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.     

Inclusive Community Forest Management

Summary

Proponents of community-based natural resource management often use definitions of community that implicitly, if not explicitly, favor resident forest users over migrant forest users. This paper explores the shortcomings of the “fixed-in-place” model of community, using examples from ongoing community-based management projects in Mali. The author then summarizes strategies that these projects are using to expand migrant forest user participation in decisonmaking. The paper ends with a brief discussion of how these experiences in West Africa can enrich community-based natural resource management efforts in the United States.     

The Great Lakes Forest Alliance

Summary

The Great Lakes Forest Alliance, created by charter in 1987 at the direction of the governors of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, is a mutual aid, public/private partnership that integrates global, national and local interests by bridging the gap at a regional level. It expanded in 1997 to include Ontario. Trustees include key leaders of government and industry and citizens from a broad range of forest interests. It was designed to be as learning environment to address the resurgence of forest growth and the increasing demand for conservation, wood products and recreation. The need for the Alliance resulted in part from a perceived underrepresentation of regional forest-related issues in the national arena. The Alliance attempts to consider leading-edge strategies over the long-term in a pro-active manner, and trustees recognize the need to build respect, trust, information exchange, cooperation, coordination and collaboration among diverse interests. Among the projects that demonstrate the bridge role played by the Alliance: a regional forest resources assessment, public and private funding that supports research toward a more frequent forest inventory process, training for communities to use the collaborative learning process to address economic prosperity and environmental protection strategies and the development of sustainable forest management criteria and indicators for the region. A continual challenge is relationships among diverse forest interests across jurisdictional and institutional boundaries in a manner that promotes exchanges that build collective wisdom.     

Surviving the Transition

Summary

Community-based stewardship forestry (CBSF) on public lands in the United States is still a fledgling concept. Neither the number of projects completed nor the length of time that has passed since their initial implementation has been sufficient to draw definitive conclusions about the movement's success in improving economic, social, and environmental conditions in forest-dependent communities. What is of most concern now is whether the CBSF fledgling will have a chance to reach its full potential or will instead fall victim to organizational exhaustion, economic malnutrition, or political sniping. Experiences with stewardship collaboratives in northwest Montana have helped define 10 key factors CBSF groups must effectively address if they are to survive: (1) organizational burnout; (2) membership composition, expansion, diversification, and utilization; (3) change in organizational mission or focus; (4) financial viability; (5) responsiveness of federal decision makers to CBSF groups' legislative concerns; (6) continued skepticism among both industry and environmental communities; (7) movement from small demonstration projects to implementation on a larger scale; (8) need for procedural simplification; (9) outreach to the broader community; and (10) institutionalization of a meaningful role for communities in the natural resource policy making and management process. There are no simple solutions to these challenges, but the collective record of CBSF groups so far suggests a level of commitment and staying power sufficient to propel the fledgling through the transition and into full flight.     

Incentives for Participation by Local Communities in the Establishment of Commercial Plantations in Sichuan Province, China

The 1998 floods in China triggered the implementation of the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) which includes: (i) a logging ban over state-owned natural forests in order to protect the deteriorating natural environment, and (ii) strategies for the establishment of commercial plantations and relocation of laid-off forest workers, with the aim of mitigating the negative socioeconomic impacts of the logging ban. In this paper, Sichuan province is used as a case study to analyze the disincentives faced by local communities in developing commercial plantations and the institutional failure to address the disincentive issue. Insight on the necessity of 'real participation' of local communities has been provided, and ways to create incentives as well as institutional rearrangement has been explored and recommended.     

A Civic Conversation About Public Lands

Summary

Community-based ecosystem management (CBEM) is being offered as an alternative to agency-based public land management. Its fundamental premise is connecting communities to public lands for the purpose of increasing ecosystem stewardship and community sustainability. For CBEM to appropriately serve the public interest, new social and institutional relationships will need to be formed, collaborative learning will need to occur, and capacities in community participation and ecological literacy will need to be developed. A new civic conversation about public lands is essential to these relationships, learning, and capacities. Community governance processes, which guide these collaborative and participatory activities, must correspondingly reflect the community-based nature of CBEM, while preserving the national interests in public land resources.     

