Forestry Decision Research Articles

Intensive land use in the Swedish mountains between AD 800 and 1200 led to deforestation and ecosystem transformation with long-lasting effects.

Anthropogenic deforestation has shaped ecosystems worldwide. In subarctic ecosystems, primarily inhabited by native peoples, deforestation is generally considered to be mainly associated with the industrial period. Here we examined mechanisms underlying deforestation a thousand years ago in a high-mountain valley with settlement artifacts located in subarctic Scandinavia. Using the Heureka Forestry Decision Support System, we modeled pre-settlement conditions and effects of tree cutting on forest cover. To examine lack of regeneration and present nutrient status, we analyzed soil nitrogen. We found that tree cutting could have deforested the valley within some hundred years. Overexploitation left the soil depleted beyond the capacity of re-establishment of trees. We suggest that pre-historical deforestation has occurred also in subarctic ecosystems and that ecosystem boundaries were especially vulnerable to this process. This study improves our understanding of mechanisms behind human-induced ecosystem transformations and tree-line changes, and of the concept of wilderness in the Scandinavian mountain range.

Actor-Network-Theory perspective on a forestry decision support system design

Use of decision support systems (DSS) has thus far been framed as a social process of adoption or technical process of usability. We analyze the development of a DSS as a process of institutionalization of new as well as drift of existing practices. We write an Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) account, i.e. an interpretive study, that follows the traces left by both human and non-human actors (e.g. technology, methodologies, etc.) to understand how a DSS development project institutionalizes DSS technology in several forest management organizations in the German state of Rheinland Pfalz. The research has an innovative value since it uses ANT in the design of a DSS, hence affecting it, while commonly ANT has been used to understand why networks work or do not. Moreover, we use a new technology (PREZITM, www.prezi.com) for the visualization of the whole actor network coherent to the ANT methodology, i.e. “keeping the social flat.” As a result, the development of the ANT account proposed in the present paper, even if still partial, supports the design of new technologies being introduced in current practice and generates an important learning effect thanks to the underpinning interpretative approach.

OPTIMALIZAČNÍ MODEL VYUŽITÍ TĚŽEBNÍHO ZAŘÍZENÍ V LESNICKÉ PRAXI

The decision support systems commonly used in industry and economy managerial practice for optimizing the processes are based on algoritmization of the typical decision problems. In Czech forestry business, there is a lack of developed decision support systems, which could be easily used in daily practice. This stems from the fact, that the application of optimization methods is less successful in forestry decision making than in industry or economy due to inherent complexity of the forestry decision problems. There is worldwide ongoing research on optimization models applicable in forestry decision making, but the results are not globally applicable and moreover the cost of possibly arising software tools are indispensable. Especially small and medium forestry companies in Czech Republic can not afford such additional costs, although the results of optimization could positively in­fluen­ce not only the business itself but also the impact of forestry business on the environment. Hence there is a need for user friendly optimization models for forestry decision making in the area of Czech Republic, which could be easily solved in commonly available software, and whose results would be both, realistic and easily applicable in the daily decision making.The aim of this paper is to develop the optimization model for the machinery use planning in Czech logging firm in such a way, that the results can be obtained using MS EXCEL. The goal is to identify the integer number of particular machines which should be outsourced for the next period, when the total cost minimization is required. The linear programming model is designed covering the typical restrictions on available machinery and total volume of trees to be cut and transported. The model offers additional result in the form of optimal employment of particular machines. The solution procedure is described in detail and the results obtained are discussed with respect to its applicability in practical forestry decision making. The possibility of extension of suggested model by including additional requirements is mentioned and the example for the wood manipulation requirement is shown.

Regeneration decisions in forestry under climate change related uncertainties and risks: Effects of three different aspects of uncertainty

Future climate development and its effects on forest ecosystems are not easily predicted or described in terms of standard probability concepts. Nevertheless, forest managers continuously make long-term decisions that will be subject to climate change impacts. The manager's assessment of possible developments and impacts and the related uncertainty will affect the combined decision on timing of final harvest and the choice of species for regeneration. We analyse harvest of a Norway spruce stand with the option to regenerate with Norway spruce or oak. We use simulated variations in biophysical risks to generate a set of alternative outcomes, investigating effects on decision making of three aspects of uncertainty: (i) the perceived time horizon before there will be certainty on outcome, (ii) the spread of impacts across the set of alternative outcomes, and (iii) the subjective probability (belief) assigned to each outcome. Results show that the later a forest manager expects to obtain certainty about climate change or the more skewed their belief distribution, the more will decisions be based on ex ante assessments — suggesting that if forest managers believe that climate change uncertainty will prevail for a longer period of time, they may make sub-optimal decisions ex ante.

