Conservation Of Forest Resources Research Articles

Effects of Groundwater Table Decline on Vegetation in Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems

The distribution map of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) is generally used for the scientific management of vegetation and groundwater resources, and is instructive for forest resource conservation. The groundwater table in the Loess zone has declined over the past few years, but no study has yet been conducted to assess the impact of this decline on GDEs. This study used data from the GRACE gravity satellite to delineate groundwater fluctuation periods from 2002 to 2021, to develop a method to identify whether vegetation is potentially associated with groundwater using three criteria, and to verify the accuracy of this method. Study results show that the groundwater changes in the Loess zone can be divided into two periods, 2002–2014 and 2015–2021, with groundwater declines becoming more rapid after 2015. We did not observe the spatial variation pattern of GDEs in the Loess areas, but there was a significant change in the area of GDEs during the two periods studied, with a 13.56% decrease in the very likely GDEs’ group area and an 11.68% increase in the unlikely GDEs’ group area between 2015 and 2021 compared to 2002–2014, with little change in the neutral, likely, and very unlikely group areas. This study provides a reference for exploring the relationship between vegetation and groundwater, as well as for the scientific management of water resources.

Carbon stocks of Geramo forest, the western escarpment of the rift valley of Ethiopia

Forests play a vital role in the global carbon balance and combating global climate change by sequestering and retaining carbon from the atmosphere in their biomass and soil. Thus, this study aims to estimate the carbon stocks in the biomass and soil along with various environmental factors in the Geramo forest in southern Ethiopia. Ninety-six plots (20 × 20 m2) were laid at a distance of 250 m along 16 line transects that were laid 300 m apart. Five 1 × 1 m2 subplots (4 at the corner and 1 at the center) were laid inside each main plot for LHG and soil data collection. The results revealed that the estimated total carbon stocks and mean carbon stock densities of the study forest were 57994 Mg h−1and 604 ± 344 Mg h−1, respectively, with a mean CO2 equivalent of 2217 ± 1262 Mg h−1. This result indicates the remarkable role of the Geramo forest in carbon stock and sequestration potential compared with other remnant forests in Ethiopia. Thus, the Geramo forest plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, and hence, this forest can generate carbon credits as financial benefits to the nearby population in the future. The results also revealed that anthropogenic disturbances were negatively associated with the carbon stocks of the forest. Therefore, sustainable forest conservation activities are needed to conserve forest resources, protect the forest from growing anthropogenic disturbances, and sustain its current global climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits.

Landscape Health Assessment of Suburban Forest Park: A Case Study Based on Multiple Sampling Units and Functional Characteristics

Assessing the landscape health of suburban forest parks is a prerequisite for achieving the dual objectives of forest resource conservation and recreational services. However, studies that analyze landscape health in suburban forest parks at a landscape scale by subdividing the landscape into multiple sampling units and adopting a multi-functional perspective have been limited. This study focuses on Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park and establishes a landscape classification system and indices, taking into account its multifunctionalities. The study employs the entropy weight method to determine indicator weights and utilizes grid analysis and spatial interpolation to analyze the spatial distribution of landscape health under multiple sampling units and functionalities, along with the differences in its impact and influencing factors. The results indicate that: (1) regions with “very poor” and “poor” landscape health grades under multiple sampling units and functionalities exhibited a sheet-like distribution pattern, covering approximately 69.46% to 98.86% of the total area. In contrast, regions with “very good” and “good” grades are primarily located in block-like or linear patterns in the northern, central, and southern regions of the park, accounting for approximately 1.07% to 17.20% of the total area. (2) The area ratios of “very good” and “good” landscape health grades for recreational landscapes under varying sampling units were consistently higher than those of the same grades for eco-conservational landscapes, with a 5.03%–15.43% difference. This suggests a greater emphasis on recreational functionality. (3) The impact of three different sampling unit sizes on the landscape health of Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park under multifunctionalities is not significantly different; however, the forest/non-forest area ratio and quantity ratio are vital factors influencing its landscape health. The landscape health assessment results, considering multiple sampling units and functionalities in this study, serve to provide technical method support and practical case references for the planning, construction, and management decision-making of suburban forest parks.

