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Forested wetlands with high water tables are sensitive to disruption from harvesting yet support commercially desired tree species like northern white-cedar. Winter harvest was conducted in Maine, ...

Purpose of Review Carbon sequestration and storage in forest ecosystems is often promoted as a solution for reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Yet, our understanding is lacking regarding how forest management strategies affect the net removal of greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change mitigation. Here, we present a review of carbon sequestration and stock dynamics, following three strategies that are widely used in boreal, temperate and tropical forests: extensive forest management, intensive forest management and old-growth forest conservation. Recent Findings Several studies show that specific forest management strategies can improve carbon sequestration capacity and soil carbon storage. Within these studies, the old-growth forest conservation strategy results in greater carbon storage in soils than do extensive and intensive forest management. Intensive forest management enhances forest carbon sequestration capacity through afforestation using fast-growing species, mechanical soil preparation from low to moderate intensity and N fertilization. Extensive forest management is an intermediate compromise regarding carbon sequestration and soil carbon storage, between conservation and intensive forest management strategies. With respect to silvicultural treatments, partial cutting is a practice that increases forest carbon sequestration rates and maintains higher carbon storage in soils compared to clear-cuts. Each silvicultural practice that is discussed in this review showed a similar effect on forest carbon in all biomes, although the magnitude of these effects differs mainly in terms of heterotrophic respiration. Summary To achieve sustainable management and fulfill industrial demand and profitability, specific gaps must be dealt with to improve our scientific knowledge regarding forest carbon sequestration in a climate change context, mainly through the integration of the three aforementioned strategies in a functional zoning approach at the landscape scale. We present a review with promising strategies for guiding sustainable forest management in such a global context.

In south west Ethiopia, the numbers of immigrants from other parts of the country have been large over the last few years. This huge migration is considered to be a fundamental factor in the degradation of the natural forest because of the livelihood strategy difference of non-migrants and migrants. Thus, we investigated the link between internal migration, rural livelihood strategies and sustainable forest management in the study area. The study investigated the effect of internal migration and peoples’ livelihood strategy choice on sustainable forest management systems. The research was based on both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected from 392 household questionnaires. The descriptive analysis was supported with an empirical analysis using a multinomial logistic regression model. Internal migration is high because of push and pulls factors related to the migrant people. In addition, there is a livelihood choice difference between migrants and non-migrants. Migrants choose farm activities rather than a forest based livelihood means relative to non-migrants. These high population pressure and livelihood choice differences coupled with weak institutional frameworks have created a burden on the natural forest. Thus, informed policy options regarding internal migration, livelihood strategies and sustainable forest management would be a useful approach to reducing the burden on the natural forest.

The motivations for the National Research Project on the Short Wood Supply Chain stem from the recognition of the great importance of the wood-based bio-economy for the future carbon-free society. In addition to the essential ecological benefits provided by forests, natural wood resources are expected to play a significant role due to the increasing wood demand for structural and non-structural uses. However, in Italy most industrial wood products are made from imported timber, which results in poor attention to local forestry, loss of traditional silvicultural know-how and reduced forest employment in most mountain areas. The project specifically aims: (i) to assess the feasability and sustainability of wood short supply chains; (ii) to promote new models of environmental certification and energy efficiency analysis; (iii) to create innovative products for bio-building (CrossLam, laminated timber, wood panels) using wood assortments from sustainable forest management in Italy; (iv) to characterise the functionality of wood products (with attention paid to architectural issues), predict wood degradation rate and assess conservation methods. Attention is specifically devoted to most common forest species in Italy, such as beech, pines, chestnut, deciduous oaks and poplar and to test thermal and surface treatments with natural substances and nano-materials.

The article presents the research results of low-value oak plantations in which, in the first half of the 90s of the XX century, measures were taken to reconstruct these objects by forest plantation development created by planting Korean cedar seedlings in previously prepared corridors in the south of Primorsky Krai. The paper analyzed the variability of the main taxation characteristics of the created stands according to the following indicators: average height, average diameter, volume of growing stock as of 2021. The capacity for survival of plants in stands, diameter distribution were studied. According to the research results, it was found that the work performed on the reconstruction of oak forests of mixed origin, despite the admitted deviations from the reconstruction project, has led to positive results. To achieve the best results, it is necessary to adjust the rate of planting seedlings per hectare of the area. The optimal planting rate is 1-1.5 thousand of pcs/ha. It is advisable to increase the distance between plants in the planting row up to 1.5 -2.5 m. After reconstruction works, it is necessary to provide for forest tending in the plantations aimed at creating optimal conditions for the formation of valuable cedar-broad-leaved plantations. It is concluded that it is advisable to carry out the work on reconstruction of low-value plantations of coppice and mixed origin in the southern regions of the Russian Far East in order to achieve the goals of sustainable forest management of the region's forests, including the preservation of their biodiversity.

Evaluating the spatiotemporal patterns of carbon dynamics is critical for both understanding the role of forest ecosystems in the carbon cycle and developing effective forest policies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This study analyzes the effects of spatiotemporal changes on carbon dynamics based on landscape structure for the Hisar Planning Unit, Turkey, using forest inventory data between 1973 and 2015. The total carbon stock increased from 1434.49 Gg in 1973 to 1919.37 Gg in 2015, an increase of 33.8%. The mean annual carbon storage was 11.54 Gg · year-1 , including 4.28 Gg · year-1 in biomass and 7.26 Gg · year-1 in soil over four decades. The most significant carbon pool in the total carbon stock was from the soil, with 71.6%, 70.7%, and 69.4% of the total carbon storage in 1973, 1998, and 2015, respectively. Pure pine stands, overmature development stages, fully covered stands, and older forests were the prevailing factors affecting carbon density. The conversion from degraded (1442.47 ha, 14.85%), coppice (157.04 ha, 3.9%), and non-forest lands (1412.91 ha, 5.2%) to productive forests with afforestation or restoration activities significantly boosted the total carbon storage. Furthermore, increasing awareness and stewardship in forest management coupled with improved economic well-being reduced the pressure on the forests, leading to an increase in the quality of forest structure. These changes in landscape structure resulted in the heterogeneous distribution of carbon dynamics. In conclusion, understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of carbon dynamics is crucial for both forest managers and policy-makers in developing sustainable forest management practices and climate mitigation strategies for ecological sustainability and climate-smart forestry. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1-15. © 2021 SETAC.

