Forest canopy resists plant invasions: a case study of Chromolaena odorata in Sal (Shorea robusta) forests of Nepal

Invasive alien species are a major threat to global biodiversity due to the tremendous ecological and economic damage they cause in forestry, agriculture, wetlands, and pastoral resources. Understanding the spatial pattern of invasive alien species and disentangling the biophysical drivers of invasion at the forest stand level is essential for managing forest ecosystems and the wider landscape. However, forest-level and species-specific information on Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) abundance and their spatial extent are largely lacking. In this context, we analysed the cover of one of the world’s worst invasive plants, Chromolaena odorata, in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in central Nepal. Vegetation was sampled in four community forests using 0.01 ha square quadrats, covering the forest edge to the interior. C. odorata cover, floral richness, tree density, forest canopy cover, shrub cover, tree basal area, and disturbances were measured in each plot. We also explored forest and IAPS management practices in community forests. C. odorata cover was negatively correlated with forest canopy cover, distance to the road, angle of slope, and shrub cover. Tree canopy cover had the largest effect on C. odorata cover. No pattern of C. odorata cover was seen along native species richness gradients. In conclusion, forest canopy cover is the overriding biotic covariate suppressing C. odorata cover in Sal forests.

POLITIK EKOLOGI KEHUTANAN: KEBIJAKAN HUTAN TANAMAN INDUSTRI DI SAMBELIA, LOMBOK TIMUR

Ecological politics rely solely on economic interest. Development and the environment have a complicated correlation. The industrial plantation forest policy aims to ensure that the economic benefit goes hand in hand with the sustainability demand. Ironically, this policy triggers a conflict between local communities and corporations as the holder of forest concession rights. The concession is practically established due to merely economic interest aligned with the extractive industry of tobacco in Lombok. The plantation is aimed as the supporting source for the tobacco industry since it requires specific woods to roast the tobacco. The study refers to utilizes instrumental state theory and deep ecology perspective to identify how the policy was made for the capital and tobacco capital benefits, while the sustainability objective is left behind. The study shows not only how the concession sparked ironic economic development, but also how the liberal environmentalism approach in industrial forest plantation policy has failed to gain its objective. The economic potential of tobacco in Lombok is the main determinant in industrial forest plantation policy that changes community forests into private forests. In the end, the policy was strategically implemented to sustain production and strengthen corporation monopoly over forests.

Estimation Of The Value Of Goods And Services Produced By Protected Areas: Case Of The Ndock Sare Community Forest In Senegal

The community forests of Senegal, and particularly those of the Groundnut Basin, play an important role in the lives of rural populations. They are significant sources of supply of various products and services. But despite their economic and ecological importance, community forests have never been the subject of an economic evaluation. This is likely to obscure the decision-making auspices of sustainable management of community forests. This study, based on vegetation surveys and socio-economic surveys, assessed the value of ecosystem goods and services. The results of the analysis showed that the forest has 21 species distributed among 08 families and that this diversity varies from one area to another. With this specific diversity, the basal area is evaluated at 2.64 m2/ha and the cover of 6081.17 m²/ha for a density of 327 individuals per hectare. The forest has a carbon storage capacity evaluated at 15.32 tons. The goods and services of the forest were estimated at 3,391,757 F CFA/year. This value is divided between direct uses estimated at 1,236,575 F CFA/year, indirect uses of 168,495 F CFA/year and an existence value of 1,986,687 F CFA/year. The study also showed that the exploitation of the forest is the most viable management option, as strict conservation imposes a social cost of 370,058 CFA francs per year on the population. In the context of decentralization, these results can serve as a basis for policy dialogue and decision-making processes on the sustainable management of forest resources

NILAI USAHA INDUSTRI PRIMER HASIL HUTAN KAYU PADA CV SINAR JAYA DI KECAMATAN CIGUDEG KABUPATEN BOGOR

Community forests are the source of raw materials for the Primary Wood Forest Products Industry at CV Sinar Jaya in Cigudeg District, Bogor Regency. Optimizing the use of these raw materials can affect the business value of the wood processing industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the yield value and to analyze the business value of sawmill activities at CV. Sinar Jaya. The research method was carried out by means of quantitative analysis methods of collecting production data by direct measurement and interviews as well as calculating the value of economic income obtained from sawmill activities and overall waste utilization, the size of wood raw materials includes 10 centimeters to 30 centimeters with a length of 2 ,8 meters to 3 meters. The results showed that the average yield value is 55%, productivity is 1.51 m3/hour round wood, sawn wood is 0.83 m3/hour production cost is Rp 1,181,600,000.0/year, Income value is Rp. 1,509,600,0000.00/year, net profit value is Rp. 328,000.00/year, the value of marketing costs is Rp. 0 the value of the benefit cost ratio is 1.28/year and the work performance value of logs is Rp. 12,712.89 sawn wood Rp. 22,867.14. To increase the yield, the skills of the sawing workforce must be improved to minimize damage toeach sortimen. In order for business value to increase, productivity must be intensified and the availability of raw materials must be sustainable.

