Thinking and acting differently for sustainable management of the boreal forest

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Messier ◽  
Daniel D. Kneeshaw

Sustainable forest management has replaced sustained yield as the new management strategy for most countries and forest companies. This concept has generated a lot of interest and discussion, and a great deal of effort is being made to modify current forestry practices to be sustainable. In this paper, we argue that the still somewhat vague concept of sustainable forest management calls for a substantial modification in our way of thinking about and practising forestry. To move toward that goal, we recognize important social and economic challenges to sustainable management and suggest nine essential notions: 1) manage the forest ecosystem as a whole and not in parts nor only for the crop species; 2) conserve a significant proportion of the boreal forest (i.e., at least 12%); 3) practice intensive forestry on a small portion of the land to recover the fibre lost from notions 1 and 2; 4) strive for innovation in thinking and acting; 5) foster research and development to support notion 4; 6) balance regional needs with that of the global community; 7) encourage public participation; 8) consider the impact of substantial change in climate over the next 100 years (or next rotation); and 9) substitute regulations that are adaptive for those that are restrictive. An example of the kind of silviculture that could be used in ecosystem management for the black spruce forest is also discussed. Key words: sustainability, ecosystem management, boreal forest, socio-economic and biophysical concerns, natural dynamics

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-308
Author(s):  
P.W. Chirwa ◽  
J.M. Kamwi ◽  
G. Kabia ◽  
L. Makhubele ◽  
W. Sagona ◽  
...  

The objective of the study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable forest management in southern Africa. The study employed a targeted approach, also referred to as purposive sampling, to select respondents from the various sectors. The results show that COVID-19 had an 80% impact on forest management operations. The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant effect on the conversion of land from forest to other land uses. However, there was severe illegal logging and moderate to severe fires. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a severe impact on the agriculture, environment and ecotourism sectors, with nature reserves completely closed. From the forest production perspective, the impact of COVID-19 on production, supply, demand and the price of timber was generally low due to the commercial nature of the forestry sector in South Africa; the largest economy in SADC being classified as an essential sector.


2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (12) ◽  
pp. 502-507
Author(s):  
Christian Küchli

Are there any common patterns in the transition processes from traditional and more or less sustainable forest management to exploitative use, which can regularly be observed both in central Europe and in the countries of the South (e.g. India or Indonesia)? Attempts were made with a time-space-model to typify those force fields, in which traditional sustainable forest management is undermined and is then transformed into a modern type of sustainable forest management. Although it is unlikely that the history of the North will become the future of the South, the glimpse into the northern past offers a useful starting point for the understanding of the current situation in the South, which in turn could stimulate the debate on development. For instance, the patterns which stand behind the conflicts on forest use in the Himalayas are very similar to the conflicts in the Alps. In the same way, the impact of socio-economic changes on the environment – key word ‹globalisation› – is often much the same. To recognize comparable patterns can be very valuable because it can act as a stimulant for the search of political, legal and technical solutions adapted to a specific situation. For the global community the realization of the way political-economic alliances work at the head of the ‹globalisationwave›can only signify to carry on trying to find a common language and understanding at the negotiation tables. On the lee side of the destructive breaker it is necessary to conserve and care for what survived. As it was the case in Switzerland these forest islands could once become the germination points for the genesis of a cultural landscape, where close-to-nature managed forests will constitute an essential element.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Bola Fajemirokun

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development incorporates 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 15 (SDG 15) focuses on terrestrial ecosystems. Regarding forests, it sets targets requiring signatories to promote the implementation of the sustainable management of all types of forests by 2020 and further mobilize significant resources from all sources to achieve sustainable forest management. The United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017 – 2030 advances the vision of SDG 15. Nigeria’s high demographic growth rate has led to the surging demand for land to support settlements and farming. Coupled with extensive illegal or uncontrolled logging, the annual forest net loss of 5% is one of the highest rates globally in percentage terms. This paper is a critical analysis of the policy-law interface of the forestry sector in Nigeria. It examines the country’s trajectory or state of preparedness for sustainable forest management, and it concludes that forestry policy and law in Nigeria must undergo urgent reforms so that the forest commitments such as those under SDG 15 and other regional and global instruments can be ultimately achieved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 572
Author(s):  
Gintautas Mozgeris ◽  
Ivan Balenović

The pre-requisite for sustainable management of natural resources is the availability of timely, cost-effective, and comprehensive information on the status and development trends of the management object [...]


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
Syaifullah Yophi Ardiyanto ◽  
Tengku Arif Hidayat

Riau Province as one of the provinces in Indonesia with quite complex environmental problems, especially the problem of forest destruction and peat ecosystems, the impact of which is one of the largest contributors to the forest and land fire disaster that occurred in Indonesia. Forest and land fires continue every year, but law enforcement against perpetrators of forest and land fires. Law enforcement against perpetrators of forest and land burning is very important considering that one of the causes of forest and land destruction is the occurrence of fires or burning of forests and land before the use of the forest and land. This is important considering that one of the requirements for realizing Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) really depends on the conditions of policies, laws and institutions, all of which are included in Good Forestry Governance. The main cause of poor forest management is the failure of policies, laws and institutions. Weak forestry institutions cannot enforce laws and regulations related to forestry. Abstrak Provinsi Riau sebagai salah satu provinsi di Indonesia dengan persoalan lingkungan hidup yang cukup kompleks, khususnya persoalan kerusakan hutan dan ekosistem gambut yang dampaknya sebagai salah satu provinsi penyumbang terbesar bencana kebakaran hutan dan lahan yang terjadi di Indonesia. Kebakaran hutan dan lahan setiap tahun terus saja terjadi, namun penegakan hukum terhadap pelaku pembakaran hutan dan lahan. Penegakan hukum terhadap pelaku pembakaran hutan dan lahan menjadi hal yang sangat penting mengingat salah satu penyebab kerusakan hutan dan lahan adalah terjadinya kebakaran atau dibakarnya hutan dan lahan sebelum hutan dan lahan tersebut digunakan. Hal ini menjadi penting mengingat salah satu syarat mewujudkan Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) sangat tergantung pada kondisi kebijakan, hukum dan institusi, yang semuanya itu tercakup dalam Good Forestry Governance. Penyebab utama manajemen hutan yang buruk adalah tidak berjalannya kebijakan, hukum dan kelembagaan. Lembaga kehutanan yang lemah tidak bisa menegakkan hukum dan peraturan perundang-undangan terkait kehutanan.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roswin B. Valenzuela ◽  
Youn Yeo-Chang ◽  
Mi Sun Park ◽  
Jung-Nam Chun