The objective of this study was to examine existing knowledge on forest products development and to promote sustainable forest management in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the paper aimed to assess the development and status of Ethiopia's forest products industry in terms of resource base, manufacturing and marketing. It was found that the current annual fuelwood consumption is about 133M m3, with 90% of cooking energy obtained from woody biomass. Wood consumption for primary and secondary forest products manufacturing is expected to increase from the current 112M m3 to 158M m3 by 2033. This review reveals that the development and innovation of a sustainable forest products industry in Ethiopia should balance the production and ecological functions of forest resources. To meet Ethiopia's primary and secondary forest products needs, it is recommended that a clear policy framework be advanced and promoted, including wood technology, forest science and education, silviculture, and post-plantation management practices.

Understanding the magnitude and cause of variation in tree growth and forest productivity is central to sustainable forest management. Measurements of annual growth rings allow assessments of individual-tree, tree population, and forest ecosystem vulnerabilities to drought stress or other changing forest disturbance regimes (insects, diseases, fire), which can be used to identify areas at greatest risk of forest losses. Given a heightened demand for tree-ring data, we consolidated and synthesized tree-ring studies and datasets gathered over the past 30 years in Canada by scientists with the Canadian Forest Service and research partners. We incorporated these datasets into a data repository that currently contains tree-ring measurements from 40 206 tree samples from 4594 sites and 62 tree species from all Canadian provinces and territories. Through our synthesis, we demonstrate the value of such large ensembles of tree-ring data for identifying patterns in tree growth over large spatial scales by mapping pan-Canadian drought sensitivity. Overall, we found high coherence in the samples analyzed; low coherence was generally limited to data-poor regions and species. Drought sensitivity was widespread across species and regions: 34% of sampled trees displayed a significant positive relationship between annual growth increment and summer soil moisture index. Dependence upon water availability in species Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP, Pinus banksiana Lamb., Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco was more strongly expressed in the warmest regions of the species’ range; for species Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Populus tremuloides Michx., drought sensitivity was stronger in the driest regions. This unprecedented consolidation and synthesis of tree-ring data will enable new research initiatives (e.g., meta-analyses) aimed at improved understanding of the drivers, patterns, and implications of changes in tree growth, as well as facilitating new research collaborations in earth and environmental sciences. Among other things, there is a need for expanding the spatial distribution of sites across Canada’s northern regions, increasing the number of samples collected from older stands and angiosperm species, and integrating datasets from studies that evaluate the effects of silvicultural experiments, including provenance and progeny trials, on tree growth.

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) indicators consider the main ecological and socioeconomic functions of forests but do not currently include some key groups widely adopted to assess the effects ...

Food insecurity in most dry regions in Zimbabwe has taught many people a lesson of using non timber forest products (NTFPs) to reduce food insecurity and improve livelihoods as well as poverty alleviation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential contribution of non-timber forest products to smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid regions. The research was carried out as a survey and data was collected using interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussion. Data was analysed for descriptive statistics using IBM SPSS version 25. Results indicated that 64 % were females and 36 % were males with the majority of participants being married (57.6 %) with only 8.8 % being widowed. Results show that all respondents (100%) indicated that they obtain fruits from the forests as a major source of food during winter and rain season. Vegetables (84.2 %), thatching grass (80.8%) and edible worms (62.5 %) were also major non-timber forest products obtained from the forests by participants. All participants (100%) indicated that income generation, firewood and source of heat for brick moulding were major benefits they obtain from forest with vegetables (74.2 %), brooms (91.7 %) and improved nutrition (85.0 %) being regarded as other important benefits enjoyed by local people from forests. Afforestation and reforestation were regarded as major sustainable forest management practices by all (100%) participants with agroforestry being indicated by only 12.5 % since people had no knowledge about it. NTFPs has capacity of improving food security, human livelihoods and alleviate poverty. People are encouraged to harvest NTFPs sustainably to allow future use. Use of agroforestry can be a best way for managing forests sustainably, improve food security, crop yield, poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation.

Plant diversity conservation has become one of the most critical objectives of forest management in an ecologically sustainable way. However, biodiversity conservation and sustainable management issues are sometimes neglected in Cameroon's communal forests because their botanical importance, and high-priority species for conservation are poorly known. In the present study, done in the Doume Communal Forest (DCF) situated in eastern Cameroon, we explore its potential in terms of plant diversity as well as conservation value. Forest inventories done in thirty 1-ha plots were analysed using diversity indices, species and family importance values index as well as IUCN conservation status. A total of 22,064 stems with a diameter ≥ 1 cm were recorded within thirty 1-ha sampling plots, belonging to 307 species, 194 genera and 72 families. The DCF is particularly rich in members of the Malvaceae, Annonaceae, Meliaceae and Apocynaceae. The list of the plant species known from the DCF reaches 330 species, with 290 identified at the species level. It was found out that 49 species can be considered high-priority species for conservation and that these species include species that are rare and threatened in Cameroon, and even one species endemic to the country. This study highlights the botanical importance of communal forests in Cameroon and recommends that botanical assessments of these forests are performed to contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of their biodiversity.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest certification was introduced in Nepal with an assumption that it improves forests and ecosystem services while addressing the drivers of forest degradation. As of today, 89 community forests (CF) have been FSC certified, however empirical evidence on the contribution of forest certification on carbon stock and species richness is lacking. This research, thus tries to answer the question “do certified community forests (CCF) maintain higher carbon stock and species richness compared to non-certified community forests (NCF)?” The study collected field level data during February–May 2013 from 88 experimental plots. The study found higher carbon stock (p

The campaign to plant a trillion trees provided an easily understood approach to reduce the threat of global warming. However, focusing on trees does not consider that a maturing forest releases ca...

