Forest Institutions Research Articles

Learning from the past: Trends and dynamics in livelihoods of Bolivian forest communities

• Social ecological systems (SES) characterize dynamics of Bolivian forest communities. • Communities experience SES thresholds as multiple social and economic challenges. • Communities confront negative SES feed-backs with new forestry innovations. • Competition, population growth and economic opportunities threaten benign forest extraction. We use social ecological systems theory (SES) to analyse change in forest communities in the northern Bolivian Amazon. SES characterizes interdependent dynamics of social and ecological systems and we hypothesized it to be a useful frame to grasp dynamics of forest communities affected by changes in forest policies, regulations and institutions, as well as economic demands and conservation objectives. We analysed the long-term historical changes since the region became incorporated in the global tropical forest product value chain since the late 19th century and quantitatively analysed changes in 85 forest communities between 1997 and 2009. We collected information on 16 variables related to demographic, productive, and socio-economic characteristics. Results show that forest communities have experienced major changes and have adapted to these changes. Social thresholds, a key concept in SES, are consistent with multiple social economic forces experienced by forest communities. Detrimental feed-back effects of SES can be confronted when innovative exploration mechanisms, such as new productive chains are developed, or the agro-extractive cycles of current productive system are expanded. Competition among households, population growth and more profitable economic opportunities may threaten benign forms of forest products extraction that have persisted through various cycles of internal and external changes.

Su2011 Diagnostic Yield and Clinical Impact of a Low-Cost Microendoscope in the Early Diagnosis of Barrett's Associated Neoplasia: A Prospective, Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

G A A b st ra ct s Additionally, differentiated IMFEN-iRFP neurons were triggered by electrical field stimulation to produce transient relaxation of bioengineered IAS constructs. Conclusion: Our results suggest that IM-FEN-iRFPs are detectable in the near IR range (710nm), and that iRFP expression does not inhibit IM-FEN ability to differentiate into neurons. This is the first instance where NIR proteins have been used to label neural cells. By labeling progenitor cells with NIR proteins, in vivo imaging can be optimized in the biologically clear window (700-1000nm). This work was supported by NIH R01DK071614 and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Team Pilot grant.

One organ at a time

Stem cell research—and investment into it—has been largely inspired by the hope of using stem cells to regenerate, repair or replace damaged tissue or even whole organs. Stem cell‐based therapies promise to eventually solve the problems associated with conventional organ transplantation: notably tissue rejection, a shortage of donors and the poor quality of donor organs. A much improved knowledge of the factors needed to coax stem cells to differentiate into specialized cells, in combination with advances in tissue engineering, has brought that promise closer to reality. Specific tissues and even whole organs generated from stem cells can now be grown in vitro and then transplanted into a patient to continue their development in vivo . Scientists have already successfully transplanted relatively simple laboratory‐grown organs, such as the bladder and wind‐pipe, and have for decades conducted now‐standard skin and bone marrow transplantation. > Specific tissues and even whole organs generated from stem cells can now be grown in vitro and then transplanted into a patient to continue their development in vivo The first laboratory‐grown internal organs were transplanted in 1999 in the USA, although the results were not reported until 2006, after tracking the patients for several years [1]. These first transplants did not involve the specific differentiation of stem cells, but they established that laboratory‐grown organs could be transplanted and subsequently function correctly. The team involved, under the leadership of Anthony Atala, Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston‐Salem, North Carolina, implanted laboratory‐grown bladders into seven children with spina bifida and severely malfunctioning bladders. They extracted cells from the children's malfunctioning bladders and used them to grow thin sacs of tissue in the laboratory. These rudimentary organs were then grafted back on to the patients' own bladders. The work was an important stepping stone and …

Governance of forest conservation and co-benefits for Bangladesh under changing climate

We focused on key aspects of forest governance for biodiversity conservation in implementing new climate change policies. The national forest institutions must be adaptive to identify the existing pitfalls of prior conservation policies to take advantage of new climate change policies. Strengthening roles and technical capacity of national institutions for systematic biodiversity monitoring and carbon stock assessment is required in developing and least developed countries. Community participation needs careful analysis to ensure equitable access of particular social groups to local decision-making processes and to sustain optional livelihoods. The livelihood options around forest reserves or protected areas must be taken into account to enhance forest-based adaptation.

