Logging
Open Democracy
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/febre-madeira-balsa-pandemia-territorio-achuar-en/
Roughly 80% of logging in the Amazon is done to convert forest into something else—cattle ranching, agriculture, mining, or infrastructure (Wegrowski, 2019). The other 20% is done specifically to extract timber, but even logging for development still produces timber. In many cases, the forest is first selectively logged, then burned, and finally converted to other human uses (The Guardian, 2023).
Nearly 40% of all logging in the Amazon is illegal (Imazon). This includes both types: logging for timber and logging for development. A major method used in illegal timber trade is called lumber laundering, in which fake documents are created to pass off illegal timber as legal. These laundered logs often end up in the supply chains of legitimate companies (Wenzel, 2025).
Timber Extraction and Selective Logging
Most logging for timber extraction is done selectively, meaning specific high-value trees are removed while others are left standing (Greenpeace, 2021). This can still have damaging effects. It impacts populations of the targeted species and opens up the forest canopy, altering microclimates and affecting forest-dwelling organisms. One notable example is the dung beetle, which plays a key role in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal. Their populations suffer when canopy cover is reduced (Asher, 2017). Worse still, selective logging often serves as a gateway to clear-cutting and full-scale deforestation (Mongabay, 2006).
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
Big-leaf mahogany is one of the most valuable tropical hardwoods in the world and has been heavily exploited in the Amazon. It is listed as endangered due to overharvesting (IUCN Red List). The wood is prized for high-end furniture. Peru is the leading producer of Amazonian mahogany (Robbins, 2000), and one of the main companies logging is the Bozovich Group. This company has been linked to lumber laundering and has been criticized for greenwashing—highlighting environmentally friendly actions while ignoring illegal or harmful ones (Hance, 2012; Maderera Bozovich, 2017). The United States is the top consumer of Amazonian mahogany (CITES, 2022), with brands like Stickley, Furniture Brands International, Henkel-Harris, Hekman, and Williams-Sonoma marketing products made from this wood (NRDC, 2005).
Angelim (Dinizia excelsa)
Another frequently logged species is angelim, which is used in heavy construction (Precious Woods). It is the tallest tree species in the Amazon, reaching up to 290 feet (Gonzales, 2019), and plays a crucial role in carbon sequestration and evapotranspiration. As a legume, it also enriches soil nitrogen. Angelim is heavily logged in Brazil, particularly along rivers where easy access has led to the disappearance of both angelim and mahogany in many areas (Goulding, 2003; Andrade, 2022). Companies like Precious Woods export angelim to the U.S.
Ipe (Handroanthus spp.)
Ipe is one of the most valuable hardwoods and is often used for decking (Ipe Wood Canada). It is predominantly logged in Brazil, including in the southern Amazon where its extraction often precedes full-scale deforestation for cattle ranching (Bourscheit, 2018). The U.S. is the largest consumer of ipe (Volza).
Eucalyptus Plantations
Eucalyptus logging sits at the crossroads of timber extraction and land conversion. Some companies clear native rainforest entirely and replace it with fast-growing eucalyptus trees (Goulding, 2003). Eucalyptus is mainly used to make paper (Pirralho, 2014) and charcoal (PNP Global Supply, 2024). Brazil is the leading grower of eucalyptus, and Suzano is the largest company in the sector (Branford, 2021). Suzano supplies pulp for companies like Kimberly-Clark, meaning Amazonian eucalyptus may end up in products like Scott and Kleenex (Suzano, 2024).
Eucalyptus plantations come with significant environmental drawbacks. The species is allelopathic, inhibiting the growth of surrounding plants (Chu, 2014). These plantations are also heavily treated with fertilizers and pesticides. Fertilizers, especially nitrogen-based ones, are a major environmental concern—they leach into waterways, causing toxic algal blooms and dead zones, and release nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Pesticides are harmful across the board: insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides all affect more than just their intended targets.
Suzano has claimed its operations are sustainable and focus on reforesting degraded lands, but this has been challenged. Critics point out that eucalyptus plantations do not restore native biodiversity (Branford, 2021), and the Environmental Paper Network has raised concerns about land grabs involving dubious land titles (EPN, 2024).
Aperam, another major company, uses Amazonian eucalyptus to produce charcoal for iron smelting, indirectly promoting both logging and mining (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre).
What You Can Do
Avoid mahogany. It’s expensive and unnecessary.