A growing set of researchers and policy makers argue, somewhat counterintuitively, that regulated timber extraction can help conserve forests in developing countries by discouraging illegal...

The sustainable practices of Forest Management activities are used with the objective of minimizing impacts to the environment, as well as exploring tree individuals with qualities that aim at the highest volumetric yield in sawmills. However, some characteristics may not be diagnosed before logging, as is the case with hollow trees, commonly found in forested areas. Thus, the objective was to diagnose the occurrence of hollow trees in two areas of forest exploitation, for the knowledge of individuals at the family and botanical species level. In order to carry out thediagnosis of the occurrence of hollow trees, data on the effective exploitation of trees in the Company's Forest Management areas were obtained through a collection of information on two Annual Production Units - UPA, named according to the company's specification as named as UPA ITP11 and UPA FLA01. In each UPA, tree individuals were identified by gender, species, family, distribution, presence of hollowness and the basic density of their wood. The results show that in the UPA ITP11 area, 7.38% of the total trees explored, had hollowness, while in the UPA FLA01 area it was 4.88% and that the majority had high basic density. Twenty botanical families were identified in the exploration areas, where the Leguminosae family obtained the greatest representation. A total of 49 botanical species explored were identified, being Manilkara huberi (Ducke) Stanley, as basic high density wood. Regarding the frequency of occurrence of hollowness, the species Dinizia excelsa Ducke, popularly known as Angelim Vermelho, stood out for the two areas under study. However, it is shown the considerable existence of hollow trees among the trees selected for forest exploitation, reinforcing the importance of better targeting of appropriate methodologies for their identification, as well as, the better volumetric utilization of logs in sawmills, in order to certify the sustainability for the activity, regardless of the structural aspect of forestry individuals.

More than three-quarters of Indonesia population depend on forest products, both timber and non-timber. Having not paying attention to sustainable forest management is believed to be the cause of forest damage getting worse in every year. COVID-19 made many people lose their livelihoods. If not anticipated, the remaining forest will suffer more damaged due to economic pressure forcing by communities around the area to doing deforestation. Honey bee cultivation is an alternative way of livelihoods for communities around forest areas. This is supported by the very high national scale demand for honey, but it is very inversely proportional with the low production of honey. The results showed that it is possible to cultivate Trigona Sp. bees in residential areas, buffer zone and traditional zone, so that it can be used as alternative source of income for the surrounding community, while preserving the environmental ecosystem. Within 4 months, honey yields from residential areas are 1.75 liters from 10 colonies, in the buffer zone as much as 4.3 liters from 13 colonies, and in the traditional zone as much as 10.65 liters from 44 colonies. Revitalization needs to be carried out in the buffer zone to provide additional protection for the area and benefit the community.

Forests provide a series of ecosystem services that are crucial to our society. In the European Union (EU), forests account for approximately 38% of the total land surface1. These forests are important carbon sinks, and their conservation efforts are vital for the EU's vision of achieving climate neutrality by 20502. However, the increasing demand for forest services and products, driven by the bioeconomy, poses challenges for sustainable forest management. Here we use fine-scale satellite data to observe an increase in the harvested forest area (49 per cent) and an increase in biomass loss (69 per cent) over Europe for the period of 2016-2018 relative to 2011-2015, with large losses occurring on the Iberian Peninsula and in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Satellite imagery further reveals that the average patch size of harvested area increased by 34 per cent across Europe, with potential effects on biodiversity, soil erosion and water regulation. The increase in the rate of forest harvest is the result of the recent expansion of wood markets, as suggested by econometric indicators on forestry, wood-based bioenergy and international trade. If such a high rate of forest harvest continues, the post-2020 EU vision of forest-based climate mitigation may be hampered, and the additional carbon losses from forests would require extra emission reductions in other sectors in order to reach climate neutrality by 20503.

Borneo differs fundamentally from Canada, but reflections on the struggles to improve the fates of its tropical rain forests may resonate with people engaged in the same struggles on the other side of the Pacific. I frame these reflections around the question of why my efforts as a researcher in Borneo failed to cause a change from predatory logging of old growth to conservation through improved forest management. Perhaps my most fundamental mistake was unwillingness to recognize the immense profitability of forest liquidation through multiple-premature re-entry logging, especially when followed by conversion to plantations of African oil palm or Australian acacias. Superimposed on the high opportunity costs of conservation were governance failures that diminished the effectiveness of policies set by government as well as those set by certifiers of responsible management. Conservation of the mostly remote, flooded, and steep hinterlands still covered by forest will benefit from acknowledgment of the internationally recognized intrinsic land rights of Borneo’s indigenous peoples combined with full economic cost accounting of the consequences of forest degradation and conversion. Given the global importance of old growth in Borneo, Canada, and elsewhere, global funding for conservation should be made available with safeguards such as UNESCO Biosphere designations.

Globally, forest reserves are threatened by human induced deforestation and forest degradation. Within the Congo Basin, substantial deforestation has been quantified over the past years following the recent advancement in remote sensing and GIS applications in forestry research. Satellite images and ground based data are used to map deforestation, forest degradation and disturbances and their corresponding drivers. In Cameroon, recent studies show a general increase in deforestation over the past years. In most forest reserves of the Western Highlands, forest cover loss is basically as a result of rising population of in-situ and nearby settled communities. The Metchie-Ngoum Protection Forest Reserve (PFR) is but one. The study evaluates forest cover changes in the Metchie-Ngoum PFR using remote sensing and ground observations. It was revealed that forest cover though remained relatively stable over the study period (1984–2015), witnessed much degradation resulting to 36.11% estimated secondary forest cover by 1984. Secondary forest also experienced a cumulative loss to clearings/farms and built-up area from 1984 to 2000. The year 2000 was the most alarming. Forest loss is linked to oil palm expansion, increase population and built-up area and settlement related activities like logging. Faced with such rising threat on forest reserves, only a concerted action can guide sustainable forest management and conservation. The study thus recommends the design and implementation of a guided forest conservation policy which gradually applies proper sensitization, frequent visits by eco-guards, less intimidation, participatory forest mapping and the incorporation of forest communities in the sustainable management of forest reserves. Keywords: Forest cover loss, Land cover/use, Change detection, Open source GIS

Different trees may have different seed production behaviors. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns in seed production is important for sustainable forest management. A common feature in ...

