Land Use and Forest Dynamics in the Context of Redd+: Pathway to Sustainable Environmental Management*

Reverting to nature as a major arsenals in a universal fight against Climate Change impact and loss of biodiversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), views sustainable Land use and Forest (the main crux of the Glasgow declaration 2021) as the way to go. Forest conservation, protection and management in the context of REDD+ would guarantee sustainable ecosystem and mitigate climate change impacts. At National and subnational levels, the Nigerian REDD+ readiness scheme holds out hope for environmental sustainability. This study throws light into the historical background of trends in land use forest change in Nigeria, and places Nigeria on a “red” stage 3 (Low Forest Cover, High Deforestation Rate-LFHD) status while maintaining optimism that with REDD+ properly implemented in Nigeria, Stage 4: Low forest cover, Low Deforestation Rates (LFLD) and Stage 5: Low forest cover, Negative Deforestation Rates (LFND) can be achieved by 2030 and 2050 respectively, if the trio of reforestation, afforestation and natural restoration is practiced as a matter of national policy and subnational implementation within the context of REDD+. Four (4) broad drivers of deforestation and forest degradation were identified as direct, indirect, pre-disposing and planned /unplanned. The paper concludes that a viable pathway to sustainable environmental management is appropriate monitoring and evaluation of land use and forest dynamics in the context of REDD+.

Factors Impacting Benefits of Participatory Forest Management in Upper Imenti Forest, Meru County, Kenya

This study focused on identifying factors affecting the benefits of Participatory Forestry Management (PFM) income generating activities in Upper Imenti Forest and whether they are dependent on status of participation in forest management through membership of Community Forest Association (CFA) or not. Cross-sectional survey research design was applied for collecting quantitative data using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 384 households stratified on the basis of PFM participation status. Qualitative data was collected through focused group discussions using a checklist and key informant interviews using an interview schedule. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25, Binomial regression with Wald Chi-square was analyzed to identify factors perceived to be significantly influencing benefits for PFM participants and Pearson Chi-square to compare factors perceived to be affecting PFM and non-PFM participants. CFA members participation in PFM was significantly and positively affected by benefits of PFM income generating activities and forest products accessed in the forest. Benefits linked to Plantation Establishment for Livelihood Improvement System (PELIS) for CFA members were significantly reduced by enforcement of moratorium policy since February 2018, diseases and pests, poor PELIS guideline adherence and animal damage. Benefits related to state forest access for firewood by the CFA members were negatively influenced by the moratorium policy. Diseases and pests affected benefits associated with bee keeping significantly. Comparing factors under different PFM participation status, crop production was significantly affected by policy changes, pest and diseases, animal damage and PELIS guideline adherence for CFA members than for Non-CFA members. Policy changes also affected the CFA members significantly in firewood collection and access to fodder in the state forest than the Non-CFA members. Hence, sustainable community participation in Upper Imenti Forest management requires: increasing PFM benefits, addressing factors reducing benefits and enhancing active participation of CFA members in PFM related decision-making processes.

The role of forest culture in green construction and management of forest parks:merging knowledge-attitude-practice and theory of planned behavior

As a cultural concept refl ecting the relationship between humans and forests,forest culture plays an active role in sustainable forest management.Forest parks provide a wide range of ecosystem services essential for the sustainable development of society,and the relationships between forest culture,green construction and management of forest parks have practical signifi cance.This study aimed to understand the interaction and process of forest culture infl uencing green construction and management in forest parks with the models Knowledge-Attitude-Practice(KAP)and Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB)by proposing a theoretical model.Four hypotheses were tested using data collected from 193 forest park employees in Heilongjiang Province,China.Our results show that forest culture had a signifi cant infl uence on green construction and forest management.In addition,subjective norm and perceived behavioral control directly impacted behavior in green construction and management of the forest park,whereas attitude did not have an impact.Subjective norm had a direct eff ect on attitude.Results between constructs show that forest culture had an indirect eff ect on planning and construction,and on ecological and economic management.Consequently,it supported three of four hypotheses within the proposed model in determining the infl uence of forest culture on green construction and management.

