Hectares Of Forest Land Research Articles

Ultra-lightweight convolution-transformer network for early fire smoke detection

BackgroundForests are invaluable resources, and fire is a natural process that is considered an integral part of the forest ecosystem. Although fire offers several ecological benefits, its frequent occurrence in different parts of the world has raised concerns in the recent past. Covering millions of hectares of forest land, these fire incidents have resulted in the loss of human lives, wild habitats, civil infrastructure, and severe damage to the environment. Around 90% of wildland fires have been caused by humans intentionally or unintentionally. Early detection of fire close to human settlements and wildlife centuries can help mitigate fire hazards. Numerous artificial intelligence-based solutions have been proposed in the past decade that prioritize the detection of fire smoke, as it can be caught through remote sensing and provide an early sign of wildland fire. However, most of these methods are either computationally intensive or suffer from a high false alarm rate. In this paper, a lightweight deep neural network model is proposed for fire smoke detection in images captured by satellites or other remote sensing sources.ResultsWith only 0.6 million parameters and 0.4 billion floating point operations per second, the hybrid network of convolutional and vision transformer blocks efficiently detects smoke in normal and foggy environmental conditions. It outperforms seven state-of-the-art methods on four datasets, including a self-collected dataset from the “Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer” satellite imagery. The model achieves an accuracy of more than 99% on three datasets and 93.90% on the fourth dataset. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding of extracted features by the proposed model demonstrates its superior feature learning capabilities. It is remarkable that even a tiny occurrence of smoke covering just 2% of the satellite image area is efficiently detected by the model.ConclusionsWith low memory and computational demands, the proposed model works exceedingly well, making it suitable for deployment in resource constrained devices for forest surveillance and early fire smoke detection.

Predicting land use change around railway stations: An enhanced CA-Markov model

Predicting land use change around railway stations is crucial for facilitating the coordinated development of transport and land use. Previous studies have seldom focused on simulating and predicting small-scale land use changes at a railway station. Therefore, this study employs an enhanced Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov) model, aiming to achieve simulations and predictions with heightened precision. Firstly, two additional driving factors, namely accessibility to railway stations and the kernel density of points of interest (POIs), are incorporated into the CA-Markov model. Secondly, the validation of the enhanced model is achieved through simulating land use changes around Dujiangyan Station. Finally, this model is applied to predict land use around Mianzhu South Station in 2026, and optimization strategies for railway station areas are proposed. The results indicate an 83.43-hectare reduction in farmland area, accompanied by a moderate increase in 35.8 hectares of forest land and 41.52 hectares of residential land. This enhanced model provides valuable technical support for strategic planning in railway station areas.

Northeastern American Forests: Natural Disturbances, Climate Change Impact, and the Utilization of Increasingly Damaged Forest Trees for Biofuel Production

Forests and forestry-related industries and ecosystem services play a critical role in the daily life of all societies, including in cultural, ecological, social, economic, and environmental aspects. Globally, there are about 4.1 billion hectares of forestland. In the United States, there are about 304 million hectares of forestland, covering about 34% of the total land area, and the forest product industry produces over USD 200 billion worth of forestry products annually. Evidence suggests these precious resources may be negatively impacted by climate change via direct and indirect processes, including wildfires, insect/pest pressure, drought, extreme storm events, increased air temperature, solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and other factors and variables that can be detrimental. All these can not only cause significant changes in the health and productivity of the forests, but can also cause the extinction, migration, and/or re-distribution of different tree species. Thus, humankind has the paramount responsibility to take policy, technologic, economic, environmental, and management decisions and actions to protect this vital resource for current and future generations, plants, and animals. This paper provides an overview of some of the important characteristics of forest environmental services, climate–environment–forest interactions with respect to forest health and productivity, climate change’s impacts on forest species, and the utilization of forest biomass for high-value products.

