Full value chain development of bamboo forest resources for common prosperity: Evidence from Anji, China

Covering a vast territory, China is rich in forest resources and diversified environments. The changes in forest resources have a direct bearing on environmental quality. This paper gives a detailed account of the dynamic change in forest resources in China, including the overall process of forest evolution, the status quo, and features of the existing forest resources and the development and use of major forest resources. In addition, it analyses the current situation of China's environment and explores the main contributing factors based on the overall environmental situation. To achieve sustainable management of forest resources and improve the environment in China, the Chinese Government attaches great importance to the protection and development of forest resources as well as to environmental development and improvement. The paper gives an overview of current thinking for sustainable forest resource and environmental development in the future and highlights the current focus of efforts toward this objective.

The management and protection of forest resources has become one of the major issues of environmental protection globally. As the largest developing country in the world, China has determined that the construction of an ecological civilization is an important piece of a millennium plan for China's sustainable development. The ecological capital theory, which adheres to the idea of a harmonious coexistence between man and nature, provides an opportunity to open up a new chapter for the construction of ecological civilization. Based on the fact China is a country endowed with unique resources, this paper aims to provide a theoretical reference on how to maximize the value of forest ecological resources and promote the sustainable development of global forest resources. To gain clear insights, this paper uses the theory of ecological capital to discuss how to demarcate the concept of the capitalization of forest ecological resources. The internal motivation of the capitalization of forest ecological resources was analysed from two perspectives: how to keep the balance between ecological protection and resource development, and how people have changed the way of using forest resources. This paper has expounded how forest ecological resources are transformed to forest ecological assets and then forest ecological capital, indicating the realization path of the capitalization of forest ecological resources, that is, a direct utilisation of forest resources and indirect new ways of forestry management. It aims to provide theoretical references for maximizing the value of forest ecological resources and achieving the sustainable development of global forest resources.

Deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics have been receiving both scientific and political attention in recent decades due to its impacts on the environment and on human livelihoods. In Ghana, the continuous decline of forest resources and the high demand for timber have raised stakeholders concerns about the future timber production prospects in the country. The principal drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana are agricultural expansion (50%), wood harvesting (35%), population and development pressures (10%), and mining and mineral exploitation (5%). Various measures are being pursued that are targeted at addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and at increasing the forest resource base. Understanding the key driving forces behind current forest resource development trends will help to gain insights into the possible courses of action to take to improve the developments of the resources, especially where actions that are being taken today will have an impact on the forest resources for many years to come. In this thesis, I used interdisciplinary research methods to provide insights into the current status of the forest resource base in Ghana and into its likely and possible future developments. I addressed 5 research questions: (1) What are the trends and changes associated with the growing stock in the timber production areas? (2) What driving forces account for current trends and future developments of timber resources in Ghana? (3) What different scenarios can be identified and how will these affect future developments of timber resources in the high forest zone? (4) What factors motivate farmers to engage in on-farm tree planting and management? (5) To what extent do the current trends of forest resources drive forest transition in Ghana? National forest inventory data, timber harvesting data and forest plantation establishment data showed that the growing stock in both on- and off-reserve production areas have been declining since 1990. Ghana’s average forest growing stock of 40m3 per ha is much lower than the 195 m3 per ha for the Western and Central Africa sub-region. Timber harvesting records also indicate that, in recent decades, total timber harvests have mostly been substantially higher than the annual allowable cut, resulting in an increasing gap between national timber demand and supply, which drives illegal logging. Current plantation establishment efforts are not sufficient to bridge the gap between demand and supply of timber, partly due to low establishment rates and lack of appropriate management of newly established plantations. Forest governance system and resource demand are the two key driving forces that affect the current trends and future developments of forest resources in the high forest zone of Ghana. Four scenarios were developed: (1) legal forestry scenario with emphasis on improving the resource base to meet high demand; (2) forest degradation, which implies a business-as-usual scenario; (3) forest transition, with emphasis on expanding the resource base in response to environmental concerns; and (4) timber substitution scenario seeking to provide wood substitutes to conserve the resource base. Across two on-farm tree planting schemes, I found that financial benefits, educational campaigns by project teams, knowledge about current environmental issues, ownership of timber for family use and access to land, grants, farming inputs, seedlings, capacity building, and market for agricultural produce are the factors that motivated farmers to engage in on-farm tree planting and management. Currently, there is no strong force toward a forest transition through any of the five generic pathways (economic development; forest scarcity; globalization; state forest policy; and smallholder, tree-based land use intensification). This is because the existing trends of forest resources developments are either too small-scale or too ineffective. In order to accelerate a forest transition in Ghana, policy and management options should target measures that reduce current degradation of natural forests, increase the area and productivity of commercial forest plantations, promote sustainable forest management, and support and encourage forest conservation and integration of trees into farming systems.