Forest use suitability:Towards decision-making-oriented sustainable management of forest ecosystem services

Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired management itinerary to a forest depends on a variety of factors,including the forest type,its ecological characteristics,and the social and economic needs of local communities.A strategic assessment of the forest use suitability(FUS)(namely productive,protective,conservation-oriented,social and multi-functional)at regional level,based on the provision of forest ecosystem services and trade-offs between FUS alternatives,can be used to develop management strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and conditions of the forest.The present study assesses the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and employs a decision model to identify the FUS that sup-ports the most present and productive ecosystem services in each stand in Catalonia.For this purpose,we apply the latest version of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support(EMDS)system,a spatially oriented decision support system that provides accurate results for multi-criteria management.We evaluate 32 metrics and 12 as-sociated ecosystem services indicators to represent the spatial reality of the region.According to the results,the dominant primary use suitability is social,followed by protective and productive.Nevertheless,final assignment of uses is not straightforward and requires an exhaustive analysis of trade-offs between all alternative options,in many cases identifying flexible outcomes,and increasing the representativeness of multi-functional use.The assignment of forest use suitability aims to significantly improve the definition of the most adequate management strategy to be applied.

Forest management causes soil carbon loss by reducing particulate organic carbon in Guangxi, Southern China

Background: The loss of soil organic carbon(SOC) following conversion of natural forests to managed plantations has been widely reported. However, how different SOC fractions and microbial necromass C(MNC) respond to forest management practices remains unclear.Methods: We sampled 0–10 cm mineral soil from three different management plantations and one protected forest in Guangxi, Southern China, to explore how forest management practices affect SOC through changing mineralassociated C(MAOC) and particulate organic C(POC), as well as fungal and bacterial necromass C.Results: Compared with the protected forest, SOC and POC in the abandoned, mixed and Eucalyptus plantations significantly decreased, but MAOC showed no significant change, indicating that the loss of SOC was mainly from decreased POC under forest management. Forest management also significantly reduced root biomass, soil extractable organic C, MNC, and total microbial biomass(measured by phospholipid fatty acid), but increased fungi-to-bacteria ratio(F:B) and soil peroxidase activity. Moreover, POC was positively correlated with root biomass, total microbial biomass and MNC, and negatively with F:B and peroxidase activity. These results suggested that root input and microbial properties together regulated soil POC dynamics during forest management.Conclusion: Overall, this study indicates that forest management intervention significantly decreases SOC by reducing POC in Guangxi, Southern China, and suggests that forest protection can help to sequester more soil C in forest ecosystems.

Regeneration Potential of Woody Species at the Side of Secondary Roads Post-Logging of Loundoungou-Toukoulaka Forest Management Unit, Republic of the Congo

Natural regeneration is the basis of a dynamic and demographic balance of plant populations. The objective of this study was to assess the natural regeneration potential of woody species along secondary roads post-logging abandoned since 2008 and 2018. In the two Annual Allowable Cuts (AAC 2008 and AAC 2018), 24 regenerating sub-plots (i.e. 12 sub-plots for AAC 2008 and 12 sub-plots for AAC 2018) with a unit area of 5 m × 5 m were delimited with a total area of 0.06 ha (i.e. 0.03 ha for each AAC). The abundance and diversity of woody species were respectively inventoried and estimated. Two estimators of the specific richness were used to estimate the floristic diversity of each Annual Allowable Cuts (AAC). The results reveal globally 88 woody species in the AAC 2008 and 241 woody species in the AAC 2018, with respective average densities of 2933 stem/ha and 8033 stem/ha. There was a very highly significant difference between the mean densities of the two AAC (Kruskal-Wallis test;H = 2.36, p-value < 0.000). The results also highlight a great diversity and a relatively high abundance of woody species in the 2018 AAC compared to the 2008 AAC. Also, the spatial structuring of the sub-plots on the basis of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrates that the floristic composition of the two AAC is globally different. The study suggests silvicultural interventions and the long-term assessment of regenerating woody species along abandoned secondary roads in order to guarantee the sustainable management of their population.

Forest management required for consistent carbon sink in China’s forest plantations

