Forest Heritage Research Articles

Virtuous Legislation: The Royal Decree for the Sustainable Management of the Woods of Serra San Bruno, Stilo, Mongiana, and Ferdinandea

The Saving Forests Decree of 1773, issued by Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, marked a fundamental step in the sustainable management of the forests of the Serre Calabresi. Metal mining and processing in the region dates back to ancient times, with Greek colonies exploiting local resources for tools and coins. With the arrival of the Normans, the mines became strategic and were granted to the Carthusian monks, and the Norman smelting furnace improved military production. Under Ferdinand II, the Ferdinandea foundry reached its peak, producing high-quality weapons. The Salvaboschi decree demonstrated a growing awareness of the need to balance industrial needs with environmental protection. This study analyzes the decree, examining how its provisions are in line with modern environmental protection laws. The analysis of this study focuses on the provisions of the Salvaboschi decree and their compliance with current environmental protection laws. The main objective of the decree was to implement sustainable forestry practices through regulated logging cycles to prevent deforestation and promote natural regeneration. Analysis of the law reveals its progressive nature and its conformity with modern principles of environmental conservation. This historic legislation testifies to the early recognition of the importance of sustainable resource management and the foresight of the Bourbon administration in implementing practices that would benefit both the environment and industrial development. Through the study and analysis of the rules present in the document, it was possible to make significant comparisons with the laws in force. The decree demonstrates considerable foresight in the protection of natural and forest heritage. This document represents an important step towards environmental protection, highlighting a concrete and proactive commitment to the protection of natural resources. The ability to compare existing regulations with new provisions offers a clear and in-depth perspective on legislative evolution in environmental matters, confirming the importance of regulatory updates to address contemporary ecological challenges.

Negotiations of heritage in and around locally protected forests in Inhambane province, southern Mozambique

ABSTRACT In this paper, I explore negotiations of heritage in heritage forests from three case studies in southern Mozambique using oral history, field walking, video documentation and conversations. I argue that at local level there are processes of negotiation, authorisation, and legitimacy of heritage in forests. Such local forms of heritage negotiation and heritage discourse are authoritative and need to be recognised in both the planning of heritage conservation, and also in nature conservation. This recognition can strengthen local custodians to safeguard forest patches as locally protected areas, and opening room for heritage practitioners to be engaged by local people in the process of cultural heritage management.

Acute and Chronic Oak Decline in urban and forest ecosystems in Southern Italy

Abstract Since recently, a decline of holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) is observed in Salento (South Italy), this caused concern regarding the protection of native biodiversity and local forests. Symptomatic trees show browning of leaves, thinning of canopy, and loss of branches. The aim of this study was to understand the biotic factors involved in the observed decline. During the monitoring activity, the use of phenotypic descriptors highlighted the presence of two types of decline with distinct symptoms among oaks in rural and urban areas, which could be classified as Acute Oak Decline (AOD) and Chronic Oak Decline (COD), respectively. Following this, diagnostic analyses were carried out to assess the presence of various holm oak pathogens on twigs, trunk, and soil. These analyses revealed the presence of several Botryosphaeriaceae oak pathogens, present ubiquitously between the two environmental contexts, with Diplodia seriata being overall the most prevalent. Contrarily, bacteria associated with AOD were only present in the rural areas and included: Brenneria goodwinii, Gibbsiella quercinecans, and Rahnella victoriana. As far as known to the authors, this is the first time these pathogens have been found in the Mediterranean coastal regions. Lastly, soil analyses performed to detect the presence of Phytophthora cinnamomi were negative. Our results highlight the presence of several pathogens, which indicates that oak decline is a multifactorial phenomenon for which the predisposing, initial, and contributing factors are not yet known particularly for the recently described AOD and COD. Finally, the identification of AOD-related bacteria in Salento is a cause of concern for the need of urgent management actions aimed to contain their spread and to preserve the forest heritage of the region.

Locally protected forests: status, character and challenges a case study of Inhambane Province, southern Mozambique

AbstractMozambique has undocumented forest patches that are cultural landscapes and locally protected as heritage sites. Using the case of Inhambane Province, in this paper, we present the status and purposes of forest patches protected by local communities and discuss threats working against local protection. Findings point out that these heritage forests are reservoirs for biodiversity conservation and the local system of conservation is effective, but there are challenges local custodians face to safeguard heritage forests, ranging from illegal logging, misrecognition of customary protection and lack of legislation enforcement. We argue that the existence of heritage forests requires collaboration between entities dealing with forests, heritage and conservation. We suggest strategies to increase protection in the Inhambane Province and the Mozambique context. This will support local institutions in the protection of heritage forests, as biodiversity reservoirs and in keeping heritage practices and the customary protection of heritage forests alive.