Unpredictable Outcomes in Forestry—Governance Institutions in Practice

Community forest management in the Amazon has been subject to institutional changes because of a shift from government to governance. Although these changes aim to create opportunities for local communities, the effectiveness of new institutions remains arbitrary. In particular, the unpredictability of legislative outcomes—as one of the institutional changes—evokes discussion on how local people respond to new institutions. This article analyzes the effects of forest institutions at the local level. By using the concept of institutional bricolage, the article argues that institutions in practice work differently than intended.

Decentralised Forest Governance, Institutions and Livelihoods in Odisha: A Study of Evolution of Policy Process and Politics

This paper aims to provide an analytical glimpse of the evolution of forest policies in Odisha in the post-independence era, by unraveling the major stages of evolution of such policies. The paper also seeks to explore the issues of livelihoods, which has attained priority while formulating forest policies under the different political regimes in the State, and how this issue gradually evolved as a part of the pro-poor policy process in the state forestry sector of Odisha. [CESS Working Paper No. 127 RULNR Working Paper No. 21].

Forestry of Serbia - achievement of Millenium Goals in the era of climate change and globalization

This paper is a review presenting research results on the forest ecosystems of Serbia that are carried out at the Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment (University of Novi Sad, Serbia) in the context of climate change and globalisation. The review displays results of the long-term monitoring of the forest ecosystems, where the data were obtained at the permanent experimental trials of IPC-Forests (level 2) and the iLTER's network. All findings are systematically divided according to the research disciplines and the most important tree species (poplar, willow, oak, wild cherry and European beech). Also the aspects of social sciences are included (meaning evaluating forest institutions in the first place). This review is meant to contribute inputs to the ongoing discussion about the achievement of the Millenium Goals of Sustainable Development in the context of Serbian forestry.

Third International Congress on Planted Forests: Planted Forests on the Globe - Renewable Resources for the Future

Guest Editorial This Special Issue of the Journal comprises peer-reviewed papers that were submitted following the Third International Congress on Planted Forests. This Congress was organized by the Atlantic Regional Office of the European Forest Institute (EFIATLANTIC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Union of Foresters of Southern Europe (USSE). The Congress comprised three scientific workshops held in Bordeaux, Dublin and Porto from 15 to 18 May 2013, and one plenary meeting held in Estoril from 20 to 21 May 2013. The Congress was attended by around 200 participants, with more than 60 invited papers from more than 20 countries. The Congress was the third in the series with the first held in Santiago, Chile in 1999, and the second in Wellington, New Zealand in 2003. The Congress focussed on global perspectives on planted forest development, vulnerability and risk management, ecosystem services and landscape restoration, and governance, economics, trade markets and profitability of planted forests. A full summary report drafted by a panel of international experts can be found on the Congress website (http://www.efiatlantic.efi.int/portal/events/past_events/ 2013/icpf/). The Congress noted that the global planted forest area and wood production was continuing to increase, with expansion mainly in Asia, and that planted forests are being increasingly seen as complementary to natural forests and not as a replacement. Global risks were projected to increase both from a changing climate and from socio-economic factors where population pressure is high or there is a high incidence of poverty. It was noted that adaptation strategies to respond to these risks and to mitigate and lessen the damage from these threats were in their infancy. Planted forests are also being seen increasingly as more than just a source of wood and there is increasing recognition of the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services (such as fresh water, clean air, bioenergy, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, or recreation) that these forests provide. Good governance and management standards were emphasised, and the need to think of planted forests as an integral part of the landscape and land-use matrix rather than just alone. Security of tenure and management certainty are critical for long term activities such as forestry, and to ensure the attractiveness of planted forests to investment funds and to encourage a good economic environment for commercial activities. Overall, the outlook for planted forests and their global contribution is positive though major challenges are expected arising from on-going climate change and from increasing socio-economic and environmental impacts. The papers in this special issue provide a permanent record of some of the topics discussed at the Congress. Special thanks go to the editorial and production teams at the New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science for preparing this special issue, and to the numerous anonymous manuscript reviewers for their valuable comments on each of the contributions.

