Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management:keep it as simple as possible,but no simpler

Background：Conceptual models of forest dynamics are powerful cognitive tools,which are indispensable for communicating ecological ideas and knowledge,and in developing strategic approaches and setting targets for forest conservation,restoration and sustainable management.Forest development through time is conventionally described as a directional,or ＂linear＂,and predictable sequence of stages from ＂bare ground＂ to old forest representing the ＂climax-state＂.However,this simple view is incompatible with the current knowledge and understanding of intrinsic variability of forest dynamics.Hypothesis：Overly simple conceptual models of forest dynamics easily become transformed into biased mental models of how forests naturally develop and what kind of structures they display.To be able to communicate the essential features and diversity of forest dynamics,comprehensive conceptual models are needed.For this end,Kuuluvainen（2009） suggested a relatively simple conceptual model of forest dynamics,which separates three major modes of forest dynamics,and incorporates state changes and transitions between the forest dynamics modes depending on changes in disturbance regime.Conclusions：Conceptual models of forest dynamics should be comprehensive enough to incorporate both longterm directional change and short-term cyclic forest dynamics,as well as transitions from one dynamics mode to another depending on changes in the driving disturbance regime type.Models that capture such essential features of forest dynamics are indispensable for educational purposes,in setting reference conditions and in developing methods in forest conservation,restoration and ecosystem management.

China Procurement-Leveraging Supplier Selection and Supplier Management for Success

Successful China pro- curement is the result of a comprehensive set of complex and high-ly-specialized processes. Dis- tilling this down to a ＂magical recipe＂ for success is no simple task, and there are no shortcuts. However, as a useful reference, two fundamental ingredients for procurement success are： the selection of the right suppliers： and the effective management of chosen suppliers to optimize their performance.

An Inquiry into Success Factors for Post-disaster Housing Reconstruction Projects: A Case of Kerala, South India

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami triggered significant destruction to housing and related infrastructures across various coastal districts of south India.Research shows that tsunami reconstruction projects in Kerala experienced different degrees of success and failure.On this background,this study explored factors that contributed to the successful implementation of tsunami housing projects in Kerala by(1)consolidating various critical success factors(CSFs)for post-disaster reconstruction(PDR)projects under‘‘project management success traits’’through content analysis of existing literature;(2)deriving a conceptual model that envisages project success in PDR contexts;and(3)assessing the impacts of those success traits on tsunami housing projects using confirmatory factor analysis.Necessary data were gathered through a survey of various stakeholders involved in tsunami reconstruction projects in Kerala using structured questionnaires.The research revealed that PDR project success is attributed to critical dimensions of project management such as institutional mechanisms,reconstruction strategies,project implementation,and stakeholder management.A conceptual model with the interplay of project success,success traits,as well as their CSFs identified the project management actions that must be monitored during reconstruction.Since the project management approach is widely recognized for PDR projects,these success traits hold huge potential for effective organization and management of housing reconstruction projects.The study also helped to identify project management traits that need improvements for the successful implementation of post-disaster housing projects in Kerala.Thus the research findings can serve as a foundational study for formulating project management strategies appropriate to PDR projects in Kerala.