Forest property rights under nationalized forest management in Bhutan

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAM DORJI ◽  
EDWARD L. WEBB ◽  
GANESH P. SHIVAKOTI
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Local Property ◽  
Local People ◽  
Modern Development ◽  
Tree Cutting ◽  
Forest Act ◽  
Development Alternatives ◽  
Forestry Resources

Forest nationalization policies in Asia have often resulted in decreased local property rights over forests and users' short-term exploitative behaviour, leading to degradation of forests. Bhutan's centralized forest management structure was initiated with the Forest Act of 1969. This paper evaluates how nationalization of forests in Bhutan changed forest property rights and associated incentives and disincentives and management outcomes for leaf-litter forests (sokshing) and non-sokshing forests. Using the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IRFI) research protocols, 12 sites across Bhutan's broadleaf zones were surveyed. Changes in forest property rights were analysed using Ostrom and Schlager's ‘bundles of rights’ framework. The forest nationalization policy changed the array of de jure rights that local people had over both traditionally community-used forests (the majority of forests) and small blocks of sokshings that were usually owned by a household and managed to produce valuable leaf litter for their agriculture livelihoods. There was more compliance with regulations in sokshing than in non-sokshing forests. Non-compliance of local people with forest conservation occurred in areas where the chance of being caught for rule breaking was perceived to be low or the costs of compliance were high. This was almost exclusively the case in non-sokshing forest in the form of widespread but low-intensity illegal tree cutting. The continuing significance of sokshing for agricultural livelihoods serves as a strong incentive for conservation of sokshings by rural people, even though the sokshings are under ultimate state control. The successful management of forests requires minimal difference between de jure policies and de facto practices for which rules that allocate property rights and the way those rules are enforced are important elements. Conservation and management rights of non-sokshing for communities would not only promote local stewardship, but also put the limited capacity of the Department of Forest to best use. Increased deforestation around villages may result, because modern development alternatives may make leaf litter insignificant for agriculture.

scholarly journals Assessment of Leaf Litter Decomposition in a Pine and Beech Mixed Forest: Case Study in Northern Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
David Candel-Pérez ◽  
J. Bosco Imbert ◽  
Maitane Unzu ◽  
Juan A. Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Decomposition Process ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Decomposition Rates

The promotion of mixed forests represents an adaptation strategy in forest management to cope with climate change. The mixing of tree species with complementary ecological traits may modify forest functioning regarding productivity, stability, or resilience against disturbances. Litter decomposition is an important process for global carbon and nutrient cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, also affecting the functionality and sustainability of forests. Decomposition of mixed-leaf litters has become an active research area because it mimics the natural state of leaf litters in most forests. Thus, it is important to understand the factors controlling decomposition rates and nutrient cycles in mixed stands. In this study, we conducted a litter decomposition experiment in a Scots pine and European beech mixed forest in the province of Navarre (north of Spain). The effects of forest management (i.e., different thinning intensities), leaf litter types, and tree canopy on mass loss and chemical composition in such decomposing litter were analysed over a period of three years. Higher decomposition rates were observed in leaf litter mixtures, suggesting the existence of positive synergies between both pine and beech litter types. Moreover, a decomposition process was favoured under mixed-tree canopy patches. Regarding thinning treatments significant differences on decomposition rates disappeared at the end of the study period. Time influenced the nutrient concentration after the leaf litter incubation, with significant differences in the chemical composition between the different types of leaf litter. Higher Ca and Mg concentrations were found in beech litter types than in pine ones. An increase in certain nutrients throughout the decomposition process was observed due to immobilization by microorganisms (e.g., Mg in all leaf litter types, K only in beech leaves, P in thinned plots and under mixed canopy). Evaluating the overall response in mixed-leaf litters and the contribution of single species is necessary for understanding the litter decomposition and nutrient processes in mixed-forest ecosystems.

scholarly journals The influence of common property rights on forest management policy: a case study in Sardinia region, Italy

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Paletto ◽  
Isabella De Meo ◽  
Fabrizio Ferretti
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Private Forests ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Common