Participatory forest management has been considered as a practical and effective strategy for sustainable forest management, especially in situations where land tenure is not securely settled. For effective forest restoration, local communities, as the cornerstone of participatory management, should be provided with incentives to facilitate their participation and active role. We postulate that participation in mangrove restoration projects can not only provide financial rewards but also yield intangible benefits for communities, i.e., social capital. The study was conducted in the province of Quezon, Philippines, using face-to-face interviews as the main method for data collection. Regression analyses were undertaken to assess the impact of local community participation in mangrove restoration projects on social capital and its potential benefits to people in terms of access to information and services, which are key components of livelihood. Results revealed that people’s participation in mangrove restoration projects contributes to increasing social capital, consequently improving their access to information and services. Local people’s participation is beneficial to communities, as it can improve their livelihoods.


2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (03) ◽  
pp. 298-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Elbakidze ◽  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Robert Axelsson

The Model Forest is a concept developed to facilitate implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM). The key functions of a Model Forest are to develop innovations and test new ideas related to SFM, driven by the needs, interests and challenges of Model Forest stakeholders and local communities. Russia is an important global actor when it comes to the boreal forest biome and forestry, but also has several challenges related to development of adaptive governance and the introduction of SFM. The purpose of this study is to identify landscape stakeholders—their values, needs and interests— in order to develop and adapt the governance of forest landscapes in the Kovdozersky Model Forest. The location of the Kovdozersky Model Forest in the Barents region presents opportunities for learning between Nordic countries and Russia.


2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
L A Venier ◽  
J L Pearce ◽  
B A Wintle ◽  
S A Bekessy

In this paper, we provide an overview of a project that we initiated to explore the utility of spatially-explicit metapopulation models linked to dynamic landscape models as a way of incorporating biological indicators into sustainable forest management. We developed models for three indicator species as case studies; brown creeper (Certhis americana), redbacked vole (Clethrionomys gapperi) and red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) in a northern Ontario landscape. Results from the project to date suggest that there are significant advantages to models that are spatially-explicit and dynamic in their treatment of both populations and landscapes. Dynamic landscape metapopulation (DLMP) models allow a manager to track population change through time in response to a changing landscape and a fluctuating environment. These DLMP models may be used to predict the impact of current and alternative forest management strategies on population sizes of a suite of species chosen to indicate the health of forest ecosystems. Key words: biological indicators, population viability analysis, population modeling, dynamic landscape modeling, sustainable forest management, brown creeper, red-backed salamander, red-backed vole


2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Bourgeois ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Nicolas Bélanger ◽  
Stephen Yamasaki ◽  
...  

In order to receive forest certification and to respond to societal desires, many forest companies are attempting to demonstrate that their forest activities are «sustainable». The main objective of this paper is to qualitatively evaluate the ways in which forestry-related provincial regulations in the three provinces (Alberta, Ontario and Quebec) that contain most of the Canadian boreal forest help forest companies achieve certification with respect to ecological criteria. In the process of continually evolving towards sustainable forest management, we evaluate how these provincial regulations governing forest operations can be helpful in maintaining three criteria: biodiversity, the aquatic environment and soils. This study shows that the regulations evaluated have varied in their approach and thus have different strengths that must be underlined: (1) Ontario's approach is the strongest in terms of biodiversity, (2) Alberta and Ontario provide measures to abandon roads after harvesting, (3) Quebec provides the greatest specific measures for protecting waterways and aquatic species, (4) Alberta shows the greatest consideration for maintaining the most soil properties and functions. Better links between different regulations are necessary in all jurisdictions. The continual improvement of Canadian forest rules is often slow and advances at a different pace depending on regulators but it should be supported in all provinces. Key words: sustainable forest management, biodiversity, aquatic environment, soils, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2670 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Chamberlain ◽  
Christine Small ◽  
Michelle Baumflek

Many of the plants and fungi that are harvested for nontimber products (e.g., foods, medicines, crafts) are critical to healthy forest ecosystems. These products also are essential to rural societies, contributing to the material and nonmaterial composition of communities and cultures. Product sales make important contributions at all economic scales, from household to national economies. Nontimber forest products (NTFPs) have been harvested for generations, sometimes centuries, yet they are seldom integrated into forest management. Few methods exist for inventory and assessment, and there is little evidence that harvests are sustainable. This article examines three elements of sustainable forest management for nontimber products: sociocultural, economic, and ecological, and elaborates with detailed examples of edible and medicinal species from United States (U.S.) forests. We synthesize the state of knowledge and emerging issues, and identify research priorities that are needed to advance sustainable management of NTFPs in the United States. Despite their social, economic, and ecological values, many of these species and resources are threatened by the overuse and lack of management and market integration. Sustainable management for nontimber products is attainable, but much research and development is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of these resources and their cultural values, and to realize their economic potentials.


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