Sustainable forest management in Iran: a factor analysis

Since 1996, several Forest Resources Management Plans (FRMPs) have been launched by the Iranian government in order to approach sustainable forest management in the Zagros area in west and south-west Iran. This survey study aimed to provide some policy recommendations in order to launch more successful FRMPs. Using a proportional cluster random sampling method, data were collected from 208 forest-dwellers (beneficiaries) and 90 practitioners. The results showed that the FRMPs are far from satisfactory. There are several reasons for this failure. First, the financial resources allocated to these plans are being used for other purposes. Second, the inputs and supplies needed for effective forest management interventions were not in place in a timely manner. Third, the forest management in the area is far from being decentralized. Both the beneficiaries and practitioners believe that forest-dwellers play a weak role in forest management interventions. Factor analysis revealed that three main factors influencing the Zagros management effectiveness are "the management capabilities of forest-dwellers", "the professional capabilities of practitioners in forest management", and "public support for forest-dwellers". The correlation analysis revealed that all the three factors are also positively and significantly associated with the success of the government's forestry programs. Accordingly, the main recommendation of this study was to reformulate forest management policies in the Zagros area by highlighting participatory approaches, not only as a tool, but also as a goal of FRMPs

Forest Plantation Management

PDF pages: 1

Forest Management

This study analyses the institutional set-up of forest management in Pakistan, focusing on the North West Frontier Province, which houses 40 percent of the total forestlands. These areas have faced significant deforestation in the past. It is feared that if nothing is done to check this process, these forests will soon disappear. The study argues for the Property Rights School of thought that the roots of environmental problems are to be traced to inadequate and ill-defined property institutions. The study develops a normative criterion, describing the conditions that are essential for optimal utilisation and conservation of a resource, to be used in assessing the present situation. The analysis indicates that there are problems in the ownership structure, in the enforcement of property rules, as well as in the management system. It is concluded that the present institutional set-up is inappropriate to achieve the objective of forest conservation, and changes in this set-up are suggested. The study puts forward ‘collective management’ as an alternative institutional set-up.Forests, Institutions, Property Rights

Michigan\u27s Cooperative Forest Pest Management Program, A Team Approach to Improving Forest Management

A forest management team was organized in the late 1970\u27s by cooperative efforts of Michigan\u27s universities. the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the USDA Forest Service.The goals were to devise new technologies, transfer available technology, and service and management alternatives to forest land managers in Michigan. The program throughout has emphasized forest management rather than pest management for prevention and control of pests. Dissemination of pest management information has been of importance and new research results have gone directly to land managers for immediate use. The team participates in forest compartmental reviews and helps prescribe management plans for land parcels, thus providing for preventative pest management. Services and management recommendations are provided mostly through forest pest specialists located in the field. They feed back results and problems to researchers and extension specialists of the team for further input. Preventive management information used by by local managers in recent years has nearly paid the cost of the program. Plans are to broaden the team effort by cooperating with organizations and in adjacent states through a computer network system and by other means

Forest Measurements

Forest measurements, one of the cornerstones in the foundation of forestry, is the art and science of providing the quantitative information about trees and forest stands necessary for forest management, planning, and research. The updated edition (sixth edition) of this longstanding classic textbook, Forest Measurements, provides new and complete coverage of conventional and current measurement practices and technological applications that link the role of forest measurements with management of forest resources

Sustainability of industrial forest plantations and indigenous land rights in the Philippines : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University

In the Philippines, forest management two decades ago was mainly aimed at addressing the need for economic growth. There was low priority accorded to the long-term sustainability and inherent environmental functions of the country's forests as well as social equity issues over the use of these resources. Sustainable development and the management of forest resources during that time was nothing more than just a concept used by academicians, ecologists, and forestry professionals. Forest management also ignored the concerns and interests of the forest dwellers particularly the indigenous people. It was not until the late 70s and early 80s when the effects of deforestation and rapid depletion of forest resources impacted on the country's economic, social, and environmental wellbeing, did the country realise the need to sustainably manage these resources. The need to consider the economic and social wellbeing of the forest dwellers particularly the indigenous people, also started to be recognised. The growing consciousness on the need to balance development with environmental protection, and the inherent need to sustain the flow of benefits from the country's forest resources, has become the main rationale in developing sustainable forest management policies. The primary vision was to adopt forest management policies that can help ensure that various benefits that can be derived from the forests would cater to the needs of the greatest number of Filipinos in the longest period of time without compromising the environment. The development of industrial forest plantations has been one of the major forest management strategies designed in support of such vision in the management of the country's forest resources. This study was undertaken to provide an understanding of industrial forest plantations as a forest management strategy in the Philippines and how it impacts on indigenous people and local communities. Using a qualitative research approach, case studies of three industrial forest plantations were analysed to investigate the impact of industrial forest plantations on indigenous people and local communities. The case studies were also used to examine the degree to which industrial forest plantations have been achieving economic, social, and environmental objectives by identifying and examining the factors that may enhance or hamper its sustainability as a forest development strategy. This study concluded that there is a growing role for industrial forest plantations in the sustainable management of forest resources in the Philippines. This role derives from the need to develop alternative sources of timber to the rapidly depleting sources from the natural forests, bringing socio-economic development in the upland areas in the country, and promoting environmental rehabilitation. As a forest management strategy, industrial forest plantations can promote social equity by recognising the rights of indigenous people over their land and the use of resources therein and by encouraging local community participation in the development process, which in a way helps strengthen local institutions. It was shown in this study that the integration and definition of property rights of indigenous people in any upland development programme is a critical factor that seriously affects the success and sustainability of any forest management strategy. The success of any forestry programme can only be achieved if supported by effective institutional and policy framework. Finally, it was concluded that industrial forest plantations could only be sustainable if as a policy strategy, it has been designed to consider the "bottom up" perspective where local needs, community values, and indigenous rights are consistent with the overall national goals of sustainable development

