Non-timber forest products and household incomes in Bonga forest area,southwestern Ethiopia

We identified the major non-timber forest products （NTFPs）, their contributions to household incomes, and the determinants influenc-ing engagement of households in using NTFPs in the Bonga forest area of Gimbo and Decha Districts of Kaffa Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Six Kebeles （the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia） were sampled from two Districts and 150 households were randomly sampled using propor-tional-to-size techniques based on the number of farm households in each Kebele. Secondary data were collected from and focus group discussions were conducted with selected individuals. The farmers diversified liveli-hood activities such as crop and livestock production, collection of NTFPs and off-farm activities. NTFPs played a significant role in household incomes. The contribution from the major NTFPs （forest coffee, honey and spices） accounted for 47% of annual household in-come. The role of NTFPs was influenced by a number of factors. Vari-ables including being native to the area （＋）, total land holding （＋）, pos-session of livestock （＋） and access to extension （＋） significantly affected forest coffee production. Age of household head （-）, land holding （＋） and distance of the market from the residence （-） significantly affected honey production. Size of landholding （＋）, distance to market （-） and distance of the forest from the residence （-） were significant variables determining the NTFP incomes derived by the households. Attention is needed in the design of policies and strategies for the well-being of households to the contribution of NTFPs to local incomes and the variables that affect the collection of NTFPs must be considered.     

Modelling the spatial distribution of snake species in northwestern Tunisia using maximum entropy(Maxent) and Geographic Information System(GIS)

We used GIS and maximum entropy to predict the potential distribution of six snake species belong to three families in Kroumiria(Northwestern Tunisia): Natricidae(Natrix maura and Natrix astreptophora), Colubridae(Hemorrhois hippocrepis, Coronella girondica and Macroprotodon mauritanicus), and Lamprophiidae(Malpolon insignitus). The suitable habitat for each species was modelled using the maximum entropy algorithm, combining presence field data(collected during 16 years:2000–2015) with a set of seven environmental variables(mean annual precipitation, elevation, slope gradient,aspect, distance to watercourses, land surface temperature and normalized Differential Vegetation Index. The relative importance of these environmental variables was evaluated by jackknife tests and the predictive power of our models was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic. The main explicative variables of the species distribution were distance from streams and elevation, with contributions ranging from 60 to 77 and from 10 to 25%,respectively. Our study provided the first habitat suitability models for snakes in Kroumiria and this information can be used by conservation biologists and land managers concerned with preserving snakes in Kroumiria.     

Estimation and Analysis of Green Land Variation Based on Similarity Theory

The similarity theory was systematically introduced,by combining the theory and the analytic hierarchy process(AHP),and taking the dynamic changes of two-stage green land patches in Shenzhen as an example,the patches similarity of each district and each green land type were estimated.The location,shape and areas of green land unit were used as the similarity elements.Then the similarity coefficients can be defined.The overlapping number of green land patches indicated the location variation of green land.The ratio of minimum and maximum shape index of green land indicated the shape variation of green land.With the same method,the areas variation coefficient was also obtained.The results shows that based on similarity theory and method the estimation of green land variation is feasible,which can provide effective methods and accordance for the further assessment of green land development in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.     

Forest cover change and its driving forces in Fagita Lekoma District,Ethiopia

This study investigated forest cover change and the driving forces behind it in Fagita Lekoma District of Ethiopia that resulted in increased forest cover, which might be uncommon outside this case study area. The LULC change analysis was made from 2003 to 2017 based on Landsat images. Socioeconomic analysis was carried out to identify the major driving forces that resulted in LULC change. A questionnaire survey, focused group discussion, key informant interviews and field observation were employed to analyze the link between LULC change and the driving forces. The 15-year period(2003–2017)image analysis revealed that the coverage of forest lands,built-up areas and grassland has increased by 256%, 100% and 96%, respectively, at the expense of cultivated lands and wetlands. The increased forest cover is due to the woodlots expansion of Acacia decurrens Willd, which are designed for sustainable livelihoods and a land revitalization strategy in the study area. Rapid population growth, an increasing demand for charcoal and subsequent market opportunities, preferred qualities of A. decurrens or black wattle to halt land degradation as well as to improve land productivity, have been identified as the major driving forces of forest cover change. Chi squared analysis revealed that: a comparative cash income from the sale of A. decurrens; a dependency on natural forests; the distance from the district administrative center; the size of the active labor force, and the area of land owned have significantly affected the cover change. The major forest cover change is due to the expansion of A. decurrens plantations that have socioeconomic and environmental implications to improve rural livelihoods and revitalize the land. Thus, the positive experiences identified in this study should be scaled-up and applied in other similar settings.     

