Degraded Forest Areas Research Articles

Human factors and health status of the highland forest ecosystems in North Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate anthropogenic factors and ecological health status of the forest ecosystems in the north Shewa zone (NSZ), Ethiopia. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors that led to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The ecological analysis showed that the sites of Mehal-Wonz, Mehal-Tsebel, and Abogedam forests were very heavily disturbed, while Debdebo and Zego forests were heavily and moderately disturbed, respectively, implying the severe degradation of most forests in NSZ. Therefore, to restore the degraded forest areas of the zone, in-situ and ex-situ community-based conservation strategies were recommended.

Effects of livestock grazing on soil health and recovery of a degraded Andean Araucaria forest

AbstractAraucaria araucana is an iconic long‐lived endangered tree species native to Southern Chile and Argentina. Araucaria forests and soils provide a myriad of ecosystem benefits to local communities, which are threatened by increasing anthropic‐driven disturbances like fire and livestock overgrazing. The main objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the effect of uncontrolled livestock grazing on soil health; and (ii) to identify a set of sensitive soil health indicators to grazing pressure. Twenty soil health indicators in two contiguous degraded forest areas with contrasting grazing pressure were considered. A substantial shift in forest structure and a 12% reduction in tree coverage on the overgrazed sites were observed. Overgrazing has substantially affected soil physical, chemical, and biological health indicators, making soil conditions less suitable for forest regeneration. Significant increments in C:P and N:P ratios were observed due to overgrazing (p < 0.01). Soil chemical properties such as Kjeldahl nitrogen, P‐fractions (total, inorganic, and available), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and pH were identified as the best indicators of overgrazing activity in these soils. Additionally, forest cover reduction and overgrazing altered soil physical indicators (e.g., saturated hydraulic conductivity, infiltration, and aggregate stability), suggesting changes in hydrological behavior with potential consequences in water storage and availability. Our results show that uncontrolled grazing in native protected forests degrades soils and forests, restricting forest regeneration and potentially accelerating erosive processes. These results emphasize the need for improved conservation plans for these endangered forests that systematically evaluates and monitors the direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing on soil health.

Spatial Analysis of the Degraded Forest Areas in Idmine Forest-Morocco Using Geoscience Capabilities

Aim of study: The aim of the study is to present a diagnosis for the state of Argan forest degradation in Morocco through GIS and remote sensing utilizing Sentinel 2 satellite images of the year 2019 (dated 28/08/2019).
 Area of study: The study was carried out in a forest commune in Idmine, South West Morocco, which is located in semi-arid bioclimatic region.
 Material and methods: In the study, two methods were tested. These are; (i) the vegetation indices (VIs) [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Brilliance Index (IB)] and their combination and (ii) the supervised classification and spectral analysis.
 Main results: Two methods have given the same results (Kappa coefficient=90%) to describe the state of forest degradation. Consequently, three classes pertaining to forest degradation within the study area were; low (34%), medium (44%) and critical degradation (22%).
 Highlights: This monitoring might help managers to create forest management plans and to evaluate the speed of deforestation and degradation.

Method of Estimating Degraded Forest Area: Cases from Dominant Tree Species from Guangdong and Tibet in China

