Forest Sector Research Articles

BRAZILIAN SAWMILLS

The Brazilian Forest Sector is one of the most productive in the world with a good share of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product. The furniture sector represents about 18% of the consumption of planted wood in Brazil and employs about 35% of the workforce in the sector. They are micro and small companies that generate a lot of jobs and fix the workforce in the countryside; however, the obsolete machinery and poorly trained workforce are responsible for the low productivity and profitability of the sector. The objective of this work was to identify the main problems and point out solutions for them. The main raw material and machinery indicators were identified, as well as corrective measures for each of them. The main conclusions were that the sector must organize itself in productive poles seeking the maximum specialization or the smallest number of products per establishment.

Logging moratorium in Kenya and its impacts on Community Forests Associations:

The Forest Sector is Key to Kenya’s social and economic well-being since most of the financial activities rely on environmental-based resources for their sustenance. The Forest Conservation and Management Act, of 2016, provides for the conservation and management of public, community, and private forests. This has brought a paradigm shift in forest management from central command to involving various stakeholders. Adequate stakeholders' engagement in the direction of forest resources, results in minimal conflicts. Local involvement promotes a sense of ownership to the Forest Adjacent Communities Consequently, reducing conflicts in the management of the forest resources. This dissertation focuses on the impacts of logging moratorium on Community Forest Associations in our state forests, with a focus of two CFAs in Meru County. It uses both quantitative and qualitative research design. An in-depth literature review was, used to enrich the research findings. Data was collected from 289 Mucheene and Ruthumbi CFA residents. Their views on the impacts of logging moratorium to the CFA were also documented. The study found out that forest conservation cannot be delinked from livelihood improvement by the Forest Adjacent Communities. There lie difficulties for the area population of the study area to support their life demands with the moratorium in place owing to the fact that they highly depended on the forest to support their livelihoods pre-moratorium. The study found that 93.4 % of the respondents believe that legal logging promotes job creation in the sawmill value chain circular economy. Findings are expected, to inform policy on forest conservation in collaboration with the FAC. The study recommends that the Government should adopt a regulation mechanism that safeguards logging in the extension forest of the community whenever there is an ongoing logging moratorium in the public forest. Communities, Forests, Logging, Moratorium, Livelihoods, Stakeholders engagement.

Carbon finance and funding for forest sector climate solutions: a review and synthesis of the principles, policies, and practices

The question of funding necessary climate actions, including those in the forest sector, to drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global warming, is important to both national governments and international agencies. The objective of this paper is to address this question by reviewing and synthesizing the economic principles associated with reducing GHG emissions, the pricing mechanisms used to achieve that goal, and the diverse practices of climate finance. Included in the carbon pricing mechanisms and practices are carbon tax, compliance and voluntary emission trading, internal pricing, and funding via issuing bonds or mobilizing public budgetary resources. Then, it proceeds to describe the roles that public and private organizations can play and have played in supporting emission reduction and removal, which serves as a vital backdrop for examining current states and relative costs of forest sector initiatives. Overall, as reported by the World Bank, only about 23% of global GHG emissions are subject to any explicit price, and 75% of the emissions that are subject to a price are charged less than $10 per tCO2e. Market-based forest finance and international support for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation have accounted for a small fraction of the total spent on climate mitigation and adaptation. Further, the more recent developments in carbon pricing and funding remain slow and disappointing. Without the right scale of green finance at the right time, however, it will be difficult to achieve the needed energy and economic transformation.

Disintegration and discourse: Cross-sectoral story-lines in the German water and forest debates

Policy integration (PI) has been advocated in the literature as a solution to complex environmental problems. It is commonly defined as the joint development of policies across sectors, and deemed beneficial especially in face of cross-cutting issues. As there is little research addressing the ideational integration of two sectors, we introduce a new framework to discursively analyze horizontal policy integration (HPI) and then apply this framework to the German water and forest sectors. We follow the question whether in the context of interlinked forest and water disturbances cross-sectoral story-lines on German national level have occurred, which we assess by examining the story-line’s complexity, integration of other sector’s concerns, and cross-sectoral use. Although disturbances in the water and forest sectors are becoming more frequent, a fragmentation of the water and forest sectors has been observed in Germany in the past. The analysis is based on Hajer’s (1995) definition of discourse and follows his concept of story-lines which can be understood as the lowest common denominator across actor groups. We analyze policy documents on German national level, covering the debate on water and forest disturbances between 2018 and 21. Our results show that in the debates on water and forest disturbances there are commonly used story-lines across sectoral boundaries. The framework, however, enabled us to show an asymmetrical integration across sectors, where the forest sector addresses water concerns while the water sector treats forests as a non-subject.

