Forestry Problems Research Articles

Situation and Suggestions for Chinese Sustainable Forestry Development

The year 2011 is the International Year of the Forest-a time when people around the world are encouraged to pay special attention to the importance of forest ecosystems and the goods as well as ecological services they provide to sustain societies and economies. As the one of the giant of forest recourses consumption, China has the responsibility and obligation to made untiring efforts and unselfish contribution for the development of the world forestry. Research indicates that although Chinese forest area, forest growing stock as well as forest coverage continue to grow, there will still have a huge gap of wood demand because of the countrys large area and population. Many problems of Chinese forestry are pressing for solution in order to be on the path of sustainable forest management. In particular, through the development of plantations, reducing demand by enhancing the comprehensive use of timber with advanced science and technology, and advocating saving timber and recycling. Chinese experiences and lessons are also enlightenment to other countries.

The Size of Forest Holding/Parcelization Problem in Forestry: A Literature Review

In the early nonindustrial private forest (family forest) research literature, size of forest holding was identified as a critical variable impacting the propensity of family forest owners to invest in and manage small forest properties. This literature discusses relationships between size of forest holding and variables like forest owners’ financial and asset positions, forest management objectives, use of a forest management plan and professional forestry advice, and use of forestry cost-share funding. Since then, the literature has expanded and now relates to the major problem of forest parcelization. We reviewed this literature for historical themes, technical considerations, and continuing ownership problems, emphasizing the current circumstances of forest parcelization and its historical roots in the size of forest holding problem. Many of the sociological, economic, financial, and technical relationships identified earlier as foundations of the size of forest holding problem are shown to be also fundamental to the parcelization problem in forestry. We suggest that today’s parcelization issues are partially a continuation of the size of forest holding problem and that earlier research may be relevant to parcelization problems. We provide a detailed literature review that relates parcelization to the size of forest holding problem.

Redd+ Safeguards in Indonesia

Since REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) covers the core issues of Indonesian forestry, such as conservation, halting deforestation, and providing benefits for communities, the issue of safeguards has become central. With more than 40 REDD pilot projects and demonstration activities happening in Indonesia and the acceleration of setting up national REDD policies, safeguards cannot be ignored. They are a crucial instrument that can protect the rights and livelihoods of the communities and indigenous peoples in the forest areas and can ensure REDD schemes are useful and serve their main intended purposes. Safeguards are certainly not a panacea as forestry is not all about safeguards per se. However, they open discourse to promoting a rights-based approach in managing Indonesian forests and accelerating some programs related to halting deforestation that for years have failed to contribute significantly. Many communities that are facing REDD pilot projects are demanding respect for their rights and have an informal consensus that a rights-based approach should be the basis of REDD. REDD to some extent is bringing the international climate negotiations into the national context, especially after the Cancun Agreement clearly supported the language of safeguards for REDD. Although the term “safeguards” is unfamiliar to the Indonesian legal taxonomy, civil society sees laws, standards and practices to promote a national level of safeguards as essential to resolving forestry problems. With the involvement of civil society groups who have been pushing the Indonesian Government and donors for REDD. The country is now (during the writing of this paper) in the process of developing a REDD National Strategy. And safeguards are a part of it. But, again the question is whether the safeguards that are being developed as part of the National Strategy are sufficient and strong enough to protect the rights of the communities and the environment. How do safeguards relate to the result of international negotiations including Cancun Agreement and standards that are promoted by multilateral development banks? This paper addresses these questions by describing the current principles of safeguards promoted by Indonesian civil society organisations (CSOs) and how they influence the REDD strategy. Some safeguard principles in the draft national strategy have taken into account CSOs’ proposal on safeguards. The rights of forest peoples and protection over biodiversity are accommodated. CSOs advocated for these proposals before the Cancun Agreement was reached in 2010. However, these proposals are exactly in line with the language of Cancun. Both versions play an important role in integrating safeguards into the many levels of REDD decision making in Indonesia. At the same time, this paper also examines a link between of which safeguards have been promoted by other actors and their gaps compared with the CSOs’ proposal.

