Forest Institutions Research Articles

Social Forestry in West Sumatra: A Review on Regulation and Its Implementation in Hutan Nagari Salibutan

Social forestry is a program designed to address tenure conflicts, improve community welfare, and enhance environmental quality. Achieving the objectives of social forestry is not only limited to obtaining permits but needs more advanced, concrete, innovative business development that anticipates future challenges and prospects. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze West Sumatra Governor Regulation No. 52/2018 on the Implementation of Social Forestry Facilitation and its practical application in Hutan Nagari Salibutan. Data collection in this research included in-depth interviews and a literature review, while data analysis used descriptive qualitative methods, content analysis, and policy implementation. The results showed that Governor Regulation of West Sumatra No. 52/2018 supported national policy by accelerating social forestry, resolving tenure conflicts, and synchronizing the roles of various stakeholders. This Governor Regulation served as the technical reference in the field, and it comprised facilitation, institutionalization, monitoring and evaluation, and financing. Additionally, the implementation of regulations in Salibutan Nagari Forest correlated with these provisions, as evidenced by the activities carried out by the Forestry Service and the social forestry acceleration working group in collaboration with the Nagari Salibutan forest management institution. The consistency between the regulation's content and field implementation reflected this correlation.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Ganoderma lingzhi and Ganoderma lucidum Fruiting Body Extracts

INTRODUCTION. Ganoderma spp. have been used as a traditional oriental medicine and a bioactive dietary supplement. These fungi are a promising source of effective antioxidants. Currently, there is no regulatory framework to control the quality of this herbal drug and its bioactive components in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Therefore, it is essential to study the chemical composition and pharmacological activity spectrum of G. lingzhi and G. lucidum extracts.AIM. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of G. lingzhi and G. lucidum fruiting body extracts.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study focused on pure cultures of G. lingzhi and G. lucidum obtained from the fungal species collection of the Forest Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Fungal biomass was grown using two substrates, including alder sawdust (1–3 mm fraction) and oak shavings (5–10 mm fraction). The fungal biomass was extracted using repeated maceration with 70% ethanol. The study tested the free radical-scavenging activity of the extracts in reactions with the stable free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the radical cation derived from 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS). The chemical composition was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). The assays for phenols, steroids, and triterpenes used spectrophotometry.RESULTS. The extract of G. lucidum strain 334 cultivated on the alder substrate demonstrated the highest free radical-scavenging activity (IC50 =3.1±0.2 μg/mL (DPPH), IC50 =3.7±0.2 μg/mL (ABTS)), the highest phenolic content (326.2±16.5 μmol/g), and the highest triterpene content (2.00±0.11 mmol/g) of all the studied extracts. The antioxidant activity of the extracts of G. lingzhi and G. lucidum may be attributed to the content of ganoderic acid D, lucidenic acid D, naringenin, and other phenolic compounds.CONCLUSION. The high yield of extracts with a significant radical-scavenging activity makes artificially cultivated G. lingzhi and G. lucidum mushrooms a promising source of natural antioxidants.

Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Development: The Impact of Wakaf Forest Institutions on Socio-Economic Benefits

Indonesia is enhancing forest landscapes, particularly in deforestation-affected areas, through waqf forests to achieve environmental sustainability and community welfare. This study examines the ecological restoration processes within waqf forests and offers policy recommendations. It investigates causal relationships affecting waqf forest populations in Cibunian and Cibeureum villages using an ex post facto design and quantitative methods. Focusing on Cibunian beneficiaries, who generally possess higher education levels, the study explores the link between education and improved forest management. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings reveal that the Waqf Forest Institution significantly impacts the socio-economic benefits of the waqf forest, contributing 26.4% to these benefits. Additionally, the institution enhances the ecological restoration of the waqf forest by 13.9%. The path coefficient value indicates a positive influence on the sustainability of these socio-economic benefits. Hypothesis testing confirms a significant impact of the Waqf Forest Institution, validating the alternative hypothesis (Ha). The Waqf Forest Institution is a vital resource for the local community, offering sustainable forest management and generating income. Managed in accordance with Indonesian laws and Islamic Sharia regulations, the institution strategically selects sites to improve service access and enhance the forest's role in livelihoods. The study underscores the importance of higher education in improving forest management and suggests policy frameworks support educational initiatives alongside ecological projects. Implications advocate for community-based financial models and strategic partnerships to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