A Guideline for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Sector Based on Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Programme

Currently climate change and global warming have significant impact on the environment toward biodiversity and human quality of life. Major cause derives from human activities that produce greenhouse gas emission especially the diffusion of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. One way to address global warming is to increase the absorption potential of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. The best natural method is forest adsorption whereby trees absorb carbon dioxide and store it in the form of biomass through photosynthesis. Therefore, forests are a highly efficient source of carbon sinks. The main objective of this research was to implement a methodology for greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration assessments in forest sector according to Thailand's standards known as the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER). According to climate change, reduction of greenhouse gas process will use methodology of T-VER-METH-FOR-01 Version 2 (Sustainable Forestation)andT-VER-TOOL-FOR/AGR-01 Version 2(Calculation for Carbon Sequestration). The Baseline Sequestration/Emissionand Project Sequestration/ Emission as well as plant diversity assessment in project area as greenhouse gas activity will be used for the calculation. The results of this development of prototype project could be used for concluding content of greenhouse gas from 134.72 ha of the research area and it was shown that Baseline Sequestration was 19,618.95 tCO2e. When calculating Project Sequestration for 10 years, carbon content could be increased by 27,617.95tCO2e calculated to be 800.61tCO2e/yr. Therefore, total Project Sequestration was 8,006.13tCO2e.

German-Ukrainian Efforts Towards Building Climate-Resilient Forests in Western Ukraine – First Results of Alternative Regeneration Systems

Due to the current changes in the socio-ecological system in Ukraine, forest adaptation is of high importance. Continuous-Cover Forestry (CCF) is seen to be promising for Ukraine to provide the Ukrainian society with various ecosystem services from forests and to increase the adaptive capacity of Ukrainian forests. First, basic features of Ukrainian forests and the forest sector are outlined, and the regeneration systems of the major tree species with economic value are described. Moreover, the need for forest conservation in order to safeguard the biodiversity of Ukrainian forests is highlighted. Based on a joint Ukrainian-German research project called 'Resilpine', the first scientific results on the regeneration of major tree species in Ukraine with alternative silvicultural systems to clearcut are illustrated. The data show that natural regeneration in group (or patch) selection systems is abundant and sufficient compared to clearcut. Especially Scots pine, but also intermediate species, are establishing. Group selection cutting can therefore be recommended as a promising alternative natural regeneration system to clearcutting in order to convert Ukrainian forests.

Forestry in the Congo Basin Countries and Measures to Improve its Efficiency

The article offers insight into the main stages of the formation of forestry into an independent branch of the economy in African countries, the forest areas of which constitute a common ecosystem, one of the largest in the world. The features of the system of relations between the main subjects of economic activity in the forest sector, that developed during the colonial period, and its subsequent evolution after the transition to the planned formation of the forest management sphere are characterized. The results of the implementation of forest management plans in concessions are analyzed, it being the necessary condition for the logging companies which aim to obtain an official confirmation of compliance of their activities with international standards subject to local conditions and provisions of national laws. One of the generally accepted, by the African countries as well, and authoritative evidence of responsible logging, which at the same time confirms the legality of the origin of the wood offered to the buyer, is a certificate issued by the international commercial organization Forest Steward Council (FSC). The introduction of a certification system is seen as an incentive to promote sustainable forest management and sustainable forest management in timber supplying countries to foreign markets. However, there are examples of unscrupulous companies continuing to harvest wood on the principle of “forest mining”, while resorting to illegal cutting of trees outside the concessions. This negatively affects the competitiveness of companies that strive to maintain a reputation as a supplier of legally harvested and environmentally friendly wood. They are forced to reduce the scope of their activities in the region. The article also notes the gradual reorientation of timber supplies from the countries of the region to the Asian markets, which is characteristic of recent years, where demand for this product is growing, regardless of the sources of its origin. At the same time, its purchases by its traditional buyers, European countries, were declining. Nevertheless, Asian companies, primarily from China and Vietnam, are beginning to show an increasing interest in purchases of certified wood, hoping at the same time to expand export supplies of finished products to countries with strict bans on the import of wood (and wood products) harvested illegally. Gabon’s experience in using the resource potential of forests to create the basic foundations of its own timber industry was also noted.

The potential use of mass timber in mid-to high-rise construction and the associated carbon benefits in the United States.