Forest degradation has been considered as one of the main causes of climate change in recent years. The knowledge of estimating degraded forest areas without the application of remote sensing tools can be useful in finding solutions to resolve degradation problems through appropriate restoration methods. Using the existing knowledge through literature review and field-based primary information, we generated new knowledge by combining the information obtained from multi-criteria decision analyses with an analytic hierarchy process, and this was then used to estimate degraded forest area. Estimation involves determining forest degradation index (FDI) and degradation threshold. Continuous inventory data of permanent sample plots collected from degraded forests, consisting of various forest types divided by dominant tree species in the Guangdong province and Tibet autonomous region of China, were used for the purposes. We identified four different forest degradation levels through the determination and comprehensive evaluation of FDI. The degraded forest area with broad-leaved species as dominant tree species in the Guangdong province was estimated to be 83.3% of a total forest area of 24,037 km2. In the same province, the degraded forest area with eucalyptus as a dominant tree species was 59.5% of a total forest area of 18,665 km2. In the Tibet autonomous region, the degraded forest area with spruce as a dominant tree species was 99.1% of a total forest area of 17,614 km2, and with fir as a dominant tree species, the degraded area was 98.4% of a forest area of 12,103 km2. A sampling accuracy of forest areas with national forest inventory was about 95% in both provinces. Our study concludes that the FDI method used has a certain scientific rationality in estimating degraded forest area. The forest provides a variety of tangible and intangible goods and services for humans. Therefore, forest management should focus on the improvement of its overall productivity, which is only possible with improving forest site quality. One of the important steps to improve the quality of a forest site is to resolve its degradation issues. The presented method in this article will be useful in finding the solutions to forest degradation problems. This method, which does not need any remote sensing tool, is simple and can be easily applied for estimating any degraded forest area and developing effective forest restoration plans.

English

Turkey has more than 21.67 million ha forest areas and 10.11 million ha of these forest areas are still degraded or highly degraded in 2012 year. These areas can only be transformed into a productive state with implementation of rehabilitation treatments. Determination of the priority of degraded forest areas for the rehabilitation is important issue and affected by many parameters in Turkey. Some important indicators such as slope, aspect, elevation, social pressure, roads near forest and tree species, were used to determine priority of forest rehabilitation areas by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this study, we developed a spatial database including topographic parameters, forest stand type maps and stand type parameters, forest stratification, roads and settlement areas and its proximity tables with forest stands. Slope, aspect and elevation maps of the study area were created by employing a digital elevation model (DEM) produced from contour curves (10 m height accuracy). The study area is naturally covered by Pinus brutia, Pinus nigra, Abies cilicica, Cedrus libani, Juniperus spp., and Quercus spp., the most widely distributed species in the Mediterranean region. Total degraded forest areas consist of 2.880 sub compartments with 11.363 ha. Finally, we designed a priority map of the forest rehabilitation based on these sub compartments and other indicators by using GIS techniques. It is shown that 6364 ha of degraded forest areas has high priority index value (>=16 and =<19) and 1254 ha of degraded forest areas has very high priority values with higher than 19 priority index value. Key words: Forest rehabilitation, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), forest management plans, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), priority areas, slope, aspect, proximity, degraded forest.

From Co-Management to Landscape Governance: Whither Ghana’s Modified Taungya System?

Natural resource management literature has documented three paradigm shifts over the past decade: from co-management to adaptive co-management and adaptive governance respectively and, more recently, towards landscape governance. The latter is conceived as a governance approach towards negotiated land use at the landscape level to deal with global challenges such as food insecurity, climate change and biodiversity loss. There is not a lot of clarity about how co-management systems could actually evolve into landscape governance. This paper aims to address the gap by exploring how a stalled co-management system for the reforestation of degraded forest areas—the modified taungya system (MTS) in Ghana—could be revitalised and redesigned as a landscape approach. Drawing on case studies and expert consultation, the performance of the national MTS and the MTS under the Community Forestry Management Project is reviewed with regard to five principles (integrated approach, multi-stakeholder negotiation, polycentric governance, continual learning and adaptive capacity) and three enabling conditions (social capital, bridging organisations and long-term funding) distilled from the literature. The authors conclude that some of these principles and conditions were met under the Community Forestry Management Project, but that continual learning, transcending jurisdictional boundaries, developing adaptive capacity, and long-term funding and benefits still pose challenges.