Strengthening village forest management strategies in East Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Setiawan MR, Nurrochmat DR, Purwawangsa H. 2024. Strengthening village forest management strategies in East Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2945-2959. The livelihoods of village communities in East Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, are intricately linked to managing forest resources for production, protection, and conservation. A key form of this community-based forest management is the Village Forest, a unique concept that encircles the forest. This study is particularly important as it evaluates the institutional conditions of Ueesi Village Forest management, Ueesi Sub-district, East Kolaka District, Southeast Sulawesi Province. It also proposes alternative strategies and strategic priorities for strengthening village forest institutions, strategies that are not just beneficial but also urgently needed for the sustainability of the communities. The study's findings underscore the need for the active participation of all stakeholders in this process. The study employed a qualitative approach and structured interviews with stakeholders or critical informants involved in the Ueesi Village Forest management. Technical analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) and Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) were used to identify the necessary management strategies. The study reveals that the most suitable strategy for strengthening village forest management institutions for Ueesi Village is a turn-around (WO) strategy, which leverages all external opportunities to address internal weaknesses. The main strategic priority is to create role models who can mobilize and encourage administrators of village forest management institutions and community members to actively participate in the Ueesi Village Forest's management actively, fostering a sense of shared responsibility. The low knowledge and capacity of village forest Management Institutions (LPHD) administrators and members and the lack of systematic government support are the reasons why LPHD Ueesi is not yet optimal. In addition to government support, support is also needed from NGOs, universities, and the business sector (BUMD and private). Therefore, it is crucial to design a strategy to strengthen appropriate management institutions to support the management of the Ueesi Village Forest, with the active involvement of all stakeholders.

Declining Powers of Van Panchayats: A Case For Empowering Community Based Conservations Programs

Van Panchayats embody the struggle for community rights and democratic representation. Established after a prolonged battle against colonial rule, they were initially designed as peoplebased forest management institutions. However, their effectiveness has been undermined by increasing centralization and near-complete subordination to the forest department. This paper examines the transition of Van Panchayats, particularly following the introduction of the Joint Forest Management Program, and compares it with the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The excessive bureaucratization imposed by successive regulations has rendered Van Panchayats ineffective. It argues that Van Panchayats remain underutilised despite their potential to contribute significantly to conservation and development activities. To realise their potential, a comprehensive policy shift is necessary. This includes restoration of functional autonomy to Van Panchayats, reduced interference of the forest department, and adequate budgetary provisions. The paper advocates for the revival of Van Panchayats as a means to achieve a people based model of forest conservation and sustainable development.

Transformation of the Forestry Partnership in the Java Forest: A Study of Community Institutions Lancar Jaya after the Designation of Forest Areas with Special Management

The Forest Village Community Institution (LMDH Lancar Jaya) is formed to carry out forestry partnerships in forest areas managed by Perum Perhutani. Along with the designation of this forest area as Forest Areas with Special Management (KHDPK), this institution and its forestry partnerships must be transformed. This study analyzes the timeline and performance of forest village community institutions to describe potential factors for the readiness of partnership transformation. Two theoretical approaches were used in this research: Situation-Structure-Behavior-Performance developed by Schmid (1987; 2004) and Jones’ organizational capacity to produce value (Jones, 2013). The method used was qualitative descriptive, timeline, and content analyses. Research data and information were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. This study concludes that the performance of LMDH Lancar Jaya is efficient as an independent and active institution. This performance is driven by significant capital. Good social capital is a strong network of trust in management, solid stakeholder relationships, the ability to choose institutional alternatives that suit their characteristics, minimal transaction costs, and the ability to provide market certainty with interlock transactions. This article recommends the necessary conditions for the transformation of a legal business entity by maximizing inputs for investment capacity in the form of capital, raw materials, human resources, business knowledge, and customers, which is supported by input conversion, administrative fulfillment, and cooperative facilitation of transformation.

