Forestry

Standalone Agency to Map Green Wealth

by Sharachchandra (Sharad) Lele

published in Economic Times, May 12, 2012, page 9

Whose Lyme is it Anyway? Subject Positions and the Construction of Responsibility for Managing the Health Risks from Lyme Disease

by David Uzzell

Paper to be published in Health and Place: Uzzell, D., Marcu, A., and Barnett, J (2012) Whose Lyme is it Anyway? Subject Positions and the Construction of Responsibility for Managing the Health Risks from Lyme Disease, Health and Place,

There has been a significant increase during the last decade in the UK of the incidence of the Lyme disease. It is... more There has been a significant increase during the last decade in the UK of the incidence of the Lyme disease. It is transmitted through tick bites, and can have serious health consequences if not treated early. This study examined how the responsibility for managing and communicating the health risks from Lyme disease to forest workers and recreational visitors was constructed and acted upon by 21 interviewees in key managerial positions within one of the largest UK forestry organisations. The in-depth, semi-structured interviews were analysed using discourse analysis within a Foucauldian framework. The results demonstrated that the construction of responsibility towards the workforce and visitors was embedded into broader representations of the forest as a working, recreational and natural environment, as well as into the binary conceptualisation of forest hazards as natural and human-made. These constructions prescribed respective subject positions which differentially informed assumptions of responsibility, and consequent actions, towards the workforce and the public.

The Impact of Salvage-logging after Wildfire in the Boreal Forest: Lessons from the Abitibi (2002)

by Mark Purdon

Full Reference:
Purdon, M., Noël, J., Nappi, A., Drapeau, P., Harvey, B., Brais, S., Bergeron, Y., Gauthier, S., Greene, D. (2002) L’impact des coupes de récupération après feu en forêt boréale: leçons d’Abitibi. Rouyn-Noranda, QC : Chaire industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQÀM en aménagement forestier durable. 

French Version: http://web2.uqat.ca/cafd/publication/pub_pdf/fichetech4f.pdf

Performance of CDM Afforestation in Tanzania (2011)

by Mark Purdon

Paper presented at THE 5TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT (EFD) INITIATIVE, Arusha, October 27-30, 2011

The research question motivating this research project is under what conditions do afforestation projects under the... more The research question motivating this research project is under what conditions do afforestation projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol contribute significantly to sustainable rural development and generate genuine, additional carbon credits? This study provides answers to this question through a robust, comparative research design investigating CDM afforestation projects in Mufindi district, Tanzania. The afforestation projects were clearly having a positive direct impact on local employment and incomes. The observation that lands acquired for the CDM projects were unproductive lands allays concerns about food security. Furthermore, district government appeared to effectively verify that sufficient lands were retained by villages. In addition, the CDM project developer had been slow with meeting its commitments to provide social services, by at least 2008 it had begun to fulfill these obligations, including written commitment to dedicating 10% of carbon revenues to village development projects. There however remain biodiversity concerns due to the transformation away from grassland which need to be weighed against these direct economic benefits. Furthermore, the risks if the project fails to deliver continued economic development are significant given that the villages have lost title to former villages lands while review of compensation provided indicates this was extremely low. The additionality claims of the afforestation projects are however highly questionable. This is because the financial viability of the tree-planting changed over time in Mufindi district as a result of changing development conditions in Mufindi district as well as at the national level during the period 2005-2006. Trees planted for the CDM afforestation project can safely claim that carbon finance was necessary for project implementation, but becomes highly questionable afterward. This points to a need to devise a carbon accounting system to better accommodate changes in baselines over time.

Publication patterns of award-winning forest scientists and implications for the ERA journal ranking

by Jerome Vanclay

Vanclay, J.K., 2012. Publication patterns of award-winning forest scientists and implications for the ERA journal ranking. Journal of Informetrics 6:19-26

Publication patterns of 79 forest scientists awarded major international forestry prizes during 1990-2010 were... more Publication patterns of 79 forest scientists awarded major international forestry prizes during 1990-2010 were compared with the journal classification and ranking promoted as part of the 'Excellence in Research for Australia' (ERA) by the Australian Research Council. The data revealed that these scientists exhibited an elite publication performance during the decade before and two decades following their first major award. An analysis of their 1703 articles in 431 journals revealed substantial differences between the journal choices of these elite scientists and the ERA classification and ranking of journals. Implications from these findings are that additional cross-classifications should be added for many journals, and there should be an adjustment to the ranking of several journals relevant to the ERA Field of Research classified as 0705 Forestry Sciences.

Volume to Any Utilization Standard for Plantation Conifers in Queensland

by Jerome Vanclay

Vanclay, J.K. (1982) Volume to Any Utilization Standard for Plantation Conifers in Queensland. Queensland Department of Forestry, Research Note No. 36.

