Tarenna harleyae (Rubiaceae), a new forest species from West Africa

Tarenna nitidula, from West Africa is here divided into two separate species, T. nitidula s.s. and the new species T. harleyae, which is described and illustrated here. Tarenna harleyae differs from T. nitidula s.s. by its corolla tubes 6–8 mm long, glabrous inside (vs. 3–5 mm, puberulous), and calyx lobes 1–1.5 mm long (vs. < 1 mm long). Tarenna harleyae is found in the tropical lowland forest in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Ivory Coast, while T. nitidula occurs from Guinea-Bissau to Ivory Coast.

Estimating landscape structure effects on pollination for management of agricultural landscapes

Background The growing human population around the world is creating an increased demand for food. In agricultural landscapes, forests are cleared and turned into agricultural land to produce more food. Increasing the productivity of agricultural land per unit area may prevent extreme forest degradation. Since many agricultural products are dependent on pollinators, it is possible to increase crop production by increasing the pollination rate in the agricultural landscapes. Pollinators are highly dependent on forest patches in agricultural landscapes. Therefore, by creating new forest patches around agricultural fields, we can increase the pollination rate, and thus the crop production. In this regard, estimating the effects of different scenarios of forest fragmentation helps us to find an optimized pattern of forest patches for increasing pollination in an agricultural landscape. Methods To investigate the effect of different forest fragmentation scenarios on pollination, we used simulated agricultural landscapes, including different forest proportions and degrees of fragmentation. Using landscape metrics, we estimated the relationship between pollination and landscape structure for each landscape. Results Our results showed that for increasing pollination, two significant factors should be considered: habitat amount and capacity of small patches to supply pollination. We found that when the capacity of small patches in supplying pollination was low, fragmented patterns of forest patches decreased pollination. With increasing capacity, landscapes with a high degree of forest fragmentation showed the highest levels of pollination. There was an exception for habitat amounts (the proportion of forest patches) less than 0.1 of the entire landscape where increasing edge density, aggregation, and the number of forest patches resulted in increasing pollination in all scenarios. Conclusion This study encourages agriculturists and landscape planners to focus on increasing crop production per unit area by pollinators because it leads to biodiversity conservation and reduces socio-economic costs of land-use changes. We also suggest that to increase pollination in agricultural landscapes by creating new forest patches, special attention should be paid to the capacity of patches in supporting pollinators.

Hanguana deflexa (Hanguanaceae), a new forest species from Sarawak, Borneo

Hanguana deflexasp. nov. (Hanguanaceae) from Lawas district, Sarawak, Malaysia (northern Borneo) is described and illustrated, bringing the total number of species in Borneo to eight. The new species differs from all other recognized Hanguana species by a combination of flat leaf blade, deflexed infructescences, one-seeded dull red fruits with centrally positioned stigma and globose seed with wedge-shaped ostiole. Revised key for Bornean Hanguana species is presented.

An Evaluation of Carbon Sequestration in Melaleuca cajuputi Powell forest in U Minh Ha National Park, Ca Mau, Viet Nam

Melaleuca forests significantly contribute to economic development through silviculture and play an important role in carbon sequestration and supply of oxygen. Currently, Melaleuca seedlings are planted on bunds in inundated areas or on trenches in elevated areas. Little is known of what planting methods and growth stage of Melaleuca trees are best for developing new forest areas and sequestering highest levels of carbon. We selected U Minh Ha National Park in search for answers to the questions. We established 12 standard plots (10m x 10m) in the park where Melaleuca trees at two ages (10 years of age and 15 years of age) were planted on bunds and trenches. We employed Anova analysis, SPSS software and numerical analysis for analyzing and evaluating carbon sequestration by Melaleuca trees. We found that planting method significantly contributes to developing new forest areas in terms of tree volume, biomass, and carbon sequestration. Bund-based planting proves to be more cost-effective in developing new forest areas and carbon sequestration than trench-based planting. Trees at the age of 10 planted on bunds has been the most effective category for sequestering carbon. Our methodology in examining the relationship proves to be a feasible reference to new forest development and payment for forest service scheme in the Mekong Delta region or elsewhere in the broader region.