African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is known as an indispensable material for the production of musical instruments, e.g., clarinets, oboes, and piccolos. The authors focused on the biological performance of African blackwood and other local Tanzanian species in order to collect preliminary data for developing further uses for these local timbers. Five local species, including African blackwood, were exposed to both subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus) and two wood decay fungi (White rot fungus (Trametes versicolor) and Brown rot fungus (Fomitopsis palustris)) according to Japanese standard test methods. African blackwood heartwood had high durability against both termite and fungal attacks, as well as the highest air-dried density of all test species. Some species also indicated a higher durability, even though they had a lower density than African blackwood heartwood. The authors showed the importance of heartwood extractives in terms of biological performance for the local Tanzanian timbers. The authors findings suggested that African blackwood heartwood was clearly useful as a high-durability material in addition to current major applications. The potential of the other local species was also suggested in terms of further timber utilization. These results presented fundamental information about sustainable forest management based on the effective utilization of local timbers.

Shifting cultivation is an agricultural practice that is the basis of subsistence for the Indigenous population in Guyana and has impacted on a total forest area of 13,922ha to varying degrees of impact on forest carbon. Generally, within these communities, there are two types of shifting cultivation: pioneer and rotational. Pioneer shifting cultivation involves the cutting of primary forest and subsequent cropping and then abandonment. Rotational shifting cultivation involves revisiting areas on a rotational cycle. In Guyana, shifting cultivation is not included in the sustainable land use system since no work has been done to understand the rotational cycles. This study utilized an Object-based image analysis (OBIA) of time-series satellite data (Landsat TM5 and OLI) for the period 2004 to 2017 to determine the dynamics of land cover, time-series changes, and prevailing shifting cultivation cycle in the indigenous communities of Jawalla and Phillipai in the western section of Guyana. OBIA proved to be an efficient method for shifting cultivation and sustainable forest management analyses in Guyana. The findings of this study indicate that short fallows are associated with shifting cultivation in Guyana and the size of the patches cleared each year has been increasing. These trends have potential ecological and livelihood implications that can impact the flow of ecosystem services and the sustainability of livelihoods.

Forest management regimes have evolved worldwide over time in a quest to protect and conserve forests. This paper analyzed local communities’ perspectives on the existing management regime for the ...

In the context of the worldwide increasing interest on the role of forests for global warming and biodiversity targets, there is a growing tendency to consider the need to increase not only the extension of forests, but also their degree of naturalness. These indications have been recently included also in important political documents such as the European Green Deal enacted by the European Union, affecting 28 member states of the European continent, also with the aim of fighting deforestation and desertification. In Italy national and regional forest inventories, as well as planning documents, classify more and more forests as natural or seminatural. These indications often result in the limitation of traditional silvicultural methods, by environmental and landscape restrictions, orienting forest management towards favoring more natural forests structures. These policies are often threatening the conservation of the cultural features of the Italian forests. The paper provides an analysis of the evolution of forests in Italy during the last 150 years through official forest inventories and various investigations. This study shows that from 4.215.000 ha of forest in 1888 we have today about 11.778.000 ha, with an increase of 7.563.000 ha and an annual growth rate of 59.551 ha. The present Italian forests can be described partly as derived from those already mapped in 1936 and entirely managed, although not regularly, and secondary forests developed on abandoned land, extending for 5.279.895 ha. The results show that human influence has affected extension, density, structure and species composition of Italian forests in all the geographical areas of the country, independently from altitude, latitude or climate conditions. There are no dangers of deforestation, but rather an uncontrolled increase of forests and there is no need of further afforestation but rather to better manage the existing ones. Moreover, “cultural forests”, meaning forest shaped and managed by human activities through times, are more and more reducing their extensions together with the material and immaterial heritage associated to them. Considering the third pillar of Sustainable Forest Management in Europe, the one on “social and cultural values”, defined by MCPFE in 2003, the paper proposes the definition of “cultural forests” as a new category in forest conservation and an important part of the biocultural heritage associated to the rural territory. Furthermore, the paper stresses the need of historical investigations, for the better understanding of the features of the forest ecosystems and for the identification of the values to be considered in forest restoration.

Mediterranean forests are important sources of income for society and represent biodiversity hotspots, characterized by a mosaic of forest structures, from short-rotation even-aged stands to old-growth forests. However, such increased complexity requires forest management to balance timber production with biodiversity conservation at various spatial scales. This study investigated the impacts of forest structures and management alternatives on the occurrence and richness of Tree-related Microhabitats (TreMs) – as proxies for forest biodiversity – in three Mediterranean forests in Italy. The generalized linear mixed model was applied to assess the relationship between a large set of forest structural parameters and the occurrence and richness of TreMs at the tree level, and resulted in an overall model accuracy higher than 80%. The same model was then implemented in hypothetical forest structures, resulting from no management, close-to-nature forestry and combined management system. Results show that at early developmental stages of the stand, no management slightly anticipates the occurrence of TreMs, while in mature forests, the combined forest management system effectively balances forest productivity with biodiversity conservation. The close-to-nature management system is recommended for promoting TreMs richness. Such findings might be used to support sustainable forest management and valorise the multifunctional role of Mediterranean forests.