Certifying in Contested Spaces: private regulation in Indonesian forestry and palm oil

Over recent years systems of civil or private regulation have emerged across several commodity sectors in developing countries. This paper compares two regulatory systems applied to parallel food and forestry problems: the Forest Stewardship Council (fsc) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (rspo). Analysing these regulatory systems as attempts to extend procedural and distributional justice into contested forested and agricultural spaces, the paper examines the paradox that, despite successful advocacy campaigns using these regulatory standards, oil palm and timber estates and associated land conflicts continue to proliferate in Indonesia. These regulatory processes provide leverage within bounded spaces, yet they are limited by an incommensurability of values and interests that reflect underlying structural problems. At best these certification schemes provide limited learning tools. Addressing the underlying problems will require legal reforms, effective state engagement and supporting forms of accountability.

Certifying in Contested Spaces: Private Regulation in Indonesian Forestry and Palm Oil

Over recent years, systems of civil or private regulation have emerged across several commodity sectors in developing countries. This paper compares two regulatory systems applied to parallel food and forestry problems: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Analysing these regulations as attempts to extend procedural and distributional justice into contested forested and agricultural spaces, the paper examines the paradox that, despite successful advocacy campaigns using these regulatory standards, oil palm and timber estates and associated land conflicts continue to proliferate in Indonesia. These regulatory processes provide leverage within bounded spaces, yet they are limited by an incommensurability of values and interests that reflect underlying structural problems. At best these certification schemes provide limited learning tools. Addressing the underlying problems will require legal reforms, effective State engagement and supporting forms of accountability.

Reflections on Marine Resource Economics: Editor’s Introduction

Next article No AccessReflections on Marine Resource Economics: Editor’s IntroductionMartin D. SmithMartin D. SmithNicholas School of the Environment Duke University Search for more articles by this author Nicholas School of the Environment Duke UniversityPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Marine Resource Economics Volume 27, Number 3September 2012 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5950/0738-1360-27.3.197 Views: 92Total views on this site Copyright © 2012 MRE Foundation, Inc.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The value of cultural theory for participatory processes in natural resource management

Participation is viewed as an important means for promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. However, participation is not always successful. Conflicting values and power inequalities are all factors that can severely undermine participatory processes. Where so far the main focus of research has been on power imbalances and conflicting interests, this article focuses on another source of conflict, i.e. differing views of reality and underlying cultural biases. Research states that cultural theory (CT), which subdivides the divergent notions of reality into four worldviews (hierarchism, individualism, egalitarianism, fatalism), could be a useful tool to gain insight in conflicting views of reality and the consequences of these conflicting views for participatory processes. To investigate the value of CT for participation, a study in Java (Indonesia) was carried out to determine to what extent worldviews can be used to predict preferred strategies in forestry problems. The results show that an empirical identification of worldviews was possible. These worldviews however do not automatically explain how individuals address forestry problems. This might be because of the difficulty of measuring worldviews in relation to individuals' strategies. It might also be that CT's explanatory capacity is overestimated. In either case, we can conclude that CT the way it is used now is not the instrument that will help us solving the problems in participatory processes.

Recursive diameter prediction for calculating merchantable volume of eucalyptus clones using Multilayer Perceptron

A very common problem in forestry is the realization of the forest inventory. The forest inventory is very important because it allows the trading of medium- and long-term timber to be extracted. On completion , the inventory is necessary to measure different diameters and total height to calculate their volumes. However, due to the high number of trees and their heights, these measurements are an extremely time consuming and expensive. In this work, a new approach to predict recursively diameters of eucalyptus trees by means of Multilayer Perceptron artificial neural networks is presented. By taking only three diameter measures at the base of the tree, diameters are predicted recursively until they reach the value of 4 cm, with no previous knowledge of total tree height. The training was conducted with only 10% of the total trees planted site, and the remaining 90% of total trees were used for testing. The Smalian method was used with the predicted diameters to calculate merchantable tree volumes. To check the performance of the model, all experiments were compared with the least square polynomial approximator and the diameters and volumes estimates with both methods were compared with the actual values measured. The performance of the proposed model was satisfactory when predicted diameters and volumes are compared to actual ones.

