Stakeholder perceptions,management and impacts of forestry conflicts in southern Sweden

ABSTRACT

Forests are under increasing pressure with increasing risk of conflicts between stakeholder groups with different interests in sustainable forest management (SFM). This study investigated the different dimensions of conflict as perceived by private forest owners and other stakeholders, and the likely impact of these pressures on SFM in a southern Swedish context. Data were collected through a mixed methods approach using qualitative in-depth individual semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and a quantitative survey (n?=?6–161), with questions on present and past conflicts, actors, drivers, acting, management and solutions. Stakeholders felt that in the past the conflicts were more about technical dimensions of forestry practice, and today more about the political and cultural dimensions of forestry issues. The most frequently mentioned reason for forest conflict was forest protection, especially woodland key habitats. In all conflicts, forest owners emphasised the importance of knowledge, responsibility and emotions. Other stakeholders did too, but with emotions less emphasised. In managing conflict, meetings, adaptation and education were stressed by stakeholders. Dialogue arenas on different levels are needed for all stakeholders. Governing bodies also need to realise the implication different approaches and strategies have on forest owners management.     

Environmental Change and the Sustainability of European Forests

Summary

It is some years now since forest decline was a major public concern in Europe and was one of the principal environmental issues around which international research programs were focused. A number of internationally coordinated activities were initiated in the 1980s and 1990s and have continued until now; these contributed significantly to our current understanding of forestry and to the way in which forestry policies have developed. In short, the concept of sustainable development has had an increasing influence and is now of immeasurable value in forest policy, with sustainable forest management well established as its guiding principle. This sequence of events is examined here. The extent to which understanding has advanced is remarkable; much has changed. Arguably this period gave the first indication of the extent to which forests and ecosystems globally are threatened by environmental change. On the basis of the last 20 years, it is tempting to conclude that we now have an effective institutional framework and have made excellent progress. However, some of the recorded ecosystem responses seem anomalous; there are surprises in system responses, e.g., the linkage between sulphur and nitrogen depositions and forest growth. Even more importantly some specific pollutant problems remain and will intensify, and climate change has become an environmental issue of overwhelming importance.     

A criteria and indicator prognosis for sustainable forest management assessments: Concepts and optional policy baskets for the high forest zone in Ghana

ABSTRACT

This article establishes principles conveyed by criteria and indicators as a useful tool for measuring progress made toward sustainable forest management (SFM). Pedagogically, the conceptual construction raises questions on the following topics: (a) the various management practices and policies that exist in the high forest zone, (b) how criteria and indicators for assessments are selected, and (c) how progress made toward SFM is measured. Performance scores are established for indicators identified within the three sectors (forest ecosystems, forest communities, and the economy) for sustainability assessment. Measuring progress toward SFM operations are quantitatively performed with estimated maximum and minimum thresholds levels at which resource-use would be sustained using the Measure of Forest Resource-Use Sustainability Scale (MoFRUSS). The outcome of the measurement operations, as depicted by MoFRUSS, reveals the actual extent to which stakeholder’s initiatives toward sustainable forest management has progressed and in which direction it is moving. It also offers optional policy baskets for resource management interventions from which the socio-eco economic bundle is recommended if the forestry sector of Ghana’s Vision 2020 (sustainable development) is to be achieved with improved societal well-being, improved environmental health and vitality, and improved economic growth and development.     

A European Network in Support of Sustainable Forest Management

Summary

Today, sustainability is a political priority at the regional, national, and international levels. It is thought to be attained by political instruments and adequate management. The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) is the European forum and reference for sustainable forest management (SFM). The MCPFE has developed criteria and indicators for implementing SFM in Europe. However, there is a gap between policy makers, stakeholders, and researchers with regard to the implementation of the criteria and indicators. A research strategy is proposed by the COST Action E25-European Network for Long-Term Ecosystem and Landscape Research, whereby these gaps are identified, and means for bridging these gaps are suggested. For example, economic and social-cultural criteria and indicators are poorly developed or missing-there is a need for disciplinary and multidisciplinary research. Furthermore, the knowledge base of forests and forestry is well developed in Europe, but could be better communicated to parties involved. Decision-support systems and “landscape laboratories” are suggested as tools for bridging this gap. Furthermore, resources are scarce, so new approaches should be developed that take advantage of existing resources and experiences. Information systems for maintaining and developing long-term information, and increased European collaboration are needed to harmonize existing and future initiatives.     