Background:Forest is the largest biomass carbon(C)pool in China,taking up a substantial amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.Although it is well understood that planted forests(PFs)act as a large C sink,the contribution of human management to C storage enhancement remains obscure.Moreover,existing projections of forest C dynamics suffer from spatially inconsistent age and type information or neglected human management impacts.In this study,using developed PF age and type maps and data collected from 1371 forest plantation sites in China,we simulated biomass C stock change and quantified management impacts for the time period 2010-2050.Results:Results show that future forest biomass C increment might have been overestimated by 32.5%-107.5% in former studies.We also found that age-related growth will be by far the largest contributor to PF biomass C increment from 2010 to 2050(1.23±0.002 Pg C,1 Pg=10^(15) g=1 billion metric tons),followed by the impact of human management(0.57±0.02 Pg C),while the contribution of climate is slight(0.087±0.04 Pg C).Besides,an additional 0.24±0.07 Pg C can be stored if current PFs are all managed by 2050,resulting in a total increase of 2.13±0.05 Pg C.Conclusions:Forest management and age-related growth dominate the biomass C change in PFs,while the effect of climatic factors on the accumulation is minor.To achieve the ambitious goal of forest C stock enhancement by 3.5 Pg from 2020 to 2050,we advocate to improve the management of existing forests and reduce the requests for more lands for forest expansion,which helps mitigate potential conflicts with agricultural sectors.Our results highlight that appropriate planning and management are required for sustaining and enhancing biomass C sequestration in China’s PF.

Young and old forest in the boreal:critical stages of ecosystem dynamics and management under global change

The circumboreal forest encompasses diverse landscape structures, dynamics and forest age distributions determined by their physical setting, and historical and current disturbance regimes. However, due to intensifying forest utilisation, and in certain areas due to increasing natural disturbances, boreal forest age-class structures have changed rapidly, so that the proportion of old forest has substantially declined, while that of young post-harvest and post-natural-disturbance forest proportions have increased. In the future, with a warming climate in certain boreal regions, this trend may further be enhanced due to an increase in natural disturbances and large-scale use of forest biomass to replace fossil-based fuels and products.The major drivers of change of forest age class distributions and structures include the use of clearcut shortrotation harvesting, more frequent and severe natural disturbances due to climate warming in certain regions. The decline in old forest area, and increase in managed young forest lacking natural post-disturbance structural legacies,represent a major transformation in the ecological conditions of the boreal forest beyond historical limits of variability.This may introduce a threat to biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and long-term adaptive capacity of the forest ecosystem.To safeguard boreal forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and to maintain the multiple services provided to societies by this forest biome, it is pivotal to maintain an adequate share and the ecological qualities of young postdisturbance stages, along with mature forest stages with old-growth characteristics. This requires management for natural post-disturbance legacy structures, and innovative use of diverse uneven-aged and continuous cover management approaches to maintain critical late-successional forest structures in landscapes.

Interaction between climate and management on beta diversity components of vegetation in relation to soil properties in arid and semi-arid oak forests, Iran

This study aimed to investigate the interaction between regions with different climatic conditions(arid vs. semi-arid) and management(protected vs. unprotected) on the turnover and nestedness of vegetation in relation to physical, chemical and biological properties of soils in the Ilam Province of Iran. In each of the two regions, we sampled 8 sites(4 managed and 4 unmanaged sites) within each of which we established 4 circular plots(1000 m^2) that were used to investigate woody species, while two micro-plots(1 m×1 m) were established in each 1000-m^2 plot to analyze herbaceous species. In each sample unit, we also extracted three soil samples(0–20 cm depth) for measuring soil properties. The results indicated that the interaction between region and conservational management significantly affected the percent of canopy cover of Persian oak(Quercus brantii Linddl), soil respiration, substrate-induced respiration, as well as beta and gamma diversities and turnover of plant species. The percent of oak canopy cover was positively correlated with soil silt, electrical conductivity, available potassium, and alpha diversity, whereas it was negatively correlated with plant turnover. In addition, plant turnover was positively related to available phosphorus, while nestedness of species was positively related to organic carbon and total nitrogen. According to these results, we concluded that physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of limited ecological niche generally influenced plant diversity. Also, this study demonstrated the major contribution of the beta diversity on gamma diversity, especially in semi-arid region, because of the higher heterogeneity of vegetation in this area.

Which type of forest management provides most ecosystem services？

Background： Forest ecosystems are increasingly seen as multi-functional production systems, which should provide, besides timber and economic benefits, also other ecosystem services related to biological diversity, recreational uses and environmental functions of forests. This study analyzed the performance of even-aged rotation forest management （RFM）, continuous cover forestry （CCF） and any-aged forestry （AAF） in the production of ecosystem services. AAF allows both even-aged and uneven-aged management schedules. The ecosystem services included in the analyses were net present value, volume of harvested timber, cowberry and bilberry yields, scenic value of the forest, carbon balance and suitability of the forest to Siberian jay. Methods： Data envelopment analysis was used to derive numerical efficiency ratios for the three management systems. Efficiency ratio is the sum of weighted outputs （ecosystem services） divided by the sum of weighted inputs. The linear programing model proposed by Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes was used to derive the weights for calculating efficiency scores for the silvicultural systems. Results and conclusions： CCF provided more ecosystem services than RFM, and CCF was more efficient than RFM and AAF in the production of ecosystem services. Multi-objective management provided more ecosystem services （except harvested timber） than single-objective management that maximized economic profitability. The use of low discount rate （resulting in low cutting level and high growing stock volume） led to better supply of most ecosystems services than the use of high discount rate. RFM where NPV was maximized with high discount rate led to particularly poor provision of most ecosystem services. In CCF the provision of ecosystem services was less sensitive to changes in discount rate and management objective than in RFM.

