A Coordinated, Risk-Based, National Forest Biosecurity Surveillance Program for Australian Forests

Australia has a comprehensive plant biosecurity system, with the Australian Government responsible for pre-border (e.g., off-shore compliance) and border (e.g., import inspections) activities, while state governments undertake a variety of post-border activities (e.g., post-border surveillance, management of pest incursions, and regulation of pests) designed to reduce alien pest and pathogen arrival and establishment. Once an alien pest or pathogen has established and spread, its management becomes the responsibility of the land manager. There has been a growing understanding among plant industries of the need to be more engaged in post-border biosecurity activities, including resourcing and undertaking early detection surveillance and contingency planning. Here we summarize Australia’s broader plant biosecurity system along with current forest-specific biosecurity surveillance activities. We describe the development of a proposed forest biosecurity partnership between the Australian Government, state governments and the forest sector to establish a post-border, risk-based National Forest Pest Surveillance Program. We outline why there is a recognized need for such a program, how it would improve biosecurity outcomes in relation to forests, its component activities, and key stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Expansion of Planted Forests: The Risk of Pesticides Mixtures

Planted forests include forests established through human planting or deliberate seeding. They are systems that offer us timber and non-timber forest products and ecosystem services, such as wildlife protection, carbon sequestration, soil, and watershed maintenance. Brazil has 7.6 million hectares of planted forests, with 72% of the total area occupied by Eucalyptus spp. A favorable climate and management and genetic improvement research are the main factors responsible for high productivity. In recent years, the expansion of planted areas has been accompanied by the commercial release of several pesticides, mainly herbicides. A recent change in the Brazilian legislation allows mixing phytosanitary products in a spray tank, having a new approach to managing pests, diseases, and weeds. Antagonism is the main risk of tank mixes, and to reduce the dangers associated with this practice, we review all products registered for growing Eucalyptus. This literature review aims to identify the effects of product mixtures registered for Eucalyptus reported for other crops. In addition, environmental and social risk assessment has been widely adopted to export wood and cellulose, making the results of this review an indispensable tool in identifying the nature and degree of risks associated with pesticides. The results classify the effects of the mixtures as an additive, antagonistic or synergistic. The use of pesticide tank mixtures has the potential for expansion. However, there are still challenges regarding variations in the effects and applications in different climatic conditions. Therefore, studies that prove efficient mixtures for the forest sector are essential and the training of human resources.

Importance-Performance Analysis of Mountain Village Promotion Projects in the Forest Sector by Upper-Level Local Governments

Background and objective: Due to the recent crisis of extinction in local areas, the mountain village promotion policy is recognized as an important task. This study examined the priorities of major policy projects in the forest sector that affect mountain village promotion.Methods: For research methods, literature search, expert advisory meetings, and a survey were conducted. The survey was conducted on 42 policy stakeholders from June 1 to August 13, 2021. The literature search was based on policy projects in the forest sector by 8 upper-level local governments including mountain villages. For questionnaire items, 173 forest policy projects were classified into 27 types through expert review, and the importance and performance of each type were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Paired t-test, IPA, Locus for Focus model, and Borich needs assessment were used as the analysis methods, and the statistical program SPSS 21.0 was used as the analytical tool.Results: The results showed that ‘creating forest-related jobs’ and ‘supporting cultivation of professional forestry workers’ both showed high importance and performance, implying that they would show an effect in mountain village promotion. ‘Creating forests for environmental improvement’, ‘discovering forest cultural assets’ ‘establishing and boosting forest tourism’, ‘providing forest therapy services’, ‘creating forest-related jobs’, ‘supporting community revitalization’, and ‘urban-rural exchanges’ were found to be the types that needed improvement and concentration for mountain village promotion. In particular, ‘creating forests for environmental improvement' and ‘discovering forest cultural assets’ were derived as priority considerations for mountain village promotion policies.Conclusion: In summary, it was found that in order to promote mountain villages, various content projects must be improved and carried out to enhance the physical environment and revitalize mountain villages.