In-between Environmental Sustainability and Economic Viability: An Analysis of the State, Regulations, and Future of Italian Forestry Sector

Forest management is a complex topic at the interface between sustainability and the resilience of socioeconomic and environmental systems. The influence of market forces, supranational, country and regional policies, as well as climate change, on forest goods and services, is expected to increase in the near future. Such a complex interplay between economic and environmental forces is common to most European countries. The aim of this study is to operationally delineate and discuss the transition of the environmental sustainability and economic viability of forestry in Italy. This country encompasses the typical Mediterranean ecosystems with broad forest coverage in mountainous and hilly areas, where expanding woodland areas have been observed in the last decades mainly as a consequence of the decline of agropastoral activities, especially in disadvantaged and marginal areas. The consequent increase in wood biomass was frequently conceived as an element of environmental criticality, exposing woods to high vulnerability to wildfires and a consequent reduction in their economic value, possibly exacerbated by local warming. These dynamics usually took place in contexts where only a part of the overall forest heritage was subjected to regular management, despite the efforts made through various policies such as the Constitutional Law 3/2001 and the recent Law on Forests and Forestry Supply Chains. The latter policy tool, enhancing the concept of “active forest management” aimed to establish a sustainable approach to forest resources, leading to a broader forest area for formal planning and controlled harvesting. These dynamics took place in parallel with the inherent expansion in forest certification schemes formally promoting long-term environmental sustainability and a wider spectrum of forest ecosystems. Timber and non-wood materials and products are key elements from the perspective of achieving sustainable (climate-neutral) development in advanced economies.

Spatio-temporal analysis and identification of deforestation hotspots in the Moroccan western Rif

In the north of Morocco, forest areas are under threat mainly due to the expansion of agricultural land, forest fires and socio-demographic, economic and urban dynamics. Despite the magnitude of deforestation in this area, quantitative studies and investigations of its evolution in time and space are rare or non-existent. The present study aims to assess and quantify gross forest losses in the Western Rif between 2001 and 2020 through the exploitation of Global Forest Change (GFC) data developed by Hansen et al. (version 1.8) based on high resolution Landsat TM satellite images. We used Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) methods to identify statistically significant spatio-temporal trends in forest losses with ArcGis 10.8 and Geoda software. The main results showed that over the last two decades, the Western Rif has lost 8.39% of its forest heritage, a total area of 272 km2. The greatest forest losses were recorded in the provinces of Chefchaouen, Tetouan and Larache (70% of total losses), while the highest annual deforestation rates are reported in the prefectures of M'diq-Fnideq and Tangier-Assilah (0.9% and 0.89% respectively). Moreover, we observed that 81% of the deforested areas were recorded in the formations of the following types: matorral, cork oak stands and artificial pine forest. A first analysis of local Moran's spatial autocorrelation based on the communal division and on the variables relating to forest losses and gross deforestation rates revealed the existence of 3 significant clusters of the high-high (HH) type. A second optimized analysis of deforestation hotspot (Getis-Ord statistical test) based on a 0.5 km × 0.5 km grid identified 26 deforestation fronts in the study area. Finally, we conducted an emerging hotspot analysis to take into account the time dimension and we concluded that the oscillating deforestation model predominates in the Western Rif. These results constitute valuable decision elements to better guide, prioritize and rationalize the monitoring, conservation and restoration efforts of forest ecosystems.

Quantifying transportation infrastructure pressure on Southeast Asian World Heritage forests

Transportation infrastructure has expanded rapidly in Southeast Asian forests over the last 20 years, opening up remote areas to the degrading effects of internal forest fragmentation and human exploitation. Natural World Heritage sites (NWHS) can be a powerful policy instrument to safeguard tropical forest ecosystems (when adequately implemented and enforced, and communicated to all relevant stakeholders); however, despite this mechanism, transportation infrastructure pressure has been increasing in NWHS forests. Here we propose a novel GIS approach to assess spatial and temporal changes in transportation infrastructure pressure on NWHS in Southeast Asia using a Transportation Infrastructure Pressure Index (TIPI) and forest fragmentation analysis, underpinned by global open-source datasets. Mean pressure in Southeast Asian NWHS is lower than in their surrounding areas (15 km), suggesting that NWHS protection is preventing some deterioration. However, in the last 5 years, these sites have also come under increasing transportation infrastructure pressure (at a mean rate of 14.9% over the period 2014–2019 across 12 sites in Southeast Asia). Furthermore, increases in transportation pressure in NWHS surrounding areas are correlated with increases in transportation pressure inside NWHS. With transportation infrastructure projected to continue to expand globally, GIS-based analysis methods such as these could enhance existing NWHS monitoring efforts, providing early warning about pressures that may be contributing to forest degradation and biodiversity declines in NWHS.