Stakeholder's roles and responsibilities in the Community-Based Forest Management Program of the Philippines

This paper reviews the existing social and community forestry programs in the Philippines, these being the leading programs for natural resource management and rural development in the country. The paper takes the form of a stakeholder analysis of those involved in the Community-Based Forest Management Program, drawing on literature discussing the roles of and challenges faced by the various stakeholder groups and on interviews with participants in the program. Challenges to the success of the program come from a variety of sources, in particular from the economically and socially marginalised position of the target communities, lack of resources available to support them, deficiencies in physical and social infrastructure in the Philippines, and the difficulties caused by the continual revision of forestry policies and regulations. It is concluded that in order for CBFM to be successful, greater efforts are needed to ‘empower’ the communities, provide adequate budgetary support to agencies administering the program, and provide a stable policy and regulatory framework.     

上海佘山国家森林公园主要森林群落的结构特征和植物多样性

以上海市佘山国家森林公园主要森林植被类型的群落学调查资料为基础,通过应用群落相似性和物种多样性测度方法进行计算分析,对该区域的主要森林群落类型、植物多样性特征及其演替趋势进行了分析研究。结果表明:佘山国家森林公园主要由白栎林、毛竹林、香樟林、朴树-榉树林、朴树-刺槐林、梧桐林和枫香-刺槐林等7种森林类型组成; 现有森林植被的植物多样性明显低于邻近的浙江地区,其树种组成也明显偏重于落叶树种,以榆科植物、壳斗科栎类树种为主,而常绿树种则只有香樟、苦槠、毛竹、女贞等少数几个建群种;从森林演替趋势看,未来上海佘山地区的森林主要为三大类:以白栎为主的地带性森林群落,毛竹林和以樟科、榆科、木犀科等科树种组成的常绿、落叶混交林。     

从法正林转向近自然林:德国多功能森林经营在国家、区域和经营单位层面的实践

简要介绍德国林业的发展历史、多功能林业的法律规定和实现多功能目标的近自然林业理论和技术, 分别从经营单位、区域和国家层面分析总结了德国作为林业发达国家开展多功能森林经营的具体实例和初步结果, 提出了在各个层面上多功能森林经营的工作要点和评价效果的方法、指标和标准等可学习借鉴的要点。认为多功能近自然林业的理论是中华民族一直倡导的"真、善、美"的文化理念在林业经营中的具体表达, 我国开展多功能林业有良好的历史文化基础和现实需求动力。     

广东省森林群落草本多样性研究

结合广东省森林资源清查第七次复查样地调查资料,以广东省不同气候带草本植物群落为研究对象,探讨了其区系组成及草本物种多样性在不同气候带内的变化规律。结果表明:广东省中亚热带草本植物有67科147属190种;南亚热带有65科143属179种;北热带有15科41属42种。其中禾本科在草本层中占重要地位;从数量特征来看,芒萁(Dicranopteris dichotoma)在中亚热带和南亚热带占有显著的优势,在北热带则为飞机草(Eupatorium odoratum)和小蓬草(Conyza canadensis);人工林草本层物种丰富度指数在1.313~1.459之间,多样性指数在1.260~1.328之间,均随纬度降低呈倒"V"形变化,而天然林、竹林和灌丛林草本层物种丰富度指数和多样性指数均随纬度降低而逐渐增加;总体而言,广东省森林草本植物多样性水平偏低。     

The Management of Small Diameter,Lesser-Known Hardwood Species as Polewood in Forest Communities of Central Quintana Roo,Mexico

ABSTRACT

Diversification in resource management can serve as a strategy to increase both economic well-being and environmental sustainability in rural communities, especially in tropical forested regions. This paper documents and analyzes the recent and rapid regional commercialization of small diameter, lesser-known tropical hardwood species as polewood in Quintana Roo, Mexico, presenting the promises and perils for sustainable management and resource diversification in the context of Mexican economic development and community forestry. We present data from interviews with local farmers and forestry officials involved in community management of timber resources to reveal baseline information regarding the use and management of polewood, locally called palizada. We found the same permitting system used for high-value timber was implemented for polewood without recognizing the complex ecological characteristics of polewood and the different metrics by which polewood and high-value timber are bought and sold. These factors, coupled with an unstable market for this new forest product and potential for overexploitation, present a difficult situation for the sustainable management of polewood. We conclude that incorporating local ecological knowledge in devising polewood management strategies can strengthen local governance and is an essential aspect of managing this emerging market of forest products.     