An experimental analysis of the behavior of forestry decision-makers — The example of timing in sales decisions

Despite the existing literature, it is still unclear whether and to what extent the behavior of forestry decision-makers can be predicted by means of normative models. To date, the actual decision-making behavior regarding logging has hence been only derived from the analysis of data gathered in surveys or on the basis of aggregated data. Currently, no studies exist that compare the individual timber harvesting behavior with a normative benchmark. The present study experimentally examines the behavior of decision-makers from forestry organizations by means of the example of selling a one-off property with a normative benchmark derived using the Jevons–Fisher rule. We investigate if the intuitive behavior shown by forestry decision-makers in an incentive-compatible experiment for the sale of a one-off property can be approximated to the optimal behavior according to the Jevons–Fisher rule. For determining the normative benchmark, the decision-maker's risk attitude measured by a Holt and Laury lottery is explicitly taken into account. The results reveal that, on average, participants decide earlier for selling the property than what would be expected according to the normative benchmark. This illustrates the importance of experimental investigations in order to better understand the decision-making behavior in a forestry setting. Furthermore, the findings indicate that risk-averse participants, males, participants who completed a forestry apprenticeship as well as participants with an economic-related educational background sell the property earlier. Older participants, participants holding a university degree, and participants interested in participating in further experiments sell the property rather later. Moreover, with progressive repetition of the property sale experiment, participants decide to sell the property earlier.

Cameroon’s Environmental Impact Assessment Decree and Public Participation in Concession-Based Forestry: An Exploratory Assessment of Eight Forest-Dependent Communities

This paper examines the degree to which public participation in concession-based forestry decision-making - as outlined by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Decree (No. 2005/0577/PM)-is taking place in eight forest-dependent communities of Cameroon. Of the total respondents that took part in the survey, only 39 per cent stated that they were involved in decisions concerning concession-based forestry. Furthermore, there seems to be a generally negative perception on the part of local communities towards the government’s implementation of public participation legislation in concession-based forestry decision-making. Obstacles to public decision-making process are identified and recommendations are proffered for more effective public participation.

Managing private forestlands along the public–private interface of Southern Illinois: Landowner forestry decisions in a multi-jurisdictional landscape

Private forest landowners in the southernmost region of Illinois operate within a multijurisdictional, intermixed public–private landscape. As such, they operate within the context of traditionally studied drivers of forest management on private lands, but also manage their lands within the context of the contentious debate about how the Shawnee National Forest is managed. We posited that this debate about the management of public land could affect forest management actions on private parcels. We also studied the effects of traditional drivers in private forest landowner research: land characteristics, demographics, and landowner objectives. Mail survey results for private forest landowners in the southernmost 11 counties of Illinois were used to examine the factors influencing the adoption of four actions: seeking advice from a forester, obtaining a written forest management plan, doing a commercial timber harvest, and implementing timber stand improvement. Results highlighted that traditional personal factors—financial objectives and parcel size—were strongly related to forest landowner management action adoption. Landowners' actions were largely independent of proximity to the Shawnee National Forest and largely independent of overall satisfaction with Shawnee National Forest management. In the context of decreasing parcel size and generally low financial objectives for private forestland parcels, we emphasize the need for policy and practice to better adapt to address these trends in order to maintain sustainable forest management across the landscape.