Mapping forest cover change in relation to oil palm commodities development using Google Earth Engine in the Leuser Ecosystem

The Leuser ecosystem is a vital biodiversity hotspot providing essential ecosystem services to local communities in Asia. It encompasses diverse landscapes, from rainforests to coastal ecosystems and peatlands. However, human activities, particularly deforestation for palm oil plantations, have severely impacted Leuser ecosystem’s ecological balance. This study analyzes land cover changes in Leuser ecosystem between 2016 and 2022, using satellite imagery from platforms like Sentinel-1 and Landsat 8 on Google Earth Engine. During this period, forest cover decreased by 2.8%, while oil palm plantations expanded by 3.15%, with 23,404 hectares of forested land converted. Unregulated activities by small-scale farmers accounted for 73% of this conversion. The accuracy assessment of the land use classification showed moderate accuracy in 2016, with an overall accuracy of 64.95% and a kappa coefficient of 0.388. However, in 2022, the accuracy improved significantly, with an overall accuracy of 73.20% and a kappa coefficient of 0.520. Though land use classification accuracy improved from 2016 to 2022, more robust monitoring and regulation are necessary to address the threats posed by palm oil development. Striking a balance between economic development and environmental preservation in Leuser ecosystem requires sustainable palm oil practices and conservation initiatives.

Emergent Institutional Issues from New Tenure Reforms and Social-Forestry Initiatives in Indonesia: Notes from The Field

In Indonesia, land tenure reform has been approached as a policy priority by the government to address rural poverty and achieve distributive economic equity. It is instituted around allocation and consolidation of land ownership and access. Tenure reform policy promises over 21.7 million hectares (including 16.8 million hectares of forestland) to be distributed through two modes, i.e., land subject to agrarian reform and social forestry. Specifically for Java, the country’s most populated island, the government has recently allocated 1.1 million hectares of state forests to be entrusted to local communities in a scheme called Kawasan Hutan Dengan Pengelolaan Khusus/KHDPK (Forest Zones for Special Management Purposes). Approximately three-quarters of the KHDPK-reserved forestland is pledged for SF licensing/permits to be completed by 2024. Currently, there is heightened activity to hand over social forestry permits. However, the KHDPK-designated forest is not an unoccupied resource that can simply be transferred/granted to local communities. From only four sites, we discovered that the forests have been guided by contrasting (often conflicting) principles, norms, and values that have shaped the existing tenure arrangements, how it is used and managed, and by whom. Such issues must be navigated prior to introducing the new policy and implementation regime. We conclude that while the policy rationales look perfect as a framework, KHDPK implementation exhibits impediments and potential failures. There is risk of altering it into a mere industry of policy rhetoric, sustaining major flaws from design to execution.

Economic and financial instruments of forest management in the Czech Republic

The forest bioeconomy becomes a feature of a climate-neutral economic system, while effective financial support is crucial for sustainable forest management. The main goal of this paper is to explain the impact of economic and financial instruments on the development of the forestry sector in the Czech Republic in the period 2000–2020. For research objectives, the methods of literature review, data analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used. Several models were established and tested. This paper presents the forest land model (FOLM) and wood biomass production model (WBIOM). In the monitored period, there was an increase in forest land in hectares in the Czech Republic, which was positively influenced by environmental investments in biodiversity and negatively by subsidies from the Rural Development Programme and the price of European Union Allowance. Based on the FOLM model results, 100 million CZK (4.07 million EUR) of environmental investments in biodiversity would contribute to an increase of 228 hectares of forest land. Concerning wood biomass production in cubic meters, it was influenced positively by the whole mixture of economic and financial instruments, such as emission trading, environmental taxation, financial contributions for forest management, state financial obligations, and subsidies. Based on the WBIOM model results, an increase in the price of an emission allowance by 100 CZK Mg–1 (approx. 4 EUR Mg–1) would increase wood biomass production by approximately 934,614 cubic meters. Generally, the economic and financial instruments in the Czech Republic have an environmental impact and can influence the forest bioeconomy, at least in the long-term period. Concerning the complex influence of the emission trading on the forestry sector in the Czech Republic, it is ambiguous—in the case of forest land rather negative, and in the case of wood biomass production positive. Therefore, focusing on the policy recommendations, we should underline economic and financial instruments connected with positive motivation in the forestry sector, such as grant schemas, subsidies, and investments in biodiversity.