Analysis of the Suitability of Potential Regional Leading Sectors and Expertise Competencies of Vocational High Schools in Boalemo District

This study aims to analyze the potential of regional excellence in Boalemo Regency and determine the suitability of SMK areas of expertise with the potential of regional leading sectors. This research was conducted in Boalemo Regency, in ten vocational schools spread across 7 sub-districts. The method used in this study is a combination of sequential explanatory model with location qoutient (LQ) data analysis and qualitative data analysis. Based on the analysis of LQ data, it was obtained that the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries business have an LQ value of 1.44, wholesale and retail trade; Car and motorcycle repairs with a value of 1.099, and government administration, defense and compulsory social security have an LQ value of 1.01. In the interview, it was found that agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and tourism are the leading sectors of the region. In accordance with the leading sectors of the region, there are 11 competencies of expertise. Meanwhile, the competence of expertise that is not in accordance with the leading sectors of the region there are 7 expertise competencies. Thec ompetence of expertise in the field of tourism businesses such as Tourism Travel Business, Hospitality, Hospitality Accommodation and Fashion Design is in accordance with the leading sector of the region because the tourism sector cannot be measured using LQ analysis but uses interview techniques. The recommended expertise competencies include Plant Breeding and Seeding, Forest Resources Conservation Techniques, Forest Rehabilitation and Relaxation Techniques, Freshwater Fisheries Agribusiness, Online Business and Marketing, Retail and Marine Tourism &; Ecotourism.

Assessment of forest cover and forest loss using satellite images in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam

Deforestation in the tropics continues inexorably with severe implications for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation and ecosystem services. This study investigated variation in forest cover in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, using the Landsat Thematic Mapper and Operational Land Imager satellite images over the period 1989–2021. Imageries were classified using the maximum likelihood classification technique for the years 1989, 2006, and 2021 and were evaluated for accuracy using the kappa coefficient for each year. Furthermore, forest cover losses and gains were evaluated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, which were compared with the output of the supervised classification. Results showed that the forest cover of Thua Thien Hue province has drastically declined over the years. The forest cover, which was estimated at 68.88% (3461.46 km2) of the total land area in 1989, increased to 69.04% (3469.51 km2) in 2006 and subsequently decreased to 57.55% (2891.81 km2) in 2021. Severely reduced forest cover is often associated with the expansion of agriculture on the forest edge; other contributing factors include logging, illegal production land, and forest fires. Overall, our results show the necessity of forest management, rational land-use planning policy, and increased community awareness of conservation and sustainable development of forest resources in the study area in the future.

Residents' perception and impact of COVID-19 on ecotourism in West Africa: The case of Banco National Park in Côte d’Ivoire

Ecotourism, as a means of fostering socio-economic level of local communities and contributing to the conservation of forest resources, is important for development in low-income countries. This work investigates the extent to which local people support the continuation of ecotourism during the COVID-19 pandemic and their attitudes towards resource conservation in Banco National Park in Côte d’Ivoire using social exchange theory (SET) as a foundation. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to conduct a survey with 150 informants selected among residents around the park. The data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approaches. The results showed that residents' perception of the impacts of ecotourism strongly affects their support for tourism development during the COVID-19 pandemic (β = 0.918, p < 0.05). The socio-cultural (β = 0.275, p < 0.05) and environmental (β = 0.309, p < 0.05) benefits of ecotourism are the key determinants of the residents' perception and their support for ecotourism within the park during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also revealed that economic benefits from ecotourism are linked to residents' perceptions of the qualities of the tourism place (β = 0.363, p < 0.05). Overall, local people around Banco Park recognize that ecotourism produces more benefits than detriments. The COVID-19 pandemic, a painful and unexpected event, has not blunted their support for the continuation of ecotourism. This study calls for the integration of local residents' opinions in the development of the ecotourism sector in Côte d’Ivoire. It is a first step in determining residents' attitudes towards ecotourism in West Africa in a post-COVID context, and the results constitute a starting point for future studies.

