Illegal logging refers to harvesting, transporting, and transaction of timber or lumber in ways that are in violation of any applicable laws. Illegal logging does not necessarily only encompass the actual harvesting procedure itself, but all other aspect that may be included throughout the process. This can also include accessing the harvesting area by illegal means, which in its own right can include trespassing or other corrupt ways in order to gain access.
Illegal logging can also include the cutting of species that protected under law or harvesting timber or lumber in quantities that exceed what is permissible by regulations and standards. Other aspects in illegal logging that are not necessarily involved with the logging itself, but rather in the aspect of transactions in buying or selling illegally acquired lumber can also be considered to be illegal logging. This can include the transport of illegal timber or falsifying records to avoid taxation or to occlude actual logging numbers or quotas.
Illegal logging poses to be an ecological threat to the environment for various reasons. Even though logging itself can provide to be a very important economic factor for certain regions, the consequences of illegal logging can prove to be very severe. There many ecological and environmental concerns that are caused by illegal logging.
Some issues are directly tied to the logging activity itself, for cutting down trees can reduce the overall oxygen output associated with plant life. However, the after effects of logging can lead to the displacement of animals in the particular area, leading to a domino effect of consequences.
