Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Community Forest in Nepal

Community forestry is an approach for mitigating deforestation and forest degradation by managing the forest resources for benefitting neighboring communities. Monetary benefits and costs are associated in a community forest during conservation and management of a forest. For sustainable forest management, the benefit should be more than cost which is a contesting issue of research. So, this study was conducted in a community forest of the central part of Nepal with the help of 80 household surveys and a focus group discussion. The firsthand information collected at the site is complimented by forest product harvest and cost-related secondary information. It was observed that the total annual harvest of timber was 60 cubic feet, pole was 8 cubic feet, firewood was 1,110 Bhari,¹ fodder was 4,388 Bhari, and leaf litter was 590 Bhari. To manage a forest, people were involved in fencing, thinning, and meetings. Management cost was six times higher than administration cost. The benefit from firewood and fodder was more due to the dependency of people in a forest for enhancing their livelihood. The higher value of benefit cost ratio indicates that the Community Forest User Group benefited from community forest management.     

What rights and benefits? The implementation of participatory forest management in Kenya: The case of Eastern Mau Forest Reserve

The study espoused the access analytical framework to investigate how introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in Kenya has changed the various actors’ ability to benefit from the forest resources of Eastern Mau Forest Reserve. Data collected through key informant interviews, and a household survey showed that implementation of PFM has triggered new income opportunities for forest adjacent communities in seedling production and beekeeping. However, PFM bestowed no real decision-making powers to the established Community Forest Associations (CFAs) over important forest resources such as timber and firewood. Members of the local communities and other actors have continued to access these resources through various structural and relational means, in the same way as before the introduction of PFM. Further, it is documented that PFM has introduced additional burdens on the local communities, especially the poorest households, as a result of increased enforcement of rules. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the PFM policy in Kenya, in its current form, is unlikely to realize its dual objectives of forest conservation and livelihood enhancement. To attain them would require a further devolution of rights to the CFAs.     

社区是有效保护天然林的主体

自然保护区管理的实践证明，仅靠政府的投入而忽略社区的角色和作用是难以实现自然资源的有效管理的。天然林保护工程的实施面临着来自当地社区的比自然保护区管理更大的压力。社区林业的实践表明以社区为基础的森林资源管理可能是天然林有效保护的途径之一，社区将是天然林有效保护的主体。     

对我国森林经营问题的思考

森林经营是当前中国林业面临的一个大问题。解决这一问题的关键之一是完善和健全林业立法体系,尽快制定我国森林经营法(国有林、集体林)。     

The effect of participatory forest management on the livelihood and poverty of settlers in a rehabilitation program of degraded forest in Bangladesh

The sal forest is the only plainland forest in Bangladesh, and is of national economic and environmental importance. High population and ever increasing poverty has stimulated exploitation of the forest alarmingly and brought it near extinction. In facing this situation, the Bangladesh Forest Department implemented a participatory management approach, involving the householders living in and around the forests, for forest maintenance and protection. This study examines the effectiveness of practicing participatory forestry on the settlers’ livelihood in the encorached area of the sal forest. The settlers were given degraded and encroached forest land through the program. Two major social forestry models — namely agroforestry and woodlots — are included in the study. Participation in the resettlement increased household income, employment opportunities and financial and non-land assets. It was found that the participatory management regime could attain the sustainability of the forest and accelerate the standard of settlers’ livelihood, hence the program is an efficient management option towards sustainability of the forest resources. These findings suggest that there is a role for extending the approach to rehabilitate other degraded and encroached forest lands in Bangladesh.     

勐腊林区农民参与森林管理探讨

勐腊县在1980～1985年实行农民参与式森林代管.代管期间,全县乱砍滥伐、毁林开荒面积由1978年的2 973.3hm2下降到1985年的271.3hm2;森林火灾次数和受害面积降低,分别是实行代管前的11.9%和39.4%.农民的造林积极性提高,造林面积年平均为1110.7hm2,是代管前的2.72倍,集体或农户造林面积占96.3%;妇女从事林业生产活动时间增加,由1980年每人的40天增加到1985年的100天.农户采集和销售的非木质林产品数量增加,1984年全县干竹笋采集量为86t,分别是1978年的3.55倍和1988年的1.72倍,全县收购的紫胶、竹笋、木耳和藤篾分别是是代管前的1.86、2.67、2.21和2.85倍;销售森林产品和代管森林所获得的收入由1980年的110元增加到1985年的320元,提高291%.说明农民参与森林管理有利于森林资源的保护和农村经济的发展.以此对勐腊县森林管理实行农民代管的原因、方法及存在问题进行了总结.     