Forest users' perceptions and institutional dynamics during covariate health-related shocks: Lessons from the Busitema Forest Reserve in Uganda

Increased dependency on the forest has resulted in rapid transformation of forest landscapes; this has been identified in the extensive literature as a significant mechanism for the spread of several zoonotic diseases, including the Ebola and COVID-19 viruses. Empirical evidence suggests the need for active management of forest resource access as a holistic path towards curbing spillovers, placing forest management institutions at the epicentre of regulating forest resource use and preventing zoonotic spillovers. Yet, there is scant evidence on the pattern of institutional change in the context of health shocks in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This validates the need for context-specific evidence on the perceptions of forest users regarding the triggers of spillovers around forest-based communities and how forest management institutions respond to such shocks. As a contribution, we draw on descriptive statistics and narratives to: (a) analyze the perceptions of forest users regarding the triggers of covariate health-related stocks such as Ebola and COVID-19, (b) characterize forest-related institutional influence on forest management and (c) compare institutional response approaches towards the Ebola virus disease and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed a random sampling of 135 households, focus group discussions (n = 4), and expert interviews (n = 8) to generate relevant empirical data. The findings indicate that forest users identify the consumption of bushmeat and human-wildlife contact as the primary triggers of Ebola and COVID-19. Also, the COVID-19 and Ebola virus induced forest management institutional response, which assumed similar patterns. However, the degree of change largely depended on the scale and impact of the shock; COVID-19 induced more institutional responses than Ebola. The study establishes uniformity in the pattern of forest management institutional response to health shocks, providing relevant policy insights for forest settings during health shock events.

Brazilian Forest-Based Sector Perceptions and Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Developing Strategies Using the Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) Approach

The Brazilian forest-based sector (FBS) has a complex and important role in leading local and global bioeconomy and sustainable development initiatives. Among these tasks is the improvement and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, key actors in the FBS still have different perspectives regarding their contributions to the implementation and achievement of the SDGs, and this shortage of understanding and complex problem structure may result in misleading strategic planning, which must be improved to increase and strengthen their participation. This study proposes a participatory assessment to comprehend the perceptions of the Brazilian forest-based sector’s key actors and their contributions to achieving the SDGs by using a problem structuring method (PSM). Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA), a method from PSM and soft operational research, was used to support the strategic decisions and assist in formulating the strategies. Following the SODA approach, this study interviewed 13 key actors from different forest sector institutions in Brazil and listed strategies to improve their contributions to the SDGs. As a result, 29 main goals and 68 strategic options were mapped. The goals reflect the key actor’s understanding of the main contributions of the Brazilian FBS to the SDGs, and the strategic options represent the main strategies that can be implemented to strengthen the participation and positioning of these institutions in Agenda 2030.

The Problem of Institutional Fit: Uncovering Patterns with Boosted Decision Trees

Complex social-ecological contexts play an important role in shaping the types of institutions that groups use to manage resources, and the effectiveness of those institutions in achieving social and environmental objectives. However, despite widespread acknowledgment that “context matters”, progress in generalising how complex contexts shape institutions and outcomes has been slow. This is partly because large numbers of potentially influential variables and non-linearities confound traditional statistical methods. Here we use boosted decision trees – one of a growing portfolio of machine learning tools – to examine relationships between contexts, institutions, and their performance. More specifically we draw upon data from the International Forest Resources and Institutions (IFRI) program to analyze (i) the contexts in which groups successfully self-organize to develop rules for the use of forest resources (local rulemaking), and (ii) the contexts in which local rulemaking is associated with successful ecological outcomes. The results reveal an unfortunate divergence between the contexts in which local rulemaking tends to be found and the contexts in which it contributes to successful outcomes. These findings and our overall approach present a potentially fruitful opportunity to further advance theories of institutional fit and inform the development of policies and practices tailored to different contexts and desired outcomes.

