Local pricing system of forest products and its relations to equitable benefit sharing and livelihood improvement in the lowland community forestry program in Nepal

The study examines the relationships between local pricing system of forest products and its effects on equitable benefit sharing and livelihood improvement of user households who are living in and around the forests. The community forest user groups of lowland in Nepal have practiced low pricing strategy for high value forest products considering the access of socio-economically poor households. However, the study suggests that even though the low pricing strategy was designed considering poor households, rich households greatly benefited from the forest benefits. The study further enlightens that the low price for high value forest products particularly timber is counterproductive for equitable benefit sharing among the user households in the areas of heterogeneous socio-economic conditions. In addition, the strategy is defective for collecting adequate community fund and carrying out enough livelihood improvement activities at the local level.     

Ecological and economical sustainability assessment of community forest management in Nepal: A reality check

This study analyzes the sustainability of community forest management, representing four forest types of two physiographic region Hills and Terai of Nepal. We assess the sustainability based on species composition, stand density, growing stock volume, and growth-to-removal ratio using inventory data of 109 permanent forest plots from four consecutive intervals of three to five years. In addition, forest users, forest committee members, and forest officials were consulted. We observed increment on the representation of economically valuable tree species in all forest types of both regions. The pole-size tree dominates in all forest types with declining number of trees and regeneration. In case of Hills forests, they were over-harvested until 2013 but were under-harvested in the recent period. In contrary, forests were under-harvested in the Terai. We found that ecological objectives of sustainable management are fully achieved while economic benefits remained unharnessed where harvesting is far below the growth. We conclude that maintaining a large number of trees may contribute to ecological but not on economical sustainability. We argue to rationalize annual harvest in all categories of the forest to enhance resource conditions together with regular benefits to the local communities.     

Back to basics: Considerations in evaluating the outcomes of community forestry

Evaluations on community forestry outcomes are important to observe whether the program community forestry produces what it has promised. For the evaluation -as an alternative to the comprehensive criteria and indicators on sustainable community forestry-, we propose an approach based on the core policy objectives of the program. In fact, community forestry is very much connected to the following three objectives of: 1) alleviating the poverty of forest users, 2) empowering them, and 3) improving the condition of the forests. Based on field tests in two community forests in Indonesia, the focus on the core policy objectives appears to provide a more practical approach than the use of complex criteria and indicators. We conclude that our approach allows rapid evaluations and eventually reduces the associated costs and time without compromising the goals of the evaluation.     

Rules of benefit distribution: A dynamic impact on Nepalese community forestry organizations

Participatory approach has been an official part of Community Forestry (CF) since 1989 when Master Plan for the Forestry Sector (1989) was introduced in Nepal. However, many problems related to benefit distribution from CF have emerged because of the way decision-making is influenced by social and institutional structures present at community level, particularly in terms of dominance by wealthy and caste elite to formulate rules. The study used a conceptual approach using elite theory with models that looked at Executive Committee (EC) that used to formulate distribution rules. The study uses Community Forestry User Groups (CFUGs) level data from 31 CFUGs and household data from 310 households in Baglung district, Nepal. The study examined the factors linked with rules of distribution that determined the relative distribution of forest products. The higher the representation of the poor and disadvantaged households on the EC, the greater the benefits to them in terms of greater quantities distributed and longer collection periods. The policy implication of this study is that the forestry organizations help the poor and underprivileged households to build up capacity to undertake leadership roles that influence the formulation of rules through which organizational elite models in favor to them become part of the elite decision-making.     

The sustainability of selection cutting in a late successional broadleaved community forest in Bhutan

This study assessed the sustainability of selection cutting in a community forest (CF) in Bhutan. The harvesting approach differed from cable crane logging operations in an adjacent commercially managed forest by creating much smaller canopy openings. This had many implications for natural regeneration of preferred species. The study was conducted in a late successional broadleaved CF containing 32 genera of tree species dominated by Quercus and Castanopsis and managed for timber, firewood, non-wood forest products and forest grazing. The study was based on a comparison of two forest inventories to assess forest structure and regeneration, a study of stumps to quantify harvesting intensities, and a household survey to quantify livestock holdings and grazing patterns. The study examined different intensities of selection cutting in three blocks of the CF and found that higher intensities of selection cutting did not have a negative impact on: (a) natural regeneration of seedlings and saplings of preferred timber species; (b) the diameter distribution of all species and use categories except for Quercus; (c) the diversity of tree genera; and (d) the percentage of remaining trees with favorable bole shape and form. These results contrasted with findings in the adjacent commercially managed forest. Community management of broadleaved forests with selection cutting appeared to be sustainable and avoid some of the unresolved silvicultural problems associated with commercially managed forests in Bhutan. However more research is needed on the sustainable management of Quercus spp.     

