Implementing principles, criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in Gabon

Since the Rio World Summit of 1992, a new paradigm of sustainable forest management has developed and concerns have been mainly focused on how forest sustainability will be objectively achieved, assessed and measured. Attention has focused on developing criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and getting forests certified. This study aimed to transform Jeju Experimental Forest, located in the warm temperate zone of Halla mountain on Jeju Island in Korea, into an exemplary model forest by implementing sustainable forest management at the ground level and pursuing forest management certification. As a pre‐requisite for forest certification, an extensive, 900‐man‐day field survey was conducted in 2004 over the 2,741 ha of Jeju Experimental Forest to determine the ecological, social, economic and managerial aspects. Based on the survey results, the database systems for flora and fauna and site conditions of Jeju Experimental Forest were established and a 10‐year forest management plan was developed with greater consideration for intangible forest values such as biodiversity, landscapes and water resources using forest function classification mapping. The forest function classification program was found to be a useful tool for supporting the decision‐making process for forest management planning. The preparation for forest certification became a long process to meet the pre‐requisites for implementation of sustainable forest management at the ground level.

Criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of forests: Progress to date and future directions

Policy makers, scientists and civil society are involved in the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM), reflecting the growing worldwide demand for addressing sustainable development and environmental governance management goals. Such frameworks have been largely derived from expert-led or community-based approaches. This article details the identification process of criteria and indicators (C & I) based on the international principles of SFM through the analysis of a hybrid approach that uses both a top-down (TD) and a bottom-up (BU) approach. The aim of this article is to discuss how the two approaches have worked to incorporate the different views, opinions and experiences of experts and stakeholders. National-level C & I are then compared with those at the local level, making specific reference to sustainable community forest (CF) management. For the TD approach, a Delphi survey was conducted where 121 experts shared their knowledge, experience and judgements in assessing a set of 72 indicators with regard to the applicability, practicality and importance of national, regional and CF management in Nepal. For the BU approach, C & I for CF management were developed with the direct involvement of various stakeholders. It was shown that such a hybrid approach is feasible from a methodological point of view, but a framework is needed by the government to more fully utilize the opportunities of the C & I development process in the SFM context. The results of this study also help to bridge the gap between the ad hoc planning of decision makers and the requirement for a holistic management system, which includes participatory processes. Based on the conclusions of this study, general recommendations for the methodological design of C & I development in similar studies are given.

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) implementation strategies articulate different aims, goals, and interests across different scales of governance and social-ecological contexts. When SFM is implemented in common pool or public forests, governmental initiatives play a central role in defining formal institutions that will interact with the local social-ecological context. At the same time, local actors’ practices on governing common pools forests are also a key-factor in SFM implementation. This paper analyses, through a critical institutionalism lens, how interactions between a new set of formal institutions with pre-existing local institutions result in (un) expected governance outcomes when implementing SFM on the ground. Using the Caatinga biome in Northeast Brazil as a case study, it shows how local actors (bricoleurs) perform institutional bricolage processes by rejecting, adapting, or integrating institutions linked to SFM implementation strategies to their social-ecological contexts. The paper is based on a qualitative data analysis from twenty interviews with local and governmental actors, and nine site visits to rural settlements and industries. The analysis leads us to conclude that formal SFM institutions in Caatinga do not dialogue with all the different roles that forests resources have in the livelihood of local actors, but rather have a dominant focus on the production of forest biomass for energy supply. Moreover, we found that the success of SFM implementation is highly dependent on the interactions amongst local actors within the social-ecological context. Accordingly, positive results are only achieved when these interactions help to face challenges, specifically those linked to bureaucracy and to technical capacity.

Epiphytic lichen diversity and sustainable forest management criteria and indicators: A multivariate and modelling approach in coppice forests of Italy

We address two main challenges facing the implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM) in the Hyrcanian forest of Iran: inconsistent forest policy and the use of outdated science and techniques. We propose the Sustainable Hyrcanian Forest Management Model (SHFMM) as the best currently available solution to achieve improved management of the northern forests of Iran. The management of the Hyrcanian forests suffers from a lack of scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art technologies. There is a pronounced difference in the mindsets of older and new-school forestry scholars regarding how to approach these deficiencies: the old-school mentality prefers conventional forestry despite its limitations, whereas more recently trained scholars believe that the adoption of 21st-century technological advances would lead to improved management. The lack of trust between policymakers and local communities is another significant challenge and has resulted in conflicts over management practices in the Hyrcanian forests. We suggest that the Hyrcanian Sustainable Forest management model (SHFMM) would provide a hierarchical framework for making decisions. Using this model, each sector—whether state or private—is empowered to make decisions. Further, it encourages all sectors to work together in its holistic implementation. The SHFMM is based on the outcomes of several independent studies of forest management in the Hyrcanian forest. Despite its site specificity, many lessons learned during its development could be applied elsewhere.

