Aspects Of Forestry Research Articles

Soils, microbes, and forest health: A qualitative analysis of social and institutional factors affecting genomic technology adoption

Within the forestry sector in British Columbia, a variety of methods exist for evaluating forest health. While the definition of forest health and the establishment of appropriate metrics for assessment have been debated, there is little disagreement among scientists and forestry practitioners on the importance of soil in assessing and maintaining healthy forests. Advances in genomic science now permit in-depth analysis of soil microbial communities, which can be used to assess various aspects of forest health. The translation of genomic microbial science to future technical developments can make soil microbial analysis practical and economical for forest management practices. Drawing on theories of technology adoption, this paper examines the social and institutional aspects of forestry in British Columbia to develop an understanding of the context in which a novel soil microbial genomic technology would be situated. This study draws on a series of interviews conducted with practitioners and stakeholders in the British Columbia forestry sector. Our findings suggest that while there is considerable interest in genomic microbial technology for forest health assessment, several key challenges will impact the practical application of this technology.

Differences between urban and rural population with respect to demand on forestry aspects, in a case study of the Turkish province of Bal kesir

Inhabitants of urban and rural areas are important participants in the process of developing and implementing forest policy. Thus, it is essential to determine their demands and attitudes towards forestry issues. In this context, the demands and evaluation of forest functions are investigated in a case study of the Turkish province of Bal kesir. The findings of the case study show that differences in terms of demands among inhabitants of rural and urban areas are related to forest fires fighting, crimes fighting, forestry-tourism integration, forestation and regeneration activities, and the enlargement of forest areas. The main differences among their assessments of forest functions are related to fire wood production, and the provision of flood and erosion control, nature protection, and recreational opportunities. The findings are important for conflict management and for local decision making. By using the findings of similar studies, the provincial organizations should harmonize their priorities with the expectations of relevant interest groups.

Pimp your landscape - un logiciel pour la gestion interactive des paysages : potentiels et limites

L’article présente Pimp your Landscape, un logiciel interactif d’aide à la prise de décision multicritère et multiagent dans l’aménagement d’un territoire à l’échelle du paysage. Pimp your Landscape permet d’évaluer et de visualiser les effets résultant d’un changement de distribution spatiale des divers types d’occupation du sol. L’utilisateur de ce logiciel peut modifier cette distribution spatiale par simple clic de souris. Compte tenu de la disponibilité de cartes et de l’homogénéité de la classification des types d’occupation du sol au niveau européen, CORINE LANDCOVER 2000 a été retenue comme base cartographique. Pimp your Landscape offre deux modes d’utilisation : un mode expert destiné aux professionnels pour aménager un territoire et un mode ludique destiné aux citoyens. Le mode expert offre des possibilités importantes d’adaptation du système aux particularités et demandes régionales. Il est possible, par exemple, d’introduire dans l’aménagement des restrictions susceptibles de résulter de directives européennes ou de régulations régionales. Le mode ludique quant à lui établit un lien entre les connaissances d’experts et les demandes des citoyens dans un processus d’aménagement participatif. L’article se termine par la présentation de quelques exemples d’application incluant des aspects forestiers et par une discussion quant au développement ultérieur du logiciel.

Institutional commitment to sustainability

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to determine institutional commitment to sustainability by examining Natural Resource Extension program inputs, activities, and participation.Design/methodology/approachA document analysis of Natural Resource Extension planning and reporting documents was conducted to provide contextual and historical data for the study and 58 in‐depth interviews were conducted with Natural Resource Extension personnel in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Oregon State University Extension Service.FindingsThis research moves beyond the familiar teaching and research functions of higher education institutions and focuses on Cooperative Extension, which is the outreach arm of universities. The paper discusses challenges and opportunities associated with implementing sustainability through these outreach education programs. In both Alabama and Oregon, the Agriculture, Home Economics, and 4‐H programs dominate human and economic resource investment in Cooperative Extension. Natural Resource Extension programs in Alabama and Oregon represents 6 and 14 percent, respectively, of all program expenditures in Cooperative Extension. Both states have educational programs that address sustainability of natural resources and those programs were interdisciplinary in nature. Little evidence is found extensive participation in Natural Resource Extension programs by environmental groups, minorities, and other non‐traditional clientele. Lastly, Oregon's political context was more conducive to broadening Natural Resource Extension program work in sustainability.Practical implicationsEducational institutions such as Natural Resource Extension programs at universities play a significant role in educating private landowners, the public, and professionals about various aspects of forestry and natural resources. Based on this study of Natural Resource Extension programs in Alabama and Oregon, the following are needed for extension to address natural resource sustainability through its educational programs: sufficient intellectual and financial commitment to sustainability, diverse and inclusive participation in programs, and collaborative interdisciplinary programming. The analysis presented here can aid other educators as they explore sustainability through educational programming.Originality/valueSince, Natural Resource Extension programs address societal concerns through problem solving, grassroots education, and research and technology dissemination, they are poised to do work in the sustainability arena. No study to date has examined sustainability from the aspect of Natural Resource Extension educators in Oregon and Alabama. An understanding of current investment in sustainability through education is fundamental to building a strong Extension program in this area.

