ORSA FLORESTAL

Which species does Orsa Florestal commercialize?

A: Orsa Florestal commercializes the following species: Angelim pedra, Angelim vermelho, Cumaru, Cupiúba, Itaúba, Cedrinho, Jatobá, Louro-faia, Maçaranduba, Mandioqueira escamosa, Mandioqueira lisa, Pequiá, Pequiarana, Quaruba Fissurada, Sucupira, Taxi Preto, Tanibuca and Tatajuba.

What products does Orsa Florestal commercialize?

A: Tropical, FSC-certified, air-dried rough sawn timber.

Does Orsa Florestal work with non-wood products such as oils, seeds, nuts and other products?

A: No, currently we only work with wood products.

What is Orsa Florestal's monthly production?

A: In 2008 Orsa Florestal will produce 30 thousand m3 of sawn timber. In 2009 Orsa Florestal will produce 50 thousand m3 of sawn timber.

What is the minimum volume commercialized by Orsa Florestal?

A: The minimum volume delivered by Orsa Florestal is 20 m3. For smaller purchases, the client should consult the company's resellers.

What are the challenges to supply certified wood to Brazil and abroad?

A: The domestic and international markets are complementary when it comes to quality measurements and standards. The timber produced by Orsa Florestal is sold in several countries around the world. However, when discussing the lack of availability of FSC products to Brazilian consumers, one should be aware of the fact that there is an enormous demand for a limited number of species, and it is not possible to supply these quantities to the market. An alternative to satisfy the domestic consumer is to provide other choices of species as substitutes to traditional ones. This is one of Orsa Florestal's objectives. This way the supply of FSC-certified timber can significantly increase in the Brazilian market.

What is the difference between legal and certified timber?

A: Legal timber meets the legal requirements in the country. Certified timber meets those requirements and includes other social and environmental practices in its operations, such as training people, carrying environmental impact analysis, and others.

How can the consumer be sure that he is purchasing certified timber?

A: The consumer can verify that he is purchasing a product that was properly extracted by looking at the chain of custody number on the purchase document (invoice), and/or on product label.

What is FSC?

A: The FSC (Forest Stewartship Council), known in Brazil as the Conselho de Manejo Florestal, is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world's forests.

Why did Orsa Florestal seek FSC certification?

A: FSC certification is voluntary and means following the highest social and environmental criteria, thus it assures stakeholders its deep commitment to sustainable development of the Jari Valley.

What is Forest Management?

A: Forest Management is an environmentally friendly practice that allows the use of forest resources without depleting it to future uses; management for timber products comprises harvesting the older trees and leaving the younger ones to the benefit of future generations. Through this system, it’s possible to use the forest and to preserve biodiversity.

What does sustainable forest management consist of?

A: In short: make an inventory of all commercial and potentially commercial tree species in the forest to assess how much volume can be harvested of each species; Mapping biological values, watersheds and streams to know the specific location of what must be protected; Responsible harvesting to ensure natural regeneration of the whole species composition; Reduced impact logging to protect the harvest and standing trees from possible damages; Reduced impact extraction means planning a grid of tracks and using the right technology to minimize damages; Rotation of 30 years before returning to keep impact on wildlife low; Implementation of conservation zones, reserves and buffer zones to protect the most vulnerable and biologically valuable parts of the forest; Social aspects in company via proper education, safety equipment, respecting the rights of labor force, and out company, by taking into consideration people living in or close to the forest; Finally, harvesting a lower volume of a higher amount of species and products to avoid exploitation of the most commercial species and to ensure the balance of the ecosystem.

Why is it not necessary to plant trees in native forest management?

A: Because year after year, nature builds a large stock of seeds and seedlings in the soil. Once the main individual is logged the new plants are exposed to light, water and nutrients, and are finally able to grow. Replanting seedlings is meaningless compared to the amount of them naturally present in the forest.

If trees take 3,000 years to grow, how is it possible to assume that in 30 years they will be replaced?

A: Forests are a living ecosystem; therefore the death and falling of trees is part of a natural process. The forest is capable of replacing its timber total volume if its tolerance limit is respected. The harvest of few individuals allows new plants to grow. In the regeneration process pioneer species are the first ones to come up, followed by secondary species and climax species. At the end of 30 years, the forest will have recovered its green mass and the development of species will occur until the original composition of the forest is restored.

What is the total area in which Orsa Florestal develops it management plan?

A: Orsa Florestal designates 545 thousand hectares of native forests in the Amazon to sustainable management.

What is the location of the forests managed by Orsa Florestal?

A: The management area is located in the Jari Valley in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, in the state of Pará, 450 Km northwest of the city of Belém, on the left side of the Amazon River.

Of the management area, how much is effectively harvested?

A: Around 60% of the total area, since 92 thousand hectares are allocated to absolute preservation. Moreover, the harvesting operations also do not apply to highly sloping terrains, areas next to waterways (cilliary vegetation) and other restricted areas that are also deducted from the 545 thousand hectares.

What are Orsa Florestal's lines of research and how does the company develop these projects?

A: Orsa Florestal develops wood product technology and improves sustainable forest management practices, more specifically along the following lines: forest management practices, accurate botanical identification, product quality, production system optimization and properties and application of lesser known wood species. Research is conducted in partnership with education and research institutes. The information gathered in the company's forest area serves as a basis for scientific graduate and postgraduate work as well as specialized publications.

How does Orsa Florestal monitor the fauna to reduce interference in their natural habitat?

A: In partnership with researchers specialized in fauna, as of 2004 Orsa Florestal has developed a data survey with the overall objective of quantifying the ecological value of forests, their animal life diversity and the key services in these ecosystems. The project's specific objective is to learn about the interactions between the levels of biodiversity of several groups of fauna and determine which groups can be used as bio-indicators. The presence of bio-indicators indicates the degree of environmental integrity of the forest. The project results were used in the implementation of a continuous fauna monitoring plan, implemented by the company in partnership with Lancaster University (England). Monitoring allows for the identification of places requiring, for example, corridors of fauna between managed areas to permit the circulation of fauna in regions that have not undergone management.

How do I submit my resume?

A: Please visit the Resume channel..