Crisis of Governance in Maya Guatemala: Indigenous Responses to a Failing State

Crisis of Governance in Maya Guatemala: Indigenous Responses to a Failing State

Elite capture risk and mitigation in decentralized forest governance regimes

Recent scholarship focuses on elite capture as a driver of social inequality and a source of policy failure across a wide range of governance initiatives. In the context of environmental governance, concerns center on perceived links between elite capture and decentralization, particularly in developing countries where decentralized natural resource governance has been widely implemented. But, there is limited empirical knowledge regarding if, and the conditions under which, decentralization might promote elite capture, or whether institutional design factors can militate against it. We examine how local institutional arrangements under forest sector decentralization affect the risk of elite capture of forest benefits, as well as the potential for a key institutional design factor (linkages to external organizations as an accountability-building mechanism) to mitigate this risk. We analyze forest product harvesting data as well as social, ecological, and institutional data from pre- and post-decentralization across 56 forests and 174 community groups in four countries. We employ hierarchical linear modeling to test the extent to which decentralization is associated with inequities in the distribution of forest harvest benefits within communities, and to characterize the institutional arrangements that affect elite capture outcomes. We find not only strong evidence for increased local rule-making under decentralization, but also significantly higher risk of elite capture of forest harvest benefits. This risk increases with increasing time since decentralization, but it is also substantially moderated in cases where an external organization was involved in organizing the local forest institution. Our findings highlight ways in which decentralization reforms are filtered by institutional arrangements to produce different outcomes, and generate new knowledge on micro-institutional factors that can reduce the risk of elite capture in decentralized environmental governance regimes.

Tracheal Reconstruction in a Canine Model

Tracheal reconstruction using a stem cell-based engineered trachea has recently shown promise. Our goal is to achieve a single-stage stem cell-based tracheal replacement. Prospective feasibility study. Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Five healthy male beagles were implanted with a 2.5-cm segment of decellularized trachea. A sixth animal, planned for the control arm, died of anesthetic complications prior to tracheal implantation. The remaining 5 beagles were divided into 2 study arms: 4 had adipose-derived stem cells coating the lumen of the donor trachea, and a control animal had the trachea implanted cell free. The donor tracheas were obtained from previously sacrificed size-matched canines and decellularized. The adipose tissue was harvested from a recipient animal and the trachea prepared, seeded, and then implanted, all in one operation. Adipose stem cells were labeled fluorescently. Five of 6 planned surgical procedures were completed successfully. All required sacrifice for airway distress at approximately 1 week postoperatively. All tracheal grafts were found to be malacic and compromised. In a canine model using a decellularized tracheal scaffold and adipose stem cells, the postoperative inflammatory response and evidence of rejection was minimal. However, all scaffolds exhibited breakdown, compromising the animals' airways, necessitating euthanasia earlier than planned. For future study, a similar animal model using a single-stage approach with a more robust scaffold may allow for greater survival and stem cell differentiation.

Measuring the success of state forest institutions through the example of Serbia and Croatia

SUMMARY To measure the success of state forest institutions the full range of their goals should be considered. As partial evaluations are still dominant a task of a comprehensive performance measuring represents a theoretical and an empirical challenge. In solving this challenge the goals from policy programmes are taken and anchored in the scientific theories. The key question of this paper is the operationalisation of such criteria. For that, the indicators are utilised, which are selected according to the pre-defined quality requirements. By combining these indicators, an ordinal scale ranging from zero (0) to three (3) is designed for each criterion and it is compared how economic, ecological and political goals are met. The applicability of this method is tested on the five state forest institutions in Serbia and Croatia. The main results show that (i) comprehensive evaluation of state forest institutions is empirically feasible, (ii) state forest institutions that manage state-owned forests in Serb...

