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Despite the economic and environmental significance of the world's forests, we have limited data about them. Estimates of deforestation in tropical countries and rates of reforestation or afforestation in boreal and temperate countries are inconsistent. Accordingly, estimates of emissions released in deforestation vary widely and range from 7% to 17% of all sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The lack of good data severely hampers efforts to shape climate policy because it is difficult to model the role of forests both in the physical global carbon (C) cycle and in cost-effective regimes to abate GHG. Data limits strain the capacity of even the best models to estimate marginal cost functions for forest carbon (C) sequestration. It is technically possible to obtain better information, but for institutional and economic reasons these technologies have not yet been fully deployed. The emergence of carbon (C) trading or tax policy in which forest carbon (C) storage becomes valued would strengthen incentives to supply better data, as would nonmarket regulation if it elicited a shadow value of forest carbon (C) in substituting for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 'Geo-wiki' may provide a short-term solution to at least part of the data problem. The ultimate solution is the development of a comprehensive forest monitoring system involving remote sensing and on-the-ground truthing. This paper briefly discusses the role of forests in climate policy and then describes data gaps, the capability of technology to fill them, the limits of institutions and budgets in realizing this capability, and possible near-term solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors argue that the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has become a focal point of activist groups which oppose genetically modified (GM) trees and commercial development of all types of transgenic trees. It notes how these campaigns against GM trees have a substantial influence on the implementation of biosafety regulations mandated under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. it also cites that this form of activism has been in direct opposition to widespread scientific and professional opinion worldwide.

Provides information on a study which presented carbon flux estimates arising from the effect of increasing demand on harvests and management of industrial forests in a global timber market. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study; Conclusions.

Examines the historical evolution of sustainability in forest management and provides a common basis of understanding to guide and inform the continuing evolution in the concept of sustainable forestry. Origins and development of the concept of sustainability in forest management; Sustained-yield forestry in the United States; Conflicting socioeconomic goals.

Presents a letter to the editor in response to the article "Bioprospects less than golden" in a 2004 issue of "Nature".

This study examines the performance and potential of intensively managed plantation forests as a source of industrial wood, and their environmental implications. The perspective of the study is global. Although it includes the United States and parts of Europe, much of the focus is on what are called the ''emerging'' plantation regions -- countries largely in the semitropical areas of the southern hemisphere -- which have not historically been important wood producers, but are growing in importance as a result of the productivity of their planted forests. The first section of this paper documents the growing importance of plantations as a source of industrial wood since the late 1970s. The study finds that plantations from nontraditional (new) regions have been growing rapidly in size and economic importance, and, thus, have been playing an increasing role as a source of the world industrial wood. Furthermore, experience seems to suggest that plantations are playing an environmentally beneficial role in (1) reducing pressure on greater areas of natural forests and (2) generating positive environmental effects as they replace degraded marginal agricultural lands. The second section of the paper examines the likely role of plantation forests in the future, and includes an assessment of financial, political and environmental considerations. This section pays particular attention to the concerns frequently expressed by environmentalists regarding plantations. Many of the objections directed at forest plantations on environmental grounds appear to ignore the substantial beneficial role of plantations on the environment. Plantations,which are financially very attractive in many locations, offer the potential of meeting large portions of the world industrial wood needseven while reducing substantially the disturbances on large areas ofnatural forests. This is possible because the very high productivityof plantation forests requires less area to produce industrial wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]