Forests host most terrestrial biodiversity and their sustainable management is crucial to halt biodiversity loss. Although scientific evidence indicates that sustainable forest management (SFM) should be assessed by monitoring multi-taxon biodiversity, most current SFM criteria and indicators account only for trees or consider indirect biodiversity proxies. Several projects performed multi-taxon sampling to investigate the effects of forest management on biodiversity, but the large variability of their sampling approaches hampers the identification of general trends, and limits broad-scale inference for designing SFM. Here we address the need of common sampling protocols for forest structure and multi-taxon biodiversity to be used at broad spatial scales. We established a network of researchers involved in 41 projects on forest multi-taxon biodiversity across 13 European countries. The network data structure comprised the assessment of at least three taxa, and the measurement of forest stand structure in the same plots or stands. We mapped the sampling approaches to multi-taxon biodiversity, standing trees and deadwood, and used this overview to provide operational answers to two simple, yet crucial, questions: what to sample? How to sample? The most commonly sampled taxonomic groups are vascular plants (83% of datasets), beetles (80%), lichens (66%), birds (66%), fungi (61%), bryophytes (49%). They cover different forest structures and habitats, with a limited focus on soil, litter and forest canopy. Notwithstanding the common goal of assessing forest management effects on biodiversity, sampling approaches differed widely within and among taxonomic groups. Differences derive from sampling units (plots size, use of stand vs. plot scale), and from the focus on different substrates or functional groups of organisms. Sampling methods for standing trees and lying deadwood were relatively homogeneous and focused on volume calculations, but with a great variability in sampling units and diameter thresholds. We developed a handbook of sampling methods (SI 3) aimed at the greatest possible comparability across taxonomic groups and studies as a basis for European-wide biodiversity monitoring programs, robust understanding of biodiversity response to forest structure and management, and the identification of direct indicators of SFM., This review was funded by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 through the COST Association: COST Action CA18207: BOTTOMSUP- Biodiversity Of Temperate forest Taxa Orienting Management Sustainability by Unifying Perspectives.

About 2.5 million hectares of a total of 15 million hectares of oil palm plantation in Indonesia are planted in, or conflict with, the forest zone. Oil palm plantations face a conflict between socio-economic and ecological issues. This study was conducted in the Harapan Rainforest, Jambi to evaluate the potential of oil palm-based agroforestry to reconcile economic and ecological interests, by considering socio-economic and financial feasibility as well as biodiversity and land cover. The financial feasibility of oil palm agroforestry is compared to oil palm monoculture, employing a discounted cash flow approach using three indicators: net present value (NPV), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and internal rate of return (IRR). Two ecological indicators—biodiversity and land cover—are evaluated in an experimental plot of oil palm agroforestry in Jambi. This study indicates that the NPV, BCR, and IRR of oil palm monoculture are IDR 62,644,836 (US$ 4,476.84), 1.39, and 20.77%, respectively, while the oil palm agroforestry planted in the experimental plot potentially generates much better values of financial indicators with NPV, BCR, and IRR being IDR 209,221,212 (US$ 14,951.76), 1.79, and 24.42%, respectively. Besides evaluating financial feasibility, we also found that the reviewed current studies indicate that the oil palm agroforestry provides positive ecological impacts, such as increased forest land cover, invertebrate fauna, and bird diversity.

The signing of the Paris Agreement at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 repositioned the global agenda toward sustainable forest management to address the threats of global warming. However, deforestation rates in many parts of the world continue to accelerate. The study evaluates the rate and causes of deforestation in Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment (UMSC) due to land use land cover (LULC) changes between 1990 and 2020. Landsat imagery analysis augmented by household questionnaire survey and key stakeholder interviews were used to assess the rate and cause of deforestation in UMSC. Over the 30 years, the sub-catchment lost 9.4% of its vegetation area due to land use changes. Vegetation loss was mainly due to urban expansion of Harare and its dormitory towns and the extensive peri‑urban agriculture mainly tobacco harvesting. Using the Markov Chain Cellular Automata model, the study estimated that in 2030 the catchment will lose approximately 3.3% of the current vegetation land cover area. This means a further reduction of the vegetation area from 20.1% to 16.8% in 2030. There is need for harmonisation of infrastructure development in Harare and the peri‑urban farming activities with policies that conserve forests such as the use of charcoal and eucalyptus plantations for curing tobacco instead of indigenous trees. This is critical if Zimbabwe is to meet its climate change mitigation targets in the Nationally Determined Contribution that promotes the implementation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+).

International audience; The High Conservation Value (HCV) concept, developed by the Forest Stewardship Council to promote sustainable forest management, is widely employed for certification of forestry and agriculture concessions, and has been adopted by many logging and palm oil companies. HCV criterion 1, which deals with “endemic, and rare, threatened or endangered species”, is rarely used in certification, mainly because lists of these species are incomplete, especially for plants, and performing threat assessments is time-consuming. The IUCN Red List Categories are often suggested as a suitable basis to define threatened taxa for the application of HCV1, but this requires the rapid and efficient assessment of large numbers of species. Using the plants endemic to Gabon as a case study, we propose a rapid, two-step procedure to identify HCV1 species. First, based on 3,298 verified and geo-referenced herbarium records, we used GIS layers and an automated computational workflow in the R environment to identify potentially threatened species using an approach aligned with IUCN Red List criteria A, B, and D. Ninety percent of the automated assessments correctly indicated the risk of extinction; errors involved incorrect assessments of species whose habitat is in reality not threatened, or occurred during the calculation of the number of locations (sensu IUCN) when a single threat impacts large areas. In a second step designed to correct these issues and comply with the Red List guidelines, we performed species-by-species verification of the automated assessments, taking into account the ecology and habitat of each species and the nature of the threats it faces. Of the 389 endemic taxa analyzed, 86 % were identified as threatened (83 CR, 171 EN, and 80 VU); of these, only 35 % are recorded from at least one National Park, but most are found in logging/oil palm (72 %) or mining (55 %) concessions, underscoring the need to improve the application of the HCV concept. To strengthen the use of HVC subcriterion 1.2 (rare, threatened or endangered species), we propose an explicit method for identifying rare species based on a quantitative threshold of the Extent of Occurrence (20,000 km²), and we examine the concept of endemicity with respect to the application of HVC subcriterion 1.3 (endemic species). The proposed methodology addresses an urgent need to develop a national interpretation of the HCV concept in Gabon, adopted as a national standard for logging concessions, and offers an efficient, reliable approach for the application of HVC1 elsewhere in Central Africa.