Sponsors of SENS6

Sponsors of SENS6

Stem‐Cell Tracheal Reconstruction in a Canine Model

Objectives: Advance the science of stem-cell based tracheal reconstruction. Methods: Tracheal reconstruction is an evolving field with recent success using a stem-cell based ex-vivo engineered trachea. Taking this idea a step further, an in-vivo method requiring less time and fewer procedures would be optimal. We performed a pilot study using 18 rabbits in 2012 at Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The tracheal replacements in the adipose study arm exhibited superior survival when compared to the bone marrow derived stem cell group. In this follow-up study, we performed tracheal replacement in a canine model using 4 experimental animals. We used a segment of fixed, cell-free donor trachea, and stem cells harvested from adipose tissue in the recipient animals. Acellular conduits were seeded with stem cells and implanted. Results: The live-animal procedures were successful, with stable oxygenation and vital signs at extubation. The animals were able to demonstrate comfortable and spontaneous respiration and were bright and active for the first post-operative week. They were then euthanized to evaluate the early phase of stem cell survival and differentiation. The complete histologic categorization is ongoing and will be reported. Conclusions: We will report the early findings of a single stage stem cell based tracheal replacement—the next evolution of this exciting potential reconstructive option.

Aspectos geológico-geomorfológicos do Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca/MG: base para o entendimento do seu geopatrimônio

O Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca (PEI) é a unidade de conservação estadual mais visitada no Estado de Minas Gerais, de acordo com dados do Instituto Estadual de Florestas (IEF, 2012). Essa estatística reflete a grande beleza cênica do seu geopatrimônio, tais como grutas, quedas d'água, praias fluviais, ponte de pedra, dentre outras. Para melhor compreender esse geopatrimônio, este estudo tem por objetivo caracterizar a geologia e a geomorfologia local. Espera-se, ainda, que as informações aqui disponibilizadas sejam, no futuro, adaptadas e repassadas aos visitantes do parque, promovendo não apenas a contemplação, mas o entendimento do geopatrimônio, numa perspectiva de valorização dessa vertente da natureza.

OBJECT-BASED ANALYSIS OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRIC POINT CLOUD AND SPECTRAL DATA FOR LAND COVER MAPPING

Abstract. The acquisition of 3D point data with the use of both aerial laser scanning (ALS) and matching of aerial stereo images coupled with advances in image processing algorithms in the past years provide opportunities to map land cover types with better precision than before. The present study applies Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) to 3D point cloud data obtained from matching of stereo aerial images together with spectral data to map land cover types of the Nord-Trøndelag county of Norway. The multi-resolution segmentation algorithm of the Definiens eCognition™ software is used to segment the scenes into homogenous objects. The objects are then classified into different land cover types using rules created based on the definitions given for each land cover type by the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute. The quality of the land cover map was evaluated using data collected in the field as part of the Norwegian National Forest Inventory. The results show that the classification has an overall accuracy of about 80% and a kappa index of about 0.65. OBIA is found to be a suitable method for utilizing 3D remote sensing data for land cover mapping in an effort to replace manual delineation methods.

Measuring the role of forest income in mitigating poverty and inequality: evidence from south-eastern Nigeria

Income derived from forest extraction occupies a significant proportion of total household income for many forest communities in sub-Saharan African. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence in general on the distributional implications of forest income on poverty and inequality. In addition, there is a gap in our knowledge on the factors underlying households' participation in forest extraction activities as well as income derived from forest extraction. We use data from a survey of 1457 households from nine local government areas (LGAs) in the Cross River State in south-eastern Nigeria. Results from poverty and inequality decomposition experiments suggest that forest income plays a significant role in mitigating poverty and inequality in the region with varying impacts across the LGAs. Furthermore, results from a Tobit model with sample selection on the determinants of forest income indicate that the age, education and sex of household heads, alternative household income sources, household size, membership in forest management institutions, household poverty status and distance from homestead to the forest have statistically significant impacts on both the probability to participate in forest extraction and the amount derived from forest gathering. Possibly policy implications of the findings are extensively discussed.