Toward a new protection plan for Algeria's forest wealth focused on responsible citizenship: case of the Aures region

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the interest of focusing public policies for wildfire management on behavioral changes supported by sustainable development projects dedicated to the Algerian forest heritage. Thus, the Aurès region in the eastern part of Algeria will be used as an example to illustrate the proposed new strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed method, guided by projects' management in sustainable development, consists of developing a responsible citizenship strategy focused on behavioral changes of citizens. Therefore, the title of the proposed method: The Construct of Responsible Citizenship.FindingsIn order to cope with forest fires, the proposed approach highlights the interest of promoting responsible citizenship. Likewise, it outlines a tool for sustaining behavioral changes based on the principle of continuous improvement and field follow-up using a multicriteria approach known as “goal programming.”Practical implicationsThe proposed new forest fire protection plan addresses the shortcomings in Algeria's current forest fire management policy, which appears unable to deal with the increasing severity of forests' fire risk that the country has been experiencing in recent decades.Originality/valueThe aim is to highlight the interest of investment in forest fires prevention within the framework of the sustainable development of Algerian forest heritage, specifically, to work toward citizen subcontracting of the Algerian forest heritage.

Quantifying climate benefits from World Heritage forests

In combatting climate change, society must pull hard on two planet-size levers: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. Many economic sectors can mitigate climate change only through the first of those, but with forests we can work both levers at once. We can—and indeed must— simultaneously reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and maintain or increase the carbon captured by forests. This is the promise of forests in combatting climate change.

“Our Forest Heritage: Its Conservation and Utilization” edited by SHIBASAKI Shigemitsu and YAMAKI Kazushige (Book Review)

“Our Forest Heritage: Its Conservation and Utilization” edited by SHIBASAKI Shigemitsu and YAMAKI Kazushige (Book Review)

The Contribution of Non-Wood Forest Products to Rural Livelihoods in Tunisia: The Case of Aleppo Pine

Research Highlights: Recently, there has been a growing interest in the contribution of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) to livelihoods and food security among local populations in Tunisia. NWFPs have gained special attention given the relevance of this forest heritage to alleviate poverty and improve household economies. Background and Objectives: This study focuses on determining the contribution of Aleppo pine production to local household livelihood and food security in Tunisia (Siliana province). The relevance of this region as a leading Tunisian Aleppo pine producer makes the analysis especially interesting. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained using structured surveys distributed among rural household heads during the collection season. A logistic regression as well as food security indicators were calculated to evaluate the contribution of NWFPs to household livelihood. Results: Empirical findings support evidence that there is a significant difference between the alternative sources of revenues. The collection of Aleppo pine was significantly affected by gender, attending extension days and agricultural training program, distance to market, household size and livestock activity. Conclusions: Aleppo pine plays an important role in supporting rural livelihoods and provides an important safety net for the local population throughout the year.

Analysis of species floristics within the oak forests of Guerrouche (Jijel, Algeria)

Abstract The Guerrouche forest is home to a fairly important flora heritage which offers this massif a forest cover by the presence of quite remarkable forest stands, from a floristic point of view by the presence of natural vegetation characterized by a diverse flora. This study aims to quantify the floristic diversity of the vegetation associated with the three main tree species (zeen oak, cork oak and afares oak) that inhabit the Guerrouche forest on the basis of distributed floristic surveys, according to a sampling strategy. stratified and systematic, which took into account the species present in each type of tree stand. The floristic surveys thus carried out, numbering 55, made it possible to establish a list of a floristic list made up of 172 species, which belonged to 69 genera and 45 botanical families. Of these, 42 were endemic species, including 4 specific to the study area. The number of rare and very rare species was 70 taxa. The study also revealed the clear degradation of the genus Erica of this ecosystem. Analysis of the overall chorological spectrum showed a dominance of Mediterranean species (209 species), with a dominance (82.3%) of species that were therophyte species. The forest stands of the genus Quercus inhabiting the Guerrouche massif must be supported by the authorities to preserve and conserve this forest heritage against fires, illegal logging, etc. The results of this study will be the subject of development actions and rational management of these natural forest ecosystems.