Theoretical preconditions for the development of accounting in forestry enterprises on the challenges of sustainable development

Purpose. The purpose of the article is the formation of theoretical principles of accounting in forestry enterprises on the challenges of the concept of sustainable development, in terms of defining the directions of improving the information support system of rational forestry for the purpose of preservation, reproduction and use of forest resources at the micro and macro levels of the economy. Results. Based on the results of the study, it is established that to ensure the functioning of domestic forestry enterprises on the principles of sustainable development, a necessary condition is to take into account economic, environmental and social goals in management. For this purpose, the directions of economic operations on forest use (harvesting and processing of forest products, reproduction of forest resources) are identified, which can be used as a basis for clarifying the composition of accounting objects specific to forest enterprises for further development of their organizational and methodological support. It is proved that forest resources and losses caused to the environment due to irrational forest use should be reflected in accounting, which will allow forming information support for forest resources management at the microeconomic level. Scientific novelty. The lack of a developed management mechanism that would ensure the conservation, reproduction and rational use of forest resources leads to the loss of national wealth. The evolution of the modern world market economy necessitates the interaction of society and nature, which is based on the postulates of the theory of sustainable development. For forestry, it is the observance of the balance of economic interests of the subjects of forest relations and the protection of forest resources. The above necessitated the delineation of areas for improving the information system of rational forest use in order to preserve, reproduce and use forest resources at the micro and macro levels of the economy. Practical value. The main results of the study can be used: at the microeconomic level (forestry enterprises) – to develop a management mechanism that would ensure the conservation, reproduction and rational use of forest resources; improvement of the system of information support of rational forest use in terms of development of organizational and methodological support of accounting of objects specific to forestry; at the macroeconomic level – to prevent the loss of a component of the country’s national wealth – forest resources; control over the availability and condition of forest resources, which is a component of economic security of the state.

A dataset of soil water and heat dynamics from Pinus massoniana plantations under close-to-nature management in South Subtropics (2016–2021)

This study was conducted at the Tropical Forestry Experimental Center of the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Youyiguan Pingxiang Chongzuo Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi. Based on the automatic meteorological observation station, we monitored and analyzed the soil hydrothermal dynamics in Pinus massoniana plantations under close-to-nature management. The sample plots layout, index monitoring, and data quality control were carried out in accordance with relevant specifications. This dataset contains the data of soil temperature, soil volume water content, soil heat flux, as well as air temperature and air humidity in Pinus massoniana plantations of close-to-nature management in South Subtropics from 2016 to 2021. After standard data processing, including outlier elimination and data interpolation, we statistically derived the daily data of soil water and heat dynamics of Pinus massoniana, and explained the construction of the dataset. The establishment and sharing of this dataset are valuable for facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of soil water and heat in Pinus massoniana plantations under close-to-nature management in South Subtropics. Furthermore, the dataset can serve as an important resource for in-depth research on the response of mixed coniferous broad-leaved forest to global climate change. It can provide essential to support the sustainable management and conservation of forest resources in South Subtropics.

Insights from National Conference on Sustainability, Business, and Society

This article is based on a comprehensive report on the National Conference on Sustainability, Business, and Society organized by Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore in collaboration with MDRF, New Delhi on 30 September 2023. The conference was organized to explore the philosophical and practical underpinnings of sustainability, beginning with Carlowitz's advocacy of forest resource conservation. Nine distinguished speakers and sixty delegates from India, Nepal and Bahrain, participated in the conference. Delegates at the conference looked at the socio-economic implications of the industrial pursuits of the 20th century and the evolution of sustainability as a focal point of global conversations, role and responsibility of business, society and nation in the 21st century, especially in light of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the evolving global consciousness amidst industrial pursuits, climate change, and the rise of the sustainability lexicon during the proceedings of the inaugural and technical sessions of the conference. Key insights from the conference are likely to foster further dialogue and collaboration among academicians, policymakers, administrators, researchers, students, and the public in mitigating the contemporary sustainability challenges through appropriate interventions.