Damage caused by mistletoe Misodendrum punctulatum Banks Ex Dc. on architecture and radial growth of Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl.) Krasser forests of southern Chile

AbstractParasitic plants rely completely or partially on host plant, namely holoparasitic or hemiparasitic, respectively. The effect of parasitism on host plants is not fully known. Misodendrum punctulatum (Misodendraceae) is the most common hemiparasite species in the southernmost forests of Chile and Argentina, and it has been identified as an important sanitary problem in forestry. In this study we evaluated the M. punctulatum effect on growth rates and architecture of pure Nothofagus pumilio (Nothofagaceae) forests in southern South America (52°10′S; 71°55′W). We established three plots of 30 × 30 m, and 10 cores were extracted from diameter at breast height (d.b.h. = 1.3 m) from living trees in each plot, using increment borers. Tree rings were measured, and anova was used to compare the annual growth rate of both infected and uninfected N. pumilio. The results showed that N. pumilio trees severely infected by M. punctulatum reduce growth rates in contrast with uninfected individuals (P < 0.05). Besides, trees with high‐infection levels evidenced deterioration in its architecture, showing asymmetric and suppressed canopies, according to ad hoc numerical indexes. This study provides a starting point to understand the parasite–host relationship in the Patagonian forests of southern Chile.

The safety problem and measure in forestry from the viewpoint of the safety management in construction industry(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Safety of newcomers in forestry)

The safety problem and measure in forestry from the viewpoint of the safety management in construction industry(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Safety of newcomers in forestry)

Regime switching in stochastic models of commodity prices: An application to an optimal tree harvesting problem

This paper investigates whether a regime switching model of stochastic lumber prices is better for the analysis of optimal harvesting problems in forestry than a more traditional single regime model. Prices of lumber derivatives are used to calibrate a regime switching model, with each of two regimes characterized by a different mean reverting process. A single regime, mean reverting process is also calibrated. The value of a representative stand of trees and optimal harvesting prices are determined by specifying a Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman Variational Inequality, which is solved for both pricing models using a implicit finite difference approach. The regime switching model is found to more closely match the behavior of futures prices than the single regime model. In addition, analysis of a tree harvesting problem indicates significant differences in terms of land value and optimal harvest thresholds between the regime switching and single regime models.

Taxonomic Review of Classical and Current Literature on the Perennial American Family Forest Problem

One of the fundamental issues in American forest policy has been the small forest ownership problem. Early in the twentieth century, it was called the farm forestry problem, later, the nonindustrial private forest problem, and today, the family forest problem. Family forest owners are thought to manage their lands in a suboptimal manner resulting in low forest productivity relative to other ownership groups. This can lead to future timber supply problems. The exact nature of the problem, especially its social and economic basis, was a common subject of early forestry research studies. This article includes many of the major nonindustrial private forest or family forest studies, from early to current, and classifies them both by themes used by other authors and categories that relate to major research areas in the current literature. A major focus of this literature deals with promoting management on family forest holdings and possible land management incentives and disincentives. Natural trends in family forest ownership, like parcelization, also impact upon forest management opportunities. By developing a taxonomy that classifies these studies by research objective, methodology, owner motivation, and problem definition, this article serves to organize the family forest literature in a manner that provides a temporal framework for better understanding the historical motivation for and development of family forest research in the United States.