国外发展私有林主协会的启示

文中介绍了国外私有林主协会的发展状况和职能, 认为私有林主协会的产生和发展具有一定的主客观条件, 具有充分的法律依据, 协会内部管理科学, 林主协会与政府是合作关系, 协会具有降低林主生产成本、增加林主收益、提高林主生活质量、促进森林可持续经营、增加就业等作用。建议, 在我国政府不宜主导建立林主协会, 应该尊重林农意愿, 从法律和政策上规范林主协会; 对于现有的林业社会化服务组织和经济合作组织, 应该规范管理。     

原始次生林蜘蛛群落结构研究

1997年7～8月在湖南省永州市千家洞自然保护区进行了不同海拔、不同林分状况下灌丛蜘蛛群落调查,并应用系统聚类和主成分分析研究了蜘蛛群落结构异质性.结果表明：植物层次好,灌木种类丰富的次生林蜘蛛群落结构优于灌木单调的残次林和人工林;在影响原始次生林蜘蛛群落结构的诸因素中,人为干扰的影响作用最大.     

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。     

高黎贡山西坡大塘村社林业活动研究

村社林业是指在一个具体的村社或农村生态系统内，以农户为主题，旨在解决农户自身生存和发展所需的林业活动，是林业发展的重要组成部分。高黎贡山西坡大塘村农户在社区森林资源管理方面做了有益的尝试，多形式、多内容的林业经营管理活动使该村社区森林资源得到了合理的利用和保护，为周围村社提供了有益的经验。本文以大塘村的各项村社林业活动为例，叙述了广泛开展村社林业活动对高黎贡山森林资源有效保护与周围农村经济持续发展的作用和意义。     

广州起义烈士陵园植物群落特征

广州起义烈士陵园植物群落为常绿林,郁闭度约0.7.乔木层物种优势种主要由马尾松(Pinus massoniana)、罗汉松(Podocarpus macrophyllus)、粉单竹(Lingmnia chungii)等组成;灌木层物种主要由鸭脚木(Schefflera heptaphylla)、朴树(Celds sinensis)、假连翘(Duranta erecta)等树种组成;草本层物种主要由大叶油草(Axonopus compressus)、吉祥草(Reineckia carnea)、白蝴蝶(Syngonium podophyllum)等草本组成,且乔木以小树为主(胸径<10 cm, 树高<10m),并对该园植物多样性等问题提出建议.     

Forest condition and management in Swedish forest commons

Forest commons are regarded as a means to support local development and sustainable forest conditions. To evaluate the development impact of Swedish forest commons, comparative surveys have been undertaken in three regions, and the differences in forest condition and management between categories of commons as well as their relation to other forest ownerships have been assessed. Regional differences between the by-laws, historical development and geographical conditions are apparent. It is concluded that two of three regions have an overly restrictive harvesting policy given the purpose of the forest commons and the official forest policy. The study results underline the importance of evaluation of the performance of forest management in relation to management objectives, to ownership alternatives and to the impact of local variations in preconditions.     

Community-based forestry and community forestry enterprises in quintana roo,mexico and petén,guatemala: how have policies,history, and culture shaped their trajectories?

ABSTRACT

The Mayan Biosphere Reserve in the region of Petén, Guatemala and the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico have well-established experiences of community-based forestry and community forestry enterprises within the area known as the Mayan forest. Context has been a key factor shaping the trajectories of these two cases. Several scholars have highlighted the usefulness of understanding the role of context in the emergence and functioning of common property regimes. However, scholarship has been dominated by the mainstream school of common property, which sees these regimes as arising out of voluntary, rational action with the main intent of conserving a common-pool natural resource. This paper seeks to answer the call for more research on context for common property regimes. The article discusses how policies, history, and culture have shaped the trajectory of community forestry in both countries. Policies present choices, opportunities, and constraints, while history and culture can facilitate or hinder taking advantage of such opportunities. Communities have agency not only to react, but also to adapt. These two cases present overriding themes that strengthen the alternative literature on common property regimes and also offer lessons to policy makers, practitioners, nongovernmental organizations, and communities practicing forestry.     

云南普洱桉树林与天然林植物种类比较研究

随着大面积规模化的种植,桉树人工林结构过于简单,林下植物多样性低的问题不容忽视。通过对普洱地区桉树人工林与同等条件下的天然林植物种类进行比较,桉树人工林群落物种数量流失,多样性下降和外来物种的入侵,说明一旦种植桉树以后,原有的生态系统都完全改变了,单一栽培桉树树种通常都造成了物种多样性的减少。