International Legal protection of forests in the context of sustainable development.

The legal attention to the protection of forests is the key axe to protect the environment in the world, as well as ensuring the economic and social development for generations. Effective legal protection of forest heritage can be achieved only under the sustainability model. This latter ensures the exploitation of forest heritage as an important economic resource while preserving its ecological value in front of contemporary environmental threats, also estimating its role in meeting the social needs of the local population. The international society had paid attention to the importance of this vital wealth and started looking for appropriate mechanisms to protect them, while organizing how to exploit them as an economic resource, besides their social place and cultural aspects. This paper will deal with how does international law devote legal protection to a forest in the light of the sustainable development approach, especially after the united conference on environment and development in 1992.

Post-cyclone (Aila), transforming lives and gendered relations in Bangladesh

Abstract This study examines the long-term effects of Cyclone Aila on the traditional livelihood of the Munda community in the Sundarbans forest of Bangladesh, together with its socially and culturally assigned gendering. Building on existing critiques of gender and critical developmental studies, the present study uses an ethnographic approach and traces resilience alongside a new gender equality between males and females, as they jointly discover new commercial and home industry occupations to replace the damaged Sundarbans forest heritage, discarding gendered role stereotypes in the jobs they do and the way they contribute to family income.

Extinction accounting and accountability: Empirical evidence from the west European tissue industry

AbstractRecently, human activities are more and more invasive with respect to biodiversity. Several studies highlighted the key role played by accountants in contributing to the development of tools able to support company in assessing, reporting, and disseminating, as well as accomplishing, the preservation of natural species and ecosystems (King and Atkins, 2016). Corporate reporting of environmental information might increase the credibility of forest certifications, given that some scholars argued that certified forests are not often run, in a sustainable way. Moreover, certifications sometimes cover harmful forest practices (Elad, 2014) and do not ensure a good quality of environmental reporting and performance. The research question therefore intends to explore how extinction accounting and accountability (EAA) is able to reflect ex post the company's business strategy and, at the same time, influence ex ante its formulation by easing the prevention of deforestation risk and addressing the issue of credibility through specific actions. In more detail, the “Emancipatory Framework for Extinction Accounting and Accountability” (EFEAA) (Atkins and Maroun, 2018) was tested using content and interpretative analyses based on the reports inherent to top four companies working in West Europe in the tissue industry, where the preservation of forest heritage is a “compulsory route” for assuring the business sustainability, in terms of both raw material renewal and brand reputation. The findings highlighted the first attempt to carry out a qualitative research over the management of forest issues. In our study, companies tend to report advantages arising from the use of forest, but this kind of disclosure is too generic without providing evidence over the ecosystem services forests produce. Moreover, firm size affects the quantity and the quality of disclosure. At last, managerial implications and future research avenues are outlined and discussed.

NOVEL DIBALIK SENJA BY MOH. RIFA'I (A STUDY OF LITERATURE ECOLOGY)

The purpose of this research is to described environmental damage damage the environment, protection of the universe and the impact of environmental recovery in novel Di Balik Senja by Moh Rifai. Research qualitative study used descriptive qualitative type methods. Primary data the come of novels Di Balik Senja Karya Moh Rifai. Analysis technique using qualitative analysis descriptive reviews ecology literary environmental destruction, covering damage the environment, maintenance and the impact environment environment maintenance. Based on the research other it can be concluded some respects between the environmental damage in in a novel Di Balik Senja Karya Moh Rifai, the on landslides, maintenance with mountain environment namely set sojol be forest heritage, nature and the impact the habitats of flora and fauna maintenance back to good.

Forest Protection Unifies, Silviculture Divides: A Sociological Analysis of Local Stakeholders’ Voices after Coppicing in the Marganai Forest (Sardinia, Italy)

Today, a forest is also understood as a real social actor with multiple-scale influences, capable of significantly conditioning the social, economic, and cultural system of a whole territory. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct and interpret the population’s perception of the silvicultural activities related to traditional use of forest resources of the southwestern Sardinian Marganai State Forest. The “Marganai case” has brought to the attention of the mass media the role of this forest and its silviculture. The research was carried out via semi-structured interviews with the main stakeholders in the area. The qualitative approach in the collection and analysis of the information gathered has allowed us to reconstruct the historical-cultural and social cohesion function that the forest plays in rural communities. The results highlight that the main risks concern the erosion of the cultural forest heritage due to the abandonment of the rural dimension (mainly by the new generations, but not only), with the consequent spread of deep distortions in the perception, interpretation, and necessity of forestry activities and policy.