Scenario analyses for the effects of harvesting intensity on development of forest resources, timber supply, carbon balance and biodiversity of Finnish forestry

The study’s main aim was to provide an in-depth insight into the Community Participation (also called Joint Forest Management or JFM) Rules enforced by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in 2004 to reform the KP Environment Department from a “policing model” to a participatory one. It sought to find out; whether the JFM rules are followed in letter and spirit or the environment department of the province is still using age-old policies without involving the local communities in the management of forests. The study has uncovered the departmental and bureaucratic constraints towards the JFM Rules that stop the department from embarking on a journey towards a more participatory, inclusive, transparent, accountable, and sustainable management as well as development of forest resources. A qualitative research design was selected for this study and data was collected from a sample assembled on quota sampling technique with the quotas of respondents: 10 forest owners (people who have ownership rights in forests. 5 were taken from Malakand Division and 5 from Hazara Division of KP), 10 forest users (people who occasionally or permanently live in or near forests and use its resources in an arrangement with the forest owners. 5 were taken from Malakand and 5 from Hazara again), 10 government officials (5 from the environment department and 5 from the legal fraternity) and finally 10 environmental activists (including 5 female activists). Themes were developed after carrying out semi-structured in-depth interviews using interview guides. One of the major findings of the research were the sweeping and discretionary powers of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) which hinders the progress of JFM as DFO is not only the final authority on registration of a JFM Committee but can influence various other aspects of community participation and JFM like planning, funding and termination. It was also found that the territorial or protection staff (like Ranger, Forester & Guard) were still calling the shots in a top-down approach instead of a bottom-to-top approach by the mobilization and developmental staff (like Community Development Officer or CDO & Female Forest Extensionist or FFE) despite the JFM Rules. It was revealed that there is a great lack of funds and financial independence of the Directorate of CDEGAD (Community Development, Extension, Gender and Development) which is responsible for implementing community participation and JFM. The directorate staff is mostly financially dependent upon the discretion of the DFO. Even after 16 years, the environment department has not internalized JFM Rules. There was a lack of concern by government top management towards addressing this huge environmental problem of the lack of implementation of JFM despite the recent Billion and 10 Billion Trees "Tsunami" Afforestation Projects with the help of the UN under the Bonn Challenge. A very small number of community members reported that they are participating in the forestry and wildlife activities with the environment department. "Rubber stamp" and "token" participation were reported just to give legal cover to the departmental activities and a photo session for the social media instead of truly real incentive participation to achieve sustainable management and development of forest resources. There is a great if not an organized resistance of the majority of forestry staff to JFM Rules and keep these rules hidden under the carpet to carry on the traditional approach which is harmful for the communities, the department, the forests, and the wildlife in the long run. Lack of implementation of JFM Rules also facilitates corruption. Without local support and knowledge, the poverty in the forest-dependent communities cannot be eradicated. Lessons from Nepal's social forestry should be learned and utilized for KP's JFM. Nevertheless, the recent projects by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led KP and Federal governments have given environmental activists a great glimmer of hope but the long-term positive results of it will depend upon its continuity by the future governments. The positions of CDOs, Female CDOs, and SOs (Social Organizers) need to be strengthened with legal powers regarding JFM. Several environmental policy and regulation needs were also identified in this study, followed by several recommendations for the environment department, provincial government, and civil society for bold and ambitious community-led forestry and wildlife conservation projects.

Forest and forest resources are one of the important factors for the conservation and development of the environment and environmental resources in Bangladesh.It is observed that these natural resources of our country are not properly utilized but it is often exploited due to over population, unwise use of natural resources etc. To cope with these problems, some important legal foundations have already been passed for effective role in the development of forest and forest resources of Bangladesh.The study finds that most of the forest laws and policies are originated from the rule of British colonial authorities. In this regard, some significant amendments of the laws are made after the partition of the Indian subcontinent and a few are also amended after the independence of Bangladesh. In 1990s, some important integrated Acts such as the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and its Rules, 1997 and the Environment Court, 2000 etc., are passed for the development and conservation of the environment of Bangladesh which enormously carried out for the protection of the forest and forest resources in Bangladesh. There are some limitations such as lack of enforcement, non-coordination, corruptions, outdated laws, insufficient penal provisions etc., which makes hindrance to the implementation of the forest laws and policies in Bangladesh. It is suggested that the policy implications framed in this study should strictly be emphasized for the implementation as to bringing about sustainable forest environment and development of Bangladesh.

