems. Over-logging of redwood has destroyed the habitat of many organisms and caused soil erosion. Although most of the mahogany that has been cut is not from China, the deterioration of the global environment is not only a national issue.

Introducing redwood species is not eager for instant benefits

In order to protect the elephant, the art of tooth carving has to consider the overall situation with a swan song. Similarly, mahogany is endangered. People's breathing dirty air is not unrelated to the purchase of mahogany furniture. The expert appeals to the public to buy environmental protection when shopping for furniture.

Chen Chaohui suggested not to blindly publicize mahogany furniture. The production and purchase of wood furniture can be replaced by mahogany wood, such as litchi wood and gemu wood. These woods are similar to red woody lands, and the tree growth cycle is faster.

He advocated the promotion of planting broad-leaved tree species in Guangdong, such as red vertebrae and red peony, while introducing redwood species such as red sandalwood. Although these species have a long growth cycle, they have significant effects on water, soil and fertility, and have ecological benefits and landscape. Benefits, but also can properly meet market demand. Of course, such alternative planting should be patient and not eager for quick success.