玻利维亚北部的公有林管理改革

玻利维亚通过土地改革和森林法修订, 为森林经营创造了良好的外部环境, 并建立起了以公众参与为主导的森林资源管理体系和管理途径。在具体措施上, 主要采取森林认证、实行特许权制度和编制森林经营规划等手段, 极大地促进了森林可持续经营进程。尽管如此, 在公有林管理中, 依然存在着法律不完善、行政机构权责不明晰以及其改革阻力大等一系列问题, 尚待进一步解决。玻利维亚公有林管理制度改革的经验, 为完善中国森林资源管理提供了借鉴。     

基于林业自然灾害的农户森林保险需求实证分析——以福建、江西、湖南、陕西4省为例

森林保险具有分担农户林业经营风险、扩大林业融资规模的显著作用。文中利用对江西、湖南、陕西和福建4省农户的647份调研数据,对农户参与森林保险的需求进行实证分析,利用Logistic模型对包括林业自然灾害在内的影响农户参与森林保险的各项因素进行回归分析。结果表明,林业自然灾害、受教育程度、健康状况、家庭外出打工人数、家庭人口规模、林地面积、林业收入占比、参加合作组织情况对森林保险需求的影响在不同省份显著不同,其中林业自然灾害对农户的森林保险需求呈显著影响的省份为福建和湖南。     

Unpacking the impacts of ‘participatory’ forestry policies: Evidence from Kenya

We evaluate the livelihoods of member and non-members of Community Forestry Associations under Kenya's participatory forest management (PFM) programme. We use propensity score matching of households based on recall based data from before implementation of PFM from 286 households and comparison of current incomes (2012), as well as review of records and interviews. Results reveal that members have higher total and forest-related incomes than non-members and indicate that impacts derive from labour and market opportunities supported by donor institutions, more than from differential access to forest products. In terms of governance the Kenya Forest Service largely remains in control of decision-making. Thus, PFM resembles Integrated Conservation and Development Project (ICDP) approaches. We conclude that current forest governance approaches in Kenya appear not to support participation in practice. Further, we conclude that impact evaluations must examine both outcomes and participatory forestry to provide meaningful policy evidence.     

Public Involvement in Forest Management Planning

Summary

In 1997, the US Forest Service initiated public involvement processes in three national forests in the northeastern United States-the Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York, the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, and the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine. Citizens' perspectives were sought on forest management prior to determining the changes needed for revising the Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) as well as to exchange information on management of these three forests. These processes represent a pro-active effort by the US Forest Service to engage communities of interest in dialogue about the management of these national forests. The Forest Service has emphasized the principles of ecosystem management and community partnership in developing these plans. The paper describes the policy framework for forest planning and an outline of the Plan Revision process as developed in the Northeast. It further offers a preliminary analysis of this approach, including lessons to date, their implication for subsequent phases of plan revision processes in the Northeast, and possible relevance for agencies embarking on similar public planning initiatives.     

Impacts of participatory forest management on forest conditions: Evidences from Gebradima Forest,southwest Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

This study examines a participatory forest management program and its impacts on forest conditions in Gebradima Forest, southwest Ethiopia. Vegetation data were collected from both participatory forest management (PFM) and nonparticipatory forest management (non-PFM) forest blocks. A total of 54 plots (27 from each forest block) measuring 20 m × 20 m were employed to collect species composition and structural data. Results indicated that a total of 51 different woody plant species (49 at PFM and 43 at non-PFM blocks), representing 31 families were recorded, with 41 species were shared for both forest sites. Species diversity and evenness were higher in the forest with PFM (H´ = 3.29, E = .85) compared to the forest without PFM (H´ = 2.97, E = .79). The overall mean values of tree/shrub and seedling density per hectare, diameter class (≤ 20 cm) were also significantly (p < .05) higher in PFM forest than non-PFM forests. However, no significant variations were observed in sapling density per hectare and basal area between the two studied forest blocks. It can be concluded that PFM had a positive effect on forest conditions compared with a similar forest without PFM. Hence, it is important to scaling up PFM in neighboring forests.     