Aptitud sectorial para el desarrollo forestal: consideraciones en la ordenación general del territorio mexicano

El análisis de las políticas públicas del sector forestal con miras al ordenamiento general del territorio mexicano, conjuntamente con entrevistas a funcionarios y especialistas de dicho sector y la participación técnica de expertos regionales, permitieron identificar los atributos ambientales más relevantes para la aptitud sectorial forestal, tales como la existencia de regiones forestales y de áreas actualmente degradadas, la degradación de los suelos y las áreas más marginadas, dado el significado de la tenencia de tierras forestales por las comunidades indígenas. Para ello, se aplicó una evaluación multicriterio y la ponderación de los valores de cada variable, con base en un proceso de análisis jerárquico, que arrojó diez categorías de aptitud sectorial forestal por unidad ambiental biofísica. La representación cartográfica reflejó las categorías favorables de aptitud forestal, en mayor o mediano grado, según su superficie, en cada una de las 145 unidades utilizadas en esta investigación. El panorama nacional refleja la necesidad de una política ambiental integrada, que se corresponda con las realidades de la aptitud sectorial forestal y de la ocupación territorial por otros sectores, en ocasiones con actividades antagónicas, para dictar políticas públicas sectoriales que impulsen esfuerzos en la protección y en el fomento del patrimonio forestal nacional.

Myths and problems of forestry reform in Russia

Situation analysis demonstrates that several forest management models coexist in Russia. One of them is the model set by the Russian Forest Code (2006), it is likely to sustain at areas leased for large logging companies for the long term. Some initial signs of more intensified forest management are visible there. Another model is typical extensive model – ‘wood mining’. This system evolves back to the one used to exist in Soviet times. There is an ambition to revitalize state-owned forest management enterprises or / and the state-owned all Russia wide corporation responsible for reforestation and logging at areas which are not leased for private companies. Forest data is largely absent and existing one is unavailable for state or public control. Funds available for forest management are misused. Federal forest management bodies ignore the fact that lack of available timber resources is due to lack of effective reforestation. Reforestation methods in use and those used in the past do not ensure establishment of economically valuable forest stands to replace those logged or burned. Reforestation is focused on production of plantlets and planting with no weeding and thinning of planted or natural young stands. Criteria to assess success of reforestation based on species composition are not developed and not established. Imitation of reforestation does not help to solve the problem of economical values degradation of secondary forests, including those on the most productive zone – Central European Russia. Authorities ignore exceptional values of intact forest landscapes for preservation of biodiversity and global climate change prevention. In 7 years since the Russian Forest Policy has been approved not a single National Forest heritage site has been established to contribute to development of the fund of forests to be preserved from economic development. Authors conclude that despite strategic documents approved in 2013–2018 forest management authorities continue supporting extensive forest management and make no substantial steps towards transition to more intensified forest management. One of the first steps should be calculation of rent fee based on rented area, but not on a volume of logged timber

Land Cover Change and Deforestation Characteristics in The Management Section of National Park (MNSP) VI Besitang, Gunung Leuser National Park

Gunung Leuser National Park is one of the world heritage forest located in Indonesia where the Government of Indonesia and the International world give serious attention to the condition of the area. Unfortunately the forest area of Leuser Mountain National Park significantly decreasing by years due to deforestation.. This study aims to determine land cover changes, the rate of deforestation and spatial characteristics of deforestation in the National Park Management Section Region VI Besitang Gunung Leuser National Park. Classification method was maximum likelihood classification (MLC). The results of this study indicated land cover changes from 2008 to 2016 at SPTN Region VI Besitang TNGL that forest has increased from 104.741,15 ha to 107.336,03 ha, mixed dryland agriculture has decreased from 3.690,40 ha to 2.498,53 ha, Palm oil decreased from 526,96 ha to 88,40 ha, and open land increased from 3.116,80 ha to 3.572,93 ha. The rate of deforestation in this area during that period is 221,14 ha/year or 1.769,12 ha. Factors that have a close correlation with the area of deforestation are the number of population and the number of families farmer; distance from road, river, settlement and plantation; height class, and slope class.