New things can be observed. It would be convenient, for example, to measure timber harvesting in a few locations thought to be representative, then calculate deforestation rates, and finally compute regional, country or even continental rates of change. The prospect is appealing. Rates of deforestation at the field scale will, when extended to the scale of the forest, grossly overestimate the total number of trees being removed. It needs to be remembered that deforestation is not permanent.
Trees grow back.
If a 10 ha plot is harvested each year, after 10 years 100 hectares will have been harvested, but only one or two of the plots will be without trees of some age. The other eight or nine will have trees, at least one plot will have reasonably mature trees. Succession is a concept developed in plant ecology which emphasizes replacement, and is predicated on the notion that disturbance must first take place. It is also predicated on the notion of equilibrium . However, the concept of succession can be applied with some degree of confidence to human activities.