Contested firewood collection in Burkina Faso: Governance, perceptions, and practices

This qualitative study explores how forest governance is perceived and embodied in everyday firewood practices in two rural villages in Burkina Faso. The study specifically looks into women’s and forest guard’s perceptions of firewood collection, access to wood, and the state regulations in place. Such exploration is helpful for showing how women who rely on firewood for their livelihoods respond to and perceive regulations, the synthesizing efforts, and the environmental impacts of firewood collection. To situate the interrelations of forest institutions, perceptions, and practices, the study draws on a critical institutional and feminist political ecology approach. Such an approach sheds light on how firewood governance in Burkina Faso excludes women from deciding over a resource they rely on for everyday life. Moreover, the approach helped illuminate how management by control, monitoring, and sensitizing efforts have a questionable impact on deforestation in forest commons.The study departs from that firewood practices as shaped by institutional complexity and historical, cultural, and taken-for-granted ways of doing, and this impacts how forest governance plays out on the ground. By exploring the discursive and the actual practices, the study contributes insights into the discrepancies between forest law enforcement and women’s perceptions of firewood collection. Such analysis advances understanding of how forest governance in Burkina Faso is embodied and internalized in how people relate to and use firewood and the complex and varying ways firewood practices are formed. The findings suggest that women should be included in forest management, receive technical training in forest practices, and that attention should be directed toward decreasing firewood dependence.

Empowerment of The Village Forest Management Institution Baharu through Optimizing the Utilization of Bamboo in Foramadiahi

The lack of public in using bamboo is due to the absence of a market and lack of public. Optimizing the use of bamboo can help society increase an economic household. The aim of carrying out service activities is to improve the skills and abilities of the village forest management institution or LPHD Baharu in using bamboo as a basic material for crafts and being able to understand the concept of an independent community economy. The activity was carried out at LPHD Baharu of Foramadiahi in Ternate, North Maluku. Activities were carried out with the LPHD forest farmers group in Foramadiahi. The method used is socialization and training to process bamboo into crafts that have marketable value. All stages of activities were carried out well and supported by community participation. Some of the uses of bamboo in Foramadiahi are as house fences, braces (gata-gata), and support poles (house building materials/concoctions). Apart from that, bamboo can also be processed into various crafts and weaves. It is hoped that these activities can provide knowledge and skills for the community to develop the potential of bamboo in Foramadiahi so that it can help the community become an independent sub-district.

Forest Governance Effectiveness in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the extent of forest governance effectiveness in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia.
 Methodology: The study employed a descriptive survey research design with quantitative and qualitative methods. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and document analysis. The sample for quantitative data consisted of 402 rural households in six kebeles and two Woredas in the Gamo zone. Data was collected using nine forest governance effectiveness indicators with their respective components. To examine the extent of forest governance effectiveness and to determine the statistically significant relationship between the variables, asymptotic significance in the chi-square test was used. Finally, to arrive at valid conclusions, the study findings from the quantitative survey were triangulated with in-depth qualitative data, other secondary sources, and empirical studies.
 Findings: According to the findings, the implementation of and attachment to these nine key indicators of forest governance effectiveness were found to be insufficient and poor, and this study arrived at the conclusion that forest governance was ineffective in terms of the majority of the components of the key indicators.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study findings have unique contributions in identifying the relevance of theories applied in this study and bridging the wider knowledge and research gaps in the study area with respect to forest policy narrations and its governance practices at local community level in Ethiopia, particularly in the Gamo Zone of South Ethiopia Regional state. Therefore, the researcher recommends the importance of ensuring independent forest institutions from top to bottom that are legally and politically empowered to coordinate the concerned sectors in the protection, governance, and sustainable utilization of the resources by realizing strong practice of the rule of law, a clear accountability line for all stakeholders, ensuring transparency, responsible public participation that enhances equity, fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency, and creating opportunities to make use of local knowledge and experiences of managing conflicts that are arising among the forest-dependent communities and the government bodies.