«REGULATION ON FOREST PRESERVATION» AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN KAZAN GOVERNORATE IN THE LATE XIX – EARLY XX CENTURY

At the end of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century the development of forestry in Russia, including Kazan governorate, was to a certain extent determined by the state policy in this area and forest legislation then in force.&#x0D; &#x0D; The purpose of the study is to characterize the content of the “Regulations on Forest Preservation” dated 1888 and to analyze its implementation in the territory of Kazan governorate.&#x0D; &#x0D; Materials and methods. The work carried out is mainly based on the analysis of previously unknown archival documents extracted from the fund of Kazan Governorate Forest Protection Committee of the State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan and the fund of the Forest Department of the Russian State Historical Archive. Materials from published sources and scientific literature on forestry issues were also used. The research is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency.&#x0D; &#x0D; Study results. The “Regulation” paid the main attention to proper management of the economy in protective and water-conserving forests. They were subject to mandatory saving from exhaustion and extermination. At the beginning of the XX century there were more than 200 such protective forest estates in Kazan governorate. Direct control over the forest resources conservation in the governorate was conducted by Kazan Forest Protection Committee, which was assisted by the ranks of the state forest administration, forest guards, police and other institutions. The number of forest estates subject to the forest protection law in Kazan province increased significantly over time. This was accompanied by the establishment of state control, primarily over the forests of private individuals and peasant rural societies, clear regulation of the volume and order of forest use, reforestation and other fundamental aspects of forestry. Gradually, the effect of the “Regulation” spread to almost the entire forest area of the governorate, regardless of the category of forest owners.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions. In general, implementation of the “Regulation on Forest Preservation” had, undoubtedly, a positive impact on the condition and development of forest protection legislation and Russia’s forest industry, including Kazan governorate of the period under review.

Characterization of Two Main Forest Cover Loss Transitions in North Korea from 1990 to 2020

This study aims to characterize forest cover transitions in North Korea and identify deforested areas that are degraded or at risk of degradation. We used phenological information and random forest classifiers to perform a deforestation classification. We then extracted the two main forest cover loss patterns, sloping farmland (farmland with slope greater than 6 degrees) and unstocked forest (crown cover less than 20%), for the years of 2000, 2010, and 2020. Based on the deforestation map of each year, we analyzed the deforestation dynamics from 1990 to 2020. Forests showed decreases in cover by 27% over the 30-year study period and accounted for 41.5% of the total land area in 2020. Deforestation spread into the core area, which led to severe shrinkage and fragmentation of forests. Unstocked forest and sloping farmland experienced the highest rates of loss among the forestland uses and accounted for 48.9% and 39.3% of the total loss over the study period, respectively. During the study period, 25,128 km2, 5346 km2, and 6728 km2 of forestland was cleared, degraded, and was at risk of degradation or barrenness by artificial repeated fires, respectively. This methodological framework provides a valuable template for areas that are difficult to access, and the deforestation dynamics results can provide a basis for conservation and sustainable management of forest resources.

Habitat range shift and prediction of the potential future distribution of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel in Benin (West Africa)

Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel is an important nutraceutical reservoir. Its Sustainable exploitation requires information on its potential distribution in the current context of rapid population growth and climate change threats. This study aimed to map the suitable areas for its domestication and conservation under current and future climate conditions in Benin. Occurrence data were recorded and combined with the environmental layers of two climatic scenarios (optimistic RCP 4.5 and pessimistic RCP 8.5) following the biodiversity modelling approach (biomod2). Currently, about four percent (5082 Km2) of the country's area mainly located in the sub-humid and the humid zones were potentially suitable for R. heudelotii distribution. Under future climatic conditions the potentially suitable areas were mainly in the sub-humid zone, but almost all the highly suitable areas located in the humid zone will become medium suitable areas by the years 2055 and 2085 horizons. This study shows that, whatever the future climatic scenarios, R. heudelotii will substantially maintain the size of its range across the country. These findings allow undertaking anticipated actions to better adapt to the potential effects of climate change and to better guide policies for the conservation and development of forest resources.