Assessing ‘management investment scheme’ forestry projects: A best-practice template for commercial plantation development

Summary Over the last 15 y there has been a significant change in the face of Australian plantation forestry: the decline in plantation investment by governments, and the rapid expansion of a new plantation industry funded by private investors. A high proportion of the new plantations are management investment schemes (MISs) where plantation projects are set up by companies, who then attract investors, acquire the land, develop and manage the plantations and sell the produce from them, all on behalf of the investors. Proponents of MIS schemes may seek to add credibility to their product by having it independently assessed and reported upon by an agribusiness research house. The research reports focus on two questions: Firstly, will the project ‘work’ from the forestry perspective? And secondly, will the likely financial returns be achieved? The reports are aimed at financial advisers and investors. This paper concentrates on the forestry aspects. I have worked for an established research business for over six years and have assessed the forestry side of numerous MIS projects. In order to assess diverse projects systematically and to allow comparisons between geographically dispersed projects, I have developed a template for best practice which can be applied to any MIS plantation project. This paper sets out my concept of best practice and discusses the main points of interest and concern that have arisen during MIS forestry projects assessment when applying it, and includes observations on the industry and its future.

Developing and testing criteria and indicators for an effective information system in the forest sector

SUMMARY Unprecedented increase in demand for a wider range of forest goods and services has made the management of forests more challenging. The role of information, on almost all aspects of forestry, is of utmost concern. Millions of dollars are being spent for developing and implementing information systems (IS) in forest sector. Mechanism for the evaluation of IS in business organizations itself has not been standardized and when it comes to evaluating IS in forest sector, the task becomes further complex due to the presence of a variety of stakeholders and conflicting interests. This paper1, based on field research, attempts to establish criteria and indicators for assessing the effectiveness of an IS in forest sector. Concept of Effectiveness Index of an IS in forest sector has been elaborated upon. The evaluation technique is flexible enough and as the forest organization and stakeholders gain experience with IS, criteria and indicators can be further fine tuned for meeting the objectives.

Genetic Aspects of Forestry in the Central Europe

This review addresses different aspects of central European forestry, in particular German forestry, such as the main topics of silviculture, forest management and tree improvement with regard to their effects on genetic structure and variation of tree species. The objective of this review is description of the genetic impacts of the historical development of tree populations, silvicultural methods, seed harvesting and regeneration procedures. Furthermore, the domestication of trees and breeding programs are critically evaluated with respect to genetic impoverishment of forest tree populations. Finally the genetic consequences of the stand replacements are assessed and decisions in forest management are recommended to take into account forest genetic data.

Forest climbing plants of West Africa: diversity, ecology, and management

<title>Abstract</title> Based on original research, this book presents information on the flora (including a checklist), diversity (with overviews at several levels of integration), ecology (distribution, characteristics in relation to environment, their role in forest ecosystems) and ethnobotany. Forestry aspects, such as their impact on tree growth and development, and the effects of forestry interventions on climbers are also covered. This book should be of interest to those researching and studying in the areas of forestry and plant ecology.

Forestry education, training and professional development in Africa

SUMMARY It is widely acknowledged that support for classical forestry education worldwide is declining and that new forestry-related programmes are developing. It is difficult to be precise about the fundamental causes of this situation as there are no direct cause-effect relationships, but it appears that there is a complex interplay of forces at global and local scales that make classical forestry education appear obsolete. Classical forestry education treated forests as distinct entities defined in time and space (minimum tree/canopy density in an area) and forest science has been built around the ecological, biological and economic importance of that ‘entity’. However as the social, cultural and environmental aspects of forestry grow in importance, particularly in Africa and much of the tropical developing world, they are re-defining forests and extending the bounds of forestry to include trees in different landscapes, including even non-wooded landscapes. This requires foresters to ‘think outside the...

INNOVATION IN FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS TEACHING AND RESEARCH

UDK 630*8/.9&#x0D; The Bologna process thrusts forestry and forestry education into the context of an evolving global economy as well as worldwide concerns about environmental protection and climate change. It stimulates the integration of forestry into the framework of sustainable land-use practices and the combination of forest management experience with new scientific knowledge and research methodology. Forest professionals need a comprehensive educational background if they are to tackle rapidly changing social, economic and political problems. At the same time they need to understand the evolving and locally specific social and cultural aspects of forestry. This demands a joint approach to forest management, environment protection and landscape conservation. Maintaining the natural resource base and managing forests in a sustainable manner will require teaching programme combining policy and law, business economics and management, and forest resource and environmental economics components.

