Building a synthesis of economic costs of biological invasions in New Zealand

Biological invasions are a major component of anthropogenic environmental change, incurring substantial economic costs across all sectors of society and ecosystems. However, the economic costs of invasions have been disparately reported, lacking synthesis across taxonomic and sectorial scales. Using the newly compiled InvaCost database, we analyse reported economic damage and management costs incurred by biological invasions in New Zealand — a country renowned for its approaches to invasive species management — from 1968 to 2020. In total, US$69 billion (NZ$97 billion) is currently reported over this ~50 year period, with approximately US$9 billion of this considered highly reliable, observed (c.f. projected) costs. Most (82%) of these observed economic costs are associated with damage, with comparatively little invested in management (18%). Reported costs are increasing over time, with damage averaging US$120 million per year and exceeding management expenditure in all decades. Where specified, most reported costs are from terrestrial plants and animals, with damages most often borne by primary industries such as agriculture and forestry. Management costs are associated more with interventions by authorities and stakeholders. However, some known ecologically (c.f. economically) impactful invasive species are notably absent from estimated damage costs, and management costs are not reported for a number of game animals and agricultural pathogens. Given these gaps for known and potentially damaging invaders, we urge improved cost reporting at the national scale, including improving public accessibility through increased access and digitisation of records, particularly in overlooked socioeconomic sectors and habitats. This also further highlights the importance of investment in management to curtail future damages across all sectors.

Biscogniauxia Charcoal Canker—A New Potential Threat for Mid-European Forests as an Effect of Climate Change

Biscogniauxia nummularia (Bull.) Kuntze is a fungus which induces strip-cankers on beech, commonly referred to as charcoal canker. The symptoms of infection are visible on the host tree’s bark as elongated, blackish bark lesions on the trunk and branches. Recent years have shown that, due to climate change causing local epidemics, the species is increasing its economic impact in Mediterranean regions. Until recently, B. nummularia was considered rare and uncommon in central Europe. However, in the last few years it has been noticed more often, mostly in coniferous trees, which are out of B. nummularia’s host range. A similar situation has been observed with the closely related species Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze, which prior to 2017 had not been observed in central Europe at all. This study shows the genetic diversity of mid-European strains of Biscogniauxia spp. (based on the ITS, TEF1, TUB2 and ACT regions) and, as the first in Europe, presents a molecular investigation of this species isolated from coniferous trees. It is also the first attempt at estimating the potential impact of this pathogenic fungus on European forestry management in the close future.

Valuation of Forest Ecosystem Services in Taiwan

Forest is the largest ecosystem in the land area of Taiwan. In the past, most of the studies on the evaluation of forest ecosystem services were regional, and therefore lacked national assessment. This study uses a market value method and a benefit transfer method to assess the value of the forest ecosystem services in Taiwan, and expounds the link between ecosystem services and the effectiveness of forestry management and conservation. Preliminarily, it is estimated that the total value of forest ecosystem services in 2016 was approximately NT $749,278 million (equal to approximately 47.6 billion U.S. dollars, PPP-corrected), accounting for 4.28% of the GDP in 2016. The quotation of unit price data has a huge impact on the final assessment results of forest ecosystem service value, and therefore it is necessary use it appropriately.

The social capital of the Tana Toraja community becomes one of the key strategies for social forestry development in the working area of the saddang I forest management unit

The success of forestry development is largely determined by the extent to which the level of community participation in contributing to forest management efforts and the quality of human resources that support it. The process of community empowerment is basically an effort how the community can recognize and reflect its own problems, potential itself and the environment and motivate in developing that potential proportionally in participatory ways or methods. Social capital is the ability of the community to relate to one another and become a very important force for the economic life of the community as well as other aspects of social existence. The characteristics of social capital become one of the indicators that will determine the sustainability of Social Forestry management. The low level of one of the categories of social capital will result in decreased support for activities carried out in the Social Forestry program.