KPHP Unit XXVI Belayan Watershed has a management area for production forest and protected forest that has not been optimally utilized. This study aims to develop a business plan strategy in order to optimize the resources of the KPHP Belayan watershed which is oriented towards reducing emissions to achieve sustainable forest management, improving people's welfare, and increasing income. This study use SWOT analysis to determine the right strategy in order to optimize the resources of the KPHP Belayan Watershed. The analysis results show that the commodity business (palm sugar, palm solid sugar, forest honey and kelulut honey, bamboo skewers and carbon trading) by the KPHP Belayan Watershed is financially feasible to be financed. This means that the strategy that must be carried out is to expand the market segmentation of these commodities so that these commodities can advance. Keywords: Belayan watershed, Production forest, Sustainable forest, SWOT

Private forests represent approximately 60% of forest land in the European Union, but the knowledge on the number of private forest holdings and their size, both at the European and sub-national or local level, is significantly lacking and unharmonized. It is commonly known, however, that private forests are characterized by a high and small size of forest holdings. The parcelization of private forests may hinder the active and ecologically sustainable forest management. Characterizing small private forests is an important issue, since small forest holdings represent an important part of the forest sector in Europe. The aims of the present study were to describe the structure of small private forest ownerships of a study area in the Alps (Trentino province, Italy), and to investigate their attitudes and motivations. First, a detailed map of private forest parcels in the study area was produced to assess their extent and number, as well as the number of private owners. The distribution of small private forests in the study area by classes of elevation and slope were also investigated. The results confirmed that private forests are extremely fragmented and that the small or very small forests (0.1–5 ha) represent almost 90% of the total private forest area. Secondly, a questionnaire was developed and an explorative survey conducted on a sample of small forest owners in the study area to analyze their perceptions of the importance of forest production and services and their forest management attitudes.

The emulation of natural disturbances in harvesting has become a widely accepted approach to reach ecologically sustainable forest management. The purpose of this study was to examine the r...

Deforestation, fragmentation and fires are habitat transformers and responsible for loss of biodiversity. This study attempts to evaluate threat status of forest ecosystems by determining regional-level hot spots of deforestation, fragmentation and fires in Myanmar. The states of Ayeyarwady, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw have the highest annual rate of deforestation from 2005 to 2016. There is a significant reduction in spatial extent of large core forest. Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw had shown more than 20% of loss in large core forest from 2005 to 2016. Geospatial analysis indicates all the major forest types were affected by fires during 2003 to 2017. The study found that dry deciduous forests were highly affected by fires. More than 60% of the forest area of Magway, Mandalay, Chin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan had found to be under forest fire hot spot. Comparative spatial assessment was carried out on fire hot spots, deforested and fragmented landscapes to provide overview of priority conservation areas. The study identified five states in Myanmar affected by multiple threats and categorised as Conservation Priority Hot Spot I, eight states as Conservation Priority Hot Spot II and two states as low-risk areas categorised as Conservation Priority Hot Spot III. The analysis of hot spots of deforestation, fragmentation and fires provides a consistent way of ecosystem monitoring and biodiversity conservation in Myanmar. The study demonstrates repeatable earth observations as an important prerequisite for sustainable forest management in Myanmar.

Selective logging is one of the most prominent land uses in tropical forests and although it involves harvesting a limited number of trees, the impact on forest structure, composition and aboveground biomass can be significant. Although these impacts are well documented, what is little known is the extent to which selective logging affects tree floristic composition and its recovery process. Understanding how floristic composition is affected by logging activities is essential for determining subsequent cutting cycles, for the maintenance of carbon stocks and for biodiversity conservation. This research investigates the effect of logging on long-term trends on the recovery of species composition in a tropical forest using a unique logging experiment where measurements have been taken annually over a period of 25 years. Changes in 12 long-term 1-hectare (ha) permanent plots were assessed where different selective logging intensities occurred. In the first years after logging, floristic composition differed widely between intact and selectively logged forests, with exploited areas deviating from pre-logged composition. Over time, exploited areas shifted towards the original composition, with more pronounced changes in this trend after ∼13 years. Shifts in floristic composition were caused mainly by a significant increase in light-demanding fast-growing pioneer species and their subsequent continuous high mortality rates after 13 years of the recovery process. In contrast, the control plots showed similar shifts in composition over time, suggesting external factors such as long-term climate changes may be driving these shifts. The results suggest that 25 years after an experimental selective logging has taken place, floristic composition tends to recover closer to the pre-logged status. Thus, in the absence of further human disturbances, experimental selectively logged forests in low to moderate intensities are compatible with biodiversity conservation, at least during the first cycle of exploitation. Reconciling conservation strategies with the recovery of stocks of commercial timber species would be greatly improved by using these results and lead towards more sustainable forest management plans.

Different countries may have passed through their forest transitions from net native forest loss to net exotic plantation expansion. More investment in global and national forest monitoring is needed to provide better support to increase sustainable forest management and reduce forest loss, particularly in native forests. These slow-growing forests could get involved in the voluntary carbon markets. In this sense, some international and national initiatives based on subsidies could play a keystone role in the native forest conservation, mainly in small private lands. This approach aims to identify the optimal harvest cycle of Nothofagus forest type based on integral harvesting management (timber resources, natural regeneration and carbon storage) and three scenarios (lack of subsidies and two different national subsidies). The most suitable carbon storage models were Schumacher-Hall, Naslund and one specific model. The coefficient of determination was higher than 0.95 for these three models. If only timber harvesting was considered, the optimal harvest cycles was established between 59 and 62 years according to the presence or lack the national subsidies. However, when forest management and carbon storage were considered, the optimal harvest cycle increases three years. Therefore, the effect of this new alternative can be also observed in net present value and internal rate of return. This integral forest management could be an attractive approach for small private owners and for the global warning mitigation according to the ratified international agreements.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) aims to promote environmentally responsible forest management globally. However, quantifiable evidence of effects of FSC on forest management practices ...