Forest Management Approaches for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: a Comparison Between Germany and Japan

ABSTRACT

Forest management affects carbon sequestration (mitigation) and resilience of forest ecosystems (adaptation) under climate change. Therefore, the efforts to integrate these two approaches have been made by the political arrangements to seek the synergy effects and deal with trade-offs. To study the state of the art linkages and forest policies to realize both adaptation and mitigation, we systematically review the literature highlighting the topic (136 publications) and outline two different approaches from Germany and Japan as countries with substantial forest resources and high influences on international forest policies and wood trade. We identify three linkages: (1) an ecosystem (based) approach assuming that a resilient ecosystem (adaptation), has high potential as a carbon sink (mitigation), (2) a sustainable forest management (SFM) aiming for enhancing forests’ resilience and carbon sink potential simultaneously, and (3) a cross-sectoral approach generating synergies among multiple sectors of agriculture, forestry, urban design, and nature conservation. We find that a significant objective is still SFM for sustaining the forest area andwood production, where SFM examples in Germany and Japan exemplify contributions to carbon sinks and ongoing disaster risk management, respectively. Overall, the current differentiated objectives of SFM do not underpin the twofold approach and their synergy effects.     

A typology of small-scale private forest owners in Sweden

Abstract

Planning instruments have to be consistent with the underlying values of the forest owners to have an influence on their management activities. The aims of the present study were to identify different types of Swedish forest owners, to quantify their objectives and to validate a previous, qualitative study of the objectives of the small-scale forest owners. A survey was conducted and forest owners were classified by means of cluster analysis into five types: the “economist”, the “conservationist”, the “traditionalist”, the “multiobjective owner” and finally the “passive owner”. Significant factors characterizing these owners are presented and discussed. The results showed that clear subgroups of forest owners can be differentiated by their objectives and confirm recent studies suggesting that a sole emphasis on economic benefits is not desirable from the forest owners’ point of view. The findings should give a better understanding of the behaviour of the small-scale forest owners and provide a basis for further research, counselling and development of forest policy.     

Factors influencing Norwegian small-scale private forest owners’ ability to meet the political goals

Abstract

Norwegian forest policy has high-level, complex objectives for the products and benefits from the forest, including increased contribution to the climate, preservation of biodiversity, and creation of economic values. In Norway, it is first and foremost small-scale private forest owners who have to deliver on these expanded goals. The article reveals owners’ lack of forestry competence, and elaborates on the role of forestry employees (advisers) in owners’ decision-making processes, be it forestry-competent owners or not. There is, however, a decreased number of advisers in the private and public forest services, implying that forest owners are atomised in the meaning of being alone. This type of individualization and an increasing lack of forestry competence among forest owners are a contradiction. The mismatch is serious for the government and the forestry business because it probably hampers the fulfilment of the political objectives. The article presents six options for meeting the obstacles to goal fulfilment. The article is based on two research projects from the counties of Trøndelag and Hedmark. Data were collected between 2002 and 2007 and include survey, focus group interviews, in-depth interviews, fieldwork and document analysis.     

Implementing Sustainable Forest Management Using Six Concepts in an Adaptive Management Framework

Certification and principles, criteria and indicators (PCI) describe desired ends for sustainable forest management (SFM) but do not address potential means to achieve those ends. As a result, forest owners and managers participating in certification and employing PCI as tools to achieving SFM may be doing so inefficiently: achieving results by trial-and-error rather than by targeted management practices; dispersing resources away from priority objectives; and passively monitoring outcomes rather than actively establishing quantitative goals. In this literature review, we propose six concepts to guide SFM implementation. These concepts include: Best Management Practices (BMPs)/Reduced Impact Logging (RIL), biodiversity conservation, forest protection, multi-scale planning, participatory forestry, and sustained forest production. We place these concepts within an iterative decision-making framework of planning, implementation, and assessment, and provide brief definitions of and practices delimited by each concept. A case study describing SFM in the neo-tropics illustrates a potential application of our six concepts. Overall our paper offers an approach that will help forest owners and managers implement the ambiguous SFM concept.     