Influence of consumers' socioecological and economic orientations on preferences for wood products with sustainability labels

A questionnaire was developed to assess people’s sustainability orientation concerning forests considering the ecological, social, and economical dimension and to assess their knowledge of labels for sustainable forestry (SF). The questionnaire items were used to analyze the relationship between the individual sustainability orientation of a person and the knowledge of sustainability labels and the attention to and preference for labeled wood products. An experimental design embedded in the survey showed that the communication of corresponding label information enhances (stated intentions concerning) attention to and preference for labeled products in a prospective purchasing situation. Moreover, results showed that a sustainability orientation favoring ecological and social aspects, as compared to economical aspects of forestry, correlates positively with the stated intentions in favor of the purchasing of labeled wood products. The positive correlation of these intentions with the a priori knowledge of the participants was only marginally significant. The results indicate that it is possible to successfully promote SF and to enhance the demand for correspondingly certified products through marketing and other strategies. These might include the generation of innovative certification systems in a transdisciplinary, participatory process. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wood Fuel or Carbon Sink? Aspects of Forestry in the Climate Question

This paper discusses and contrasts two mainroles of forestry in light of the debate on theglobal climate. As the main problem is relatedto the increases of the CO2-concentrationin the atmosphere, forests may be viewed aspart of the alleviation of the problem throughtheir function as (i) a source of biomass forenergy production, which may replace fossilfuels and thus indirectly reduceCO2-emissions, and as (ii) carbon storage,since a growing forest extracts atmosphericCO2 and fixes it as carbon in biomass. Inthe Scandinavian forestry, logging residues areincreasingly being used for energy production.In this paper the value of forests as a sourceof bioenergy is added to the traditional timbervalue. Formulated as a joint production modelwithin the Faustmann framework, the effect ofthis addition on the optimal rotation length isdiscussed. Based on data for spruce, thedominant species in the Scandinavian forestry,it is demonstrated that the rotation length isshortened compared to the standard Faustmannmodel. Shorter rotation length implies lesscarbon storage. Therefore, in this modelwithout explicit regard to the social carbonstorage value of the forest, the gains in termsof the climate problem from utilisation offorest biomass for energy production are beingdiminished by the value of reduced carbonstorage. The carbon value of the forest is thenadded to complete the model, with the effect ofincreasing the rotation length, a result thatis well known in the literature. Finally, theempirical effects of the interaction of thesetwo climate-related value elements of theforest are discussed.

Forestry's Third Revolution: Integrating Biotechnology into Pinus taeda L. Breeding Programs

Abstract The Third Revolution—the application of molecular biology to plant improvement—is providing biotechnology for Pinus taeda breeding programs in the southern United States. To harness commercial value, forest biotechnology must be integrated with pine breeding. Overlaying an agriculture biotechnology template on any aspect of forestry ignores key historical, economic and biological factors unique to pine breeding programs and even to biotechnology applications. Understanding differences between forestry and agriculture will aid policy decisions about the use of genetically enhanced pines and identify numerous leverage points for directing forest biotechnology research toward commercial advantage. Integrating biotechnology into a P. taeda breeding program is illustrated using a case study approach. A molecular marker system is proposed for improving the selection efficacy of a pine breeding program. South. J. Appl. For. 25(3):116–121.

Balancing Act: Environmental Issues in Forestry (2nd ed.)

Review: Balancing Act: Environmental Issues in Forestry (2nd ed.) By J. P. Kimmins Reviewed by Joseph J. Nocera Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Canada Kimmins, J. P. Balancing Act: Environmental Issues in Forestry. (2nd ed.) Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press, 1997. 305 pp. ISBN 0-7748-0574-9 (softcover). Finding a balance in a debate of extremes is a daunting task. In Balancing Act, the author attempts to describe all points between aggressive environmental protectionism and outright resource exploitation. Throughout the book, the reader is presented with numerous facts, theories, and research concerning the effects of exploitation and the fallacy of eternal hands-off protectionism. His facts are precise, and his presentation of all aspects of forestry is thorough—from climate change to groundwater issues. J. P. ( Hamish ) Kimmins offers a complete and extensive primer on forestry, forest science, and relevant topics. This background consists of five full chapters (73 pp.) and provides, as the author states, the average concerned citizen or forester with an introduction to the ecological aspects of the major environmental issues facing the managers of Canada’s great forest resource (p. 4). Even those readers armed with intricate knowledge of these disciplines will take home something new, or at least be reminded of something they may have forgotten. This lengthy introduction is well written and is the greatest strength of this book. Has the author managed to find a balance, as the title suggests? Throughout, Kimmins disclaims this work as not being a vehicle meant to resolve a debate. I suggest that he has accomplished neither the intended, or unintended, objectives. The entire work is one of a pro-forestry nature, albeit against blatant exploitation, where forests are considered a resource (e.g. see quote above). The objectivity that the author desires is lost in his repeated advocating of active forestry over forest protection. This is most evident in the very limited discussion on some sensitive wildlife issues. Wildlife that are dependent upon old-growth (requiring the least intensive style of forest management), seemingly receive a brush-off, with only one paragraph devoted to their discussion (p. 150). The reader is told how harvested forests beget different suites of species, but that overall diversity is unharmed. What about the inherent value of wildlife that resided there? Many of the issues raised and information presented are generated from the west coast of Canada, particularly the author’s home province of British