Trends in United States Family Forest Owners’ Attitudes, Behaviors, and General Characteristics from 2006 to 2018

Abstract Family forest owners (FFOs) control a plurality of forestland in the United States, and the decisions these landowners make have a profound impact on the landscape. Most research on FFOs consists of cross-sectional studies, although many of these recognize the importance of capturing long-term trends to understand whether and how FFO attitudes, behaviors, and general characteristics are changing. We use data from the 2006, 2013, and 2018 iterations of the USDA Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), with a bootstrapping approach to identify significant changes across these time periods among FFOs with 4+ hectares of forestland. Total FFO hectares decreased and FFO ownerships trended downward over the study period. A decreasing proportion of FFOs owned farms or homes near their forestland, harvested timber, or received advice. Demographic shifts include an increase in age and education level from 2006 to 2018, and an increase in FFOs of color from 2006 to 2013. Overall, we find a trend towards decreased traditional engagement and management and a slight increase in owning land for its amenity values. Understanding temporal trends in FFO characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors will help policymakers and forestry professionals inform and update their outreach, technical support, and financial assistance programs. Study Implications: Families and individuals hold more forestland than any other ownership group in the United States. We use nationwide survey data from 2006, 2013, and 2018 to determine whether and how these landowners are changing over time. The total forestland held by FFOs decreased between 2006 and 2018, and there has been a decrease in traditional forest management and engagement, such as through timber harvesting and nearby farm ownership. This study provides insights for policies, programs, and outreach and a foundation for future long-term comparisons of this group.

DYNAMICS OF DAMAGE TO FOREST PLANTATIONS BY SPONTANEOUS FOREST FIRES (ON THE TERRITORY OF THE BAIKAL FORESTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA)

The article provides an analysis of the indicators of the actual burning of forest plantations on the territory of the Baikal forestry (Republic of Buryatia) in the period from 2011 to 2021. The maximum fire danger for the study period was observed in 2015, when 93847.97 (15.3%) hectares of forest land were destroyed by fire, 14 small fires and 19 large fires were recorded. The factors of formation of forest fires were identified, it was found that one of the main factors of increased fire hazard in 2015 was a prolonged dry period, high temperatures of the surface air layer, a small amount of atmospheric moisture, and a decrease in the level of groundwater. Based on the results of processing satellite imagery data and using data from the Information System for Remote Monitoring of Forest Fires of the Federal Forestry Agency, maps of the boundaries and sizes of fires and burnt areas were compiled. It was revealed that the areas that burned earlier are most often subject to fires. It was established that the main types of forest fires in the years under study were ground runaway fires and ground steady fires.

Overlapping land rights and deforestation in Uganda: 20 years of evidence

The majority of the world’s land is held in customary tenure systems, often with overlapping claims. Designing effective policy to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation requires understanding land management choices within these systems. Using a nation-wide random sample of over 300,000 hectares of forested land in Uganda from 2000 to 2019, we examine how deforestation trends across a system of overlapping rights, known as mailo land tenure, change in response to legal amendments intended to increase land tenure security. Graphical analysis reveals that mailo land has always had higher deforestation rates, compared to private and customary land, which increased relative to other tenure systems beginning in 2010 when a law was passed to protect tenants on mailo land. Statistical analysis controlling for spatial and time effects shows that prior to 2010, trends across tenure systems were similar. After 2010, deforestation increased significantly on land with overlapping rights and then began to decrease after 2017 relative to rates on customary or fully privatized land. We hypothesize that the uptick in deforestation resulted from unintended, increased uncertainty generated by the 2010 law, which changed owner/tenant relations on land with overlapping rights. The decrease in deforestation rates after 2017 was consistent with increased tenure security from an acceleration in the uptake of permanent certificates of occupancy. These findings demonstrate that outcomes under systems of overlapping rights can be destabilized by well-intentioned reform, and that securing tenant rights can reduce deforestation.