Romanian legal management rules limit wood production in Norway spruce and beech forests

Background： The quantitative impact of forest management on forests＇ wood resource was evaluated for Picea and Fagus mixed forests. The effects on the productivity of tendering operations, thinnings and rotation length have seldom been directly quantified on landscape scale. Methods： Two sites of similar fertility but subject to contrasted forest management were studied with detailed inventories： one in Germany, the other in Romania, and compared with the respective national forest inventories. In Romania, regulations impose very long rotations, low thinnings and a period of no-cut before harvest. In contrast, tending and thinnings are frequent and intense in Germany. Harvests start much earlier and must avoid clear cutting but maintain a permanent forest cover with natural regeneration. While Germany has an average annual wood increment representative for Central Europe, Romania represents the average for Eastern Europe. Results： The lack of tending and thinning in the Romanian site resulted in twice as many trees per hectare as in the German site for the same age. The productivity in Romanian production forests was 20 % lower than in Germany despite a similar fertility. The results were supported by the data from the national forest inventory of each country, which confirmed that the same differential exists at country scale. Furthermore, provided the difference in rotation length, two crops are harvested in Germany when only one is harvested in Romania. The losses of production due to a lower level of management in Romania where estimated to reach 12.8 million m3.y-1 in regular mountain production forests, and to 15 million m3.y-1 if managed protection forest is included. Conclusions： The productivity of Picea and Fagus mountain forests in Romania is severely depressed by the lack of tending and thinning, by overly long rotations and the existence of a 25-years no-cut period prior to harvest. The average standing volume in Germany was 50 % lower than in Romania, but the higher harvesting rate resulted in more than doubling wood production. Considering the mitigation effects of climate change by forests, it emerges that the increase in standing volume of forests in Romania is smaller than the additional harvest in Germany which serves fossil fuel substitution.

Saving Dupinga Watershed in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija Philippines: Insights from Community Based Forest Management Model

The world is losing its forest. The study described the multi-sectoral initiatives done to protect the Dupinga watershed. By using Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) as theoretical framework and analytic descriptive method of research, issues and concerns related to watershed protection are discussed. The study argued that the multi-sectoral collaboration of the Local Government Unit of Gabaldon, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Peoples Organizations, Non Government Organizations (NGO) and Community Organization is a CBFM in progress. Alternative source of income and community tourism may strengthen and sustain the multi-stake-holders collaboration existing in the area while capacity building program for community participation and forest management may provide insights for a sustainable watershed protection and management.

Strategies on natural forest protection of collective forest area in minority nationality community in China─A case of the forest resource management in datu village

In the recent 20 years, it is a trend that forest will be distributed to villagers to manage in the world.Also in China, "forestry three determinations" has been carried out since 1980, and many new forestry devolutionshave been put fotward to and come into being. To face the fact of overusing up natural forest to result in the deterioration of ecology environment, the strategy of naturaf forest protection project (NFPP) is raised after the heavyflood in 1998. Now, it i s paid close attention to systematically study to carry Out the strategies of NFPP in collective forest area, especially in the community of minority nationalities. Based on the case of forest resource management in Datu Miao Village, the experience of its forest management in the past is analyzed and the strategies of NFPP in collective forest area are put forward.