Land Degradation Control Policies and Practices in Canada and Its Implications to China

Land degradation is one of the significant environmental problems in both China and Canada, which seriously threatens the sustainable development of national economy and society of both countries.This paper introduced some policies, regulations and department coordination mechanisms of land resource management,restoration/ rehabilitation of degraded land,forest resources management,agricultural environmental protection and mineral area land reclamation in Canada.Some practices,experiences and effects in land degradation control of Canada were listed and analyzed.Finally,it was suggested that the successful experiences of Canada in technology,policy and management for land degradation control should be learned for improving efficiency of land degradation in China’s western region.     

Land cover mapping of deciduous forest regions using ETM+ data: a case study of Azerbaijan Province,Iran

Up to date information about the existing land cover patterns and changes in land cover over time is one of the prime prerequisites for the preparation of an integrated development plan and economic development program of a region. By using ETM+ image data from 2002, we provided a land cover map of deciduous forest regions in Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Initial qualitative evaluation of the data showed no significant radiometric errors. Image classification was carried out using a maximum likelihood-based supervised classification method. In the end, we determined five major land cover classes, i.e., grass lands, deciduous broad-leaf forest, cultivated land, river and land without vegetation cover. Accuracy, estimated by the use of criteria such as overall accuracy from a confusion matrix of classification was 86% with a 0.88 Kappa coefficient. Such high accuracy results demonstrate that the combined use of spectral and textural characteristics increased the number of classes in the field classification, also with excellent accuracy. The availability and use of time series of remote sensing data permit the detection and quantification of land cover changes and improve our understanding of the past and present status of forest ecosystems.     

Legal Issues of Rights to Manage Understory Land

Management of the understory land is an economic form to develop cultivation and breeding in making use of the forest ecological environment.It is also an important means to increase the income of forest farmers in the forestry regions after the reform of forestry real rights.This paper investigated the management status of understory land,and analyzed the impacts and destruction of its improper management upon the forest ecology environment.The management right of the understory land is a restricted right of property,because the management is related to the ecology protection of forest and woodland.In addition to private property rights,it should also comply with the arrangement of national forest management.Therefore,while encouraging and developing the understory land management,it’s important to establish a legal system for executing the management rights,and the management of the understory land should be included in the scope of the forestry management.     

Regional Evaluation of Wind Erosion of the Loess Plateau in Pengyang County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China

The loess plateau in China is well-known for its severe water erosion. A nationwide soil erosion survey discovered that wind erosion of the loess land is also greatly concerned. The severity of wind erosion for each land use in Pengyang County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, was evaluated according to the national standard of soil erosion classification. The evaluation system includes a GIS database, an evaluation indicator system and a classification system for land and land use. The erodible nature of soil and annual soil loss of the most erodible land were obtained as follows: (1) Croplands plowed and harrowed in late autumn were the most erodible land,with an erosion intensity of medium grade and an erodible proportion of 46%; (2) The erodible proportion of natural grasslands was between 19.3% and 21.5%, whose erosion intensity was of mostly tolerable grade; (3)When it came to the whole county, there was 21.3% of the total area in tolerable grade in terms of wind erosion intensity, 42.1% slight and 34.8% medium.     

Classification System for Desertification and Its Quantitative Assessment Methodology in China

Based on the desertification definition of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and features of desertification in China, three-level hierarchical classification system for desertification and quantitative assessment methodology of desertification degree were developed and used to evaluate desertification danger degree across the country. The system is composed of three components: type of desettification, type of land utilization and degree of desertification. The type of dertification monitored in China was divided into 4 major categories, 15 sub-categories and 52 types. Vegetation coverage, soil characteristics,and topography are considered as three major indicators for quantitative assessment of desertified land. A simple, yet practically sound mathematical assessment model was built using these indicators. Furthurmore, a regional land desertification warning model was also constructed on the basis of the ratios of non-desertified land area to desertified land area in different degrees. The warning result of wind-erosion desertification at county scale for 12 provinces in northern China was also calculated by this model.     

Impact of Demographic Structure on Paddy and Forestland Management

INTRODUCTIONChina resorts to socialist public ownership of land.In present, the ownership of land belongs to the stateand collectives. The ownership of land in China refersto the right that the owners of land can possess theland, use the land, get some interest from the landand dispose of the land according to laws. The 4sections of ownership of land can be combined as awhole, and also can be separated to carry out. Beforethe Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC(Communist Party of Ch…     

A quantitative study on “threaten land effect” of shelterbelt

The paper studied and analyzed the threaten land effect of shelterbelt using a quantitative method. A series of effect indices and their calculative methods were put forward. These indices included threaten land height, threaten land angle, useful distance of threaten land or implanting (unsowing) distance, and rate of threaten land, etc.     