Effects of presenting forest simulation results on the forest values and attitudes of forestry professionals and other forest users in Central Labrador

This research tested whether demonstration of the long term effect of different forest management scenarios in a large forested area changes people's forest values and attitudes. Forestry professionals and other forest users in Central Labrador were shown simulation results of three alternative forest management scenarios illustrating possible long term effects on various indicators. Forest values and attitudes towards forestry were measured before and after the presentation. Our conception of values and attitudes is based on the cognitive hierarchy model of human behaviour which states that values are more enduring and more difficult to change than attitudes. It was thus hypothesized that attitudes would change but not values and that change in forestry professionals would be less than in other forest users since foresters are trained to think about long-term effects and large-scale processes of forest management scenarios. We also hypothesized that a greater number of people would have an opinion on forest management after the presentation. All three hypotheses were partially supported by the results. The results indicated that some attitude change occurred, but that values also changed somewhat. Most of the significant changes occurred when persons with no clear opinion on several forest-related questions formed an opinion. Long-term, landscape simulation results provide valuable information and enhance understanding of both forestry professionals and other forest users. However, being provided the same information, the two groups learned different things. While forest users gained more confidence in the current forest management plan and were motivated to further participate, professionals learned more specific things. This reflects differences between technical and local knowledge

Drier Conditions, More Wildfire, and Heightened Concerns About Forest Management in Eastern Oregon

This brief examines climate change and forest conditions in eastern Oregon. Eastern Oregon is experiencing warmer, drier conditions and increased numbers of wildfires. Surveys of the Oregon public find that forest health and wildfire threats are widely shared concerns. The more knowledgeable residents say they are about forest management, the more likely they are to say that forests are becoming less healthy. Majorities support active forest management (forest thinning, surface fuel reduction) and restoration to reduce the likelihood of high-severity wildfires that would damage forest resources and threaten local communities. The authors conclude that forests continue to be an important part of the heritage of western lands, and their management is a crucial issue of our time. Engaging private forest owners who are not actively managing their lands and developing new partnerships to support active management on public lands are essential to addressing the threats confronting the Blue Mountains and the Inland Northwest

Synergies of planning for forests and planning for Natura 2000: Evidences and prospects from northern Italy

Improvements in the management of Natura 2000 sites are essential to achieve the targets set out by the Habitats and Birds Directives of the European Union. A current focus is on the development of management plans, which are fundamental instruments in the implementation of conservation measures. This study explores the viability of using existing forest plans to assist in this purpose. As case study, we consider the regulatory framework of the Veneto Region, northern Italy. We collected quantitative and qualitative data on forest plans at the regional and at three sub-regional spatial scales: local, district, and biogeographical. Forest plans cover about 54% of the terrestrial area of Natura 2000 sites in Veneto, and 75% of Sites of Community Importance in the Alpine biogeographical region. At the local scale of analysis, metrics from forest plans represent a valuable historical record which can be used to interpret the current state and future trends, especially for forests with long management records. These data can be used to assess biodiversity indicators for the monitoring of Natura 2000 forest and non-forest habitats, in compliance with Article 17 of the Habitats Directive. Moreover, the heterogeneous stand conditions which are promoted by some forest management approaches can improve the conservation efforts for some habitats and species. The scale of local forest plans are typically the most appropriate for implementing habitat management strategies. From this study, we conclude that management authorities should take advantage of the wide spatial coverage and distribution of existing forest plans, especially in mountain areas inside and outside the Natura 2000 network, for the successful conservation of European Union habitats and species