Participatory land-use planning for strengthening the village land resources management: a case study of Gorontalo, Indonesia

Sustainable land management is crucial to ensure the availability of food, water, and clean air, especially to long-term support of human well-being and health. Continuous exploitation of land resources leads to land degradation and declines in agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. This study aims to strengthen land resources management at the village level through a participatory land-use planning (PLUP) approach. The research location is at Moliliulo Village, Gorontalo. Current issues on land use and land management were collected using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques. This information became a consideration in land use analysis conducted using a geographic information system (GIS). The approved future land use directions are about 88% forest (natural forest and agroforestry) and 12% non-forest (agriculture, coconut plantations, settlements, and water body). The land-use plan is essential for guiding the village government and the villagers on managing land resources. Additionally, it potentially strengthens the village development programs, social forestry management and resolves forest conflict. To ensure the implementation of land use planning, the village government should develop regulations on land use.

Farmers' Knowledge Is the Basis for Local Level Agro-Forestry Management: The Case of Lemo Woreda in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia

This research was designed to investigate the hypothesis that farmers practising traditional agro-forestry which dates back for centuries have accumulated immense knowledge of agro-forestry, which can be captured and incorporated into formal development programmes to improve it. Farmers' knowledge must be documented, valued and integrated in order to maximise its importance for planning and decision-making. This research aimed to investigate and document farmers' knowledge of managing agro-forestry and the contribution to sustainable management of natural resources. Accordingly, questionnaire surveys were conducted in six villages from three peasant associations. In total, 73 households were selected for interview and the data collected were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 26. The findings revealed tree species that contribute to crop yield improvement and the important role agro-forestry trees play with regard to soil fertility. Farmers' strategies to associate trees and shrubs in their farmlands were revealed. Tree species with a negative effect on crop yields were identified and recorded. Farmers reported and ranked in the order of importance, opportunities and constraints in the management of agro-forestry. Farmers' accumulated knowledge of tree–crop and tree–animal interactions, the role of trees in soil fertility, crop and livestock improvement, revealed in the study can significantly enhance the stainability of agriculture. If local knowledge is not documented, it remains largely inaccessible to development workers seeking solutions to locally defined problems.

Ecological and economic management tools in forestry

The importance of this article is related to the development of new policies for the management of the forestry business. The emergence of new business practices requires a revision of existing business management systems or the acquisition of new unique management skills. This article highlights the key ecological and economic management tools in forestry, identified as a result of the study of the works of domestic and foreign authors, as well as the provisions of regulatory legal acts. The developed environmental and financial forestry management tools make it possible to consider both industries and economic entities for the impact on the environment, aimed at the prospects for the creation of a certain entity. Upon completion of this work, important environmental and economic management tools were adopted that will contribute to the formation of a management idea for forestry. When modeling the ecological and economic management of forestry, a rational option for regulating the instruments was chosen, which would bring the system to the desired state. It was concluded that it is necessary to maximize the coefficients regulating the instruments of environmental and economic management of forestry. It is also necessary to improve the environmental audit and insurance, the legislative mechanism, the introduction of trade rights in certain territories.

PENGARUH KOMPETENSI PETANI TERHADAP KELESTARIAN HASIL DAN USAHA HUTAN RAKYAT JATI DI KABUPATEN MUNA, SULAWESI TENGGARA

Farm forestry is one form of farming business developed by the community in Muna District. Farm forestry businesses are expected to provide product for supporting farmer economic condition. Sustainable farm forestry management must be supported by competent farmers. Farmer’s competencies consisting of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and actions have not been identified, therefore it is necessary to conduct an assessment to determine their performance in order to maintain and improve the yield and business of farm forestry. This study aims to analyze the relationship between farmer competence and the sustainability of farm forestry product and business. Data collection was taken by using purposive sampling. Data analysis uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) which is operated by the Linear Structural Relationship (LISREL) program. Farm forestry business is not a main livelihood for the community which makes the farmers’ income does not depend on their farm forestry earnings. The results of this study indicate that the competency of farm forestry farmers and its several influencing factors have a significant impact on farm forestry sustainable management, especially in terms of product and business sustainability.