Engaging women and the poor: adaptive collaborative governance of community forests in Nepal

Forests are a significant component of integrated agriculture-based livelihood systems, such as those found in many parts of Asia. Women and the poor are often relatively dependent on, and vulnerable to changes in, forests and forest access. And yet, these same actors are frequently marginalized within local forest governance. This article draws on multi-year, multi-case research in Nepal that sought to investigate and address this marginalization. Specifically, the article analyzes the influence of adaptive collaborative governance on the engagement of women and the poor in community forestry decision making. A description of adjustments to governance processes and arrangements is followed by the consequent changes in engagement observed, in terms of: efforts made by female and poor members to be involved, express views and exercise rights; leadership roles played by female and poor members; and the extent to which the user groups’ priorities and actions reflect the marginalized members’ interests and needs. The main finding is that the engagement of women and the poor increased across sites with the shift from the status quo to adaptive collaborative governance, although not without challenges. The article explores interconnected factors underlying the changes, then considers these through the lens of the “three-gap analysis of effective participation.” This leads to specific insights concerning the conceptualization and strengthening of engagement in community forestry including the central roles of power and learning.

GeoServer Based Forestry Spatial Data Sharing and Integration

Spatial data is becoming increasingly important in forestry resource management and decision making. However, huge amount of accumulated spatial data were not fully utilized due to the difficulty of sharing and integration. A forest spatial data sharing and integration system was developed based on GeoServer. A distributed architecture was adopted to address the data storage in different organizations. WMS and WFS were the main service for data sharing and integration. Applications demonstrate that the system can easily share and integrate various spatial data.

Opportunities for the application of linear program­ming in forest management planning

In situations where it is necessary to consider a variety of options when making decisions in forestry (and in general), with the choice influenced by hardly comparable criteria and a number of conflicting interests, a possible solution is to use multiple criteria methods. One of these methods, which can be applied in forestry, is mathematical programming (in particular, linear programming). Linear programming has a long tradition of being used in the U.S. and European forestry, whereas in the forestry of Serbia it still represents a theoretically and practically unknown tool. Therefore, in this paper we analyze the possibility of applying the methods of linear programming in developing a plan of regeneration cutting in the poplar plantations of FMU "Topolik" managed by PE "Vojvodinasume." Using the aimed function (linear programming) and the corresponding software package the maximum yield that can be achieved by cutting the plantation was obtained. The planned management period was from 2012 to 2021 and its volume was 155 852 m3. The preset condition that the yield in half-periods remains equal was fulfilled (half-period I 77,925 m3, half-period II 77,927 m3). The maximum yield obtained with this methodology was by 4,040 m3 lower than the theoretically possible yield that would be obtained if all stands were cut down at the end of the second half-period, i.e. higher by 8,430 m3 than the yield that would be obtained if cutting of the stands were performed at the start of the management period. The results obtained and foreign experience in this area clearly indicate that linear programming can successfully be used to solve this problem and even more complex problems (than the one presented in this paper) in our local forest practice (multidimensional planning with a series of constraints).

Optimal Solution of Forest Management Under Risk

This paper investigate the idea and the field of stochastic phenomena in forestry. The text covers forestry decisions and optimal solution of forest management that are based on stochastic phenomena. Optimal decisions in the presence of stochastic timber prices are discussed. Optimal decisions of forest management under risk in even-aged forests and uneven-aged forests are disused and formulated. Stochastic dynamic programming technique is a reliable method for modeling optimization problems in uneven-aged forest that involve risk and uncertainty.

INTEGRATION OF FORESTRY DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN GIS

Landscape characteristics underpin the ability of the forestry industry to deliver in an increasingly complex operational environment. However, the range of site types within the British public forest estate includes many with soil or exposure constraints. Until recently it was not possible to effectively assess the scale of constraints and spatially allocate land appropriately to the objectives suggested by policy makers. Stand level forestry decision support systems have been developed to address these issues but it is difficult to incorporate their outputs into the spatial forest plans, limiting their operational use. The MOTIVE project (EU 7th Framework Programme) provided an opportunity to integrate stand level tools with spatial inventory data. The output is a comprehensive GIS layer containing silvicultural, geophysical and climate data, and site-specific decision support system outputs. This paper describes the climate and inventory data, models, GIS methods, the visualisation of outputs, and the impact on stakeholders.