The interactive effect of endogenous and exogenous institutions on forest use practices in socio-culturally diverse landscapes of Cameroon

AbstractIn resource-dependent communities of sub-Saharan Africa, it is widely held that endogenous institutions either countervail or complement exogenous institutions, indicating inconsistency in empirical evidence. This has re-ignited interest to establish the independent and/or interactive effect of both endogenous and exogenous institutional structures. This paper quantitatively analyses the independent and interactive effects of community-based (endogenous) and state-based (exogenous) forest management institutions (FMIs) on the exploitation of forest resources, drawing from a representative sample of 446 households from three socio-culturally diverse landscapes of Cameroon. The paper introduces a multiplicative interaction term and used the heteroscedasticity-based instrumental variables approach to estimate the direct and indirect effects of exogenous and endogenous institutions on the behaviour of users of forest-based resources. The results indicate that: (i) Both exogenous structures of FMIs and the interaction term significantly constrain the extractive behaviour of forest resource users; (ii) endogenous structures and not rules are vital in improving the role of exogenous structures in forest resource management; (iii) while traditional rules are less significant in shaping forest resource exploitation, their effectiveness is highly significant across the study sites and (iv) institutional compatibility and complementarity was observed in landscapes that were formerly shaped by British colonial influence (Bakossi and Kilum-Ijim). This paper does not only establish the relative influence of exogenous and endogenous FMIs, it also highlights future research pathways on institutional change in the context of environmental resource management in sub-Saharan Africa.

A-383 A Novel Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Health Biomarker and Immunosuppressive Drug Monitoring in Fingerstick Blood in a Point-of-Care Setting

Abstract Background Rapid, CLIA-waived quantitative testing can help eliminate delays in receiving care, improve telemedicine, enhance the management of chronic diseases and clinical trials, and reduce healthcare costs. Intelligent Optical Systems has developed an innovative Enhanced Lateral Flow Assay (ELFA) platform and partnered with the University of California, Irvine Nephrology Division and Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine for the clinical validation of the assay. The ELFA platform quantitatively measures the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus (TAC), and health biomarkers such as proinflammatory cytokines IL6, IL8, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, an indicator of traumatic brain injury), and cystatin C (CysC, an indicator of kidney function) from fingerstick blood at the point of care. The testing panel is continuously expanding. Methods The ELFA platform is an in vitro, quantitative, single plex or multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay that consists of three main components: (i) simple fingerstick whole blood sampling kit; (ii) lateral flow test strip with running buffer and dried fluorescent labeled affinity reagents; and (iii) miniaturized readout device that can be further developed with a controlled user interface, enabling untrained users to easily record results and instantly transmit them to the physician. Depending on the analytes, the ELFA point-of-care platform has undergone bench testing or clinical validation studies, including: (1) Single plex for TAC: Clinical validation using 5 uL of capillary fingerstick whole blood from kidney transplant recipients (KTR, n = 50) compared to standard LC-MS/MS laboratory method. (2) Multiplexed ELFA for TAC, IL6, and MMP3: In vitro assessment of limit of detection (LoD), detection range, specificity, and repeatability (n = 5) with 10 uL spiked whole blood. (3) Single plex ELFA for GFAP, IL8, and CysC: In vitro determination of the LoD, detection range, CV%, and correlation of spiked and estimated analyte levels with 10 uL of spiked whole blood. For all analytes, a 4-parameter logistic calibration curve with n = 3 for each level of analyte was constructed to determine the LoD, detection range, and CV%. Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were applied to correlate and compare data between spiked and estimated levels, or between ELFA and standard lab test methods. Results Study (1) demonstrated excellent correlation between ELFA and LC-MS/MS, with a correlation coefficient r-value of 0.89, and at 95% limit of agreement, a mean difference of 0.7 ng/mL in the clinically compared samples from 50 KTRs. Study (2) showed an LoD and range of detection of 2 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL, 1 ng/mL to 5 ng/mL, and 10 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL for the multiplexed detection of TAC, IL6, and MMP3, respectively. The repeatability assessment showed a <10%CV for all analytes. Study (3) showed an LoD and range of detection of 1 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL, 0.5 ng/mL to 5 ng/mL, and 0 to 5 mg/L for GFAP, IL8, and CysC, respectively. Conclusion The ELFA platform delivers minimally invasive, convenient sampling in a POC device using capillary fingerstick blood, and provides accurate, rapid measurements of TAC, which demonstrate good repeatability and strong correlation against LC-MS standard reference measurements.