A very important aspect of natural resources management is determining optimal budget allocation to satisfy the needs and aspirations of multiple stakeholders. This is especially the case in developing countries like Mexico where budgetary funds are in short supply. There has been an increasing debate in Durango, Mexico, for example, about determining the most efficient way of allocating a budget for multi-purpose forest management. The debate has been triggered by a growing number of interests and stakeholders, which in addition to optimal timber production, have the desire to improve environmental conditions, water resource development, range and other non-timber resources production, and to provide better amenity values and expanded recreational opportunities. CONAFOR (COmisión NAcionale FORestal), the Mexican agency in charge of allocating funds to promote sustainable forest resources development, has been implementing four national programs: developments of forest resources, tree plantations, non-timber products, and water resources. In addition to these programs, the forest resources management decision-making process involves four interest groups and six management objectives independently connected in a hierarchical framework. Accordingly, the most suitable multi-objective/multi-criterion decision-making (MODM/MCDM) technique for optimal allocation of scarce budgetary funds among the four natural resources development programs is the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The two programs that receive the most funds are forest resources development and water resources/ environmental services development. In this way, the AHP can be used to optimally distribute scarce financial resources among competing programs to improve regional economic development and better satisfy the needs of various interest groups.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are considered as “win-win” solutions to both government and market failures in sustainable forest management. PPPs in Sri Lanka are filling a regulatory gap resulting from withdrawal of government from the management of forest resources. The national forest policy has emphasized afforestation, conservation and protection as the main components of emerged government-community, donor–recipient and public–private partnerships with local people, rural communities and other stakeholders. Timber and fuel-wood plantations, and agro-forestry woodlots have been established through partnerships. Eco-tourism has been given special emphasis through partnerships between the government agencies, private sector and communities. Private sector involves in forestry as a business through sustainable agro-forestry, imparting financial gain. The government has identified risk mitigation as an integral part of the government–community partnership planning process. Investments of private sector in forest management are committed to enhance inflow of foreign exchange earnings through the export of value added forest products. The Forest Ordinance has empowered Forest Department for the management, protection and development of forest resources. PPPs are far less frequent in rule-setting and implementation of timber and fuel-wood plantations and agro-forestry woodlots. Work undertaken by community based organizations in PPPs occurs on a minor scale. Private-sector involvement in forest resources management has raised serious concerns by public perception about conflict of interest. The Government needs serious efforts and amendment of forest policies to promote public-private partnerships for the sustainable development of forest resources.

An assessment of aboveground phytomass and carbon levels was conducted in the South-Central region of India, in the Telangana State, situated on the high Deccan Plateau. The study is based on field observations at 30 sites using cluster sampling. The sites were selected on homogeneity maps prepared using satellite data of forest cover type maps, forest cover density maps, normalized difference vegetation indices and maps of administrative boundaries. Field observations such as forest types, canopy cover, species, girth and plant height were made for assessing basal area, bole volume, biomass and carbon, first for each tree, then for each plot and then for the entire region. The basal area varied from 0.09 to 40.94 m2/ha, and the phytomass ranged from 0.07 to 174.69 t/ha. The total phytomass in the study area was about 6709.623 t, with a mean value of 859.10 t/ha per site (i.e. 250 × 250 m). The predicted carbon was 5.02 million tons (Mt) (standard deviation [SD] 9.542) against the total phytomass of 10.46 Mt (SD 19.878) for the study area. These data can provide essential information for helping to establish forest policies that support a more sustainable development of local forest resources, as well as for structuring forest management working plans. Key policy insights The study reveals the observed and predicted biomass and carbon of northern Telangana, India. The key purpose of the study is to determine the biomass and carbon content of northern Telangana, in light of the Kyoto Protocol. For the study area, the predicted carbon is 5.02 Mt against the total biomass of 10.46 Mt. The forest density, phytomass and carbon maps are the first of their kind at a landscape scale for the Telangana State of India. These data help to assess and inform forest policies, which contribute towards the sustainable development of forest resources through preserving the ecological integrity of this landscape.