Biomass and Carbon Stock in the Sal (Shorea robusta) Forest of Dang District Nepal

The study was conducted to find the net carbon stock in the Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Bagdaila Chisapani community forest of Dang district, Nepal. The inventory was done by a stratified sampling technique with 0.5% sampling intensity taking into account the woody plants with ≥ 5cm DBH. A total of 49 sample plots of radius 8.94m and 5.64 were established to measure tree biomass and sapling biomass respectively in the forest. The mean above-ground carbon (AGC) was 160.4 t ha-1 and the mean below-ground carbon (BGC) was 24.1t ha-1. The mean total carbon stock in the study area was estimated to be 99.02 t ha-1; of which maximum carbon stock of 143.51 t ha-1 was found in block number 5. Sal was the major tree species in the CF. The biomass and carbon content in this forest is found quite low as compared to other studies in the Sal forest and other tropical forests which were due to the presence of tree stands of less diameter and height. This study would be helpful in the long-term management of forests, planning, and research purposes. The data from this study could also be taken as a reference document for the participation of community forests in carbon accounting under the REDD+ scheme in Nepal.

HUBUNGAN SIKAP, NORMA SUBYEKTIF DAN PERSEPSI KENDALI PERILAKU TERHADAP NIAT KTH DALAM BUDIDAYA TANAMAN ENERGI DI YOGYAKARTA

Energy policy in the world has changed due to the climate crisis. As a result, the need for renewable energy supply is increasing. Trees in the forestry sector are a reliable source of biomass for renewable energy production. Community forests could play an important role in supplying biomass-based renewable energy production. The study aims to understand the attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on Farmers Forest Group's intention in cultivating trees for energy in Yogyakarta Province. The Theory of Planned Behaviour approach was used to analyse the correlation between Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioural Control on Forest Farmers Group Intention in cultivating trees for renewable energy. A survey using an online questionnaire was conducted on Forest Farmers Groups in four districts in DI Yogyakarta; Sleman, Kulonprogo, Bantul, and Gunungkidul. The survey results were analysed using non-parametric statistics.The results showed a significant positive correlation between Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioural Control on the Forest Farmers Group's Intention to cultivate trees for renewable energy. The study provides policymakers and privates with insight into working with the farmers when they are about to implement biomass-based renewable energy programs

Intercropping Short Rotation Timber Species with Teak: Enabling Smallholder Silviculture Practices

Community forest management for timber production requires short- and long-rotation companion species to fulfill the demands of the timber industry, improve farmer welfare and maintain environmental sustainability. Four species (Falcataria moluccana, Neolamarckia cadamba, Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea) were tested as short-rotation timber crop companion species for teak (Tectona grandis) on dry-rocky soil in the Gunungkidul community forest. The selection of short-rotation timber species was based on growth performance and survival rate at the teak site. Two years after planting, the viability of G. arborea (87.3%) and A. mangium (78.2%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of N. cadamba (40.6%) and F. moluccana (18.0%). G. arborea and N. cadamba achieved the best growth in terms of height, diameter, basal area, and volume, with the growth of A. mangium and F. moluccana being significantly inferior. Gmelina arborea has the ability to adapt to teak sites, grow well, and accompany teak. Neolamarckia cadamba demonstrated good growth with potential as a teak companion, and it demonstrated limited drought tolerance on the dry-rocky soils of the study sites. Acacia mangium had a high survival but produced slow growth, indicating that it required an advance evaluation in future years. Falcataria moluccana has different growing site requirements to teak so the performance was relatively poor at the study site. This mixed pattern provides benefits to farmers through commercial thinning of short rotations species, 5–8 years post establishment. Thinning operations will also increase the productivity of residual teak stands. The diversification of timber species in community forests can provide earlier returns, enabling the adoption of silviculture management by smallholders and communities.