Impact of community forest program in protection forest on livelihood outcomes: A case study of Lampung Province,Indonesia

The global to local-level importance of Indonesian forests for the environment and development is now very well documented. However, how to govern these forests to achieve the diverse and, at times, conflicting interests is still an open question. Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKm) is a community forest (CF) that is being implemented to contribute to local development while creating sufficient incentives for conserving the forest. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of HKm to conserve forests. This study analyzed the changes in the five major types of capital for HKm farmers. The results indicated HKm to have contributed positively to the improvement of natural, physical, and human capital. In addition to its direct impact, HKm was also found to improve the financial capital of the farmers by avoiding patron–client relationships and side payments between the pre-HKm illegal encroacher farmers (now legal land cultivators) and government officers. Although the results support the possibility of HKm producing a win-win situation between forest conservation and rural development, its future applicability, especially with consideration of population growth and associated increase in demand for cultivation land, needs to be given due emphasis.     

国有林场森林资源信息管理系统研究及应用

以登封国有林场为试验对象,开发了国有林场森林资源信息管理系统,并得到应用。基本上实现了登封国有林场森林资源管理的信息化,为森林资源的科学管理和决策,以及可持续发展提供了技术支持。     

Traditional agroforestry,parcel management,and social forestry development in a pioneer agricultural community: the case of Jala-jala,Rizal, Philippines

This paper overviews a variety of traditional agroforestry systems found in a small community of Filipino migrant farmers. Background information provides context, and then case studies of seven farmers are offered to illustrate the functions which their agroforestries fulfill in a situation of parcellization of farm-holdings into both level and sloping fields. The implications of the brief portraits presented for further research and development and for the acceptability of a social forestry program now going on in the community are suggested.     

Refugee impact on collective management of forest resources: a case study of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal's Eastern Terai region

This article analyzes the relationship between forest resources, refugees, and the host population. The findings of the research suggest that the host population are heavily dependent on the local forest for their daily needs such as fuelwood, timber, grazing area, fodder for domestic animals, foods, and medicine in addition to cultural and esthetic needs. The forest has also been relied upon for agricultural needs such as manufacture of agricultural tools, maintenance of irrigation water systems, erosion control, and fertilizer needs. The forest was under a sustained demand as any other Terai forest of Nepal. After the arrival of refugees in 1992, the demand for forest resources increased substantially. Initially, the construction of the refugee camps decreased the total forest area and also required some felling of trees. More significantly, the refugees themselves became active users of the forest resource, which generated extra pressure on the forest and created scarcity of forest resources. Before the arrival of the refugees, forest management and monitoring of illegal use of the forest resources were carried out by the government through its local forester office. The local residents were active users of the forest resources, but were passive in managing and maintaining the forest resource. However, competition from the refugees instilled a desire in the local population to safeguard and protect the dwindling resource against the external threat by creating the Humse Dumse Community Forest.     

The influence of forest data quality on planning processes in forestry

Abstract

Forestry planning relies on decision support systems for predicting and evaluating the outcomes of different management options. The accuracy of data describing the initial state of the forest will inevitably affect the projections of forest development and, hence, the quality of management decisions. As data acquisition is expensive, there is a trade-off between improving management plans and the increasing cost of gathering more data. This review attempts, from a critical perspective, to summarize research on how the quality of forestry data affects the results of forestry planning and decision making. It is structured as follows: first, the attempts to evaluate forestry data for forestry planning purposes are described, including methodology and main conclusions; secondly, some generic questions concerning how important aspects of this research area can be handled are posed and discussed; and finally, some conclusions are drawn, including methodological recommendations. It is concluded that research in this area is scarce, which is in contrast to the fields of forestry planning and forest data acquisition. The inherent complexity of forestry planning is probably the reason why those who seek to evaluate forestry data often oversimplify the problems.     