Dynamic Change of Forest Ecological Benefit of the Natural Forest Protection Project in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River

The Natural Forest Protection Project (NFPP) is an ecological restoration project aimed at safeguarding natural forests, and is one of China’s six main forestry initiatives. The upper reaches of the Yangtze River represent the main distribution area of natural forests in China, and are an important area for the implementation of the NFPP. A systematic assessment of forest ecosystem changes in the upper Yangtze River region before and after implementation of the NFPP is of great scientific significance for the improvement of the project implementation effect, regional ecological protection, and further protection and restoration of natural forest resources. This study uses the NFPP area in the Yangtze River’s upper reaches as the study area; the data are primarily derived from the 1998 and 2020 forest resources category II survey data, long-term monitoring data from forest ecological stations, and public social data published by authoritative Chinese organizations. Based on the above data, we used the full index system of forest ecosystem services, continuous observation, and inventory system with the distributed measurement method to analyze the dynamic changes in forest ecosystem services in the study area in terms of three aspects: physical quality, value quality, and dominant function. The results of the study show that: (1) over the studied time scale, compared to the 1998 baseline, the physical quantities (soil erosion control, water regulation, and PM10 retention) and value of each service function of the forest ecosystem in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River project area in 2020 showed a significant increasing trend; (2) at the spatial scale, changes in forest ecosystem service functions in the upper reaches of Yangtze River under the NFPP showed significant spatial heterogeneity from 1998 to 2020; (3) in 2020, the total value of forest ecosystem services in the study area was 3,261,161,000,000 yuan/a, of which the functional value of biodiversity conservation was 1,294,426,000,000 yuan/a and the functional value of water conservation was 841,069,000,000 yuan/a, indicating that the forest ecosystem of the study area plays an important role as a “green gene pool” and “green water reservoir”; (4) the forest ecosystem service functions of the NFPP in the upper reaches of Yangtze River are intricately tied to forest resource features such as forest area, forest volume, age-group structure of arbor forest, etc., which influence the physical quantity and value of each forest ecosystem service function to varying degrees. In addition to illustrating the amazing efficiency of the natural forest preservation initiative, this study provides a scientific foundation for future natural forest resource conservation and restoration. It can serve as a reference for the project’s subsequent development as well to provide scientific foundations and guidance for the development of the natural forest protection and restoration program and to promote the protection and restoration of more natural forest resources.

A Spatiotemporal Survey of Tikjda Forest Dynamics Over A 34-Year Period by Aerial Photographs

Abstract Obtaining accurate forest cover information and dynamics of land occupation, through time, such as the spatial extent and pattern of disturbance and recovery is essential knowledge and assistance for forest managers and a crucial basis for the protection and conservation of current forest resources. Because most recent researches have focused on forest field survey and monitoring, a land classification containing information on forest cover dynamics is critically needed. Over the last decades, advances in remote sensing technology have enabled an accurate classification of different land covers from several sensors and remotely sensed data. We presently retained Tikjda forest (Djurdjura southerner, Algeria) as a case study to investigate the possibility of aerial photos classification and to analyze the historical dynamics of the area using a change detection analysis of multi-temporal data. To classify the study area’s main cover types, we used photographs collected over a period of 34 years (i.e., from 1983 to 2017). The results revealed that in 2017, Tikjda forest was composed of forest areas (24.1%), degraded areas (49.7%), and barren areas (26.2%). Throughout the investigated period, the analysis revealed a notable increase in barren areas (+9.8%), and degraded areas (+14.4%), While forest areas experienced a significant decrease (−24.2%). Moreover, the results confirm the potential of aerial photographs for an accurate classification of forests.