再论"结构化森林经营"

在回顾和评价现有可持续森林经营途径的基础上,本文着重论述了"结构化森林经营"的科学性和可行性.文中指出,结构化森林经营的目标--培育健康森林,符合现代森林经营理念;经营理论建立在结构决定功能的系统法则上,理论基础稳固;经营方法充分利用了"基于相邻木关系的森林空间结构量化分析方法"的科学性、简洁性和可操作性,从而使林分结构调整成为可能;经营模式以健康森林结构的普遍规律为范式,以保证林分结构调整目标明确;经营原则在很大程度上借鉴并进一步量化了德国近自然森林经营的原则,有效规避经营风险.总之,结构化森林经营不失为一种简洁、操作性强、科学的森林可持续经营方法.     

森林可持续经营问题探讨

阐述了森林可持续经营提出的背景；论述了保持森林生态系统的生产力可再生能力，维护森林生态系统健康以及保护生物多样性是森林可持续经营的三个关键因素；并提出了实现森林可持续经营主要对策。     

尤溪县生态公益林建设问题与对策探讨

介绍了尤溪县"两类林"划分、生态公益林分布等生态公益林建设和保护情况,分析当前公益林建设存在的问题主要有:社会重视不够,管理不到位;补偿机制不完善,林农经营积极性不高;管护责任难落实.提出了建立生态公益林建设政策保障体系,探索建立生态公益林经营管护模式,研究采取相适应的生态公益林经营措施,建立完善的森林生态效能补偿机制和提高全民生态公益林建设与保护意识的对策和建议.     

四川洪雅林场森林可持续经营指标体系及评价研究

洪雅林场是四川省重要的用材林基地。分析洪雅林场森林可持续经营问题,研究洪雅林场森林可持续经营的指标体系及评价方法。将指标体系划分为4个层次:总目标层、目标层、类目标层、变量指标层,计算各变量指标得分值,据此对洪雅林场森林可持续经营现状作出评价。结果表明:洪雅林场森林可持续经营总目标层得分值0.663 9,总体处于初级可持续发展状态;森林资源可持续得分值0.776 8、生态环境可持续得分值0.613 4、林场经济可持续得分值0.559 3、社会可持续得分值0.675 0。森林资源和社会可持续性发展现状较好,而林场经济和生态环境可持续发展现状相对较差,这与林场目前的森林可持续发展现状情况较为相符。     

我国面向森林资源管理的监测体系创新研究

从森林资源的宏观规划管理（国家空间植被生态安全规划）、中观格局管理（区域空间植被协同管理）和微观结构经营管理（小班或地块精准经营）3个尺度对我国森林资源的空间分布、经营状况及管理问题进行探讨。以北京林业大学精准林业北京市重点实验室新一代信息化智能化森林资源监测体系（无人机协同森林资源精准经营管理系统、电动生长锥年轮自动识别系统、手持式测树超站仪及小班森林精准经营管理平台等）为基础,围绕我国森林资源现存问题和现代化调查、监测、经营管理等需求,创建天地立体化森林管理应用系统和装备,解决了森林精准经营中的一些难题。实践应用证明了新一代监测体系的实用性和有效性,同时为森林资源管理部门和林业工作者提供了全新的经营模式、解决方案和信息化管理系统平台。     

关于森林经理与社会林业有机结合的思考

简要回顾了森林经理学科的发展历程。通过分析总结出传统森林经理学科存在的主要问题为:学科没有形成完整的理论体系,用机械的认识方法去认识研究动态复杂的森林生态系统,缺乏社区群众参与。概述了社会林业的产生过程并分析了社会林业的特点及在我国的适用性。提出了森林经理与社会林业有机结合的途经为:理论上的融合,用社会林业的方法进行森林经理的改革,用参与式方法改进森林经理方案的编制。