Field screening for genetic-based susceptibility to mammalian browsing

Browsing by mammalian herbivores is a major problem in plantation forestry. Seedlings are most vulnerable to browsing during establishment, making protection crucial during this period. Aside from reducing herbivore numbers, browsing can be controlled through the application of tree guards or chemical repellents. These methods are generally short-term options. A promising, potentially longer-term method of reducing browsing damage on plantations is to plant individuals with enhanced natural browse resistance. This requires the development of a rapid, cost-effective means of identifying germplasm with enhanced resistance. Here we present such a screening methodology. We planted Eucalyptus globulus seedlings from 22 different seedlots in randomised blocks along edge rows of six operational plantations. Seedlings were monitored for mammal browsing damage and growth for 2 years. Natural variation between E. globulus seedlots resulted in significant variation in the extent to which they were browsed. Differential browsing was evident just 10 weeks after planting, and caused a significant effect on tree growth after 2 years. Differential browsing was thought to be due to variation in levels of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). The identification and selective planting of high PSM seedlots in high risk areas could be an effective management tool to reduce browsing in plantation forestry.

A System for the Estimation of Single-Tree Stem Diameter and Volume Using Multireturn LIDAR Data

Forest inventories are important tools for the management of forests. In this context, the estimation of the tree stem volume is a key issue. In this paper, we present a system for the estimation of forest stem diameter and volume at individual tree level from multireturn light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data. The proposed system is made up of a preprocessing module, a LIDAR segmentation algorithm (aimed at retrieving tree crowns), a variable extraction and selection procedure, and an estimation module based on support vector regression (SVR) (which is compared with a multiple linear regression technique). The variables derived from LIDAR data are computed from both the intensity and elevation channels of all available returns. Three different methods of variable selection are analyzed, and the sets of variables selected are used in the estimation phase. The stem volume is estimated with two methods: 1) direct estimation from the LIDAR variables and 2) combination of diameters and heights estimated from LIDAR variables with the species information derived from a classification map according to standard height/diameter relationships. Experimental results show that the system proposed is effective and provides high accuracies in both the stem volume and diameter estimations. Moreover, this paper provides useful indications on the effectiveness of SVR with LIDAR in forestry problems.

Labor accident preventions and problem in forestry under the system of industrial safety and health act(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Work environment and safe management in forestry)

Labor accident preventions and problem in forestry under the system of industrial safety and health act(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Work environment and safe management in forestry)

Multiple-Case Study of Landscape Visualizations as a Tool in Transdisciplinary Planning Workshops

Olaf Schroth, Ulrike Wissen Hayek, Eckart Lange, Stephen R. J. Sheppard and Willy A. Schmid

Framework for designing and applying peak runoff control structures for peatland forestry conditions

Drainage-induced diffuse pollution and erosion are key water quality problems in peatland forestry. A major part of the pollutant load is transported during peak runoff periods after snowmelt or intense rainfall. This study investigated possibilities to increase retention time of runoff waters in drained peatland catchments on purpose to diminish peak runoff and improve settling conditions of suspended solids (SS). To create retention, a peak runoff control (PRC) structure was developed and its functioning, dimensioning and practical applications were studied in five partly or completely ditch-drained catchments in Central Finland. The method reduced runoff peaks by 10–73% or 5.07–57.63 l −1 s −1 km −2, and functioned especially well during largest runoff peaks. The effectiveness of the PRC method depended on (i) catchment topography (slope) and available detention volume, (ii) dimensioning and location of the PRC structure, and (iii) runoff rates. The PRC structure is cheap and can easily be created with forest drainage machinery during the ditching and ditch network maintenance operations. Different issues relating to the structural design, water quality benefits, and impacts on forestry are discussed.

The effects of insect pathogenic soil fungi and ectomycorrhizal inoculation of birch seedlings on the survival of Otiorhynchus larvae

