Global governance approaches to addressing illegal logging: Uptake and lessons learned

One of the most challenging tasks facing development agencies, trade ministries, environmental groups, social activists and forest-focused business interests seeking to ameliorate illegal logging and related timber trade is to identify and nurture promising global governance interventions capable of helping improve compliance to governmental policies and laws at national, subnational and local levels. This question is especially acute for developing countries constrained by capacity challenges and “weak states” (Risse, 2011). This chapter seeks to shed light on this task by asking four related questions: How do we understand the emergence of illegal logging as a matter of global interest? What are the types of global interventions designed to improve domestic legal compliance? How have individual states responded to these global efforts? What are the prospects for future impacts and evolution? We proceed in the following steps. Following this introduction, step two reviews how the problem of “illegal logging” emerged on the international agenda. Step three reviews leading policy interventions that resulted from this policy framing. Step four reviews developments in selected countries/regions around the world according to their place on the global forest products supply chain: consumers (United States, Europe and Australia); middle of supply chain manufacturers (China and South Korea) and producers (Russia; Indonesia; Brazil and Peru; Ghana, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo). We conclude by reflecting on key trends that emerge from this review relevant for understanding the conditions through which legality might make a difference in addressing critical challenges

Ultrafast holographic Stokesmeter for polarization imaging in real time

We propose an ultrafast holographic Stokesmeter using a volume holographic substrate with two sets of two orthogonal gratings to identify all four Stokes parameters of the input beam. We derive the Mueller matrix of the proposed architecture and determine the constraints necessary for reconstructing the complete Stokes vector. The speed of this device is determined primarily by the channel spectral bandwidth (typically 100 GHz), corresponding to a few picoseconds. This device could be useful in high-speed polarization imaging. Polarimetric imaging 1 -3 takes advantage of the fact that a given object emits and scatters light in a unique way depending on its polarimetric signature. Identifying the polarimetric signature is equivalent to identifying the scattered Stokes vector. The architecture is shown in 0146-9592/04/030298-03$15.00/

Science journalism and a multi-directional science-policy-society dialogue are needed to foster public awareness for biodiversity and its conservation

Biodiversity is the manifestation of life on our planet and provides manifold benefits for humans. Yet we destroy ecosystems and drive species to extinction. We submit that anthropogenic biodiversity loss does not yet receive sufficient public attention, although biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use are key to mitigate global crises. Effective communication of biodiversity-related knowledge with diverse audiences is therefore crucial and should contribute to ensuring that evidence guides environmental decision-making. In this context, it is essential to stimulate multi-directional dialogues between science, policy, and society. Here, we suggest Dos and Don’ts that can guide science communication for scientists working in biodiversity research and beyond. Moreover, we emphasize the role of science journalism and other institutions specialized in science communication in critically mediating the complexity of scientific knowledge

Leaf morphological differentiation between Quercus robur and Quercus petraea is stable across western European mixed oak stands

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2002Leaf morphology was assessed in nine mixed oak stands (Quercus petraea and Q. robur ) located in eight European countries. Exhaustive sampling was used in an area of each stand where the two species coexisted in approximately equal proportions (about 170 trees/species/stand). Fourteen leaf characters were assessed on each of 5 to10 leaves collected from the upper part of each tree. Three multivariate statistical techniques (CDA, canonical discriminant analysis; PCA, principal component analysis; MCA, multiple correspondence analysis) were used in two different ways: first on the total set of leaves over all stands (global analysis) and second, separately within each stand (local analysis). There was a general agreement of the results among the statistical methods used and between the analyses conducted (global and local). The first synthetic variable derived by each multivariate analysis exhibited a clear and sharp bimodal distribution, with overlapping in the central part. The two modes were interpreted as the two species, and the overlapping region was interpreted as an area where the within-species variations were superimposed. There was no discontinuity in the distribution or no visible evidence of a third mode which would have indicated the existence of a third population composed of trees with intermediate morphologies. Based on petiole length and number of intercalary veins, an "easy to use" discriminant function applicable to a major part of the natural distribution of the species was constructed. Validation on an independent set of trees provided a 98% rate of correct identification. The results were interpreted in the light of earlier reports about extensive hybridization occurring in mixed oak stands. Maternal effects on morphological characters, as well as a lower frequency or fitness of hybrids in comparison with parent species could explain the maintenance of two modes, which might be composed of either pure species or pure species and introgressed forms.Antoine Kremer, Jean Luc Dupouey, J. Douglas Deans, Joan Cottrell, Ulrike Csaikl, Reiner Finkeldey, Santiago Espinel, Jan Jensen, Jochen Kleinschmit, Barbara Van Dam, Alexis Ducousso, Ian Forrest, U. Lopez de Heredia, Andrew J. Lowe, Marcela Tutkova, Robert C. Munro, Sabine Steinhoff and Vincent Badea

The influence of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon subareolatus on growth and nutrient element localisation in two varieties of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii and var. glauca) in response to manganese stress