Nonresidential and mid- to high-rise multifamily residential structures in the United States currently use little wood per unit floor area installed, because earlier building codes lacked provisions for structural wood use in those types of buildings. However, revisions to the International Building Code allow for increased wood use in the form of mass timber, as structural and fire safety concerns have been addressed through new science-based design standards and through newly specified construction materials and measures. This study used multiple models to describe alternative futures for new construction, mass timber adoption rates, and the associated carbon benefits in higher than three-story buildings in the United States. The use of mass timber, in place of traditional constructions (i.e., structures dominated by concrete and steel), in projected new higher than three-story buildings was shown to provide combined carbon benefits (i.e., global warming mitigation benefits), including avoided embodied carbon emissions due to the substitution of non-wood alternatives and additional biogenic carbon storage in mass timber materials, of between 9.9 and 16.5 million t CO2e/yr spanning 50 years, 2020 to 2070. These carbon benefits equate to 12% to 20% of the total U.S. harvested wood products carbon storage for 2020. Future research is needed to understand how greater mass timber adoption leads to changes in forest product markets, land use, and total forest sector carbon.

Mentoring and Networking as the “Silver Lining” of Being Women Leaders: An Exploratory Study in Top World Forestry Schools

Although there are multiple efforts to increase gender equality in the forest sector, women are still underrepresented in the forest sector workforce, even more so in top leadership of forest sector companies. This underrepresentation is also found in higher education, and many forestry undergraduate programs still struggle to matriculate and graduate women. A way to attract and retain women is through mentoring and networking. Utilizing interviews, we found that it is quite challenging to find a woman mentor/role model in the forest sector because women are still underrepresented. To find a good mentor, young women are encouraged to be proactive in utilizing different channels, both formal and informal. When it comes to gender, our respondents emphasize the different benefits of having a woman vs. man as a mentor. In a men-dominated field such as the forest sector, women mentors enhance social belonging, confidence, and motivation in relatively alienating environments due to “been there-done that” experiences. Same-gender role models might also protect women from negative stereotypes and show how women can advance despite existing gendered barriers.

Climate change substitution factors for Canadian forest-based products and bioenergy

Evaluating the climate change mitigation potential of the forest sector requires a holistic approach based on forest carbon (C) sequestration, C storage in harvested wood products (HWP) and substitution on markets. High uncertainty is associated with substitution factors, that express avoided fossil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use of forest-based products in replacement of GHG-intensive materials and fossil fuels. Few studies have focused on the development of substitution factors in Canada, resulting in the use of unrepresentative generic data. Here, we provide a framework to reduce uncertainties related to substitution factors for primary wood products in a Canadian context. A life cycle assessment framework is used to quantify fossil GHG emissions for a baseline and a wood-intensive scenario. For solid product substitution, we focused on the construction sector and analyzed a range of innovative wood buildings with steel and reinforced concrete as alternative materials. We found non-weighted averages of 0.80 tC/tC for sawnwood and 0.81 tC/tC for panels. For energy substitution, we analyzed cases with different specifications on biomass product, facility type and alternative fossil fuel source in non-residential heat production and biofuel transportation sectors. We found a non-weighted average of 0.80 tC/tC for non-residential heat production and 0.51 tC/tC for biofuel transportation, that can be interpreted as 0.91 tC/tC for heavy fuel oil, 0.69 tC/tC for light fuel oil and 0.68 tC/tC for natural gas substitution. These results provide a benchmark for substitution factors in Canada, to help guide forest management strategies for climate change mitigation.

Efficiency analysis and CO2 emission reduction strategies in the US forest sector: a data envelopment analysis approach

Industrial economic activities produce pollutants and environmentally sustainable production systems in forestry aim to minimize these undesirable outputs while maintaining high production and economic growth. In this contribution, we assume that in addition to plot-specific inputs and outputs, there are some contextual variables that may be exogenously fixed or may be under the control of the decision-makers. In this sense, we first propose a novel and practical approach to calculate environmental efficiency by reducing undesirable products. Then, we utilize an inverse data envelopment analysis (IDEA) model to effectively manage and reduce CO2 emissions. In doing so, the applied models have been utilized to evaluate the efficiencies of 89 forest plots in the USA. Given our estimations in a real application to the forest plots, the study revealed that the average environmental efficiency score is nearly 0.75 (out of 1). However, there is potential for improvement by adjusting the impacts of contextual factors, which could raise the score to approximately 0.8. Furthermore, the analysis indicates a positive correlation between ownership and environmental efficiency, suggesting that increased ownership leads to higher environmental efficiency. Conversely, temperature exhibits a negative correlation with environmental efficiency. Finally, the results obtained from the IDEA indicate that in order to reduce undesirable outputs by a specific level of 5–10%, it is necessary to decrease other inputs and outputs. This is because, under the assumption of weak disposability, reducing the level of undesirable outputs requires a reduction in certain factors that influence production capacity. In other words, achieving the desired reduction in undesirable outputs inevitably involves diminishing certain aspects of the production process. As the major conclusion, the emergence of IDEA as a powerful tool for sensitivity analysis, along with its flexible nature, offers exciting opportunities for research and practical applications in various fields, including forestry activities. It has the potential to enhance overall environmental efficiency and enable better control over GHG emissions levels.