Land use and land cover change in Manokwari, West Papua Province

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of forest land change due to deforestation and forest degradation in Manokwari Regency as a development activity through land cover dynamics using satellite imagery data and make a land change prediction based on land change data analysis. This study used a descriptive method with an analysis of land cover changes using an overlay technique to determine land cover change. The results showed the change in land cover that occurred during the period 2009-2017 is dominated by changing of forested land to become settlement and plantation areas. The land cover has experienced a significant change in primary dryland forest, where nearly four thousand hectares of forest land have experienced degradation and deforestation. The land use prediction in 2025 was a reduction of the dry land forested area by about 9.1% while plantation and settlement were increased by about 4.5% and 2.0% respectively. Based on the comparison results, it was found that the predicted land use of Manokwari Regency in 2025 has land use suitability with the Regional Spatial Planning of 85.87%, not suitable at 6.8 %, and land use that allows for change at 7.33%.

State of forest fund and planning in forestry

State of forest fund and planning in forestry

Current forest management intensity and cost associated with major forestry practices in Arkansas, USA

Arkansas’ forestlands are largely owned by private landowners: family, industrial or corporate forest landowners (5.1 million hectares; 67%). Family forest landowners own 4.4 million hectares of forestland (58%). The costs of forestry practices influence landowners’ decisions in forest management. However, state-specific costs for forestry activities are not readily available. The study aims to compare the forest management objectives between family and industrial or corporate forest landowners and also provide robust information about forest management intensity and the unit cost associated with those activities. We employed an online survey to 318 consulting foresters working in the state. In addition, we used Forest Inventory and Analysis dataset in ArcMap (10.8.1) to validate the survey result. Among various forestry practices, landowners requested various services from consulting foresters, including chemical site preparation, thinning, timber cruising and marking, and timber inventory. The unit cost for mechanical site preparation was the highest among several forestry practices, and these costs varied based on forest types. Various stakeholders can utilize the study findings from landowners, forest industries, and policymakers in forest investment decision-making, which can improve sustainable forest management.

Natural Resource Manager Perceptions of Forest Carbon Management and Carbon Market Participation in Minnesota

Forests and wood products, through the mechanisms of carbon sequestration and storage, can slow the rate of global climate change that results from greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, both natural resource managers and the public have placed greater focus on the role of forests and wood products as a solution to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Little is known about the perceptions and viability of carbon sequestration and storage as a management goal for natural resource managers of public agencies. We explored these perceptions in Minnesota, USA. Minnesota has 7.2 million hectares of forest land managed by a diverse array of landowners, from public agencies (55% of forest land) to private (45%) owners. We sought to (1) understand natural resource managers’ and forest owners’ perspectives on forest carbon opportunities and (2) understand the feasibility of management strategies that could be implemented to increase forest carbon sequestration and storage at a state level. We conducted two focus groups with 15 mid- and upper-level natural resource managers and non-industrial private forest landowners, representing both rural and urban perspectives and a variety of agencies and organizations. Minnesota natural resource managers and non-industrial private forest landowners indicated that they thought managing forests for carbon was compatible with other management goals but nonetheless represented a trade-off. However, they viewed the carbon credit market as the “Wild West” and noted several barriers to entering the carbon market, such as inconsistent carbon accounting protocols and a lack of connection between the price of carbon credits and the cost of managing forest land for carbon sequestration and storage.

Carbon monitoring and above ground biomass trends: Anchor forest opportunities for tribal, private and federal relationships

There are more than 300 million hectares of forested land within the conterminous United States essential to sustaining the myriad social/cultural, economic, and ecologic benefits society enjoys from these lands. Nationwide, millions of forested hectares, both private and public, are disappearing functionally and physically through serve wildfire fire and land conversion. On many of these lands, management, centered on fire suppression, has led to reductions in forest resilience to wildfire. Lands, overstocked with accumulated fuel and faced with a changing climate, are expected to continue this legacy of fire and deteriorating health. A paradigm shift is needed to face the challenges confronting forests and enhance collaborative efforts across multiple forest ownerships. Our ability to leverage emerging technologies and pair them with the knowledge of indigenous peoples presents new opportunities for success. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess the Anchor Forest concept as a framework to leverage collaborative motivations and leadership by indigenous peoples (Tribes) in eastern Washington State to improve forest ecosystem health across legal and political boundaries, ‘cross-boundary’ management, and 2) demonstrate how the NASA carbon monitoring system (CMS) mapping products of regional forestland above ground biomass (AGB) density and temporal trends can provide information that supports decisionmakers in their efforts to collaboratively approach improving forest health conditions through management activities.