Institutional Impact of Forestry on the Economy

The problems of the forest sector identified by many researchers are primarily related to the quality of institutions and the lack of effective institutional relations in the industry, according to the authors’ opinion. The results presented in the article, which prove the existence of a causal relationship between the qualitative characteristics of institutions and institutional relations and economic results, are shown for the first time in the case of the forest industry. In order to achieve the objective, the economic interrelations between forest industry entities are analyzed in the context of their institutional environment. It is revealed that the existing institutional structure of the industry supports the conflict of incentives between the owner (state) and the user (tenant) of forest land. The theoretical aspects of the specification of property rights, minimization of transaction costs and costs of contractual relations in the Russian forest industry to increase its economic efficiency are investigated. The transformation of Russian forest industry institutions should be based on the comparative advantages of existing institutions, economic models of successful forest management, objective institutional and economic indicators of sustainable growth, such as the specification of property rights and the minimization of specific transaction costs.

Effects on Global Forests and Wood Product Markets of Increased Demand for Mass Timber

This study evaluated the effects on forest resources and forest product markets of three contrasting mass timber demand scenarios (Conservative, Optimistic, and Extreme), up to 2060, in twelve selected countries in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Analyses were carried out by utilizing the FOrest Resource Outlook Model, a partial market equilibrium model of the global forest sector. The findings suggest increases in global softwood lumber production of 8, 23, and 53 million m3 per year by 2060, under the Conservative, Optimistic, and Extreme scenarios, respectively, leading to world price increases of 2%, 7%, and 23%, respectively. This projected price increase is relative to the projected price in the reference scenario, altering prices, production, consumption, trade of forest products, timber harvest, forest growth, and forest stock in individual countries. An increase in softwood lumber prices due to increased mass timber demand would lead to the reduced consumption of softwood lumber for traditional end-use (e.g., light-frame construction), suggesting a likely strong market competition for softwood lumber between the mass timber and traditional construction industries. In contrast, the projected effect on global forest stock was relatively small based on the relatively fast projected biomass growth in stands assumed to be regenerated after harvest.

Emission Trading System and Forest: Learning from the Experience of New Zealand

In the area of international policy to mitigate climate change, the forest has been important in achieving the objectives of liable countries. The Emissions Trading System in New Zealand (NZ ETS) is the only case of an ETS integrating forestry as a mandatory actor. This is the result of prolonged political discussions and the characteristics of New Zealand forestry. Forest landowners are liable to surrender allowances for deforestation and can potentially receive allowances for the level of carbon sequestered. This scheme created new opportunities for forestry activities and impacted the decision-making trade-offs related to land-use changes. In Mexico, the implementation of an Emissions Trading System in 2020 is evidence of the country’s commitment to controlling domestic emissions under the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, for now, the forestry sector is not involved as a liable actor. It is possible to envision the integration of the forest sector because of the extensive forest cover in the country, which provides a livelihood for a large part of the population. Mexico has the experience and institutional framework to integrate forestry into national emission accounting and carbon forest projects in the voluntary market. The potential impacts of this integration are both positive and negative. Environmental impacts are positive because forest areas can help mitigate emissions, but intensive carbon farming disrupts native forests and biodiversity. The economic impacts would be highly favorable for forest landowners if market volatility were controlled, but there is a potential loss of public revenue for the State. Finally, carbon forestry has the potential to cause conflict between economic sectors involved in land use and among participating communities.