Research your wood. Try to learn where it came from and how it was harvested.
Look for certification. Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance certifications are a start, but not foolproof—lumber laundering has been known to infiltrate these systems (Elbein, 2016).
Buy recycled paper. Especially avoid virgin eucalyptus pulp.
There’s no easy fix, but informed choices can help protect one of the planet’s most critical ecosystems.
References:
Wegrowski, Brandon. (2019) Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest Ballard Brief
(June 2, 2023) More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand The Guardian
Almost 40% of logging in the Amazon is illegal, show an unprecedented study Imazon
Wenzel, Fernanda. (April 16, 2025) Fake documents, real deforestation drive global trade in illegal Amazon timber Mongabay
(2021) Logging in the Amazon Greenpeace
Asher, Claire. (December 22, 2017) Selective logging reduces biodiversity, disrupts Amazon ecosystems: study Mongabay
(July 31, 2006) Selective logging leads to clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest Mongabay
https://news.mongabay.com/2006/07/selective-logging-leads-to-clear-cutting-in-the-amazon-rainforest/
Big leaf mahogany IUCN Redlist
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/32293/68104718
Robbins, Christopher S. (October 2000) Mahogany Matters: The U.S. Market for Big-Leafed Mahogany And Its Implications For the Conservation Of the Species Traffic North America
Hance, Jeremey (April 10, 2012) U.S. gobbling illegal wood from Peru’s Amazon rainforest Mongabay
(September 11, 2017) Bozovich history Maderera Bozovich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF85ZMx7VuU
(August 21, 2022) CITES trade controls to take effect for mahogany CITES
https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/2003/031111_mahogany.shtml
(April 14, 2005) Top U.S. furniture makers warned: illegal logging from Peru threatens native people, Amazon rainforest Natural Resources Defense Council
Angelim Pedra Precious Woods
Gonzales, Jenny (November 11, 2019) LIDAR Technology Leads Brazilian Team to 30 Story Tall Amazon Tree Mongabay
Goulding, Michael Barthem. Ronaldo, Ferreira Efrem (2003) The Smithsonian Atlas of the Amazon
Andrade, Maryane. Dos Santos, Herbert. Nunes, Fernando. Costa, Julia N. Lentini, Marco W. (July 8, 2022) Wood production and the diversity of tree species logged in the Brazilian Amazon: current situation and recommendations for the forest sector imaflora
Gonzales, Jenny. (May 24, 2018) Illegal loggers ‘cook the books’ to harvest Amazon’s most valuable tree Mongabay
Bourscheit, Aldem. (July 18, 2022) Red-hot demand for ipê wood coincides with deforestation hubs in Brazil Mongabay
Ipe Wood Decking Ipe Wood Canada
Ipe Decking Imports in World from Brazil - Market Size & Demand based on Import Trade Data Volza
https://www.volza.com/p/ipe-decking/import/coo-brazil/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Pirralho, Marilia. Flores, Doahn. Sousa, Vicelina B. Quilho. Teresa. Knapic, Sofia. Pereira, Helena. (March 2014) Evaluation on paper making potential of nine Eucalyptus species based on wood anatomical features Industrial Crops and Products Volume 54 Pages 327-334
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669014000478
(June 28, 2024) Eucalyptus Charcoal Benefits: Reasons It’s Perfect for Grilling PNP Global Supply
Chu, Choajun. Mortimer, P.E. Wang, Hecong. Wang, Yongfan. Liu, Xubing. Yu, Shixiao. (July 1, 2014) Allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus on native and introduced tree species Forest ecology and management Volume 323 Pages 79-84
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112714001492
(July 2024) Suzano’s pulp fiction Comparing words and deeds of the world’s largest eucalyptus pulp producer Environmental Paper Network
https://environmentalpaper.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pulp-Fiction.-Fact-check-about-Suzano.pdf
Branford, Sue. (December 15, 2021) Brazil’s Suzano boasts its pulpwood plantations are green; critics disagree Mongabay
2024 Sustainability Report Suzano
https://www.suzano.com.br/sustainability-reports/2024-sustainability-report
Malheiros, Gabriel (August 21, 2024) Brazil’s pulp exports surge 195 in the first half of the year Datamar News
Brazil: Eucalyptus plantations grown to make charcoal for the steel company Aperam have drastically reduced local water resources; incl. company's comments Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Elbein, Saul. (January 14, 2016) Is eco-certification the solution to forest destruction? Mongabay