Certification of sustainable forest management practices: a global perspective on why countries certify

In this paper, we examine national conditions that encourage the growth of a private regulatory environmental system to govern forests. Economic, institutional and social capital variables for 117 countries are used to examine factors determining forest certification under the Forest Stewardship Council and domestic competitor schemes. Although economic factors, such as forest exports and GDP, are important in explaining the likelihood that a country's forest management practices are certified, the regression results support the idea that economic institutions and the social context under which firms and forest landowners seek certification matters. The ability of citizens to influence the political process is also significant; in particular, the likelihood that firms and forest owners will seek to certify their forest practices is significantly reduced if women have little or no effective voice in civil society.     

The cost of risk management and multifunctionality in forestry: a simulation approach for a case study area in Southeast Germany

Forest management faces growing uncertainty concerning environmental conditions and demand for ecosystem services. To help forest managers consider uncertainty, we applied a robust and multi-criteria approach to select the optimal composition of a forest enterprise from 12 stand types. In our simulation, the forest enterprise strives for either financial return or a multi-criteria forest management considering financial return, carbon storage and forest ecosystem stability. To quantify the influence of climate change on these decision criteria, we used the concept of analogous climate zones. Our results provide recommendations for long-term strategies for tree species selection in a Southeast German forest enterprise. The results show that considering both uncertainty and multifunctionality in forest management led to more diversified forest compositions. However, robust and multi-criteria optimisation required the forest enterprise to pay a premium in terms of lower income. Financial returns decreased when forest composition accounted for uncertainty or multiple objectives. We also found that adaptation measures could only partly financially compensate the effects of climate change. As the study is limited to two tree species, including additional tree species, variants of mixing proportions and further silvicultural strategies in the optimisation appears a promising avenue for future research.

     

An approach to achieve sustainable development goals through participatory land and forest conservation: a case study in South Kalimantan Province,Indonesia

The delivery of sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a participatory land and forest conservation initiative was evaluated in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The initiative focused on the rehabilitation of a 410 ha forest that was managed by local villagers. A forest rehabilitation and management initiative was developed through participatory action, establishing a well-managed rubber plantation that provided new livelihood opportunities. Poverty reduction was promoted, evidenced by a reduction in inequality amongst the local community. Between 2010 and 2018 the Gini coefficient of inequality declined from 34.6% to 31.3%, demonstrating a contribution to SDGs 1 (No Poverty) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities). In addition, forest rehabilitation resulted in improved carbon stock and biodiversity management contributing to SDG15 (Life on Land). This was attributed to successful forest rehabilitation and the reduced incidence of forest fires. Cooperation amongst local villagers categorized as living in poor households was improved, facilitated by capacity building. This focused on rubber plantation management, cooperative action, and firefighting activities. This capacity building contributed to the delivery of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Results from a socio-economic survey demonstrated that group activities and cooperation amongst stakeholders were essential to improve both livelihoods and forest management practices.     

Leakage of forest harvest changes in a small open economy: case Norway

The effect of changes in roundwood harvests in Norway on the harvests in rest of the world is examined using a global forest sector model. About 60–100% of the harvest change in Norway is offset by an opposite change in the rest of the world. Such leakage rates vary over time, wood category, background scenario, and the size of the harvest change. Asymmetries between the effects of increasing and decreasing the harvests also exist. Hence, the magnitude of leakage rate is case specific, though considerable. Under tightening wood supply there is less need/room to respond to harvest increase/decrease in Norway with incremental/reduced harvests elsewhere. When the use of global forest resources intensifies with increasing wood demand in the future, leakage rates can be smaller than today. It is important to account for harvest leakage in order to avoid overestimating the climate benefits of policies that decrease or increase roundwood harvests. For instance, for full carbon sequestration benefits of increasing harvests for harvested wood products, creating fresh additional demand for these products should be prioritized. Else the origin of raw material and the place of production for these products may change instead of their stock.     