Weevil larvae of the genus Otiorhynchus are a serious problem in agriculture and forestry, causing damage to a wide range of plant species, primarily by larval feeding on roots. Otiorhynchus larvae are a serious pest in forest plantations in Iceland, causing 10–20% mortality of newly‐planted seedlings. We studied the effects of soil fungi on the survival of Otiorhynchus sulcatus larvae. The larvae were introduced into pots with birch seedlings grown in: (i) nursery peat; (ii) nursery peat inoculated with three different species of ectomycorrhizal fungi; (iii) nursery peat inoculated with insect pathogenic fungi; (iv) nursery peat inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungi and insect pathogenic fungi; and (v) nursery peat inoculated with natural forest soil from Icelandic birch woodland. Larval survival was negatively affected by inoculation of: (i) the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria laccata; (ii) the ectomycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophylum; (iii) the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae; and (iv) forest soil. Inoculation with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Phialophora finlandia did not have any significant effect on larval survival. No significant synergistic effect was found between insect pathogenic and ectomycorrhizal fungi. It is concluded that ectomycorrhizal and insect pathogenic fungi have a significant potential in biological control of Otiorhynchus larvae in afforestation areas in Iceland. Further studies are needed to establish the effect of these fungi in the field and to analyse how mycorrhizal fungi affect root‐feeding larvae.

City Trees and Municipal Wi-Fi Networks: Compatibility or Conflict?

Conflict between city trees and infrastructure remains a problem in urban forestry. Municipal Wi-Fi, a citywide wireless computer network, may become a part of urban infrastructure, and because trees can diminish Wi-Fi signals, potential exists for conflict between urban trees and municipal Wi-Fi. This study examines attenuation of Wi-Fi signals in the City of Mountain View, California, U.S. by positioning a wireless-equipped computer so that trees obstructed the line-of-sight (LOS) between the computer and a Wi-Fi access point. Signal attenuation ranged from < 2 dB to 19 dB (mean: 5.6 dB), depending on the number and types of trees present. Although trees significantly attenuated signals, they did not diminish the average signal strength below -75 dBm (the minimum for a Wi-Fi connection) in any of the tests. A general linear model (r2 = 0.55) indicated that some tree characteristics (tree size, canopy depth, leaf type), but not others (number of trees in LOS, presence of leaves, leaf size, and shape) helped explain variation in signal attenuation. As long as the effect of urban trees is taken into account during planning of Wi-Fi networks, trees should not interfere with municipal Wi-Fi operation.

Forest site classification using Landsat 7 ETM data: A case study of Maçka-Ormanüstü forest, Turkey

Aforestation activities, silvicultural prescription, forest management decisions and land use planning are based on site information to develop appropriate actions for implementation. Forest site classification has been one of the major problems of Turkish forestry for long time. Both direct and indirect methods can be used to determine forest site productivity. Indirect methods are usually reserved for practical applications as they are relatively simple, yet provide less accurate site estimation. However, direct method is highly time-demanding, expensive and hard to conduct, necessitating the use of information technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). This study, first of all, generated a forest site map using both direct and indirect methods based on ground measurements in 567.2 ha sample area. Then, supervised classification was conducted on Landsat 7 ETM image using forest site map generated from direct method as ground measurements to generate site map. The classification resulted in moist site of 262.5 ha, very moist site of 122.5 ha and highly moist site of 191.2 ha in direct method; sites I-II cover 38.9 ha, III 289.6 ha, IV-V 143.5 ha and treeless-degraded areas of 104.2 ha in indirect method; moist site of 203.5 ha, very moist site of 232.1 ha and highly moist site of 140.6 ha in remote sensing method. However, 104.2 ha treeless and degraded areas were not determined by indirect method, yet by the other methods. Secondly, forest site map for the whole area (5,980.8 ha) was generated based on the site map generated by the direct method for sampled area. The Landsat 7 ETM image was classified based on the forest site map of sample area. The site index (SI) map for the whole area was generated using conventional inventory measurements. The classification resulted in sites I-II cover 134.1 ha, III 1,643.6 ha, IV-V 1,396.5 ha, treeless-degraded areas of 1,097.3 ha and settlement-agriculture areas of 1,709.3 ha in indirect method; moist site of 1,674.3 ha, very moist site of 853.6 ha, highly moist site of 1,729.6 ha and settlement-agriculture areas 1,723.3 ha in remote sensing method. Again the treeless- degraded areas of 1,097.3 ha were not determined by indirect method but by remote sensing method.