This study aims to analyze sustainable forest management practices in the Amazon, addressing the environmental, social and economic impacts, as well as the challenges for their implementation. The research was carried out through a systematic review of the literature, using articles from specialized journals on the subject. The analysis revealed that sustainable forest management practices, such as selective logging, the use of non-timber products and agroforestry systems, have shown positive results in terms of biodiversity conservation, soil regeneration and maintenance of the hydrological cycle. However, the adoption of these practices is still limited by barriers such as lack of infrastructure, technical training and the economic pressure of illegal activities such as livestock farming and agriculture. The environmental impacts of sustainable forest management, such as the preservation of biodiversity and the role of the Amazon in climate regulation, are evident, but illegal deforestation and forest fragmentation continue to compromise these advances. The implementation of sustainable forest management depends on effective public policies, institutional support and greater participation of local communities, requiring coordinated action between the different sectors of society to ensure the sustainability of the Amazon. It is concluded that, despite the difficulties, sustainable management is essential for the preservation of the Amazon and global climate balance. Keywords: environmental impacts, sustainable practices, public policies.

Sustainable forest management (SFM) or ecosystem management is now the stated goal of forest managers in most countries. SFM takes a longer-term, broader perspective on forest values than timber production or the narrow multiple use regimes of the past. As a result of international activities including the International Tropical Timber Organization, the Ministerial Council on Protection of Forests in Europe and the Montreal Process for temperate and boreal forests outside Europe, there are now sufficiently specific and agreed principles, criteria and indicators (C&I) to guide policy makers towards SFM. To achieve SFM requires holistic assessments of forest management systems in terms of these C&I to ensure the delivery of sustainable outcomes across forest regions. This paper focuses on the implementation of SFM as defined by the C&I, and, in particular, how to identify needed reforms in forest management systems. The paper explains and evaluates the International Standards Organization's (ISO's) environmental management systems (EMS) ISO14000/EMS approach adopted for this purpose in Australia to assess the adequacy of forest management systems. The approach was applied as a key element in the regional forest agreements prepared to meet the Australian National Forest Policy Statement. The ISO14000/EMS, in conjunction with the SFM criteria, provides a systematic approach to assessing forest management systems to reveal the adequacy of the legislative, planning, implementation, monitoring and review of all-tenure forest management as required by SFM.

The progress of the concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is dynamic and its success or failure during implementation can be evaluated in different ways. In a detailed survey in four Forest Management Units (FMUs) in Sabah, the current implementation of SFM at the FMU level was assessed based on the triple perspective typology of stakeholder theory. This approach encompasses conceptual, corporate and stakeholder centric point of view. The conceptual perspective explores the SFM concept and how it relates to the FMU holder – stakeholder interaction at the FMU level, the corporate perspective examined how the FMU holders put the concept into practise and address their stakeholders, while the stakeholder perspective analyses how the stakeholders attempt to accomplish their claims and interests through the corporate-centric (FMU holders) at the management level. The stakeholder analysis provides the platform for stakeholder identification, categorisation and their general perception and behaviour towards the overall performance of SFM objectives. The Stakeholder Relation Management (SRM) that integrates the FMU holders and stakeholder participation under the SFM concept were also identified. Different FMU holders are engaged with distinct objectives to be achieved, which determine their direct relationship with the stakeholders. The stakeholders were attributed to static and dynamic groups, which are determined by their existence, claims and interests, and involvement in various SFM programs and activities at the FMU level. They provided distinguished preference and agreement toward various issues and characteristics related to SFM objectives, implementation and stakeholder participation at the management level. Most of the respondents of the multi-interest stakeholder group agreed with SFM main contributions towards the elements of environmental objectives, followed by economic objectives and elements of social objectives. The approach for SFM assessment based on the different lenses of conceptual, corporate and stakeholder centric provides complementary evidence on the pragmatic implementation of SFM at the forest management level.