Cross-Sectoral Policy Linkages and Environmental Accounting in Forestry

Abstract

It is important to analyze cross-sectoral policy linkages and to quantify their effects by using the system of integrated environmental and economic accounting in order to ensure effective integration of forestry into national development. This paper reviews relevant policy linkages in the forestry sector, policy applications of forestry accounts, and challenges to their implementation. It argues for the need to develop regional or local accounting methods providing social, environmental, and economic data to allow assessment of the combined impacts of different public policies. It emphasizes the urgency of strengthening the management capacity of public agencies in dealing with complex policy networks addressing sustainable and multifunctional forest management.     

德国森林经营历史经验的借鉴

作者介绍了德国森林经营理论的阶段性特征,包括:德国人工造林思想的形成和“森林永续利用理论”的诞生、膨胀的工业化对木材的需求和“土地纯收益理论”的诞生、对森林生态系统的认识和“接近自然的林业理论”的诞生、国家对林业的扶持和“林业政策效益理论”的诞生.我国林业正由粗放经营向集约经营转变.借鉴德国森林经营的经验,对于我国的林业改革和选择适合我国特点的森林经营模式,具有宝贵的参考价值.     

An AHP Assessment Of Barriers in Adopting Sustainable Forest Management Practices in The Context Of Carbon Emission Reductions in Cameroon

ABSTRACT

As the role of forests in climate change mitigation is explicitly recognized in the Paris Agreement, the need to enhance the adoption of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices is crucial. Therefore, this paper aims at identifying and evaluating barriers in adopting SFM practices in the context of forest carbon emission reductions. A total of 15 barriers in adopting SFM practices are listed through literature and expert inputs. Using Cameroon as a case study, the listed barriers are then evaluated by experts to determine their relative importance using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. According to our findings, the ‘Regulatory and Legislative frameworks’ barrier category was attributed to the highest importance among other categories, in adopting SFM practices in the forestry sector. ‘Inadequate political will and incentive to enforce regulations’ appears to be the major obstacle in adopting SFM practices in Cameroon. As carbon emission reduction initiatives are being developed, there is need to move from broad to concrete suggestions that will overcome these barriers. However, proper diagnosis is necessary in order to target barriers with the right incentives and enabling conditions that will support carbon programs and projects to deliver effective emission reductions.     

A marginal cost analysis of trade-offs in old-growth preservation in Ontario

The paper examines the economic impacts of sustainable forest management (SFM) policies in Canada. Specifically, the marginal costs (MC) of old-growth preservation in an even-aged boreal forest in northeastern Ontario are examined under the condition that forest managers need to achieve multiple objectives for SFM. Furthermore, the trade-offs of old-growth preservation are estimated, allowing the levels of three specific SFM objectives to vary, namely, providing a consistent supply of timber in each period, meeting terminal volume targets at the end of the planning horizon, and maintaining a desired age structure of the forest. MCs are higher for harvesting regimes constrained by SFM objectives compared with that in which only profit maximization is considered. We observed that MCs for these three scenarios varied more when the area allotted for old-growth preservation is small. When the area of protected old-growth forest reaches about 66% of the maximum possible, the MCs are almost the same. All MCs are iso-elastic. The even-flow volume per period has the highest marginal cost among the three cases. If managers choose to provide terminal volume that is greater than or equal to the initial volume, instead of a lesser terminal volume, then old-growth forest can be preserved at no extra cost. The study emphasizes the need for integrated and simultaneous achievement of complementary goals of SFM for better economic return and minimization of the negative economic impact of SFM on the forestry sector.     

Spatial mapping of the social value of forest services: A case study of northern Jordan

ABSTRACT

Despite the growing body of research on ecosystem services and their valuation, Jordan still faces many challenges with integration of ecosystem service concepts into forest sustainability policy and management planning. One major challenge is the incorporation of local communities into policy design, planning, and implementation. This article aims to provide information about the social value of forests’ provisioning and cultural services in a spatial context using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The study utilizes a new approach to mapping value in rural areas by projecting local forest value from interview data. A value index is created based on indicated importance of services as well as proximity to households, permitting interpolation of value in forested areas between survey points. The resulting maps illustrate ecosystem service “hotspot” areas of significance to planning and management. This mapping technique can be applied in other locations where homes are situated near and within the ecosystems being assessed. The resulting maps serve to inform forest management policy and planning by better integrating communities’ preferences into development and conservation efforts, ensuring more efficient utilization of ecosystem services.     