Tree adaptive growth (TAG) model: a life-history theory-based analytical model for post-thinning forest stand dynamics.

Understanding stand dynamics is essential for predicting future wood supply and associated ecosystem services for sustainable forest management. The dynamics of natural stands can be characterized by age-dependent growth and yield models. However, dynamics in managed stands appear somewhat different from that of natural stands, especially with difficulties in explaining the phenomenon of post-thinning overcompensation, based upon some long-term observations. Though overcompensation is an ideal outcome for the forest sector, it had been largely treated as an outlier and thus ignored or dismissed as "out-of-the-ordinary". We developed a life history theory-based, state-dependent model of Tree Adaptive Growth (TAG) to investigate this phenomenon and verified that overcompensation should be a common outcome in post-thinning forest stands when the stand growth over time is sigmoid shaped. TAG posits that individual trees will invest proportionately more into growth following thinning because it is evolutionarily adaptive to do so. Our investigation of the model's behavior unearthed diverse stand growth patterns similar to that which is observed in the empirical datasets and predicted by a statistics-based Tree's Compensatory Growth (TreeCG) model. A simple, theory-driven, analytical model, TAG, can reproduce the diverse growth patterns in post-thinning stands and thus assist addressing silviculture-related issues. The model can be applied to various jurisdictions even without detailed regional growth and yield relationships and is capable of incorporating the effects of other time sensitive factors like fertilization, pruning, and climate change.

Modeling wood product carbon flows in southern us pine plantations: implications for carbon storage

BackgroundWood products continue to store carbon sequestered in forests after harvest and therefore play an important role in the total carbon storage associated with the forest sector. Trade-offs between carbon sequestration/storage in wood product pools and managed forest systems exist, and in order for forest sector carbon modeling to be meaningful, it must link wood product carbon with the specific forest system from which the products originate and have the ability to incorporate in situ and ex situ carbon synchronously over time.ResultsThis study uses elements of a life cycle assessment approach, tracing carbon from US southern pine timber harvests to emission, to create a decision support tool that practitioners can use to inform policy design around land- and bioproduct-based mitigation strategies. We estimate that wood products from annual loblolly and shortleaf pine timber harvests across the southern US store 29.7 MtC in the year they enter the market, and 11.4 MtC remain stored after 120 years. We estimate fossil fuel emissions from the procurement, transportation, and manufacturing of these wood products to be 43.3 MtCO2e year−1. We found that composite logs, used to manufacture oriented strand board (OSB), were the most efficient log type for storing carbon, storing around 1.8 times as much carbon as saw logs per tonne of log over 120 years.ConclusionsResults from our analysis suggest that adjusting rotation length based on individual site productivity, reducing methane emissions from landfills, and extending the storage of carbon in key products, such as corrugated boxes, through longer lifespans, higher recycling rates, and less landfill decomposition could result in significant carbon gains. Our results also highlight the benefits of high site productivity to store more carbon in both in situ and ex situ pools and suggest that shorter rotations could be used to optimize carbon storage on sites when productivity is high.

Corporate social responsibility: Current state and future opportunities in the forest sector

AbstractCorporate social responsibility (CSR) remains a critical topic for the forestry sector due to increasing societal expectations about the sustainable use of forests. This paper presents an updated review of the history, current state, and future opportunities for CSR in the forest sector. Drawing from cases of CSR in practice, the review focuses on CSR's role in firms' performance and reputation capital. As opposed to popular theoretical conceptualisations, firms' choice of CSR criteria, indicators, and implementation tools remain heavily weighted toward environmental concerns. Our findings suggest that CSR benefits a firm's reputation, but the review is less categorical on CSR's more direct or tangible effects in the short‐ or longer term. The review thus identifies progress in the field but concludes that opportunities exist to exploit CSR in the forestry sector more thoroughly.