Third Millennium Forestry: What climate change might mean to forests and forest management in Ontario

Climate change may profoundly influence Ontario's forest ecosystems and their management. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, increased temperature and altered precipitation regimes will affect forest vegetation through their influence on physiological (e.g., photosynthesis, respiration) and ecological processes (e.g., net primary production, decomposition), and may result in dramatic northward shifts in the natural range of forest types and species. More importantly, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of natural disturbances. Silvicultural intervention will increasingly be relied on to maintain forest health, manage declining stands, regenerate disturbed areas and cutovers with desired species and genotypes, maintain genetic diversity, and assist in species migration. Given the increasingly important role of Ontario's forests in national and provincial efforts to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol, afforestation, conservation of existing forests, and increased forest management activities to accelerate the storage of carbon in Ontario's forests will be key aspects of forestry at the start of the third millennium. Key words: adaptation, afforestation, bioenergy, carbon dioxide, climate change, disturbance, intensive forest management, migration, mitigation, sequestration, succession

Legal, Institutional, Policy and Socio-Economic Shortcomings Hindering Sustainable Forest Management

SYNOPSIS As foresters we should keep in mind that there are impeding forces to the implementation of the scientific forest knowledge we generate and the forest skills we develop. Some of these impeding forces are the legal, institutional, policy and socio-economic shortcomings hindering sustainable forest management. This general paper highlights these shortcomings with the hope that we as foresters do not only focus on biophysical aspects of forestry but also work to minimise non-biophysical aspects that hinder sustainable forestry management.

Social Aspects of Forestry in Southeast Asia: A Review of Postwar Trends in the Scholarly Literature

This paper examines the major trends since the 1950s in social science writing on forest management in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is simultaneously rich in and dependent on natural resources, both for local and national use or sale. Among renewable resources, forest products have played critical roles in the region's national, provincial, and local economies before, during, and after colonialism — for as long as two millennia. Their importance in international trade illustrates that Southeast Asia's forests linked the region to other parts of the world for quite some time, dispelling myths that parts of the region such as Borneo were “remote”, “primitive”, or “pristine”.

Present Realities and Future Possibilities for Forestry Education

At present, forestry education at Canadian universities concentrates heavily on the technical, industrial and scientific aspects of forestry. If the profession is to retain its permanent position in managing Canada's forest lands, it must be able to communicate with the public and politicians and respond to their demands. This means providing a broader education to enable foresters to plan for human needs. One approach would be to offer a blend of professional, scientific and liberal education, at the upper division and graduate levels of university along the lines of those at the forestry schools at Yale and Syracuse

Land use and rural planning

As trees seem to be objects of hate as well as of love in the British landscape, this paper attempts to assess the place of forestry in the tangled pattern of British land uses. Both the weaknesses and the strengths of forestry as an important use of land are examined in the light of past events and analyses and as assessed by earlier speakers in the Discussion Meeting. This involves a consideration of existing and future conflict and cooperation between economic, social and amenity aspects of forestry and between private and public interests. The long period of time involved in the production of a mature tree makes it a flow resource of some complexity, particularly in relation to government policy and taxation.

A future forest policy for Britain

Forests are a national resource - for timber, for employment, for wildlife conservation and ecological protection, for recreation and leisure activities, for multiple land use and the enhancement of landscape. The complementary contributions of state and private forestry are described, as are the continuity of the existing forest, and the problems of new planting. The underlying conflict between silviculture and economics are stressed. A description of contemporary policy in these fields in state and private forestry is given, covering such topics as targets and goals for production, technology and social benefits, priorities for land use and the wealth of the nation. Trends of world timber supply are reviewed, and the adaptability of timber as a renewable natural resource are contrasted with the extravagant energy consumption of alternatives. Social aspects of forestry are discussed, including the preference of the public for hardwoods, and the growth of emphasis on social benefits and access to woodlands. The value and silvicultural difficulties of continuous forest and the extension of the principles of dedication to conservation are mentioned, as are the vulnerability of forestry to urban ignorance. Ministerial responsibility for and local government involvement in forest policy is stressed.