Interactions between Habitats of Asian Elephants and Socioeconomic Factors in the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), Bangladesh

We conducted a one-year study in TWS, Bangladesh, to test socioeconomic-related impacts on the sanctuary caused by three performers marked as forest-endorsed settlers, illegal settlers, and forest-nearest villagers. The performer’s activities were marked as cattle ranching, gardening, paddy cultivation, vegetable growing, betel-leaf growing, and forest resource collection. These factors had a marked impact on the elephant’s use of fodder species, water bodies, feeding trails and resting places, as well as soil types. We revealed that 8% of the intruders were engaged in cattle ranching, 17% in gardening, 32% in paddy cultivation, 25% in vegetable growing, 6% in betel-leaf growing and 12% were forest resource collectors. These numbers were taken out of a recorded total of 26,937 incidences of forest intrusions, including forest endorse settlers (4%), illegal settlers (35%) and nearest forest villagers (61%). The disturbance rate differed statistically significantly across 6 study sites on the east coast and 4 study sites on the west coast in response to socioeconomic-related activities. Almost 2827 hectares of forestland was replaced by paddy cultivation (575 ha), vegetable growing (529 ha), betel-leaf growing (480 ha), gardening (448 ha), and illegal settlement (795 ha). Thus, a total of 11615 hectares of the sanctuary was permanently damaged, posing challenges to elephant survival.

Community Forestry and Local Development A Study of Sukhani Community Forest User Group

Community forestry is small scale, village level forestry practice where decisions and actions are often made on a collective basis, and where the rural population participate in planning, establishment, management and harvesting of forest crops and receive a many or proportion of the socio- economic and ecological benefits from the forests. Conceptually community forestry can range from pure forest cropping on one extreme to combining tree and food crops agro forestry on the other. In the context of Nepal, according to forest survey, 2016, forest area had covered 44.74 of the total area of the country. This proves the popularly known proverb “Hariyo Ban Nepal Ko Dhan”. Forest alone contributes 10 percent of total GDP; livestock get 40 percent of total fodder from forest foliage. Fuel wood contributes about 76 percent of the total energy sources used in the country, which also comes from forest. Also, much of the agricultural system are directly or indirectly based on the forest. Community Forestry was introduced in Nepal in 1978. The community forest has been defined as the control, protection and management of the local communities known as user groups. It advocates strong community participation, bottom-up planning and sustainable use of forest resources. The main objective of the CF is to achieve the sustainable forest resources by converting accessible national forest into community forest into in stages. The CF approach has been highly successful in the protection of the forest in the hills of Nepal. The local user groups are responsible for the control, protection and management of the forest. CF advocates strong community participation, bottom-up planning and sustainable use of forest resources. Under this program, 2,312,545 hectares of forest land have been handed over to the community, up to 22,519 user groups, and 21,00,000 HHs were directly benefitted in mid-July, 2020. It shows that after emergence of community forestry program, local developmental activities have been increased.

Formal Modeling of IoT and Drone-Based Forest Fire Detection and Counteraction System

Forests are an enduring component of the natural world and perform a vital role in protecting the environment. Forests are valuable resources to control global warming and provide oxygen for the survival of human life, including wood for households. Forest fires have recently emerged as a major threat to biological processes and the ecosystem. Unfortunately, almost every year, fire damages millions of hectares of forest land due to late and inefficient detection of fire. However, it is important to identify the forest fire at the initial level before it spreads to vast areas and destroys natural resources. In this paper, a formal model of the Internet of Things (IoT) and drone-based forest fire detection and counteraction system is presented. The proposed system comprises network maintenance. Sensor deployment is on trees, the ground, and animals in the form of subnets to transmit sensed data to the control room. All subnets are connected to the control room through gateway nodes. Alarms are being used to alert human beings and animals to save their lives, which will help to initially protect them from fire. The embedded sensors collect the information and transfer it to the gateways. Drones are being used for real-time visualization of fire-affected areas and to perform actions to control fires because they play a vital role in disasters. Graph theory is used to construct an efficient model and to show the connectivity of the network. To identify failures and develop recovery procedures, the algorithm is designed through the graph-based model. The model is developed by the Vienna Development Method-Specification Language (VDM-SL), and the correctness of the model is ensured using various VDM-SL toolbox facilities.