大安市生态草建设情况的调查与思考

生态环境是"双刃剑"。如果着力保护和建设,它就会以丰厚的资源和良好的气候有情回报人类;如果过度索取或破坏,它就会引来各种灾害无情惩罚人类。大安市地处吉林西部,生态环境十分脆弱,土地"三化"现象非常严重,不仅制约了经济和社会的可持续发展,而且直接威胁着人类的生存。2000年以来,大安市把生态草建设作为改善生态环境、实现经济和社会可持续发展的一项重要举措,积极探索,大胆实践,收到了显著成效,为重度盐碱地治理与开发探索了一条成功之路。     

试论经济,生态系统的可持续发展

可持续发展定义为:既满足当代人的需要,又不对后代人满足其需要的能力构成危害的发展.森林资源可持续发展的含义:无退化地使用林地;维持多种生态效益;保护森林生态系统内生物的多样性;产品的生产不能超过其再生能力,对森林多种用途的综合管理以满足后代的需求.山区以林为主的方针,应处理好开展与治理的关系和经济效益与生态效益的关系.     

Persistent Acacia savannas replace Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests in South America

Mediterranean ecosystems are global hotspots of biodiversity threaten by human disturbances. Growing evidence indicates that regeneration of Mediterranean forests can be halted under certain circumstances and that successional stages can become notoriously persistent. The Mediterranean sclerophyllous forest in central Chile is been largely transformed into savannas dominated by the invasive legume tree Acacia caven as result of interacting management and ecological factors. We used multi-temporal satellite imagery to study the transition dynamics of these major vegetation types over the last four decades (1975-2008). Vegetation changes were related to indicators of resource availability (topography, water availability, solar radiance), potential propagule availability (distance to forest remnant patches) and disturbance regimes (grazing, fire occurrence and distance to roads and cities). During this study period, forests were mostly converted into Acacia savannas (46.1%). Acacia savanna was the most persistent natural vegetation type. The probability of sclerophyllous forest degradation into Acacia savanna increased on drier northern-exposed slopes, close to roads and further away from forest remnants. In contrast, forest regeneration from Acacia savanna was higher on moister southern-exposed slopes and closer to forest remnants. Acacia savannas are increasingly being converted into cultivated land on the moister locations or switching into a bare soil state in locations close to cities and further away from forest remnants. These results highlight the vulnerability of diverse sclerophyllous forests and its increasing conversion into persistent Acacia savannas in the Mediterranean region of central Chile and identify the ecological conditions for successful conservation and restoration of the native sclerophyllous forest vegetation that can be used for sensible land use planning.     

三江源自然保护区土地利用遥感分类方法研究

以三江源区域索加曲麻河自然保护区为例,基于TM影像进行数据变换和波段运算后获取的特征指数,采用决策树方法,探讨了高寒区域土地利用遥感分类方法。然后通过与传统的最大似然法监督分类所得到的结果进行对比,结果表明:利用基于指数的决策树分类方法对高寒区域土地利用/土地覆盖类型进行遥感分类,较传统的最大似然法监督分类总体精度提高15.48%,总体kappa系数提高0.174 1;滩地、沼泽、高覆盖度草地、低覆盖度草地、裸岩石砾地等地类的用户精度提高较大,分别提高28.13%,25.00%,17.86%,17.86%和12.50%。低、中、高3种覆盖度草地,裸岩石砾地的生产者精度也有较大幅度的提升。表明基于指数的决策树分类方法是高寒区域土地利用遥感分类的一种有效手段。     

四川盆地低山丘陵区土地利用景观格局变化研究

运用景观生态学以及地理信息系统(GIS)的方法，以四川省阆中市垭口乡岳家沟小流域为例，对四川盆地低山丘陵区的土地利用与景观格局调整前后进行了对比分析。研究表明；经调整后，该区土地的经济效益指数、生态效益糟数分别由原来的1529.8点、1460.9点提升到调整后的1709.25点、1762点。景观生物多样指数、景观均匀度指数分别从调整前的1.3028、0.6108上升到调整后的2.，0904、0．8459；而优势度指数则从0．6431下降到0．2122。说明该区土地利用趋于合理，景观斑块的空间分布趋于均匀，斑块聚集分布状况分散化。     

Models for predicting height and diameter of individual trees in young Picea abies (L) karst. stands

Models for predicting height and diameter of individual trees in young Picea abies (L.) Karst. stands were developed. Data collected in a large survey of young forest stands in Sweden (the HUGIN young stand survey) were used in the construction of the models. Models were developed both with and without competition indices included. When constructing the competition indices trees within three metres from the subject tree were regarded as competitors. Functions with competition indices included (distance dependent) will be useful in analyses of the development of stands with different stand structure, whereas functions without competition indices (distance independent) will be useful in systems for long‐term forecasts of yield.     