Modern Nursery Practices in the Production of Quality Seedlings of Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album L.)— Stage of Host Requirement and Screening of Primary Host Species

Abstract

Fewer than one tenth of tropical forests are being managed on a sustainable basis. Sustainable forest management means managing the forest in such a way as to not irreversibly reduce the potential of that forest to produce all products in subsequent harvests. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio resulted in several decisions that are relevant to the future of forestry. The Conference also focused world attention on questions of the environment. One outcome of this increased awareness has been the growing support for eco-labelling, which may provide an opportunity for those countries able to prove their forest products are harvested sustainably. Other economic opportunities present themselves in the utilization for cellulose of tree crops such as rubberwood and oil palm trunks and fronds. Non-wood resources such as rattan also hold promise if we are able to grow them in conjunction with existing tree crops. The roles of tropical forests as carbon sinks require more in-depth study as does the question of what constitutes critical levels of biodiversity. Aesthetic values such as recreational use increasingly require that sufficient buffer zones of unique features be preserved. These challenges demand that the forestry profession becomes more proactive and support major policy changes to address the need for sustainable forest management.     

FORESTAR：A decision—support system for multi—objective forest management in Northeast China

Past monoculture forestry in China has contributed to countrywide ecological disasters and economic difficulties in forestry regions. China‘s new forestry programs, Natural Forest Conservation Program and Returning Farmlands to Forests Program, provide opportunities for ecosystem management of mountain forests in China. A decision support system, FORE-STAR, has been developed for better managing and protecting natural forests in Changbai Mountain area. It uses GIS-based forest inventory data at a scale of forestry bureau. The first version contains two sub-modules: forest operation and forest res-toration. Under each sub-module, users can compare several decision options and make optimal choices. It can help field for-esters, forest managers, and policy makers make multi-objective and consistent decisions in planning forest management at hierarchical administrative scales.     

Technical efficiency in timber production and effects of other income sources

In Norway, as in many other European countries, income from forestry has become marginal to owners’ household economies and most employment of forest-owner households is now undertaken off the property. Also, many forest owners have focused increasingly on other revenue-earning activities on their properties, such as providing recreational services. It is a challenge in all kinds of production to find the optimal way of converting inputs into outputs, i.e., to be technically efficient. Extent of financial dependency on income from forestry differs between part-time and full-time forest owners. Since the two groups have different livelihood strategies, it is plausible that full-time forest owners have more professional forest management practices. Data for a cross-section of 3,249 active (i.e., harvesting) forest owners were extracted from the 2004 Sample Survey of Agriculture and Forestry representing the year 2003. A stochastic production frontier analysis was applied to evaluate forest management efficiency impacts of important factors including property and owner characteristics, outfield-related and agricultural activities, off-property income and geographical location in central or remote areas. It was found that many forest owners are technically inefficient, and there exist opportunities for improved performance. Off-property income was found to have an estimated negative impact on technical efficiency, the inefficiency arising (weakly) with increasing share of household incomes from outfield activities, and properties in urban centred areas are less efficient than those in remote areas. One policy implication of the study is that a potentially substantial efficiency increase might be achieved from allowing small inefficient woodlots to merge into larger units of forestry production. Also, providing support for forest management plans may improve efficiency.     

Regulating industrial forest concessions in Central Africa and South America

Tropical countries face special specific problems in implementing sustainable forest management (SFM). In many countries, questions are raised on whether tropical forests should be publicly, commonly or privately owned and managed in order to enhance sustainability. Other debates also focus on whether small-scale enterprises are better positioned than large-scale industrial concessions to reduce poverty and attain sustainable management. In countries where large tracts of forest are state-owned, concessions are viewed as a means of delivering services of public and collective interest through an association of private investment and public regulation. However, the success of an industrial concession model in countries with large forest resource endowment to achieve multiple goals such as sustainable forest management and local/regional development depends on two critical assumptions. First, forest functions and services should be managed and maintained as public goods. In many cases, additional uses – and corresponding rights – can take place alongside logging activities. Industrial concessions can be more efficient than other tenure models (such as community-based forest management and small-scale enterprises) in achieving SFM, add value to raw material and comply with growing environmental norms. This is especially the case in market-remote areas with low population density and poor infrastructure. Secondly, to achieve these different outcomes, any concession system needs to be monitored and regulated, especially in contexts dominated by asymmetrical information between regulating authorities and concessionaires. New institutional responses have recently been put forward in several countries, providing valuable materials to design a renewed policy mix which associates public and private incentives. This paper provides a survey of the experience of forest concessions in several Central African and South American countries. The concession system is examined in order to clarify the issues involved, the problems encountered, and what can be learned from the shared experience of these countries in the last decade. This paper argues that despite a sometimes patchy record, concessions can help promote SFM so long as they are packaged with a certain number of specific measures.     