The Quantification and Tracing of Leakage in the Forest Sector in Nordic Countries

This study examines production leakage in four Nordic countries and its impact on industries and the global market. Using a Forest Sector Model, we analyze the effects of changing the harvest and find the leakage of roundwood harvest to range from 61% to 76% in Norway, 59% to 81% in Sweden, 57% to 89% in Finland, and 59% to 106% in Denmark. Notably, trade with other parts of the world absorbs over 50% of roundwood harvest changes in a Nordic country, with Norway exhibiting distinct trade patterns compared to Finland and Sweden. Compared to prior findings, sawnwood production leakage is smaller, underscoring the necessity for the refined modeling of non-Nordic countries. Importantly, our findings contribute insights into forest industries, leakage, and global trade dynamics, relevant to the Nordic context and having broader implications for globally interconnected countries.

Strategies and challenges of artificial forest reproduction in the forest-steppe zone: Experience of the Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi forest enterprise branch

One of the key problems that arise in the reproduction of forests in the paradigm of sustainable development of the forest industry is the volume of reforestation, which requires its correlation. This problem requires attention, since effective afforestation and reforestation determine the stability of the ecosystem and the importance of forest resources for the conservation of biodiversity in the forest sector. The purpose of the study is to investigate the features of artificial forest reproduction in the conditions of the forest-steppe climatic and geographical zone. The methodological basis for organising observations included field survey of planting material plots, monitoring the state of crops on the area, conducting analytical substantiation of progressive experience, and evaluating the final results obtained. The study was conducted in the Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi forest enterprise branch of the state enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”. The dynamics of annual volumes of artificial forest reproduction, considering the predominant tree species during 2012-2021, is presented. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of transplanting of main and related species in the presented forest conditions were analysed. During this period, there is a fluctuation in the volume of artificial forest reproduction in the forest districts under study. With regard to the transplanting of main and related species, it is worth noting its advantages in ensuring biodiversity and rapid forest regeneration. However, there are disadvantages, such as the possibility of losing genetic diversity and considering local conditions for effective seating. As a result, the study helped to determine the trends and features of forest reproduction in these forest districts, and to note the advantages and disadvantages of transplanting of the main and related breeds in various forest-growing conditions. The enterprise is actively implementing measures for forest reproduction, focusing on intensive planting of forest crops. This is achieved by placing plantations in areas that have been subjected to continuous sanitary and reforestation logging. One of the key tasks of the enterprise is to ensure high productivity of forest crops in the region. For this purpose, significant amounts of reforestation work are carried out, including systematic soil preparation and careful selection of optimal species for specific conditions. Considering the recommendations of forest management, an integrated approach to reforestation is reflected, which ensures sustainable and productive ecosystems in the region. The developed strategies can serve as an important tool for introducing innovations in the field of forestry

Navigating Mangrove Protection: A Jurisdictional Approach to Climate Action in South Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract Mangrove ecosystems in Indonesia, essential for coastal protection and carbon sequestration, are under severe threat from deforestation. This article emphasizes their significance and their role in Indonesia’s climate change mitigation strategies. Their carbon sequestration capacity is substantial, potentially preventing significant CO2 emissions. Indonesia is committed to climate change mitigation, with its Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution focusing on the Forest and Other Land Use (folu) sector, where mangroves are pivotal. However, optimizing this potential and involving local communities present challenges due to weak enforcement, policy conflicts, and limited community engagement. Based on a case study in South Sumatra, this study highlights the importance of involving local governments and communities in mangrove conservation efforts as a climate change mitigation measure. By applying a jurisdictional approach, especially through social-forestry schemes (e.g. Village Forests and mangrove-based ecotourism), local governments can play a crucial role in preserving mangrove ecosystems, integrating them into climate policies, and supporting community empowerment while achieving climate change mitigation goals.

Blue Waqf Framework for Blue Forest Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework

Blue forests are areas that protect the coastline from flooding and erosion. They harbor wildlife and provide a sustainable livelihood for communities. One of the blue forest types is mangrove forest. Indonesia has the most expansive mangrove forest area in Southeast Asia, but nearly 25% has been deforested. Maintaining the sustainability of mangrove forests is one of the sustainable development goals (SDG) 14. Therefore, to achieve this goal, financing is needed to support the needs in maintaining the sustainability of mangrove forests. This paper is a conceptual framework that provides an Islamic social finance-based funding model for the blue forest sector. This program is called Blue Waqf. In order to implement this program, Indonesian Waqf Board and registered nazir are needed as the program’s coordinators. In addition, a colossal campaign needs to be conducted. The involvement of the surrounding community as a social adaptor is also vital. Last, waqf management through blue waqf requires protection from takaful/project guarantees. It has to be done to minimize the economy. The impact will be sustainable for the economy, society, and the environment. The profits obtained from blue waqf will be distributed to beneficiaries.
 Keywords: Blue Waqf, sustainable, Blue Forest, conceptual framework

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.

Trends in U.S. forest business sector and market research

Trends in U.S. forest business sector and market research