Population distribution and threats to sustainable management of selected non-timber forest products in tropical lowland rainforests of south western Nigeria

Uncontrolled harvesting of non-timber forest products （NTFPs） poses a serious risk of extermination to several of these species in Nigeria. Yet, there is a paucity of information on the distribution, population status and sustainable management of NTFPs in most of the tropical lowland rainforests. We, therefore, assessed the population, distribution and threats to sustainable management of NTFPs within the tropical lowland rainforests of Omo and Shasha Forest Reserves, south western Nigeria. Data were obtained through inventory surveys on five top priority species including： bush mango （Irvingia gabonensis （Aubry-Lecomte ex O’Rorke） Baill）, African walnut （Tetracarpidium conophorum （Mull. Arg.） Hutch. ＆ Dalziel syn. Plukenetia conophora）, chew-stick （Massularia acuminata （G. Don） Bullock）, fever bark （Annickia chlorantha Setten ＆ P.J.Maas syn. Enantia chloranta） and bush pepper （Piper guineense Schumach. ＆ Thonn.）. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used for the inventory. Each forest reserve was stratified into three, viz： less disturbed natural forest （for areas that have been rested for at least ten years）, recently disturbed natural forest （for areas that have suffered one form of human perturbation or the other in the last five years）, and plantation forest （for areas carrying forest plantation）. Data were collected from eighteen 10 m × 500 m belt transects located in the above strata. The species were generally fewer in both plantation and recently disturbed natural forest than the less disturbed natural forest, suggesting that forest disturbances （habitat modification） for other uses may have an effect on the occurrence and densities of the NTFPs. Exceptions to this trend were found for P. guineense and T. conophorum, which were fairly common in both plantation and recently disturbed natural forest. Among three tree NTFP species （i.e. I. gabonensis, M. acuminata and A. chlorantha）, only I. gabonensis showed a significant difference in overall DBH size classes for both reserves （t=？2.404; df =21; p=0.026）. Three tree NTFP species in both reserves further showed differences from the regular patterns of distribution of trees. The fairly regular reverse J-shaped size class distribution observed for M. acuminata in the study sites, however, suggests a recuperating population. In general, destructive harvesting of species, logging operations, low population size, narrow distribution ranges and habitat degradation are the major threats to the population of NTFPs in the study area. The implications of our findings for sustainable management of NTFPs in the study area are discussed and recommendations are made for a feasible approach towards enhancing the status of the species.

Goal programming approach for sustainable forest management(case study in Iranian Caspian forests)

We used a goal programming technique to determine the optimal harvest volume for the Iranian Caspian forest. We collected data including volume, growth, wood price at forest roadside, and variable harvesting costs. The allometric method was used to quantify seques- trated carbon. Regression analysis was used to derive growth models. Expected mean price was estimated using wood price and variable harvesting costs. Questionnaire was used to determine the constraints and the equation coefficients of the goal programming model. The optimal volume was determined using the goal programming method according to multipurpose forest management. LINGO software was used for analysis. Results indicated that the optimum volumes of species were 250.25 m3.ha-1 for beech, 59 m3.ha-1 for hornbeam, 73 m3.ha-1 for oak, 41 m3.ha-1 for alder, and 32 m3.ha-1 for other species. The total optimum volume is 455.25 m3.ha-1.

Active forest management accelerates carbon storage in plantation forests in Lishui,southern China

Background:China has committed to achieving peak CO_(2)emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060;therefore,accelerated efforts are needed to better understand carbon accounting in industry and energy fields as well as terrestrial ecosystems.The carbon sink capacity of plantation forests contributes to the mitigation of climate change.Plantation forests throughout the world are intensively managed,and there is an urgent need to evaluate the effects of such management on long-term carbon dynamics.Methods:We assessed the carbon cycling patterns of ecosystems characterized by three typical plantation species(Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata(Lamb.)Hook.),oak(Cyclobalanopsis glauca(Thunb.)Oerst.),and pine(Pinus massoniana Lamb.))in Lishui,southern China,by using an integrated biosphere simulator(IBIS)tuned with localized parameters.Then,we used the state-and-transition simulation model(STSM)to study the effects of active forest management(AFM)on carbon storage by combining forest disturbance history and carbon cycle regimes.Results:1)The carbon stock of the oak plantation was lower at an early age(<50 years)but higher at an advanced age(>50 years)than that of the Chinese fir and pine plantations.2)The carbon densities of the pine and Chinese fir plantations peaked at 70 years(223.36 Mg⋅ha^(‒1))and 64 years(232.04 Mg⋅ha^(‒1)),respectively,while the carbon density in the oak plantation continued increasing(>100 years).3)From 1989 to 2019,the total carbon pools of the three plantation ecosystems followed an upward trend(an annual increase of 0.16–0.22 Tg C),with the largest proportional increase in the aboveground biomass carbon pool.4)AFM increased the recovery of carbon storage after 1996 and 2009 in the pine and Chinese fir plantations,respectively,but did not result in higher growth in the oak plantation.5)The proposed harvest planning is reasonable and conducive to maximizing the carbon sequestration capacity of the forest.Conclusions:This study provides an example of a carbon cycle coupling model that is potentially suitable for simulating China's plantation forest ecosystems and supporting carbon accounting to monitor peak CO_(2)emissions and reach carbon neutrality.