The role of government bodies in ensuring the activities of management of protection, use and reproduction of forests

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to establish the role of state regulation and management in the field of forest relations in order to ensure effective protection, proper protection, rational use and reproduction of forests. Define the powers of state bodies through which the state manages forest resources. Identify forest management functions. To analyze the main tasks of state regulation and management in the field of forest relations. Method. The methodology includes a comprehensive analysis and generalization of available scientific and theoretical material and the formulation of relevant conclusions and recommendations. The following methods of scientific cognition were used during the research: terminological, logical-semantic, functional, system-structural, logical-normative. Results. As a result of the study, it was found that in our country there is a very extensive system of control of government agencies over activities in the forest sector. But its effectiveness is low, because illegal deforestation is carried out en masse, and the authorities that are supposed to monitor it do not seem to notice anything, or officials who depend on the solution of a particular issue decide them in their favor, not in favor of the state. Such cases are not uncommon - mostly mass. Therefore, we need to change and improve this control system - otherwise we may be left without forests. This in turn affects the ecological environment of citizens and their lives and health. Scientific novelty. In the course of the research it was established that the system of state management of forest resources is inefficient and needs to be improved. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in law-making and law enforcement activities during the implementation of measures for the protection, use and reproduction of forests.

FINANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: ALLEVIATING LIVELIHOODS IN THE FOREST SECTOR WITH SIERRA LEONE AS A CASE STUDY

Sustainable development concept has been associated with many things, as in this situation with “Payment for Environmental Services [PES]”; a modern invention craving attention across the world, and more so for the benefit of those in developing nations around Asia, Latin America and Africa. Financing of sustainable development schemes require scope for enhancing sustained maintenance of basic livelihoods for everyone [both in the present and future], but more so for those whose lives have been heavily dependent on renewable forest resources. The concept of PES has been exemplified in a simple way to enable readers [of all types, ranging from professionals, academics to non-professionals] to grasp basic concepts that bothers on economics and natural resource concepts, and their application in understanding the varied sources of funding sustainable means of livelihoods, while at the same time ensuring the environment is securely protected for the benefit of both present and future generations. To start with, an introduction to the concept of sustainable development is addressed in line with REDD/REDD+ schemes, followed by detailed background information about Sierra Leone as a nation [including the geography. Pre and Post-colonial management of forests, and political economy dimension]. Secondly, there is a focus on the concept of PES, and backed by ways of financing it, particularly in the context of Sierra Leone. Thirdly, there is discussion surrounding the case for PES, challenges and associated benefits. Lastly, the document concludes with an overview of the study and recommendations to address the situation in the context of Sierra Leone.

Exploring Forest Sector Research Subjects and Trends from 2000 to 2019 Using Topic Modeling

Purpose of Review This review aims to discover the most common topics and trends in international scientific forest sector research between January 2000 and December 2019 and to test the suitability of a quantitative topic-modeling method to extract topics from the data. The results will be helpful for both researchers and policy decision-makers in identifying emerging research topics and possible research gaps. The analysis framework covers the complete forest wood chain (FWC) with PESTE factors. PESTE is applied to analyze political, economic, social, technological, and ecological/environmental factors affecting the FWC. Recent findings In the last two decades, forests and the forest sector have been impacted by several global changes, policies, and megatrends. Previous systematic syntheses of forest sector research reveal that economic, policy, and social research have remained underrepresented in the forest sector literature. Research areas related to forest ecology and climate change have been increasing. More recently, growth has also been detected in social aspects especially related to the increasing literature on forest ecosystem services. Results A total of 160 topics were extracted from 14,470 abstracts of 15 leading international peer-reviewed forest science journals. The ecological topics of forest resources and technological topics of industry and products were by far the two largest subject areas. Ecological topics increased, while technological topics slightly decreased, during the period between 2000 and 2019. A clear decline in the share of topics concerning end-product markets was detected. Indeed, changes in end markets drive changes in the entire forest wood chain. To support the goal of a transition from a fossil-based economy to a bioeconomy, it will be important to increase academic research on policy impacts, as well as social and ecological sustainability issues to cover all the stages of the FWC more evenly. The topic-modeling method was a useful tool in data mining, but human intelligence is needed to interpret and classify the topics extracted by this approach.