Abstract: This paper introduces a modeling approach for the assessment of policy options within the forest-based bioeconomy. The feedback between the forestry dynamics model and the economic model of the global forest-based sector of the proposed framework is essential, not only for response analysis as to the development of forest resources and for a correct assessment of future harvesting potentials, but also for the assessment of the impact of different management regimes on wood-based product markets. Test runs of the modeling framework on a Swedish case highlight the necessity of considering timber assortments for a comprehensive integration of forest resources and wood-based commodity market dynamics. Hence, the composition of harvest demand in terms of timber assortment affects the allocation of harvesting activities and, consequently, the development of forest resources (and thus future harvest potentials), as well as the production, trade and consumption of wood-based products.

This study integrates the effects of changes in wood demand, climate and land use on the European forest sector, combining a dynamic global vegetation model with a large-scale, growth-and-yield model (EFISCEN or the European Forest Information Scenario Model). A consistent set of scenarios for wood demand, climate and forest area change were implemented to study the development of European forest resources over the 21st century. The study illustrates that wood demand plays a decisive role in the development of European forest resources. Under the scenarios investigated, European forests will remain a strong carbon sink for several decades, with the size of this sink mainly driven by wood demand. Afforestation measures have the potential to increase C stocks and increment in the long run, but large areas are needed to obtain significant effects.

THE Secretary of State for the Colonies has set up an organisation under the Colonial Office for the development of colonial forest resources. By consent of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, two of its technical officers have been transferred to the new organisation, namely, Major F. M. Oliphant, lately assistant director of the Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, and Major J. R. Cosgrove, lately in charge of the Section of Utilisation at the Laboratory. Major Oliphant, as forest economist, will deal mainly with the organisation of production, and will spend much of his time in the Dependencies concerned, while Major Cosgrove, as market development officer, will be engaged in market promotion work, with reference to the United Kingdom market and other markets, both British and foreign. The organisation will be chiefly concerned with timber development, but will also interest itself in other forest products, such as wood pulp, fibres, gums and resins and the like. In both directions it will co-operate with the Imperial Institute. It will also work, of course, in close co-operation with the Forest Products Research Laboratory. The Laboratory, as a research institution, will henceforward confine itself to questions involving scientific investigation and tests, while the new organisation will take over the market promotion work, including commercial service trials, which the Laboratory formerly carried out under temporary arrangements on behalf of the Empire Marketing Board. The organisation will for the present be quartered at the Imperial Institute. Inquiries should be addressed to the Colonial Forest Resources Development Department, Imperial Institute, London, S.W.7.

The development of forest resources and potential wood yield in Finland under changing climatic conditions

Comprehensive assessment of the biofuel potential of Peru is based on: determination of current biofuel utilization practices, evauation of Peruvian biomass productivity, identification of Peruvian agricultural and forestry resources, assessment of resource development and management concerns, identification of market considerations, description of biofuel technological options, and identification of regional biofuel technology applications. Discussion of current biofuel utilization centers on a qualitative description of the main conversion approaches currently being practiced in Peru. Biomass productivity evaluations consider the terrain and soil, and climatic conditions found in Peru. The potential energy from Peruvian agricultural and forestry resources is described quantitatively. Potental regional production of agricultural residues and forest resources that could supply energy are identified. Assessment of resource development and management concerns focuses on harvesting, reforestation, training, and environmental consequences of utilization of forest resources. Market factors assessed include: importation, internal market development, external market development, energy policy and pricing, and transportation. Nine biofuel technology options for Peru are identified: (1) small-to-medium-scale gasification, (2) a wood waste inventory, (3) stationary and mobile charcoal production systems, (4) wood distillation, (5) forest resource development and management, (6) electrical cogeneration, (7) anaerobic digestion technology, (8) development of ethanol production capabilities, and (9) agricultural strategies for fuel production. Applications of these biofuel options are identified for each of the three major regions - nine applications for the Costa Region, eight for the Sierra Region, and ten for the Selva Region.

State-owned forest enterprises (SOFEs) in northeast China play important roles both in timber production and in the maintenance of ecological security. This paper examines the effects of a number of policy measures on the behavioral choices of the SOFEs. The results show that the extent to which SOFE supervising authorities emphasized the improvement of forest resources in their annual evaluation of the SOFEs had significant impacts on the harvest and investment decisions and the development of forest resources. Promotion of the management and utilization of non-timber resources, as well as reforms aiming to increase the efficiency of forest protection and management, reduced timber harvests and increased investment, which in turn led to improvements of forest resources, although the effects were small. In contrast, reforms aimed at timber harvest and afforestation activities actually contributed to increasing timber harvest, which affected the development of the forest resources negatively.