Certification of a Community-based Forest Enterprise for Improving Institutional Management and Household Income: A Case from Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Forest certification for community-based forest management was designed to strengthen an area’s forestry functions while simultaneously alleviating poverty by developing the existing community forest. It is fundamental for forest certification to maintain the economic benefits for certified local sellers and balance conservation goals with increasing local incomes. This study explores how FSC certification of a community-based forest enterprise in Southeast Sulawesi in Indonesia could improve effectively field situations of community forest management and strengthen local peoples’ financial benefits and social perceptions towards conserving forests. FSC group certification was introduced in the area of teak community forest of several villages in 2005. Because of local strong interest in group certification, the size of certified forests, the number of group certification members and the amount of certified wood harvested gradually increased. The support of a local NGO and an international NGO contributed towards successful establishment of group certification and establishment of a small-scale forestry enterprise producing certified wood in a sustainable manner. These NGOs played important roles in establishing strong relationships between producers and consumers, strengthening local forest management institutions, and promising social and economic benefits to the local people.

Anthropogenic transformation of soils in the northern Ergeni Upland (studies at the first experimental plot of the Arshan’-Zelmen Research Station)

The results of soil studies performed in 2005–2009 at the first experimental plot of the Arshan’-Zelmen Research Station of the Institute of Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences are discussed. The post-reclamation state (about 55 years after reclamation) of the soils under forest shelterbelts and adjacent croplands in the rainfed agriculture was studied. The long-term efficiency of forest reclamation and crop-growing technologies developed in the 1950s by the Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute and the Institute of Forest to reclaim strongly saline solonetzic soils was proved. In 55 years, strongly saline sodic solonetzes with sulfate-chloride and chloride-sulfate composition of salts were replaced by agrogenic soils with new properties. Under forest shelterbelts, where deep (40–60 cm) plowing was performed, the soils were transformed into slightly saline solonetzic agrozems with slight soda salinization in the upper meter and with dealkalized plowed and turbated horizons (0–20(40) cm). Under the adjacent cropland subjected to the influence of the shelterbelts on the soil water regime, strongly saline solonetzes were transformed into solonchakous agrosolonetzes with slight soda salinization in the upper 50 cm. In the plow layer, the content of exchangeable sodium decreased to 4–12% of the sum of exchangeable cations. An increased alkalinity and the presence of soda were found in the middle-profile horizons of the anthropogenically transformed soils.

Effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on inflammatory pathway markers in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages

In the treatment of bacterial infections, antibiotics have proven to be very effective, but the way in which antibiotics are dosed can create a lag time between the administration of the drug and its absorption at the site of insult. The time it takes an antibiotic to reach therapeutic levels can often be significantly increased if the vascular system is compromized. Bacteria can multiply pending the delivery of the drug, therefore, developing treatments that can inhibit the inflammatory response while waiting for antibiotics to take effect could help prevent medical conditions such as septic shock. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field on the production of inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor (TNF), transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB), and the expression of the A20 (tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein 3), in an inflamed-cell model. Lipopolysaccharide-challenged cells were exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic field at various frequencies in order to determine which, if any, frequency would affect the TNF-NFkB-A20 inflammatory response pathway. Our study revealed that cells continuously exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic field at 5 Hz demonstrated significant changes in the downregulation of TNF-α and NFkB and also showed a trend in the down regulation of A20, as compared with controls. This treatment could be beneficial in modulating the immune response, in the presence of infection.