Examining forest transition and collective action in Nepal’s community forestry

Nepal is going through a major socio-economic transition in rural areas and hence in forest management practices, leading to changes in and evolution of new forest-people relationships. Community forests are experiencing an ecological transition resulting a new pattern of growth, regeneration and diversity in forest composition. The ecological transition of forest corresponds to the shifting local collective actions in community forestry which are emerging from the new socio-economic dynamics in rural areas such as income-diversification, declining subsistence utilization of forest resources and outmigration of the rural population. However, these changes are highly differentiated and variable. The hilly areas are experiencing remarkable forest cover changes than in the lowlands of Terai. In this paper, we examine the evolving intersection between new forest transition and community collective action in Nepal. We draw our analysis on the comparative case study of four villages from three different ecological regions. Our findings show that the forest transition is not static, but a dynamic process shaped by diverse local and external factors. Further, declining utilization of forests for subsistence uses has led to a new dynamic in community collective action which has played a central role in driving forest transition. Community participation in forest management is also declining. Hence, we call for reconceptualizing local collective action in this changed context which can help revise forest policies and reimagine forest institutions that can better respond to the socio-economic changes of the mountain landscape and revitalize local collective actions.

Siberian Larch Reproduction Using the Somatic Embryogenesis Biotechnology

The biotechnology of somatic embryogenesis in vitro, combined with genomic selection and cryopreservation is used to create varietal genetically tested fast-growing plantations (Multi-Varietal Forestry program (MVF), Park, 2014, 2016, 2018). In 2008, the Sukachev Forest Institute of the Siberian Branch of the RAS has developed for the first time the biotechnology of somatic embryogenesis for Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and obtained 42 proliferating cell lines consisting of embryonal-suspensor mass (ESM). The age of cell lines reaches 13 years. Significant variability was observed between cell lines in the number and size of globular embryos in proliferating embryogenic cultures, and in the ability of somatic embryos to mature and germinate. In different cell lines, the number of globular somatic embryos per 1 g of ESMs fresh weight ranges from 2040 to 11103, with 10 to 1220 embryos maturing. The regenerants germinate in a growth chamber, and plantlets of individual cell lines grow successfully in a greenhouse and then in the soil of the forest nursery at the Forest Institute’s Pogorelsky Bor station. Genotyping of clones at microsatellite loci showed their complete genetic identity to the cell line from which they were obtained. In cloned Siberian larch trees at the age of seven, the initiation of generative organs forming occurred. Thus, at present, it is possible to quickly implement the MVF program for plantation forestry in Russia.

Institutional layering in climate policy: Insights from REDD+ governance in Indonesia

Climate change adaptation in low- and middle-income countries has magnified the urgency of transforming forest governance. Despite the increased international pressure, progress is hampered by inefficiencies in forest-related state institutions that struggle with coordination, mediating political interests, and strategic policy formulation. Focusing on Indonesia's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) program, this article offers a novel perspective on the institutionalization of the climate agenda within the forestry sector and its implications for forest governance transformation. We posit that Indonesia's forest institutions have internalized the climate agenda via layering, a process where climate objectives are embedded within existing structures. While this assimilation approach potentially restricts transformative capacity, we argue that it demonstrates greater resilience for long-term climate agenda, especially in non-climate consensus nations like Indonesia. Our study accentuates the necessity to incorporate domestic political contexts in examining the institutionalization process of climate objectives. The dynamic relationship between politics and institutions provides a crucial lens to understand limitations and pathways to transformative forest governance. This analysis hopes to shed light on more efficient and transformative climate governance in the forestry sector.