Spatial and molecular variations in forest topsoil dissolved organic matter as revealed by FT-ICR mass spectrometry

Forest soils cover about 30 % of the Earth's land surface and play a fundamental role in the global cycle of organic matter. Dissolved organic matter (DOM), the largest active pool of terrestrial carbon, is essential for soil development, microbial metabolism and nutrient cycling. However, forest soil DOM is a highly complex mixture of tens of thousands of individual compounds, which is largely composed of organic matter from primary producers, residues from microbial process and the corresponding chemical reactions. Therefore, we need a detailed picture of molecular composition in forest soil, especially the pattern of large-scale spatial distribution, which can help us understand the role of DOM in the carbon cycle. To explore the spatial and molecular variations of DOM in forest soil, we choose six major forest reserves located in different latitudes ranging in China, which were investigated by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Results show that aromatic-like molecules are preferentially enriched in DOM at high latitude forest soils, while aliphatic/peptide-like, carbohydrate-like, and unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules are preferentially enriched in DOM at low latitude forest soils, besides, lignin-like compounds account for the highest proportion in all forest soil DOM. High latitude forest soils have higher aromatic equivalents and aromatic indices than low latitude forest soils, which suggest that organic matter at higher latitude forest soils preferentially contain plant-derived ingredients and are refractory to degradation while microbially derived carbon is dominant in organic matter at low latitudes. Besides, we found that CHO and CHON compounds make up the majority in all forest soil samples. Finally, we visualized the complexity and diversity of soil organic matter molecules through network analysis. Our study provides a molecular-level understanding of forest soil organic matter at large scales, which may contribute to the conservation and utilization of forest resources.

Local adaptation and demographic history of vulnerable conifer Cephalotaxus oliveri in southern China

AbstractHaving a comprehensive understanding of genetic differentiation, responses to environmental change and demographic history is critical for genetic improvement and conservation efforts. Forest trees are an excellent resource for understanding population differentiation and adaptive genetic variation due to their ability to adapt to different climates and environments. Cephalotaxus oliveri is a relict conifer endemic to China. In this study, we generated transcriptome data and identified 17 728 high‐quality single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 populations. We found significant negative correlations between expression diversity and nucleotide diversity within and among populations, suggesting that gene expression and nucleotide diversity have a reciprocal relationship when the species adapts to the environment. The analyses of population structure showed that C. oliveri displayed a striking genetic structure with four groups. BayeScEnv and RDA methods detected the signatures of local adaptation, and identified that 738 outlier SNPs were associated with precipitation, temperature and soil conditions across heterogeneous environmental conditions. Approximate Bayesian computation analyses showed that the first and second divergence occurred in the late Miocene (c. 10.075 million years ago [Ma]) and the middle Pleistocene transition (c. 0.815 Ma), respectively. Ecological niche modeling of C. oliveri revealed signs of westward expansion after the last glacial maximum, while it was predicted to experience significant range contractions in future climate change scenarios. Geographical factors and environmental factors in southern China have played a critical role in establishing the current genetic diversity and population structure of C. oliveri. This study provides an important reference for forest resource management and conservation for C. oliveri.

Automatic Extraction of Forest Inventory Variables at the Tree Level by Using Smartphone Images to Construct a Three-Dimensional Model