Human Wildlife Conflict and Impacts on Livelihood: A Study in Community Forestry System in Mid-Hills of Nepal

Human wildlife conflict (HWC) impacts the livelihood of many rural communities worldwide. This study investigated the impact of HWC on people living near community forests (CF) in Nepal. Using databases provided by the Division of Forest Offices and data obtained from surveys between October 2019–March 2020, we quantified the financial loss of HWC to the local people. Between 2015 and 2019, 3315, or 27%, of the livestock owned by the survey respondents were killed by wild predators in the Kaski and Tanahun Districts. Chicken (Gallus spp.) was the most common prey taken (80%), followed by sheep (Ovis spp.) and goats (Capra spp.) (15%), cows (Bos spp.) (2%), pigs (Sus spp.) (2%), and buffalo (Bubalus spp.) (1%). Leopards (Panthera pardus) were the primary predators, followed by golden jackals (Canis aureus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula), and Himalayan black bears (Ursus thibetanus). The financial loss of livestock during this period was USD $115,656.00, equivalent to USD $142.61 per household. Crops were also damaged and eaten by wildlife, and 2165 crop-raiding events were recorded between 2015 and 2019. Rice (Oryza sativa), followed by maize (Zea mays), millet (Panicum miliaceum), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) were the main crops lost. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were the most common crop raiders, causing 74% of the damage, followed by Indian field mice (Mus booduga) (12%). From 2015 to 2019, crop losses equated to USD $83,424.00. Forest regeneration on abandoned agricultural land expanded wildlife habitats, enabling wild animals to come within reach of human settlements, which increased the likelihood of HWC events. Although the success of the community forest restoration program resulted in increased forest-cover, marginally increasing biodiversity, the reduced distance between human settlements and wildlife habitat, compounded by a lack of natural prey, may have unwittingly exacerbated HWC in this region. We recommend surveying predator and prey populations in the forest habitat, and implementing a habitat management program to improve prey populations within the community forests. Meantime, we propose establishing a financial relief and insurance program for crop and livestock losses at the local community level to alleviate any financial difficulties to the local communities caused by HWC.

Earthquake Impacts on the Livelihoods of Community Forest Users in Sindhupalchok District, Nepal, and Their Perceptions towards Forest Conservation

Community forests are a crucial component of farming systems and people’s livelihoods in the rural middle hills of Nepal, where the population depends upon the forest for fuelwood, fodder, and leaf litter for their daily needs. This study aims to assess the perception of community forest user groups towards their postearthquake situations by using the five forms of capital from the sustainable livelihood framework. It further analyzes whether forest user’s attitudes towards forest conservation have changed or not. In addition to household interviews with 68 earthquake-affected households and extensive visits to the study area, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. This study confirms that the community forest user groups perceived negative effects on the natural, physical, human, and financial capitals, whereas they perceived a positive effect on social capital after the earthquake. Controlled access to forest products, such as timber collection during the recovery phase, restricted their resilience, although nontimber forest products supported it. Low agricultural production because of the scarcity of water for irrigation, as well as the soil infertility because of the landslides, caused local people to shift towards nonagricultural activities for income generation. Further, out-migration for job opportunities resulted in an inflow of remittances and, thus, manpower shortages were observed. Our results show that, despite facing the postdisaster impact on their livelihoods, 92% of the respondents were found to be positive towards forest conservation. This was because of their emotional attachment to the forest and the benefits received from the forest in the past. Local institutional policies and mechanisms must be strengthened to provide communities with the knowledge, skills, and practices for effective postdisaster recovery or for upcoming disasters, as well as the benefits of promoting sustainable forest conservation.

Vegetation Structure and Carbon Stock of Two Community Managed Shorea robusta Forests of Dhangadhi, Nepal

Community forests play a vital role in sustainable development and storing carbon stock to mitigate global warming. This study aimed to assess the plant diversity, carbon stock and regeneration status of two Shorea robusta forests managed by the community - Manehara Community Forest (MCF) and Siddhanath community forests (SCF) of Kailali district, Nepal. These two forests differ in the moisture regime- MCF is with ponds and streams and is mostly wet, but SCF is primarily dry with no ponds and streams. To examine vegetation status and carbon stock in these two forests, twenty circular plots of 20 m radius was laid in each forest using stratified random sampling. Within each main plot, two subplots of 5m radius and three subplots of 2m radius were laid to study shrub and herb characteristics, respectively. Soil sampling was also done to analyze the role of soil moisture in carbon stock and regeneration. For this, soil samples of each plot were collected up to 20cm depth. Altogether 100 plant species were recorded from the study forests. Tree and shrub diversity was higher in MCF than in SCF, but herb diversity and seedling numbers were higher in relatively dry SCF than in MCF. The carbon stock of MCF (92.99t/ha) was higher than in SCF (51.94 t/ha). In both forests, carbon stock increased with the increasing basal area (P = 0.0001). A significant strong positive relationship (P = 0.0001) between density and carbon stock was found in SCF, but this relation was weak (P = 0.018) in MCF. Both community forests were fairly regenerating with a good number of small aged individuals, SCF shows an inverted J shaped density diameter (d-d) curve, whereas MCF shows a bell-shaped d-d curve.