Market-oriented forestry in China promotes forestland productivity

As the world’s largest importer of timber, China’s challenge in forestry is to find a way to increase forest productivity and carbon sequestration. We argue that China’s state-owned forestry sector has low land productivities mainly because there are hidden barriers in the governmentally controlled forestry system. We suggest that a market-oriented forestry system should be applied to China’s commercial forests, and timber harvesting from commercial forests should not be restricted by a maximum allowable harvest quota or minimum rotation lengths imposed by the national government. The market-oriented forestry system will help increase forestland productivity and revert forest carbon sources into sinks for many degraded forest areas in China.

Economic contribution of participatory agroforestry program to poverty alleviation: a case from Sal forests, Bangladesh

In the Forest Department of Bangladesh, a Participatory Agroforestry Program (PAP) was initiated at a denuded Sal forests area to protect the forest resources and to alleviate poverty amongst the local poor population. We explored whether the PAP reduced poverty and what factors might be responsible for poverty alleviation. We used three poverty measurement methods: the Head Count Index, the Poverty Gap Index and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke index to determine the extent poverty reduction. We used a linear regression model to determine the possible differences among factors in poverty reduction. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and face to face interviews within the study area. PAP proved effective at poverty alleviation, considerably improving the local situation. The linear regression model showed that PAP output explained the income differences in poverty reduction. Participants identified bureaucracy and illegal money demands by forest department officials, an uncontrolled market system, and underdeveloped road infrastructure as the main obstacles to reduction of poverty. Overall, PAP is quite successful in alleviating poverty. So this program might be of interest at other degraded forest areas as a tool to alleviate poverty.

Soil organic carbon stock potential of shrubs, occupying natural Anogeissus latifolia forest in sub-tropical belt of Garhwal Himalaya

The soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in three pure shrub species was compared with the adjacent growing Anogeissus latifolia tree stand to understand the changes occurring in SOC stock as a consequence of degradation of A. latifolia forests. Among the shrubs, Rhus parviflora (168.00 ± 1.60 t ha-1) and Lantana camara (164.16 ± 2.08 t ha-1) showed higher values of SOC as compared to A. latifolia forest (161.28 ± 3.04 t ha-1). However, Carissa spinarum showed lower values (152.64 ± 2.24 t ha-1) of SOC compared to A. latifolia. The soils were dominated by sand particles in all shrubs and A. latifolia forest. Forest floor litter mass of R. parviflora and L. camara was 140.4 ± 10.3 g m-2 and 150.3 ± 9.23 g m-2, respectively which was higher compared to A. latifolia (98.8 ± 6.82 g m-2) forest. The litter mass of C. spinarum was the lowest 60.7 ± 6.0 g m-2 which has reflected lowest SOC stock. The water holding capacity of soil was recorded the highest (36.08 ± 4.57%) under R. parviflora and the lowest under L. camara (23.66 ± 8.65%). The higher amount of litter input enhanced the SOC stock in the soil. The shrub species are occupying the gaps created by villagers in the A. latifolia forest and subsequently the shrub species restoring the degraded forest areas from land sliding and soil erosions. Key words: Shrub, soil carbon stock, soil erosion, degradation.

Economic feasibility of electricity production from energy plantations present on community-managed forestlands in Madhya Pradesh, India

This paper assesses economic feasibility of utilizing community-managed degraded forest areas for raising energy crops and using the produced biomass for electricity production in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India through gasification technology. Three fast-growing species, three gasifiers of different capacities, three capital costs, and two scenarios of carbon payments were considered for analysis. Sensitivity and risk analyses were undertaken for determining the effects of variations in inputs on selected outputs. Results suggest that 5 million megawatt hour electricity can be generated annually which will prevent 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The production cost of a unit of electricity was found inversely related to the scale of production. The average cost of electricity at the consumer level produced using 100 kW gasifier was $0.15/kWh, which was greater than the price of electricity supplied from grid i.e. $0.08/kWh. The unit cost of producing electricity using Acacia nilotica was lowest among all the selected species. Technological advancements suitable government incentives are needed to promote electricity generation from forest biomass through gasification technology. This will help in spurring economic development and reducing overall ecological footprint of the state.