Equations are developed to determine volume to any height or diameter limit, expressed as a proportion of volume to 7... more Equations are developed to determine volume to any height or diameter limit, expressed as a proportion of volume to 7 cm top diameter under bark. Volume ratio equations are given for six conifers grown in plantations in Queensland.

Sustainable Private Native Forestry - Timber production, biodiversity and soil and water indicators and their applicability to northeast New South Wales

by Jerome Vanclay

Jay, A., D. Sharpe, D. Nichols and J. Vanclay, 2009. Sustainable Private Native Forestry - Timber production, biodiversity and soil and water indicators and their applicability to northeast New South Wales. RIRDC Publication 09/022. 89 pp.

Priorities for international forest research

by Jerome Vanclay

Sayer, J., N. Byron, D. Dykstra and J.K. Vanclay, 1997. Priorities for international forest research. Eleventh World Forestry Congress, 13-22 October, Antalya, Turkey.

The world is moving towards knowledge-based societies. Economies are globalizing. The global public goods value of... more The world is moving towards knowledge-based societies. Economies are globalizing. The global public goods value of forests is being recognised at the same time that the traditional role of state forest agencies in production forestry is being taken over by multi-national corporations. At the same time emerging technologies are greatly enhancing our ability to assess and monitor forest attributes, process and disseminate information, and enhance forest production. All of these changes will have an impact on how forest research is organized, who does it, and who pays for it. It seems inevitable that much traditional forestry research concerned with sustainability and productivity enhancement at the stand level, will be taken over by the private sector. However, there is going to be a major challenge in finding resources for research in support of the public goods values of forests at both the local, national and global levels. There is a widely held view that we are in the midst of a world forest crisis. It is not a crisis of declining production but one of erosion of public goods, environmental values of forests. So far, we have not seen a concerted scientific response to this crisis. The Inter-Governmental Panel on Forests (IPF) has given us the mandate to orchestrate such a response and the World Forestry Congress is a valuable opportunity to provide impetus to a new vision of forest science for the 21st century.

The House of Representatives Inquiry and the future of forestry

by Jerome Vanclay

Vanclay, J.K., 2012. The House of Representatives Inquiry and the future of forestry. Australian Forestry 75(1):1-2.

Climate Change and Biodiversity in Malaysia. 2010

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Impact, gaps and future of biodiversity in the face of climate change in Malaysia. Impact, gaps and future of biodiversity in the face of climate change in Malaysia.

E. Sullivan and A. Solomou, "‘Preserving Forest Lands for Forest Uses’ - Land Use Policies for Oregon Forest Lands"26(1) Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation (2011) 179-258

by Alexia Solomou

Sustaining conservation values in selectively logged tropical forests: The attained and the attainable.

by Jerome Vanclay

Putz, F.E., P.A. Zuidema, T. Synnott, M. Peña-Claros, M.A. Pinard, D. Sheil, J.K. Vanclay, P. Sist, S. Gourlet-Fleury, B. Griscom, J. Palmer and R. Zagt, 2012. Sustaining conservation values in selectively logged tropical forests: The attained and the attainable. Conservation Letters, in press.

Most tropical forests outside protected areas have been or will be selectively logged so it is essential to maximize... more Most tropical forests outside protected areas have been or will be selectively logged so it is essential to maximize the conservation values of partially harvested areas. Here we examine the extent to which these forests sustain timber production, retain species, and conserve carbon stocks. We then describe some improvements in tropical forestry and how their implementation can be promoted.

A simple meta-analysis based on >100 publications revealed substantial variability but that: timber yields decline by about 46% after the first harvest but are subsequently sustained at that level; 76% of carbon is retained in once-logged forests; and, 85–100% of species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, and plants remain after logging. Timber stocks will not regain primary-forest levels within current harvest cycles, but yields increase if collateral damage is reduced and silvicultural treatments are applied.

Given that selectively logged forests retain substantial biodiversity, carbon, and timber stocks, this “middle way” between deforestation and total protection deserves more attention from researchers, conservation organizations, and policy-makers. Improvements in forest management are now likely if synergies are enhanced among initiatives to retain forest carbon stocks (REDD+), assure the legality of forest products, certify responsible management, and devolve control over forests to empowered local communities.

Sustainable Forestry in the Tropics: Panacea or Folly?

by Jerome Vanclay

Pearce, D.W., F.E. Putz and J.K. Vanclay, 2005. Sustainable Forestry in the Tropics: panacea or folly? Chapter 14 in J.A. Sayer (ed.) The Earthscan Reader in Forestry and Development. Earthscan, London, ISBN 1 84407 153 7, pp. 280-305.