REDD+ Conflict: Understanding the Pathways between Forest Projects and Social Conflict

A growing body of literature analyses the conflict implications of REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries). However, the way these conflicts unfold is little understood. We address this research gap through the following question: What are the pathways that connect REDD+ projects and conflicts between local communities and other actors? We review 242 scientific articles, selecting eight that allow us to trace how the conflict pathways unfolded. We draw on a political ecology perspective and conceptualize ‘conflict pathway’ as an interaction of key events and drivers leading to conflict. We find six main conflict drivers: (1) injustices and restrictions over (full) access and control of forest resources; (2) creation of new forest governance structures that change relationships between stakeholders and the forest; (3) exclusion of community members from comprehensive project participation; (4) high project expectations that are not met; (5) changes in land tenure policy due to migrants, and (6) the aggravation of historic land tenure conflicts. Evictions from forests, acts of violence, and lawsuits are among the events contributing to the conflict pathways. To prevent them, the rights, livelihoods, and benefits of local communities need to be placed at the centre of the REDD+ projects.

Assessment of the implementation of the new forest care rules by the example of Tikhvinsk forestry

Рубки ухода за лесом – это комплекс лесохозяйственных мероприятий, направленный на улучшение качественных и количественных показателей древостоя, формирование высокопродуктивных, устойчивых и хозяйственно-ценных насаждений, путем удаления из насаждений больных, поврежденных, фаутных деревьев, а также деревьев нежелательных пород в молодняках, жердняках и средневозрастных дендроцинозах. В работе представлено сравнение нормативных показателей по двум правилам ухода за лесом, основным различием которых является подход к выделению максимально допустимого вырубаемого запаса, основывающегося на анализе абсолютной, для нового норматива, и относительной, для старого, полнот древостоя. Была произведена оценка и сравнение классов товарности, процентов вырубаемого запаса и его распределения по делянкам, с целью выявления различий и особенностей подходов двух рассматриваемых нормативных подходов. По результатам проведенных анализов было выявлено различие данных лесоустройства по реальным качественным и количественным показателям древостоя на большинстве делянок, большой разницей между классами товарности по рассматриваемым нормативам, что в свою очередь ведет к различиям в выходе по запасам деловой и дровяной древесины, а также их качественному различию, и интенсивности изреживания полога, что обуславливается вышеописанными особенностями по выделению максимально допустимого вырубаемого запаса. В связи с вышеизложенным, необходимо разрабатывать региональные нормативы уходов за лесом на базе полученных долговременных наблюдений на постоянных пробных площадях с полным циклом проведённых уходов за лесом и при необходимости вносить коррективы, возможность которых принципиально исключается существующей схемой разработки и введения в действие нормативных документов. Forest thinning is a complex of forestry measures aimed at improving the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the stand, the formation of highly productive, sustainable and economically valuable stands, by removing sick, damaged, fallow trees, as well as trees of undesirable species in young stands, stumps and middle-aged stands. The work presents a comparison of the normative indicators for the two rules of forest maintenance, the main difference of which is the approach to the allocation of the maximum allowable felling stock, based on the analysis of the absolute, for the new standard, and the relative, for the old, completeness of the stand. The evaluation and comparison of classes of marketability, percent of the harvested stock and its distribution across the plots were made in order to identify the differences and peculiarities of the approaches of the two normative approaches under consideration. By results of the carried out analyses it was revealed difference of the forest inventory data to real qualitative and quantitative indicators of a stand on the majority of plots, the big difference between classes of marketability on the considered standards that in turn leads to distinctions in an exit on stocks of business and wood, and as their qualitative distinction, and intensity of thinning of a canopy that is caused by the above-named features on allocation of the maximum allowable cut stock. In connection with the above stated, it is necessary to develop regional norms of forest tending on the basis of received long-term observations on permanent trial areas with a full cycle of conducted forest tending and, if necessary, to make corrections, the possibility of which is fundamentally excluded by the existing scheme of development and introduction of normative documents.