This paper focuses on the current urgent demand for the accurate measurement of forest inventory variables in the fields of forestry carbon sink measurement, ecosystem research, and forest resource conservation, and proposes the use of images to construct a three-dimensional measurement model of forest inventory variables, which is a new method to realize the automatic extraction of forest inventory variables. This method obtains sample site information by using high-definition images taken in the forest by a smartphone, which significantly improves the field operation efficiency and simple operation, and effectively alleviates the problems of long field operation times, complicated operations, and expensive equipment used by current methods for obtaining forest inventory variables. We propose to optimize the Eps parameters of the DBSCAN algorithm based on the MVO algorithm for point cloud clustering to obtain single wood point clouds, which improves the accuracy of the model and can effectively solve the problem of large interference from human factors. The scale coefficients of the image and the actual model are obtained by the actual measurement of tree height and diameter at breast height to complete the construction of the three-dimensional measurement model of the stand and are then combined with the AdQSM algorithm to realize the automatic extraction of forest inventory variables, which provides a new interdisciplinary method for the comprehensive extraction of forest inventory variables. The accuracy of the model measured in the experimental sample site of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr was as follows: the absolute error of tree height measurement ranged from 0.05 to 0.37 m, the highest relative error of measurement was 2.03%, and the average relative error was 1.53%; for the absolute error of diameter at breast height, measurement ranged from 0.007 to 0.057 m, the highest relative error of measurement was 7.358%, and the average relative error was 3.616%. The method proposed in this study can be directly applied to the process of acquiring and visualizing the variables of forest inventory in the field of ecological research, which has good flexibility and can meet individual research needs.

A future EU overall strategy for agriculture and forest genetic resources management: Finding consensus through policymakers’ participation

The Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe (GRSE) is an overarching, integrated strategy for the conservation and use of plant, animal and forest genetic resources both the domesticated and wild to ensure more sustainable EU land use policies for the future. It was developed in a three-step consensus seeking iterative process involving EU, national and regional level policymakers, and umbrella organisations representatives. The GRSE provides the missing link between basic biodiversity management (genetic resources) and associated policies and strategies addressing agriculture, forestry and the environment. It also provides guidance for more effective and harmonised genetic resources management in the EU and beyond, and promotes stakeholders’ collaboration in all these areas. In this study, we use a foresight participatory approach to understand the perspectives of identified stakeholders in the adoption of the GRSE at local, national and European level. This methodology enabled researchers to discuss the role of genetic resources management in addressing geographical, economic and societal needs in Europe and beyond, and anticipate the long-term beneficial impacts. The study assessed the outlook for the adoption of the GRSE in the wider policymaking perspective. It applied a three-step Delphi methodology i) interviews, ii) survey, and iii) focus group discussion. It involved a 26-member policy makers panel representing EC and national-level policymakers, and umbrella organisations from across the European Union. Our study reveals a lack of consensus regarding the need to align policy and legal frameworks at national and European levels, but consensus was found in the need to jointly adopt national action plans across member states. Based on these results we identified three main priorities for addressing the gaps within current genetic resources management and conservation approaches: i) align fragmented policy for and develop legislation to harmonise the operational differences between European countries, ii) find funding mechanisms for improving genetic resources infrastructure, research and business development across Europe, and iii) raise awareness and collaboration to involve actors from different levels and sectors.

Sustainable Utilisation and Conservation of Forest Resources through Different Land Management Practices in Dzongu, Eastern Himalaya

Sustainable Utilisation and Conservation of Forest Resources through Different Land Management Practices in Dzongu, Eastern Himalaya

High Quality Rna Isolation and Exogenous Reference Gene for Real-time Pcr In Cedrela Odorata Seed Physiology Studies

Seed banks represent an important strategy for the conservation of forest genetic resources, although a basic understanding of the physiological changes that seeds undergo during storage that affect quality and germination is still lacking for most tropical and subtropical species. Here, we describe the optimisation of an RNA isolation procedure and reference gene normalisation for expression analysis in Cedrela odorata (cedro or Spanish cedar) seeds during different physiological states, as well as in the steady-state stem and leaf. The expression profiles of five endogenous candidate reference genes ( 18S , EF1α , GAPDH , CDC27B , PP2A2 ) and an exogenous ( HMBS ) gene were evaluated by using dedicated algorithms, including Genorm, Normfinder, Bestkeeper and Ct. We found that the expression of all endogenous genes varied considerably in response to both ageing and hydration. Therefore, using the external HMBS was a suitable alternative to evaluate gene expression in these highly contrasting physiological conditions. The reference genes EF1α and GAPDH were the most stable, and could be used for normalisation of qRT-PCR results under specific circumstances.