The profitability of uncontrolled logging can be a significant obstacle to sustainable forest management, especially... more The profitability of uncontrolled logging can be a significant obstacle to sustainable forest management, especially in the tropics. Rice et al. (1997) have argued that not only does traditional selective logging provide higher returns but also incurs less damage to forests than sustainable forest management systems that involve harvesting of many species and the creation of large gaps in the forest canopy to foster regeneration of light-demanding species. They claimed that protected areas were the only viable way to conserve forest ecosystems and proposed that loggers be allowed to log forests selectively once, after which the forests should become parks. Here we respond to the challenge posed by Rice et al. by exhaustively reviewing the evidence regarding the viability and desirability of sustainable forest management in the tropics. Following Rice et al., we use the term conventional timber harvesting to refer to existing practice, which typically pays little attention to maintaining long-term timber supply. Sustainable timber management implies taking steps to ensure forests continue to produce timber in the longer term, while maintaining the full complement of environmental services and non-timber products of the forest. Empirical studies tend to confirm the conclusion of Rice et al. (1997) that although sustainable timber management sometimes provides reasonable rates of return, conventional timber harvesting is generally more profitable. This implies that without additional incentives, one cannot expect companies to adopt sustainable management. The shortsightedness of many loggers, the slow rise in international timber prices, political uncertainty, and tenure insecurity simply reinforce this tendency. However, we reject the claim that sustainable timber management generally damages forests more than conventional logging. Rice et al. base their conclusion largely on the particular case of mahogany extraction in Bolivia, and even there it may not hold. In many cases, sustainable timber management performs better in terms of carbon storage and biodiversity conservation than conventional logging approaches, as well as producing more timber. If new carbon markets emerge, sustainable forest management might compete effectively with conventional timber harvesting. Timber certification systems may also provide a sufficient incentive for sustainable forest management in certain circumstances.

A simple planning system for sustainable timber harvesting in Papua New Guinea

by Jerome Vanclay

Keenan, R.J., C.L. Brack, M. Golman and J.K. Vanclay, 2011. A simple planning system for sustainable timber harvesting in Papua New Guinea. In: J.C. Fox, R.J. Keenan, C.L. Brack and S. Saulei (eds) Native forest management in Papua New Guinea: advances in assessment, modelling and decision-making. ACIAR Proceedings 135, pp. 176-184.

Carbon and forests: The big picture

by Jerome Vanclay

Vanclay, J., 2011. Carbon and forests: The big picture. Australasian Science 32(10):4.

Energy generated by burning forestry waste and other biomass sources should be recognised as renewable. Energy generated by burning forestry waste and other biomass sources should be recognised as renewable.

Do forest areas influence rainfall regime?

by Jerome Vanclay

Matteucci, G., J. Vanclay and J. Martin-Vide, 2011. Do forest areas influence rainfall regime? EFI News 19(2):7.

Codes of forest practice and related research needs

by Jerome Vanclay

Turnbull, J.W. and J.K. Vanclay, 1999. Codes of forest practice and related research needs. In: A.G. Brown (ed.) Sustainable Forest Management. Proceedings of the Hermon Slade International Workshop held at Melbourne, 30 November – 4 December 1998. Crawford Fund, ISBN 0 643 06316 1, p.21-28.

This paper has aimed to set Codes of Forest Practice in the framework of the evolving debate on sustainable forest... more This paper has aimed to set Codes of Forest Practice in the framework of the evolving debate on sustainable forest management. We suggest that most Codes of Forest Practice have been developed primarily from a biological and physical perspective. It would be useful to consider future needs for research for Codes of Forest Practice in the broader context of ecosystem management in which there is a more holistic approach and a greater concern for the aspirations and welfare of stakeholders. It will be essential to recognise people with their needs and values as part of the forest ecosystem we are researching.

Les a bezlesí. Vývoj synantropizace české části Šumavy - Wald und abgerodete Landschaft. Die Entwicklung der synanthropischen Processe in böhmischen Teil des Böhmerwaldes

by Jaromír Beneš

(In Czech with German summary) - (1995)in: Zlatá stezka. Sborník Prachatického muzea 3, 11-33

(in Czech) Woodland and secondary grassland in Bohemian forest. History of human influence on primeval Holocene forest... more (in Czech) Woodland and secondary grassland in Bohemian forest. History of human influence on primeval Holocene forest from archaeological and historical perspective.

Quelles ressources génétiques pour le sapin face aux changements climatiques ?

by hendrik davi

Les dépérissements du sapin pectiné dans son aire méridionale préfigurent peut-être un risque accru pour cette... more Les dépérissements du sapin pectiné dans son aire méridionale préfigurent peut-être un risque accru pour cette espèce sur le reste du territoire dans le cadre des changements climatiques. Ce projet, financé par le RMT issu d’une collaboration entre l’Inra, l’IDF et l’ONF, étudie les potentialités d’adaptation aux changements climatiques à partir des ressources génétiques existantes au sein du genre Abies.

Sucessão_Ilha Grande

by André Zaú