Spatial genetic algorithm for multi-objective forest planning

A spatial operator for genetic algorithms is introduced herein, in order to improve their efficiency for multi-objective spatial forest planning. Constrained NSGA-II is used as a standard genetic algorithm for the integration and the evaluation of the proposed methodology. A typical harvest scheduling problem is examined with two objectives: a) maximization of timber volume and b) minimization of sediment levels. Two constraints are imposed: a) minimum timber yield and b) even‐flows. The proposed algorithm (Spatial NSGA), gives better results for both the constrained and the unconstrained problem. Moreover, it achieves old forest compactness, although it is neither a separate objective nor a constraint, but it renders compactness as an emergent result. The purpose of the suggested approach is to support forestry decision-making by generating a set of optimal management alternatives. The implementation of the method produced a Pareto front consisting of non-dominating solutions and showing the tradeoffs between timber harvest and sediment levels in water runoff. The present approach offers potential applications to a wide spectrum of spatial planning problems beyond the one examined in this paper.

Neoliberalisations in Finnish forestry

Neoliberal governance strategies change relations between the environment, the state, market actors, and civil society throughout the globe. Such strategies include privatisation, rescaling governance in order to detour state-based decision structures, externalising negative costs, internalising externalities in search of profit via, e.g., a more responsible corporate image, and moving state functions to non-state actors. We examine 1) how the environment and other factors motivate neoliberal strategies, 2) how different stakeholders have reacted to the neoliberal strategies, and 3) what the social and environmental outcomes of these strategies are. We examine these questions regarding two cases in northern Finland: the closure of a formerly state-owned pulp mill in Kemijärvi, and the market-based pressure strategies of NGOs towards state-based forestry in Inari. We make a set of conclusions on the nature of the neoliberal strategies regarding the three previously mentioned questions. These conclusions relate to the observations that internalisation of negative externalities happens only under pressure, that the resistance towards neoliberal strategies is often inefficient, and that neoliberal strategies lead to marginalisations and empowerments. Previously state-dominated forestry decision-making in Finland seems to be changing towards decisions put forward by market actors, such as corporations, civil society actors, such as NGOs, and local actor groups.

Is gender an important factor influencing user groups' property rights and forestry governance? Empirical analysis from East Africa and Latin America

This article explores the effects that gender composition of forest user groups has on property rights and forestry governance, based on data from 290 forest user groups in Kenya, Uganda, Bolivia, and Mexico. Findings indicate gender composition of user groups is important, but not always in the expected ways. Female-dominated groups tend to have more property rights to trees and bushes, and collect more fuelwood but less timber than do male-dominated or gender-balanced groups. Gender-balanced groups participate more in forestry decision-making and are more likely to have exclusive use of forests. Female-dominated groups participate less, sanction less and exclude less. Although policy makers and practitioners are advised to seek interventions that strengthen women's groups by delivering information, technologies and capacity-building programs in formats that take into account women's constraints, it is also important to gain better understanding of the dynamics of mixed-gender groups, including the nature and types of cooperation among males and females.

Key structural forest connectors can be identified by combining landscape spatial pattern and network analyses

Conservation and enhancement of ecological connectivity is widely recognized as one of the key objectives of forest landscape management. However, practical difficulties still exist due to the lack of pragmatic and operational methodologies that can be efficiently applied for these purposes within the scope of a forest management plan. Here we present the novel integration of two recent approaches for analyzing forest structural connectivity that offers considerable synergies and potential relevant benefits for forest planning at a variety of scales. We combine the morphological analysis of forest spatial patterns with recent indices for the analysis of landscape network connectivity based on the concept of measuring habitat availability (reachability) at the landscape scale. The combination of these approaches in a single integrated workflow embraces from (1) the diagnosis and characterization at the pixel level of the forest spatial patterns and their individual constituents, which are mainly the core habitat areas and the structural connectors (bridges) between them, to (2) the assessment of their individual importance to uphold ecological fluxes as irreplaceable providers of structural connectivity. We present and show different analytical possibilities within the integrated workflow from where the manager can choose depending on the planning targets and on the characteristics of the ecological processes of interest. We illustrate the application of the combined approach in two forested areas in Central Spain with different scales and management contexts, in which the structural connectivity between forest habitat areas needs to be sustained. Our assessment was able to discriminate and highlight a concise subset of cores and bridges that concentrated most of the contribution to the overall connectivity and functioning of the forest habitat network. This provides clear guidelines on where the conservation management efforts should be targeted, allowing for many alternative areas where the rest of the management objectives and activities can be accommodated as required by the multifunctionality of forest resources. The proposed integrated approach can equally serve to identify (a) those forest areas that play a crucial role to sustain ecological fluxes that are to be promoted by management, such as the dispersal of native biota or (b) those sites where the spread of wildfires or invasive species can be halted more effectively. The potential of the proposed methodology to inform and guide forestry decisions is reinforced by the availability of the required analytical tools (Guidos and Conefor Sensinode) as freeware software packages.