Prescriptions of the Forest Management Planning Manual (FMPM) for Ontario's Crown forests are examined for conformance with the elements of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) Criteria and Indicators (C&I) of sustainable forest management (SFM). The examination identifies gaps and highlights forest management planning aspects that require gap–bridging interventions at the forest management unit (FMU) level. The three levels (parts) of the FMPM—Management Planning, Annual Operations, and Reporting & Monitoring—are examined. Gaps are categorized in three groups—major, intermediate, and minor gaps. Major gaps are recorded for five out of 22 elements of the CCFM C&I framework, and these gaps indicate inadequate prescriptions for the corresponding elements at all the three levels. Minor gaps are also recorded for five elements, and these gaps indicate inadequate prescriptions at the monitoring level. Intermediate gaps are recorded for 11 elements, and depending on the specific element and indicator, inadequacy of prescriptions may only be for operations, reporting and monitoring, or may also include the planning level. The main findings of the gap analysis are that none of the six criteria of SFM has been fully incorporated in the FMPM; Part C (Reporting and Monitoring) has the highest degree and Part A (Plan Contents) has the lowest degree of non–conformity with respect to CCFM C&I framework; at the criterion–level the Global Ecological Cycles has major gaps while three criteria—Soil and Water Conservation, Multiple Benefits, and Society' Responsibility—have intermediate gaps; and the changes in the FMPM have been incremental while the shift in the concept of forest management from Sustained Yield Timber Management to SFM was a drastic change. Key words: biological diversity, Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, criteria and indicators, ecological cycles, forest management, multiple benefits, society's responsibility

Improving biodiversity indicators of sustainable forest management: Tree genus abundance rather than tree genus richness and dominance for understory vegetation in French lowland oak hornbeam forests

Growing concern about forest degradation and loss, combined with the political impetus supplied by the Earth Summit in 1992, led to the establishment of eleven intergovernmental, regional, and international forest-related processes focused on the use of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management (SFM). Up to 171 countries have participated in these processes to apply C&I frameworks as a tool for data collection, monitoring, assessment, and reporting on SFM and on achieving various forest-related UN Sustainable Development Goals. Based on an expert survey and literature analysis we identify six interlinked impact domains of C&I efforts: (1) enhanced discourse and understanding of SFM; (2) shaped and focused engagement of science in SFM; (3) improved monitoring and reporting on SFM to facilitate transparency and evidence-based decision-making; (4) strengthened forest management practices; (5) facilitated assessment of progress towards SFM goals; and (6) improved forest-related dialog and communication. We conclude that the 25-year history of C&I work in forestry has had significant positive impacts, though challenges do remain for the implementation of C&I and progress towards SFM. The work should be continued and carried over to other sectors to advance sustainability goals more broadly.

Developed in the 1990s, the process of criteria and indicators (C&I) has been used to conceptualize, evaluate and implement sustainable forest management (SFM). However, to assess their effectiveness we explore whether their use in management leads to changes, especially at the local level in Aboriginal communities. More specifically, can C&I justify Aboriginal use of C&I? Since local-level C&I are a recent initiative, the effectiveness of the C&I process in assessing progress towards SFM was assessed via interviews with experts associated with the development of local-level Aboriginal C&I frameworks in Canada on use, integration and needs of Aboriginal communities for C&I. Our results suggest that C&I in Aboriginal communities are considered to be “just another reference point” because: 1) Aboriginal objectives are maintained at arm's length from the forest management process; 2) the use of C&I as a negotiating tool has not been sufficient to culturally adapt forest management for Aboriginal values and objectives and 3) Aboriginal values have been restricted to the elaboration of C&I and the Aboriginal definition of SFM, but they are not part of the evaluation nor the implementation of SFM. In contrast to the forest industry, Aboriginal communities identified the following objectives as motivation for using C&I: Aboriginal representation, Aboriginal engagement, capacity building and empowerment. Without explicitly acknowledging these Aboriginal community objectives, C&I becomes a tool restricted primarily to forest managers and thus sustainable forest management becomes unattainable. In effect, the underlying issue is not C&I in themselves but the limited role Aboriginal communities have been allowed to have in the SFM process.

Analysis Models for Remodeling the Local and National Forestry Area in Order to Reduce Economic and Ecological Harms

ABSTRACTAlthough sustainable forest management is accepted worldwide in concept, challenges in the methods of implementation remain. Using local data sets from Alberta, Canada, we show that a simulation approach can assist the implementation of sustainable forest management by improved understanding of product potential and other forest ecosystem goods and services that forests can provide for a given forest inventory. This will assist facilitating trade-offs among them for an optimal wood utilization strategy to achieve sustainable forest management. In this example, effects of wood utilization standard on merchantable volume, lumber volume, and number of trees that can produce at least one piece of lumber are quantified, and a conversion method for wood volumes under different wood utilization standards is presented. Wood utilization standard is the combination of stump height and diameter inside bark at merchantable height, which considerably influences available volume quantity of forest resource. However, such influences have not been quantified for sustainable forest management implementation. Our results not only confirmed that merchantable and lumber volumes increased with decreasing stump height and diameter inside bark at merchantable height, but also revealed that this trend will not hold when diameter inside bark at merchantable height is less than 7 cm.