建造可持续吉他：桃花心木
Welcome to the final installment ofWRI’s six-part blog serieson the future of tonewoods, the woods used in guitars and other musical instruments. In each installment, we look at a different species of tree used for a certain part of the guitar. Each wood presents its own challenges and possibilities surrounding sustainable harvest.
吉他是没有用的。即使是最美丽的树林也无法弥补结构差，最终选择的材料必须提供实际用途。吉他最重要的部分之一是脖子，它必须在多年来保持绝对稳定。如果颈部朝一个方向或另一个方向弯曲，则仪器变得无法播放。最好的吉他脖子是由桃花心木制成的。红棕色的木材具有互锁的谷物，使其尤其有抵御湿度和温度的变化，这会导致其他木材随着时间的流逝而变化。
What Is Mahogany?
Genuine mahogany (斯威尼亚大叶) is native to Central and South American rainforests, and is central to the colonial history of that region. Designers like Thomas Chippendale brought fine mahogany furniture to Europe, and the exotic timber caught the world by storm. The wood became such a part of Central American history that the flag of Belize still features two loggers underneath a mahogany tree.
While mahogany has a long colonial history, its sharp decline started in the 1950s as demand from the growing American middle class skyrocketed. At that time, guitar companies saw their market grow exponentially, but they also saw their costs rise as high-quality mahogany became even scarcer.
在1950年至2003年之间，世界上有70％以上的桃花心木被砍伐了。这提示了CITES- 《濒危物种国际贸易公约》 - 最终通过限制贸易来保护桃花心木。鉴于该法规，制造商采取了两种方法来满足需求：
- Use more plentiful alternatives to genuine mahogany
- Support sustainable community forestry in Central America
African Alternatives?
Today, the term “mahogany” encompasses a wide range of tree species that span the globe. Each of these species is equally equipped for instrument making. Woods from the卡亚属的刚果盆地和西非的属现在像中美洲的真正桃花心木一样普遍。非洲桃花心木相对便宜且丰富，可用的木材通常相等或优于剩下的中美洲树木。这些森林的形式和功能都类似于中美洲的同行，但生长得如此之快，以至于可以满足需求而没有对环境的严重威胁。同样，斐济的人工林现在正在提供大量优质的桃花心木，但以可持续的速度提供。
Making the Future in Guatemala
许多吉他制造商也立即支持中美洲的可持续社区林业计划。Bedell Guitars, for example, sources its mahogany exclusively from a well-respected concession in the Peten Region of Guatemala. Since their founding over 15 years ago, these areas have had a deforestation rate of nearly zero.泰勒吉他主要依赖于合作社洪都拉斯for sustainable and legal mahogany. Selective harvesting from community forest concessions in Guatemala and Honduras enables the production of fine guitars while contributing to local livelihoods and combatting illegal logging.
马丁吉他支持几种优惠的可持续桃花心木，并接受了森林管理委员会（FSC) and雨林联盟certification. Martin even offers instruments that exclusively use FSC-certified woods. These external audits help Martin maintain high environmental standards while also reassuring consumers about their purchase.Gibson Guitarsis also a large proponent of FSC-certified mahogany as an effective tool for businesses to promote sustainable use and impact local livelihoods.
吉他行业为桃花心木树立了一个很好的榜样。制造商正在采取严重措施可持续收获并打击非法伐木。在此过程中，他们越来越多地帮助当地社区建立行业和财富。非法伐木最终对每个人都不利，吉他制造商正在为造成的问题进行长期解决方案投资。作为消费者，我们可以通过购买来表示对森林的支持。幸运的是，桃花心木在制作中有成功的故事，但是现在，消费者在购买乐器时做出明智的选择。
Forests around the world — including those that provide tonewoods for musical instruments — face threats of illegal logging and overharvesting. The guitar industry has already proven its ability to shift supply chains and to offer a more sustainable and transparent product. Now, the pressure for change must come from informed, conscious consumers.