Woody Above-Ground Biomass Estimation on Abandoned Agriculture Land Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Data

Abandoned agricultural land (AAL) is a European problem and phenomenon when agricultural land is gradually overgrown with shrubs and forest. This wood biomass has not yet been systematically inventoried. The aim of this study was to experimentally prove and validate the concept of the satellite-based estimation of woody above-ground biomass (AGB) on AAL in the Western Carpathian region. The analysis is based on Sentinel-1 and -2 satellite data, supported by field research and airborne laser scanning. An improved AGB estimate was achieved using radar and optical multi-temporal data and polarimetric coherence by creating integrated predictive models by multiple regression. Abandonment is represented by two basic AAL classes identified according to overgrowth by shrub formations (AAL1) and tree formations (AAL2). First, an allometric model for AAL1 estimation was derived based on empirical material obtained from blackthorn stands. AAL2 biomass was quantified by different procedures related to (1) mature trees, (2) stumps and (3) young trees. Then, three satellite-based predictive mathematical models for AGB were developed. The best model reached R2 = 0.84 and RMSE = 41.2 t·ha−1 (35.1%), parametrized for an AGB range of 4 to 350 t·ha−1. In addition to 3214 hectares of forest land, we identified 992 hectares of shrub–tree formations on AAL with significantly lower wood AGB than on forest land and with simple shrub composition.

The role of a fiber sourcing standard in the sustainable management of forests in Georgia, United States

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Fiber Sourcing (FS) standard fosters responsible fiber procurement by certified wood-consuming mills. This study assesses the effectiveness of the SFI-FS standard in increasing the implementation of forestry best management practices (BMPs) and quantifies its impact by surveying logging companies and certified mills in Georgia, United States. About 55% of the logging companies who responded to our mail survey indicated that the SFI-FS standard had increased the statewide BMP implementation rate. Environmental benefits topped the list of perceived benefits of BMPs, while BMP implementation costs and operational difficulties were the most frequently reported concerns. In 2019, the average BMP implementation rate of loggers trained under the Georgia Master Timber Harvester (GAMTH) program was 6.3% higher than non-GAMTH loggers. Certified mills reported consuming a combined roundwood volume equivalent to about 72% of the total roundwood consumed in Georgia. Moreover, we find that a) logging companies with larger capital investments, and b) certified mills engaging with the loggers in terms of communication of conservation practices, may fare better towards increasing BMP implementation. Our results indicate that the SFI-FS standard positively influences the sustainability of forest resource management on non-certified forestlands in Georgia. Our findings directly relate to the sustainability of 116 million hectares of forestland owned by families across the United States.

Wind Resource Potential Assessment and Implication for Climate Change Mitigation: The Case of Bale Zone, South Eastern Ethiopia

Wind power assessments as well as forecast of wind energy production potential are key issues in the wind energy industry. One of the necessary conditions for the development of wind power generation is to choose the optimal site. Alternative energy plays a great role for climate change mitigation, environmental protection and sustainable development. The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of wind resource based on WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model and its implication on climate change mitigation in Bale zone, south eastern Ethiopia. In this study, one year wind speed and wind direction at 6- hour intervals at a height of 10, 50 and 100 m were used. The data source is National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). In addition observational wind speed and wind direction data from National Meteorological Agency (NMA) of Ethiopia from ground based stations were used. The analysis result of the NCEP and NMA data by downscaling the model to 20 km by 20 km spatial resolution enabled to map the wind resource potential sites of Bale Zone applicable for wind mill installation. This study showed that most of the Bale zone areas have significant wind power potential to augment its current power generation. The analysis result revealed that wind resource potential is high during summer than winter season. Have a potential of installed 10,329MW wind capacity in Bale zone. If this potential wind resource will installed, so far environment as an estimation of about more than 5 thousand hectare of forest land per year would be preserved, and subsequently, equivalent amount of about 66,294 of CO 2 would be stored per year. Keywords: Wind speed; Wind direction; Wind power; WRF model; Bale zone DOI: 10.7176/JETP/11-1-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2021