Abstract The property rights and the type of ownership (private owners, public domain and commons) are two fundamental concepts in relationship to the local development and to the social and environmental sustainability. Common forests were established in Europe since the Middle Ages, but over the centuries the importance of commons changed in parallel with economic and social changes. In recent decades, the scientific debate focused on the forest management efficiency and sustainability of this type of ownership in comparison to the public and private property. In Italy common forests have a long tradition with substantial differences in the result of historical evolution in various regions. In Sardinia region the private forests are 377.297 ha, the public forests are 201.324 ha, while around 120.000 ha are commons. The respect of the common rights changed in the different historical periods. Today, the common lands are managed directly by municipalities or indirectly through third parties, in both cases the involvement of members of community is very low. The main objective of the paper is to analyse forest management differences in public institutions with and without common property rights. To achieve the objective of the research the forest management preferences of community members and managers were evaluated and compared. The analysis was realized through the use of the principal-agent model and it has been tested in a case study in Sardinia region (Arci-Grighine district). The analysis of the results showed that the categories of actors considered (members of community, municipalities and managers) have a marked productive profile, but municipalities manage forests perceiving a moderate multifunctionality. Moreover, the representatives of the municipalities pay more attention to the interests of the collectivity in comparison to the external managers. They also attribute high importance to environmental and social forest functions.

scholarly journals Situation und Anliegen der Waldeigentümer – einige Gedanken (Essay)

2014 ◽  
Vol 165 (8) ◽  
pp. 224-227
Author(s):  
Markus Brunner
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Land Owners ◽  
Increasing Demand

Situation and concerns of forest owners - some notions (essay) The swiss forest economy is expecting huge challenges due to major changes in national and international circumstances. The main task in future time will be to combine proven traditions and principles with new and probably massif changes in an optimized way. We must be aware of the fact that some existing methods of forest management and sylviculture will eventually have to be adapted in a quite extensive and fundamental way. Swiss forest land owners must be recognized again as the main actors and the most important stakeholder concerning forest matters. There has been a very long period of reducing forest owners property rights and liberty of action, this process has to be stopped now. The increasing demand for existing and new non-wood forest products and services and for further limitations in forest management must be satisfied increasingly on a voluntarely basis (product selling, service agreements), rather than by tightening up the forest and other forest-related laws. The well-known «wake theory» in Swiss forest economy doesn't work anymore in its traditional form.

STATUTE NOTE

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon C. Lovett
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Forest Ownership ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Forest Law ◽  
History Of ◽  
Forest Act

During the 1980s and 1990s there were two major changes to forest management objectives in Tanzania. Firstly, it was recognized that some of the forests, notably those on mountains in the east of the country and the coastal plain, are exceptionally rich in species of restricted distribution. Recent analysis has even placed these forests amongst the most important biodiversity hotspots world-wide. Secondly, there was a recognition that communities needed to be much more involved in forest management. The Forest Act, 2002, which replaces the 1957 Forest Ordinance, tackles both of these objectives and introduces some new concepts of forest ownership. Moreover it makes arrangements for establishing a fund that promotes protection of biodiversity and sustainable development of forest resources. This note first briefly reviews the history of forest law in Tanzania and then discusses innovations introduced by the 2002 Act.

scholarly journals KONDISI HUTAN BAKAU TEBANGAN MASYARAKAT DAN INDUSTRI PULP DI BATU AMPAR KALIMANTAN BARAT

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tjut Sugandawaty Djohan ◽  
P.M. Laksono ◽  
Esti Anantasari ◽  
Angga N. Utama ◽  
Krisni Suhesthiningsih
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Local People ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Pulp Industry ◽  
Mangrove Tree ◽  
Rhizophora Apiculata ◽  
Bruguiera Gymnorhiza ◽  
Tree Cutting

The purpose of this research was to study tree cutting of mangrove forest by the local people of Batu Ampar and the pulp industry at Kapuas river estuary. At each site the rapid measurement methods were established using quadrate plots of 20m x 20m and 5m x 5m, each with 2 replicates. The results revealed that the local people only cut the selective trees of Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera gymnorhiza with diameter of 20-25 cm2 at 0.25 ha wide, which created gap canopy as small disturbace to the mangrove forest. This area of gap canopy immediately was colonized and dominated by R. apiculata. The mangrove tree cuttings created the phase gap generations. This forest recovered quickly, thus the small distrurbance maintained the mangrove tree species diversity. The Rhizophora roots were habitat for nusery grown of larval shrimps, crabs, and fishes. The pulp industry cut all of the mangrove species wich created big disturbance and huge gap area. The forest also recovered quickly, but was dominated by Xylocarpus granatum. Thus, the big disturbance by the pulp industry caused the shifted species of the mangrove forest species from Rhizophora and Bruguiera to Xylocarpus. The roots of Xylocarpus tree were not habitat forthelarval shrimps, crabs, and fishes, which decreased the fisherman catch. The forest rehabilitation of industrial cutting was planted regularly with Rhizophora, and created many current canals which proned to the erosion. Thus the pulp industry of mangrove forest cutting threatened nursery habitat and species diversity at the mangrove forest of Batu Ampar.

