Assessing the situation of non-forest private woodlands: The Turkish case

This paper examines the situation of private woodlands in Turkey, which are referred to as ‘non-forest private woodlands’ (NFPWs). The questions addressed by this study are ‘Why are NFPWs not defined as forest?’, ‘Is the exclusion of NFPWs from forests reasonable?’ and ‘What are the consequences of excluding NFPWs from the forest regime?’. It is found that the criteria used to define a forest in Turkey, and hence to exclude NFPWs from forests, do not have a rational basis. Moreover, the threshold level of area, the most decisive criterion, is far beyond comparable international values and cannot be explained by country peculiarities. Also, NFPWs are more likely to be granted tree cutting approval if they have some type of official cadastre or if they harvest trees for domestic use. Commercial-use NFPWs make tree cuttings in higher quantities than domestic harvesters. NFPWs in general can be perceived as fuelwood harvesters as opposed to industrial wood suppliers. NFPWs with forest or land cadastre tend to harvest at higher levels compared to those without a cadastral survey. In the 8-year period 1993 and 2000, approximately 2.5 M m³ of wood was harvested on NFPWs across Turkey. The annual wood production on NFPWs throughout the country decreased drastically during that period, from about 700,000 m³ down to about 150,000 m³. This may be an alarming sign for environmental and socio-economic sustainability involving these lands. Forest management of these lands can be improved if the forestry administration authority implements planned environment-related regulative criteria as well as sound channels of communication, designed to lead the landowners towards best ‘forest’ management practices and hence to guarantee the sustainability of the communities and the natural resource base of the country.