HISTORY OF RESEARCH ON FOREST PRODUTIVITY IN KARELIA

The article deals with the history of research on the biological productivity of forests in Republic of Karelia as a methodological basis for the modern field of research into the components of carbon balance in forests. Particular attention is paid to the review of the studies of the researchers of the Forest Institute of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences from the moment of its formation to the present. The studies of the structure and stocks of phytomass, organic matter and carbon in different components of forest ecosystems, as well as biological aspects of the productivity of the republic’s forests are considered. Some results and prospects of studying the carbon balance in the forests of Eastern Fennoscandia at the current stage of the Institute’s activities are discussed. The references list the main studies in this research field.

Community Forest Management: Weak States or Strong Communities?

Community forest management (CFM) has become an influential approach in the sustainable use, management, and conservation of forests worldwide. It ranges from community-based self-governance of local village forests to co-management approaches with state forest agencies in public forests. However, analyses show complex relationships between states and communities in CFM. At least three ideal types can be identified. The first refers to local communities that collectively decide to manage surrounding forests themselves due to a lack of state involvement. As a manager of the public good, such absence of the state may easily lead to deforestation and forest degradation that such communities wish to avoid. A second type refers to the co-management approaches of local communities and state forest agencies. Here, forest officials and community members cooperate in managing local forests. A final type refers to indigenous communities with strong customary forest institutions whose territorial claims are recognized by the state. While communities always need specific institutions, knowledge, and tenure rights in place to make CFM perform, each ideal type presupposes various degrees of state capacity and state autonomy. The article concludes that weak states (to some degree) and strong communities (of a certain kind) may indeed form a “convincing liaison” in CFM, although it is not the only arrangement that may produce (some) positive social and environmental impacts on the ground, as the cases explored illustrate.

Плантационное выращивание Pinus sibirica Du Tour в среднетаежной зоне Республики Коми

In order to create a valuable gene pool of cedar pines in the conditions of the Komi Republic, rootstock crops of Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) were planted on the territory of laboratory training center of the Syktyvkar Forest Institute. The plants were collected from different areas of the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk region for adjustment to the local, northwestern climate. The paper presents the results of the variational analysis of morphological parameters and growth dynamics in P. sibirica cultures. Height, trunk diameter, and crown diameter were chosen as the morphometric criteria. The variability of the studied traits ranged from 18.8 to 93.1 %. The average height of the plants was 72.2±3.9 cm, the average trunk diameter was 2.0±0.1 cm. The most changeable characteristic was the diameter of the crown of the plants, which ranged between 11 and 148 cm with Сv of 30.6–93.1 %. The plants of Yarensk origin were the most developed according to the examined morphometric criteria. The average growth of P. sibirica plants in height within the age group of 9–11 years over three years was 13.5±0.9 cm. The lowest growth rate was registered in plants of the Sysola group (1 cm), whereas plants of Yarensk origin had the highest growth rate (38 cm). Throughout the research period, plants of all groups had a consistent rise in overall height. However, this trait variability was reduced only in the group of plants of Yarensk origin. The maximum variability in all three traits was observed in plants of Syktyvkar origin with Сv of 39.7–93.1 %. In general, high variability in the development of Siberian pines over three years across all experimental groups was detected. The investigation results can be applied for further research on the development and inheritance of economically valuable traits and decorative characteristics of P. sibirica in the conditions of the middle taiga subzone of the Komi Repub lic. For citation: Parshina E.I., Dymova O.V., Titov E.V. Plantation Cultivation of Pinus sibirica Du Tour in the Middle Taiga Subzone of the Komi Republic. Lesnoy Zhurnal = Russian Forestry Journal, 2023, no. 3, pp. 195–204. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.37482/0536-1036-2023-3-195-204