Best management practices and timber harvesting: the role of social networks in shaping landowner decisions

The influence of social others in private landowner decision-making has received limited attention despite growing support for peer-to-peer learning and landowner cooperative behavior. We applied social network analysis (SNA), a relatively novel methodology in the context of private forestry, to evaluate the influence of landowners' social networks on their forestry management decisions and as related to current policy arrangements in Wisconsin, USA. We found that an increase in landowner ties to others, and specifically forestry professionals, was associated with greater application of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water quality, but may also increase landowners' perceived difficulty with the timber harvest process. Landowner enrollment in a forestry incentive program were noted; program enrollees tended to have larger networks, slightly higher BMP application ratings, and rated their process and overall perceptions of the harvest lower than non-program enrollees. We discuss the important contribution of understanding social networks surrounding private forest management decisions as relevant to sustainable forestry goals. We also stress the need for further evaluation of the ways in which private forestry policy impacts the structure of landowners' networks, personal forestry decisions, and the social and ecological legacies of these policies.

Economic profitability of forestry decisions on non-industrial private forest owners: the key issue to sustainable management

Sustaining the viability and continuity of farm forest holdings requires developing policy measures that improve or advance its forest and agrarian productivity regarding the socioeconomic perceptions and values of its managers. As a previous work and discussion of recent constraints related to sustainable forest practices by individual private forest (NIPF) owners, we analyse the key factors on individual forest profitability on an empirical study of their planting, silviculture and harvesting behaviours in a forest region in Northern Spain. The profitability was statistically characterized and explained as social, economic and policy variables. Our results explain how attractive conditions for timber market, as key factor, motivate the forest investment chain to make profitable lands by the owners. In this sense, maintaining and improving the rural economy and welfare by means of sustainable forest practices must consider the economic returns as fundamental issues which counteract the economic losses for including environmental constraints.

Fuzzy multiple criteria forestry decision making based on an integrated VIKOR and AHP approach

Forestation and forest preservation in urban watersheds are issues of vital importance as forested watersheds not only preserve the water supplies of a city but also contribute to soil erosion prevention. The use of fuzzy multiple criteria decision aid (MCDA) in urban forestation has the advantage of rendering subjective and implicit decision making more objective and transparent. An additional merit of fuzzy MCDA is its ability to accommodate quantitative and qualitative data. In this paper an integrated VIKOR–AHP methodology is proposed to make a selection among the alternative forestation areas in Istanbul. In the proposed methodology, the weights of the selection criteria are determined by fuzzy pairwise comparison matrices of AHP. It is found that Ömerli watershed is the most appropriate forestation district in Istanbul.

Guess who's (not) coming for dinner: Expanding the terms of public involvement in sustainable forest management

How do processes for community engagement in forestry decision making in Canada serve the aims of sustainable forest management? This paper reports on several studies of forest land-use and management planning processes in four provinces and a national survey of forest-sector advisory committees to determine who is selected to participate, what values participants bring to the table, and how participants are expected to behave in committee processes. The analysis suggests that participatory mechanisms are both shaped by and reinforce local norms, values and expectations of forestry communities. Thus, the focus is on understanding the social context within which communities become engaged rather than providing a technical assessment of specific initiatives. In particular, the study examines assumptions related to gender, class and racialized identities that operate in rural communities and shape the participation and influence of participants. These studies all suggest that forestry advisory committees remain élite organizations, dominated by individuals with economic stakes, constrained by priorities set by government and/or industry, and focused on technical issues. Women, Aboriginal people and those of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to participate and less likely to make substantive contributions when they do participate. Differences by gender are significant, but gender is not the only factor that explains the marginalization of some groups within these processes. The results suggest a need to examine how gender intersects with other sets of social relations such as class and racialized identity in order to better understand the social factors that will influence the achievement of sustainable forest management.