Variety makes all the difference. The raising of choice timber like teak is often described as afforesting. But the difference between a plantation and a forest is immense. In a plantation often just one kind of trees can be found. Right from the beginning the trees receive intensive care including fertilisers and insecticides to ensure high quality and fast growth.

For animals that live in forests teak plantations have nothing to offer. Neither fruits not leaves can serve as adequate food, and within the sterile environment any space for hiding and breeding is available. From this point of view plantations are just boring green deserts.

At least when the timber is harvested, everybody will be aware of this. Within a few days all trees will be gone, and only bare land remains that is very difficult to recultivate. The unprotected ground can be easily washed away by tropical rain, deep creeks and cracks show the destruction.

Natural forest serves right from the beginning as habitat for many species of animals and plants. It starts with species that are able to survive in open landscapes, but as soon as the canopies of the trees will protect the ground, the first genuine forest inhabitants will immigrate. By the time a plantation would be ready for harvesting, the young forest is still at the beginning of the long lasting aging to become a true rain forest.

Plantations may reduce the pressure on the rain forest. But they cannot replace it because only forest that grows under natural conditions can guarantee a broad variety of species. By absorbing CO₂ emissions it protects and stabilizes the climate, it reduces the hazards of weather extremes, and it avoids erosion.