Securing desirable forest regeneration outcomes is an essential component of sustainable forest management. When natural reproduction is preferred over planting, achieving desirable outcomes may be the principal challenge for forest managers, as reports of struggles and even failures are common across many regions and forest ecosystems. Informing managers and policymakers of the prospects of regeneration success before practices and policies are implemented promotes long-term sustainability because rehabilitating undesirable regeneration outcomes is often lengthy, expensive, and uncertain. In 2012, the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis program implemented Regeneration Indicator (RI) protocols that added detailed seedling measurements and browse impact assessments to a subsample of inventory plots across 24 states in the northern United States. The goal of this expanded sampling effort is to improve the ability to monitor broad scale regeneration trends and better inform forest management planning and policy. Modeling probable regeneration outcomes is difficult and the rarity of vetted models that can fully utilize RI inventory data highlights an immediate need for flexible methods to evaluate regeneration of different taxa at large scales. This manuscript is premised on estimation of a tree seedling mortality budget for inventoried reproduction. The method offers a transparent structure for leveraging existing literature and expert knowledge to gain provisional insight into plausible regeneration outcomes. The resulting tool provides flexibility for users to examine regeneration for multiple species, site conditions, and user-defined quantitative regeneration objectives. The approach is demonstrated by applying a suite of multispecies regeneration objectives to RI data for two case studies with different forest composition and geographic scales, the Ozark Highland Ecological Section (OHES) and the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). Within the Quercus/Carya dominated OHES, analyses indicate that desirable regeneration outcomes are more likely than not based on current plot conditions. Regeneration events were projected to produce new fully stocked forests on 76% of OHES plots, produce a sizable component of characteristic overstory species on 57%, and produce a sizable component of commercially important species on 59%. Within the Acer/Fagus/Betula and Quercus/Carya forests of the MNF, analyses indicated that difficulties in achieving desirable regeneration outcomes were likely. Only 36% of MNF plots were projected to produce new fully stocked forests following a regeneration event and only 29% were projected to regenerate a sizable component of either characteristic overstory species or commercially important species.

Global and regional changes are affecting the forest sector in many countries and the sustainable management of forests is a priority agenda in development policies. In the global south, forest plantations are considered a quick-fix to fill in the gap between the dwindling supply of forest products from natural forests and the growing demand for forest products. This has resulted in the expansion of forest plantations in developing countries in the global south. However, our understanding of the determinants of sustainable forest management (SFM) of plantations is incomplete. SFM aims at maximizing the economic, social and environmental values of forests. In the global north, private ownership of forests is on the rise and forest management decisions are largely in the hands of individual forest owners. However, research on the role of personality attributes of forest owners in forest management is limited. This thesis is a step in addressing the aforementioned research gaps. I explored the role of ownership and certification of plantations in SFM in East Africa. In addition, I assessed the role of personal values and personality traits in environmental concern in forest management of non-industrial private forests (NIPF) in Sweden. In Chapter 1, I set the stage for the thesis. The chapter introduces key concepts and theoretical underpinnings of the research, outlines the main research questions and the research methodology of the studies which constitute the core chapters of the thesis.Chapter 2 sheds light on the relation between private ownership and certification of forest plantations and perceived changes in infrastructure and social services associated with investments by plantations. I was able to confirm the hypothesis that ownership and certification of plantations matter for SFM. In particular, I showed that private, FSC-certified plantations are more likely than a non-certified, state-owned plantation to be associated by households with positive changes in infrastructure and social services. The results offer tentative evidence that private and FSC-certified plantations are statistically correlated with SFM. The findings contribute additional insights to the literature on SFM and land acquisitions by highlighting the role of ownership and certification in influencing the outcomes of different forms of forest management and associated forested land-related investments. In addition, the results provide preliminary evidence regarding the private provision of public goods, in line with recent findings in experimental economics studies.In Chapter 3, I assessed the correlations between private ownership and certification of forest plantations and experiences of community participation in plantation management. The results show that households nearby private, FSC-certified plantations were more likely to participate in plantation management than households adjacent to a non-certified, state-owned plantation. Based on the findings, I contend that private ownership and certification of plantations can foster community participation in forest management.Chapter 4 builds on the results in Chapter 3 and goes a step further to assess the specific relationship between forest certification and experiences of community participation in plantation management. I find that households in villages nearby certified plantations were more likely than households nearby non-certified plantations to participate in plantation management. Taken together, the results in Chapters 3 and 4 suggest that forest certification influences community participation in plantation management.Chapter 5 deals with the role of personal values and personality traits of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in influencing their environmental concern in forest management. I confirmed the hypothesis that personal values and personality traits predict environmental concern in forest management of NIPF owners in Sweden. I also showed that personal values trump personality traits in predicting environmental concern. The results add interesting insights to the literature on the environmental concern of individuals. Based on the findings, I contend that both personal values and personality traits need to be considered in assessing environmental motivations in forest management. The finding that personal values are stronger than personality traits in predicting environmental concern suggests that environmental concern is a voluntary behavior and thus is malleable through relevant interventions.The final chapter provides a synthesis of the core chapters and discusses the broader implications, limitations of the research findings of this thesis and ways forward for future research. Overall, this thesis shows that type of ownership and certification of forest plantations make a difference in SFM. The findings suggest that market-based forest governance mechanisms, such as forest certification and standards of responsible investment, can strengthen top-down approaches of state policy instruments of sustainable forest management. Unlike previous studies, the research in this thesis uses a comparative approach to uncover the role of ownership and certification of plantations in SFM by focusing on forest plantations that fall under different forms of management and certification status. Moreover, the research is based on data collected from a relatively large number of households which increases the representativeness of the findings. In addition, the results suggest personal values and personality traits have a role to play in the environmental concern of NIPF owners.The debate in the literature on land-acquisitions in general and forest plantations in the global south, in particular, is polarized with proponents hailing land acquisitions as opportunities for development while opponents consider them as a menace for development. There is a need for comparative analysis of land-related investments, such as forest plantations, that have different ownership and certification status. In addition, there is a need to understand the diversity and complexity of factors, such as stages of operation and alternative land use categories, that may affect the outcomes of land-related investments in various sectors. And lastly, the increasing incidence of private ownership of forests and the policy emphasis on environmental values of forests in Europe call for a better conceptual development and measure of environmental concern, personal values and personality traits. Such conceptual developments help to understand the interplay between the personality of private forest owners and environmental concern in forest management.