Needs of private forest owners in the context of changing political systems: Lithuania as a case study

During the first half of the 20^th century the Baltic States were independent democratic nations where private forest ownership was practiced. After annexation to the Soviet Union, individuals in the Baltic States lost their ownership rights and collective ownership was introduced. Currently, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, the land restitution process in the forest sector is coming to an end and the ownership pattern as well as tenure rights are settled. A survey was undertaken to investigate the current state of the private forest sector in general, and the needs and expectations of private forest owners (PFO). Results of the study indicated that for private forest owners their forests first of all provide aesthetic and environmental protection values. Lithuanian PFOs lack information of forests and forest management, face extensive bureaucracy and need help in protecting their forests from fires, diseases and timber thieves.     

The effects of teak monoculture on forest soils: a case study in Bangladesh

Teak plantations date back to 1871 in Bangladesh.This study was designed to assess how teak monoculture has impacted the soil properties in Bangladesh.Multiple linear regression and correlation matrices were estimated to evaluate these impacts.The means of soil physicochemical properties were compared across various attributes of the plantations.Older plantations accumulated more organic carbon in the soils than the younger plantations.Excessive removal of litter from the forest floor resulted in reduced levels of N, P, K, and other nutrients in the soils.Since bulk density was continuously decreasing deeper into the soil, the penetration of mineral nutrients into the soil was low.Furthermore, moisture content in the topsoil was significantly lower than that in the bottom layers due to the exposed and dry condition of the forest floor under teak plantations.For improving depleted teak plantation soils, teak could be planted with other tree species rather than just in monocultures.In addition, the forest floor could be enriched with leguminous herbs and shrubs to improve soil health in these plantations.     

Impacts of forest management on liana diversity and community structure in a tropical forest in Ghana: implications for conservation

We studied the impacts of liana cutting as a forest management tool on liana diversity(species richness,Shannon diversity index) and community structure(diameter distribution, basal area, species dominance) in the Asenanyo Forest Reserve, Ghana. Two types of silviculturally treated forests were studied: Logging treated(LT)and Tropical Shelterwood System(TSS) treated forests. An untreated primary forest was included as a control, resulting in three forest management systems. Lianas with diameter C2 cm were identified in ten 40 9 40 m2 plots within each management system. Liana cutting significantly reduced liana species richness, Shannon diversity index, and basal area in the LT forest after two decades.However, liana species richness and basal area werecomparable in the TSS treated and untreated forests, indicating significant recovery in the former after over six decades. S?rensen similarity index of liana species composition between the untreated forest and each of the treated forests was moderate. Our findings suggest that liana cutting most likely influenced the dominance of some liana species. In view of the adverse impact of blanket liana cutting on liana diversity, selective liana cutting is recommended as a means of controlling liana numbers while maintaining liana diversity.     

The influence of canopy patch mosaics on understory plant community composition in boreal mixedwood forest

We assessed the composition of understory vascular plant communities in relation to the mosaic of canopy patch types, and their associated structure and environment, within unmanaged, mature boreal mixedwood forests in western Canada. Within a 30 km² area, we sampled patches of four different canopy types: conifer-dominated, broadleaf-dominated, mixed conifer-broadleaf, and canopy gaps (total n = 98). There were significant differences in understory composition among the four patch types (based on multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP)) and these were mainly due to differences in relative abundances of understory species. The understory communities of conifer patches were characterized by low abundances of shade intolerant species while shade-tolerant and evergreen species were indicators (based on an indicator species analysis (ISA)). Understory communities under gap and broadleaf patches were characterized by higher abundances of grasses and shade intolerant species. Gap, broadleaf, and mixed patches had higher abundances of certain shrub species than did conifer patches. The patch types also differed in terms of their environmental conditions. Conifer patches had drier, cooler soils and the lowest understory light. Broadleaf patches had the warmest soils while understory light during the leaf-off period was similar to that of canopy gaps. Gap patches had the lowest litter cover and PO₄⁻ availability and the highest light. Seven environmental variables (soil moisture, soil temperature, total light during the leaf-off period, cover of coarse and fine downed woody material, and availability of NH₄⁺ and Ca²⁺) were significantly related to understory species composition (in a constrained ordination by means of a distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA); 16.5% of variation in understory community data explained). Even within a single patch type, there was substantial environmental variation that was related to understory species composition. Our study suggests that the mosaic of canopy patches within mixedwood forests supports coexistence of both early and late successional understory plant species in mixedwood stands. Maintaining the mixture of canopy patch types within mixedwood stands will be important for conserving the natural patterns of understory plant composition in boreal mixedwood forests.