本文主要討論的是明代長城以北的森林遭受砍伐的背景，首先是基於生活上的燃料問題，軍士常越界到國防線外採集薪柴；其次是為修建營房與防禦工事（如修長城），派遣較大規模的部隊在界外砍伐木材；其三是為了籌措每年撫賞「屬夷」的銀兩，令軍士出境伐木或樵柴運回賣錢。另外，為了解決居民建材缺乏與燃料不足問題，有幾位官員曾率領部隊出界以保護住民進行砍伐；但也有許多將領為謀取私人利益，強制士兵到邊外伐木運入內地販賣。依照明代律令，以上各種情況，即使是為公務，出邊還是違法。1570 年代，由於明帝國與蒙古展開定期互市，邊境的局勢相對緩和，後來朝廷准許邊軍每月定期出界採薪，每年春秋兩季各出動部隊越界大砍木材一次。另一方面，蒙古牧民也砍伐塞外的原木，運到宣府、大同等定互市地點，將其轉售予漢人。
1598 年以後，遼西走廊松嶺山脈的許多關口出現木市，牧民砍伐森林，順大凌河、小凌河而下，將木材運來貿易。17 世紀初，在北直隸的燕山山脈，也有牧民砍伐塞外的林木，順著灤河等河川運至各關口交易。整體而言，明代最後的六、七十年，長城以北的森林遭到砍伐的程度較前增加。

This article mainly discusses the background of the deforestation in the north of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Firstly, soldiers often ventured beyond national defense borders to collect firewood in order to meet the need of fuel used for daily living; secondly,relatively large forces were often dispatched beyond the borders to chop down trees to meet
the repair needs of military camps and to carry out defense works (such as repairs of the Great Wall); thirdly, soldiers were often sent beyond the borders to cut down trees or collect firewood, and to have them transported back and sold to raise money to reward the nomadic people that lived near the border areas. In addition, some officers alsoled troops beyond the borders to protect the people, and they would chop down trees for building material and fuel.However, there were also many officers, for personal gain, that compelled soldiers to go beyond national defense lines to chop down trees and transport them back to the mainland for sale. According to Ming Dynasty laws, venturing beyond the borders for the aforementioned reasons was illegal, even if it was for official duty. In the 1570s, there was a relative ease of tensions at the borders as trade became more regular between the Ming Empire and the Mongols. Later, the Ming imperial court permitted border troops to go
beyond the borders to collect firewood each month and also allowed the dispatch of a large force for one logging session during each spring and autumn season. At the same time,Mongol nomads also carried out logging activities in Inner Mongolia and they transported and sold the timber to the Chinese at such regular trading posts as Xuanfu and Datong. After
1598, numerous timber trade markets emerged at the access points along the Songling mountain range of the Liaoxi Corridor. Nomads chopped down the forests and transported the timber to the trading posts via the Daling River and Xiaoling River. At the beginning of the 17th century, there were also logging activities by the nomads in the nomadic region of
the Yanshan Mountain range in North Zhili. The timber was transported to the trading posts at the various access points using the Luan River and the others. Overall, when compared to the earlier periods, the extent of deforestation in the north of the Great Wall was greater in the last 60 to 70 years of the Ming Dynasty.