Why Tropical Hardwoods

Kauai Tropical Timbers (KTT) is planting hardwoods because growing tropical hardwoods is a profitable business opportunity, it will have a positive impact on Kauai's local environment and economy, it will help reduce the destruction of the world's rainforests, and we enjoy growing exotic plants and trees.

The Business Opportunity

Some of the most beautiful and the most expensive wood products are made from tropical hardwoods. These items include furniture, cabinetry, boats, and musical instruments to name just a few. The demand for these products continues to increase while supply continues to decrease.

Increase in world population and decreasing supplies of tropical hardwoods is bringing intense pressure to bear on the existing short supply of mature hardwood trees. Harvesting of natural forests continues at a rapid pace while replanting efforts, by comparison, are grossly inadequate. World consumption of tropical hardwoods has grown 25 times in the last 40 years to more than 100 billion board feet per year.

The supply of quality hardwood is decreasing rapidly. More than 40% of the world's tropical rainforests have been lost since 1940. Rainforests are being cleared to provide food, wood, fuel, and resources to the world's growing population; to make room for the exploding local population; and to raise cattle and grow crops. Millions of acres are being destroyed each year. So, with demand ever increasing and supply rapidly decreasing, the price of these tropical hardwoods continues to soar. With the increase in price of hardwoods and the increase in demand for them, comes a unique opportunity to grow hardwoods. Not just because it is profitable, but also because it will help save the remaining rainforests.

The Environment

It has become almost cliche, but certainly not rectified, that the world’s forests are disappearing at a rapid rate. It is determined that every minute of each day the world is losing about 64 acres of natural forests. This is unfortunate because a majority of scientists worldwide believe that the increase in greenhouse gases is related to deforestation and a significant factor involved in global warming.

Carbon sequestration refers to technological and natural processes that increase the removal of carbon and other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons) from the atmosphere. The increase in these “greenhouse gases” has been identified as a leading cause of global warming. One mature tree can absorb up to 13 pounds of CO2 a year. Actively developing trees may absorb as much as 26 pounds, which equates into five tons of CO2 per acre of trees per year.

KTT is committed to doing its part to contribute to the reversal of deforestation and global warming, while creating new wildlife habitats. Over the years in Hawaii, to date, 52 of the original 127 bird species have disappeared. This is just one example of the impact of deforestation on wildlife. Reforestation can provide an environment for wildlife to sustain and expand its population.

Trees improve soil quality by adding and maintaining nitrogen and organic matter. These elements are needed to maintain water table stability, erosion control, and desertification (creeping sand). Desertification is land degradation caused by numerous factors, the main ones being climatic variations and human activities. Reforestation can reverse the loss of topsoil and vegetation coverage needed to maintain a healthy soil environment.

Plants also improve air quality by supplying the oxygen all life needs to survive; and trees are the largest, most efficient oxygen producers in the plant kingdom. One acre of young trees supplies the oxygen needs of 18 people for an entire year. The leaves of trees are nature’s filters that remove atmospheric pollutants from the air. A tree can conduct up to 100 gallons of water from the ground into the air daily, providing humidity that contributes to the water cycle (precipitation) and moderates air temperature. This is only one reason that the loss of trees is contributing to global warming and why reforestation is crucial.

The creation of sustainable managed forests is a viable way to counter our world’s current dilemma of deforestation.