Project management challenges for post-disaster reconstruction projects in Angola: a public sector perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nyamagere Gladys Sospeter ◽  
Pantaleo M.D. Rwelamila ◽  
Joaqium Gimbi
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
The Body ◽  
Local People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Post War ◽  
Post Disaster

PurposeDespite the extensive research on post-disaster reconstruction projects (PDRP), there is a paucity of studies that examine critical challenges for the project practices in post-war-developing countries, particularly, Africa. The purpose of this research is to investigate the key project management challenges impacting the post-disaster reconstruction projects (PDRP) during the construction and planning stages in Angola, with an aim to fill the knowledge gap.Design/methodology/approachThe primary data was collected from 130 project management practitioners working with planning, provincial government organisations including consultants, and contractors within the Angolan public sectors organisations. Response data was subjected to descriptive statistics, mean scores, and inferential statistics (One sample t-tests) and Kendall's concordance.FindingsThe descriptive and empirical analysis demonstrated a disparity of the ranking of the 21challenges affecting the PDRP among the groups; with statistically significant differences amongst the 10 challenges. Based on the overall sample, 6 out of 10 critical challenges are between (24–25) levels of agreement close to the mean. The results of the mean score ranking indicate that “working with poor or restricted access to location”, “project culture that fits the needs of local people”; “improving the capacity of local government”, “minimizing the negative effects of local people” and “relocation issues by establishing property rights during the reconstruction project” were the five critical challenges to managing PDRP whereas “improving information and communication processes”, “securing adequate resources (material and machinery)”, “dealing with rising costs of materials and labour” were considered to be the least critical.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was restricted to one province and Country (out of 18) namely, Luanda, Angola. Therefore, the findings may not be generalized to public sector organisations operating in different countries with different contexts, political settings and disaster complexities.Practical implicationsThe establishment of challenges in PDRPs helps the key stakeholders by providing the foundation to project teams to address the challenges during planning and construction stages, and thus improving project delivery in the future. Understanding the uniqueness of PDRPs and interdependency of project management from the implementing organization is of particular value for the managers of future projects and other decision-makers, especially in the emerging countries. Moreover, the findings could be used to reflect on the need to formulate policies appropriate to post disaster environments, which among other issues could address building policies, which could include land ownership regulations and procedures together with property rights.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject within a previously unexplored post-war context with a focus on public organizations perspective. The study provides insights on the challenges affecting the post-disaster reconstruction across the Angolan public sector.

User Rights and Biodiversity Conservation

Last Stand ◽  
1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Lynn Miranda ◽  
Sharon LaPalme
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Local People ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Social Forestry ◽  
Forest Resource ◽  
Revenue Generation ◽  
Local Ecosystem ◽  
The One

The management of tropical forests has evolved considerably during recent decades. In the 1970s, the colonial and postindependence emphasis on maintaining large plantations and maximizing timber production gave way to a dual emphasis on revenue generation and social forestry. More recently, the international community, including developing countries themselves, has begun to recognize the important environmental services provided by tropical forest resources, including water quality, soil retention, biodiversity, and microclimate and macroclimate regulation. Just as the prevailing view of appropriate objectives for tropical forest management has changed, so has support for the devolution, or transfer, of rights to local people. Under the previous forest-management paradigm, which stressed revenue generation and social forestry, governments and international aid agencies encouraged nationalization of forests and the gazetting of land into systems of state forest preserves. This served, perhaps unintentionally but nevertheless forcefully, to restrict the rights of locals. But as the relationship between the landless poor, indigenous groups, and the forest resource came to be better understood, more consideration was given to allowing communities to retain or gain customary and/or legal rights to the forest resource. Now, however, by adding the protection of environmental services to the management paradigm, the effects on the devolution of rights to local people are much less clear. On the one hand, some would argue that the only way to vest locals in the maintenance of the forest resource is to give them specific, income-enhancing rights to its use. On the other hand, examples abound of local populations who have exploited the forest resource in ways that are not sustainable, destroying fragile ecological relationships and degrading the biodiversity of the area in the process. The support for devolution of rights has waxed and waned over the years, with its popularity dependent on both international politics and the world economy. The question of whether to devolve rights becomes especially complicated when considering the fate of protected areas in the tropical developing world. Within the protected areas themselves, user rights exercised by local people either can be relatively benign or can have devastating effects on the local ecosystem.

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