Acidification of forest ecosystems leads to increased plant availability of the micronutrient manganese (Mn), which is toxic when taken up in excess. To investigate whether ectomycorrhizas protect against excessive Mn by improving plant growth and nutrition or by retention of excess Mn in the hyphal mantle, seedlings of two populations of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), two varieties, one being menziesii (DFM) and the other being glauca (DFG), were inoculated with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon subareolatus in sand cultures. Five months after inoculation, half of the inoculated and non-inoculated seedlings were exposed to excess Mn in the nutrient solution for further 5 months. At the end of this period, plant productivity, nutrient concentrations, Mn uptake and subcellular compartmentalisation were evaluated. Non-inoculated, non-stressed DFM plants produced about 2.5 times more biomass than similarly treated DFG. Excess Mn in the nutrient solution led to high accumulation of Mn in needles and roots but only to marginal loss in biomass. Colonisation with R. subareolatus slightly suppressed DFM growth but strongly reduced that of DFG (−50%) despite positive effects of mycorrhizas on plant phosphorus nutrition. Growth reductions of inoculated Douglas fir seedlings were unexpected since the degree of mycorrhization was not high, i.e. ca. 30% in DFM and 8% in DFG. Accumulation of high Mn was not prevented in inoculated seedlings. The hyphal mantle of mycorrhizal root tips accumulated divalent cations such as Ca, but not Mn, thus not providing a barrier against excessive Mn uptake into the plants associated with R. subareolatus

Intraspecific variation of growth and adaptive traits in European oak species

According to various reports, 200-450 oak species including hybrid populations exist worldwide, with 24 of these - including 3 hybrid forms - having their natural range within Europe. They all belong to the subgenus Lepidobalanus. The most important section is robur with 21 species. The European species belong to both deciduous (15 species) and evergreen (9 species) oaks. Some difficulties in clear morphological and physiological definition of the species involved is caused by hybridization. Most studies into intraspecific variation exist for the species Quercus robur L and Quercus petraea (Matt) Liebl. Some information is available for Quercus cerris L, Quercus virginiana Ten (= Q dalechampii Wenz), Quercus ilex L and Quercus suber L, based on comparative plantations. In addition, a considerable number of morphological, physiological and biochemical studies based on natural populations exist which are not completely covered in this review paper. For most characters observed, oaks exhibit a wide variation. This is not only the case for morphological traits of pollen, seed, wood and plants but also for physiological traits and phenology which have great adaptive importance. Provenance experiments and progeny tests started as early as 1877. Most of these were only of local importance. This is partly due to the fact that acorns can only be stored for a limited period and flowering is irregular. However, the results available show that the choice of provenance can be important for the successful economic management of plantations. Variability of leaves, phenology, form, growth, wood and bark, roots, seed and flowering has been discussed separately. Improvement via selection and testing seems to be promising due to the considerable between-population and within-provenance variation. Vegetative propagation has been developed for some species by grafting, cutting propagation and in vitro propagation. Tree breeding approaches have also been discussed.Variabilité intraspécifique des caractères de croissance et d'adaptation chez les espèces européennes de chênes. Selon les auteurs, de 200 à 450 espèces de chêne, y compris les populations hybrides, ont été identifiées sur le globe. Vingt-quatre d'entre elles, comprenant 3 formes hybrides, ont été reconnues en Europe. Elles appartiennent toutes au sous-genre Lepidobalanus. La section la plus représentée est robur, avec 21 espèces. Les espèces européennes sont à feuilles caduques (15 espèces) ou persistantes (9 espèces). L'hybridation naturelle rend la classification difficile sur la base de critères morphologiques ou physiologiques. La majorité des études de variabilité iniraspécifique concerne Quercus robur L et Quercus petraea (Matt) Liebl. Des informations partielles, issues de plantations comparatives, sont disponibles pour Quercus cerris L, Quercus virginiana Ten (= Q dalechampii Wenz), Quercus ilex L et Quercus suber L. Par ailleurs, de nombreuses références relatives à des études de variabilité in situ de caractères morphologiques, physiologiques et biochimiques existent dans la littérature; elles ne sont qu'incomplètement évoquées dans cette revue. Pour la majorité des caractères, l'amplitude de variation est très grande. Il s'agit non seulement des caractères relatifs au pollen, à la graine, au bois, aux arbres, mais aussi aux caractères physiologiques et phénologiques, qui revêtent une grande importance adaptative. Les premiers tests de provenances et de descendances remontent à 1877. Ils ne comprenaient que les provenances locales, à cause de la difficulté à conserver les graines et l'irrégularité des fructifications. Les résultats de ces plantations montrent cependant que le choix de la provenance est primordial pour le succès économique du reboisement. La variabilité de la morphologie des feuilles, de la phénologie, de la croissance, de la forme, du bois et de l'écorce, des racines, des graines et de la floraison est également évoquée dans une partie séparée. L'amélioration dans des programmes de sélection peut aboutir à des gains élevés compte tenu de l'importance de la variabilité intraspécifique et individuelle. La multiplication végétative par greffage, bouturage et culture in vitro a été mise au point pour certaines espèces. Les méthodes d'amélioration génétique sont également mentionnées