Deforestation and fragmentation of Chaco dry forest in NW Argentina (1972–2007)

The sustained increase in the global food demand has favoured the recent expansion of industrial agriculture into neotropical dry forest ecosystems, with resulting changes in their extent and spatial configuration. Based on Landsat satellite images, we analyzed changes in forest cover and landscape configuration over an area of 600 by 100 km located in NW Argentina (Tucumán and Salta provinces) in four periods between 1972 and 2007. The study area, one of the most active deforestation frontiers of South American dry forest, was divided into six relatively homogeneous sectors in terms of land property structure and biophysical characteristics. During the study period 1.4 millions hectares of dry forest were cleared. Deforestation started in the 1970s as a result of technological changes and increasing rainfall; continued (with spatial and temporal fluctuations) during the 1980s and 1990s in association to the sustained global demand of soybean, and was accelerated (to ca. 100,000 ha year⁻¹) between 2001 and 2007 following the global increase in commodity prices, and the national peso devaluation. We described the landscape structure using eight landscape indices, summarized as one synthesis value: the Euclidian distance across the seven dimensions from a theoretical non-fragmented situation. In areas with soil limitations deforestation resulted in relatively stable, highly fragmented landscapes. In contrast, the sites with regional coarser-scale limitations (rainfall), deforestation produced a less fragmented landscape where agriculture concentrates in sites with high rainfall. Sites with no limitations for agriculture tend to a largely deforested landscape with few small and poorly connected forest patches. The land properties size seems to influence some indices of fragmentation, but the synthetic index of fragmentation suggests an overall convergence of fragmentation patterns towards a similar configuration across different biophysical and land tenure conditions.     

Protection efficiency assessment and quality of coastal shelterbelt for Dongshan Island at the coastal section scale

The coastal shelter forest in China is under threat of destruction and degradation because of the impact of human activities. Protection efficiency assessment of the coastal shelterbelt is an important component of shelter-forest remediation planning and sustainable management. In this study, a protection efficiency index (PEI) model was established using the projection pursuit method to assess the protective quality of the coastal shelter forest at the coastal section scale of Dongshan Island, China. Three criteria were used, including forest stand structure, forest belt structure, and windbreak effect; each criterion further comprised multiple factors. Based on survey data of 31 plots in the coastal shelter forest of Dongshan Island, we calculated PEI values using a projection of a pursuit model. The result showed 64.5 % of the PEIs fell at or below the middle level, which can indicate the status of the coastal shelterbelt is unsatisfactory. To further explore whether the different bays and land use types create significant differences in PEIs and evaluation indices, we used an ANOVA to test the influence of various bays and forms of land use on coastal shelterbelts. The results showed that PEI and most of the indices differed significantly by bay; mean tree height, mean DBH, mean crown width, stand density, vegetation coverage, and wind velocity reduction differed significantly by land use. Therefore, relevant measures for different locations, bays and surrounding land use can be proposed to improve the existing conditions of the coastal shelterbelt. The results of this study provide a theoretical and technical framework for future changes and sustainable management of coastal shelterbelt on Dongshan Island.     

Structural diversity of English yew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus baccata</Emphasis> L.) populations

In Europe, the English yew species (Taxus baccata L.) is endangered. Intensive human land-use, including forest management, has caused a decrease of the yew populations all over Europe. In Austria, gene conservation forests are used for the in situ conservation of populations of this rare tree species by silvicultural treatments. In order to improve the conservation management in these gene conservation forests, this study addresses the relation between competition and viability of yew populations through the use of structural diversity indices. The structural indices, which include mingling, tree–tree distance, diameter, and tree height differentiation, were determined for a structural group of four trees as well as the neighbouring trees of the male and female yews at the monitoring plots on a regular grid in three gene conservation forests. Although the three study sites provided quite different environmental conditions for English yew, the vitality of each individual yew was influenced by the inter-specific competition of the neighbouring tree species at all sites. Low vitality was associated with a small mean distance to neighbours and large tree height differentiation. In conclusion, we suggest that a combination of different structural indicators is needed for an integrative assessment of conservation status in the gene conservation forests. This would help improve the evaluation of the impact management has on yew population viability.