Forest policy and sustainable forest management in Bangladesh: an analysis from national and international perspectives

This paper includes a review of international sustainable forestry development followed by an analysis of forest policies in Bangladesh. There have been four different government forest policies in Bangladesh since 1894. The first two forest policies (1894 and 1955) were exploitative in nature. Most of the regulatory documents were developed during the first two policy periods. The third forest policy instituted in 1979 by the sovereign Bangladesh government had contradictory elements and mutually inconsistent policy statements. It addressed for the first time forestry extension through mass motivation campaign. Current forest policy formulated in 1994 has been considered to be the most elaborate policy in the history of the country. Under this policy, participatory social forestry has been institutionalized in Bangladesh. The analysis shows that, although it is possible to attain the stated policy targets, progress is slow and is blocked on several fronts. A number of identified technical, managerial and logistical problems are hindering policy and program implementation. In addition, corruption contributes to the observed problems. The real strength of Bangladesh forestry is locally based, participatory forestry, co-management of protected areas and highly motivated people who increasingly recognize the need for a healthy forest ecosystem that will provide future economic stability. Because it is the rich homestead forests of Bangladesh that generate the majority of commercial forestry products, it is important that education continues at the grass-roots level. In addition, educated forestry and environment professionals have been identified as the future driving forces towards better, and sustainable, forest management. Results of this study make it clear that Bangladesh and other developing countries are not presently in a position to accept and adopt internationally derived forest policies due to inadequate institutional support, political instability and poor governance. Therefore, along with development of criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management and forest certification, international policy scientists must consider institutional development, professional skill development, identification and adoption of indigenous technology and long-term financial support in developing countries. Without these, all international processes, policies and directives will be of little value and produce few substantive results.     

Competing Visions: Domestic Forests, Politics and Forest Policy in the Central Western Ghats of South India

Rural people in developing countries including India continue to access a number of types of ‘forests’ to meet specific needs such as fuelwood, fodder, food, non-timber forest produce and timber for both subsistence and income generation. While a plethora of terms exist to describe the types of forests that rural people use—such as farm forests, social forests, community forests and small-scale forests—the expression domestic forest has recently been proposed. Domestic forest is a term aimed at capturing the diversity of forests transformed and managed by rural communities and a way to introduce a new scientific domain that recognises that production and conservation can be reconciled and that local communities can be effective managers. This paper argues in the context of the central Western Ghats of south India that while the domestic forest concept is a useful umbrella term to capture the diversity of forests used by rural people, these domestic forests are often not autonomous local forests but sites of contestation between local actors and the state forest bureaucracy. Hence, a paradigm shift within the forest bureaucracy will only occur if the scientific forestry community questions its own normative views on forest management and sees forest policy as a means to recognise local claims and support existing practices of forest dependent communities.     

Effects of presenting forest simulation results on the forest values and attitudes of forestry professionals and other forest users in Central Labrador

This research tested whether demonstration of the long term effect of different forest management scenarios in a large forested area changes people's forest values and attitudes. Forestry professionals and other forest users in Central Labrador were shown simulation results of three alternative forest management scenarios illustrating possible long term effects on various indicators. Forest values and attitudes towards forestry were measured before and after the presentation. Our conception of values and attitudes is based on the cognitive hierarchy model of human behaviour which states that values are more enduring and more difficult to change than attitudes. It was thus hypothesized that attitudes would change but not values and that change in forestry professionals would be less than in other forest users since foresters are trained to think about long-term effects and large-scale processes of forest management scenarios. We also hypothesized that a greater number of people would have an opinion on forest management after the presentation. All three hypotheses were partially supported by the results. The results indicated that some attitude change occurred, but that values also changed somewhat. Most of the significant changes occurred when persons with no clear opinion on several forest-related questions formed an opinion. Long-term, landscape simulation results provide valuable information and enhance understanding of both forestry professionals and other forest users. However, being provided the same information, the two groups learned different things. While forest users gained more confidence in the current forest management plan and were motivated to further participate, professionals learned more specific things. This reflects differences between technical and local knowledge.