A review of ecological mechanisms for management practices of protective forests

A protective forest,including shelterbelt,windbreak,and shelter forest as its synonyms,is characterized by the protective functions of various forest types distributed or planted on ecologically fragile areas or nearby the objects that need to be protected using the ecological effects of forests.Ecological mechanisms for management practices of protective forests is one of the disciplinary orientations in forest ecology and management.Most protective forest studies are dependent on forestry eco-engineering,such as the Great Plains Shelterbelt Project in the United States,the Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature in the Soviet Union,and the Three-North Afforestation Program in China.The development of sustainable management of protective forests has been given increasing attention by governments,scientists,and media due to their impacts on environment conservation and global change.We introduce forestry ecoengineering and provide a review of their main ecological mechanisms for management practices of protective forests.Ecological mechanisms for management systems currently applied are emphasized,i.e.,the theory of protection maturity and phase-directional management;the relationship between structure and protective functions and structural optimization measures;and,the decline mechanism and ecological restoration strategies.In addition,several unresolved problems in management practices of protective forests are discussed as well as the prospects for ecological mechanisms for management practices of protective forests in the future,which include:(1)theories and technologies for management practices of protective forests at the landscape or regional scale;(2)the decline mechanisms and corresponding ecological restoration approaches across multiple scales;and,(3)the comprehensive assessment of forestry eco-engineering at large-scales based on ecosystem principles.

Forest fire prevention management legal regime between China and the United States

Precautions against forest fires,a significant element in the prevention and reduction of natural disasters in China,are very important to the development of public emergency systems,as well as to the safety of forest resources,ecology,people’s lives and properties.The USA has extensive experience in forest fire management,which has been widely accepted and used by other countries.The precautions taken by China and the USA to prevent forest fires have been compared in a great number of previous studies.However,most of the studies have focused merely on fire extinguishing technologies and management methods;they have lacked a comparative study on the legal aspects of management.This paper will consider five distinct aspects related to forest fire management between China and the USA and will analyze the similarities and differences as well as study other features to facilitate work related to precautions against forest fires in China.

Increase of forest carbon biomass due to community forestry management in Nepal

Community forest management helps in mitigating deforestation and forest degradation by addressing the negative aspects of rural livelihoods such as poverty and social exclusion.It is important in regulating global climate by encouraging sequestration of carbon in shoots,roots and soils.We studied the status of community forest management,forest resource harvest and carbon stocks in two community forests of the mid hill region of central and western Nepal.The study was based on primary and secondary data collected through carbon stock measurement from field visits and allometric equations,household surveys,focus group discussions,key informant interviews,and review of past studies.Socioeconomic variables such as gender,age group,livestock and landholding status were related to resource utilization,conservation,and management of community forest.Forest resources such as timber,firewood,fodder and leaf litter were harvested in sustainable ways.People were involved in forest thinning,co-management meetings,guarding and planting trees for forest conservation and management.Density and carbon stock of trees increased gradually in comparison to a previous study.We recommend further research on other community forests for more accurate and better results.

Integrated environmental education for sustainable forest management: the case of Nandi Hills Forests, Kenya

Environmental education （EE） is a vital dimension of modern day acumen that portends a great promise in solving the myriad environmental resource management challenges at global, regional and local levels. A study was carried out in 18 locations in the Nandi North, Nandi South and Nandi Hills districts of Kenya, which cover the Nandi Hills and Nandi Forests in Nandi County, major water catchments for Lake Victoria. A mixed methodological approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household survey and observations was embraced in data collection and analysis. The study reveals that there are several strategies that have been adopted by the local population and institutions involved in the management of the Nandi Hills Forests （NHFs） and that these strategies have contributed to an improvement in the perceptions of the local population in terms of the importance of environmental management of the forests. This paper highlights EE as a vehicle for ensur- ing a sustainable management of the Nandi Hills Forests. As such, it illuminates the great potential that lies in sustainably managing the NHFs by integrating formal and informal EE approaches. It further points out the functional gaps in the management of NHFs and proposes best-practices that could be adopted and/or domesticated in NHFs management regimes.