Tree‐ring data have become widely used to model tree growth responses to climate variability and gain insight about the potential effects of global warming on forests. We capitalized on a rare opportunity to develop growth–climate models using tree‐ring data collected from all trees (>4 cm in diameter at breast height) within 50 × 50 m plots established in subalpine old‐growth forests of western Canada. Our objective was to determine how tree growth responses to climate vary among tree size classes, species, and sites. We modeled relationships between times series of annual basal area increment (ΔBA) and yearly climate variables for individual trees; this approach obviated key statistical criticisms of “traditional” tree‐ring analysis methods. Time series of annual basal area increment were detrended a priori for size, age, legacy, and competition effects. We found that the overall climate signal in our time series of ΔBA was weak

More than four decades of cumulative silvicultural experience in Venezuelan forests represents a significant progress towards sustainable forest management in the tropics. Here, based on an extensive literature review, expert opinions and discussions with forestry stakeholders in the country, we offer a broad overview of the history and current state of silvicultural practices in Venezuela’s natural production forests. Despite important research advances, several factors including institutional and policy limitations, along with the lack of sound technical guidelines have hampered a more positive influence of silvicultural research for sustainable forest management across the country’s managed forests. On an industrial scale, after an often poorly planned selective logging, and despite increasing evidences against for, a strong prominence of assisted natural regeneration (i.e., enrichment planting) characterized the post-logging management compared to other approaches. With very few exceptions, using artificial regeneration did not produced the expected outcomes in terms of tree growth, expected timber yield and survival. Finally, amidst the current political and economic upheaval in Venezuela, a broad range of lessons and policy recommendations is proposed including the strengthening of research on silvicultural options for multiple use of forests and for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Cinque Terre, one of the most important Italian cultural landscapes, has not been spared from depopulation and agricultural abandonment processes, that involved many rural areas in Europe, as a consequence of socio-economic transformations that occurred after WWII. Depopulation of rural areas, especially in mountains or in terraced areas, caused significant environmental consequences, such as the decrease of biodiversity, the landscape homogenization, the increase of hydrogeological and forest fires risks. Cinque Terre National Park (5TNP) was established in 1999, and, differently from other Italian National Parks, not just for protecting natural habitats, but mainly to preserve, restore and valorize the historical terraced landscape. Moreover, the area is a UNESCO cultural landscape site and it is partly protected by three Sites of Community Importance. The research intended to investigate the transformations that have affected forested areas inside the 5TNP in the period 1936–2018, also highlighting the connections with hydrogeological and forest fires risks, as a support for the Park planning strategies and the conservation of the UNESCO site. Results highlighted that 37% of the current forests are the consequence of dry stones terraces abandonment that occurred in the twentieth century, with negative effects on the stability of steep slopes, hydrogeological risk, forest fires and on the conservation of a unique cultural landscape. This confirms the current national trend showing no deforestation occurring, but rather a continuous increase of forests on abandoned land. While 5TNP policies and actions are effectively aimed at pursuing an equilibrium between cultivated areas and forests, the Sites of Community Importance located inside the Park mainly focuses on the conservation of “natural habitats”, even if the current vegetation is also the result of secondary successions on former cultivated land. The research highlighted the need to valorize “cultural values” in forest planning as well as the importance of forest history for an accurate planning of forest resources in protected areas.

The accelerating global rate of species extinctions and the inevitable human impacts on biodiversity have increased the need to conserve, restore and use ecosystems sustainably. Indicators for biodiversity are the most frequently used tool to monitor the status of biodiversity, changes to biodiversity, and the effects of management actions. In this study, we aim to assess the magnitude of studies on indicators for biodiversity (IB) in European forest ecosystems, establish and analyze the link between IB and silvicultural management measures (MM), and define indicators for management (IM), that aim to support biodiversity at the stand and landscape level. We performed a systematic literature review and analyzed data from 162 studies. We identified 9 IB groups, corresponding to 32 IB and linked them to 7 IM groups corresponding to 44 IM. Arthropods, birds, and plants are the most frequently used IB in European managed forests. We found IB with clear links to specific IM, such as saproxylic species and Collembola (collembolans) with deadwood, bird families (Passeriformes, Piciformes, Accipitriformes) with links to microhabitats, and ground-dwelling species with links to regeneration. We identified 17 species as proposed umbrella species based on the studies examined. This review shows that high structural diversity is associated with an increase in diversity, especially with regard to vascular plants, birds and ground-dwelling species. The adaptation of forest management for biodiversity requires regular active monitoring of IM to assess the temporal and spatial changes and of IB to assess the effectiveness of measures.

Daramola JO, Adesuyi FE, Olugbadieye OG, Akinbowale AS, Adekunle VAJ. 2020. Rate of timber harvest and the effects of illegal activities on forest conservation in Southwestern Nigeria. Asian J For 5: 8-16. Availability of accurate data on timber harvest is very important for sustainable forest management. These data are not readily available, making forest management more complex. This study aimed at investigating the rate of timber harvest, illegal activities and its impacts on forest conservation in Osun State Forest Reserves. The selected reserves were Shasha Forest Reserve (SFR), Ago-Owu Forest Reserve (AFR), and Ikeji-Ipetu Forest Reserve (IFR). Data were collected using two sets of semi-structured questionnaires. One for the forest community dwellers and the other for forest officers. Simple random sampling was used to select 120 respondents from the population of concessionaires, saw millers, rural community dwellers, taungya farmers and the government officers in the study area. Secondary data was collected and compiled from the State Forestry Department to provide results for timber harvested only in SFR from January to July, 2019. The results revealed that SFR is under massive timber exploitation, as illegal logging and timber processing are the most prevalent driver of exploitation in this area; while AFR and IFR are degraded forest reserves marred with grazing and poaching, and illegal logging, respectively. The impacts of the illegal activities on forest conservation were categorized under economic, social, and environmental impacts. The most exploited species in SFR were Celtis spp. (3024 stems), Ricinodendron heudelotii (1789 stems), and the least exploited was Anthocleista spp. (3 stems). The study showed that many economic tree species that contribute to national development and rural livelihood have been exploited from the study sites and therefore recommend that timber harvest be carried out on a sustainable basis.