A Simple Geospatial Nutrient Budget Model for Assessing Forest Harvest Sustainability across Nova Scotia, Canada

A geospatial GIS-linked spreadsheet model (Nutrient Budget Model—Nova Scotia: NBM-NS) was developed for Nova Scotia to assess the long-term sustainability of forest harvest scenarios as constrained by primary nutrient inputs and outputs due to atmospheric deposition, soil weathering, and leaching. Harvest scenarios refer to user-defined stand-specific removal rates of bole wood, bark, branches, and foliage, based on current or projected forest inventories. These scenarios are evaluated within the context of existing data layers for current climate (mean annual precipitation and air temperatures), atmospheric deposition (N, S, Ca, Mg, K), and soil/substrate types, supplemented by species-specific look-up tables containing expected biomass fractions and nutrient concentrations. This article introduces this model to assess relative site quality and limiting nutrients for red spruce and sugar maple across Nova Scotia. This is followed by an output comparison involving 25 spruce plantations whereby NBM-NS determinations derived using “default” soil survey data are compared with those derived using plantation-specific soil data. Model output shows that (i) Ca and N are the main growth-limiting nutrients across Nova Scotia, (ii) currently projected plantation yields are generally not sustainable on sites underlain by slowly weathering soils, (iii) current soil base cation contents are generally lower than what is reported in historic soil survey reports, and (iv) model results are expected to vary within the context of changing climate, acid deposition levels, and data accuracy.

Enhancing Sustainability in Forestry Using Material Flow Cost Accounting

Forestry is an applied science related to the sustainable management of natural resources. Many scientific disciplines influence forest science including ecology, economics and other social sciences. In this paper, it is proposed to promote the sustainable management of forest resources using a method coming from the Environmental Management Accounting discipline. The method is Material Flow Cost Accounting, which assists managers to recognize material and energy inefficiencies in production processes and create cost savings for the organization. Through a study of the methodology and using forestry examples, it is shown that Material Flow Cost Accounting can be a useful tool for forest managers, either in Public Forest Service, or other forestry organizations.

Indicators and tools for assessing sustainability impacts of the forest bioeconomy

The sustainable use of renewable resources has become an important issue worldwide in the move towards a less fossil-fuel-intensive future.Mainstream method for fulfilling this aim is to increase the share of renewable energy and materials to substitute fossil fuels and to become fully independent from fossil fuels over the long-term.However, the environmental sustainability of this endeavor has been questioned.In addition,economic and social sustainability issues are also much debated topics in this particular context.Forest resources are often thought to contribute partially to achieving a so-called ＂carbon-neutral society＂.In this review, we discuss sustainability issues of using forest biomass.We present several sustainability indicators for ecological,economic and social dimensions and discuss the issues in applying them in sustainability impact assessments（SIAs）.We also present a number of tools and methods previously used in conducting SIAs.We approach our study from the perspective of the Finnish forestry; in addition, various aspects regarding the application of SIAs in a broader context are also presented.One of the key conclusions of the study is that although sufficient data are available to measure many indicators accurately, the impacts may be very difficult to assess（e.g.impact of greenhouse gases on biodiversity） for conducting a holistic SIA.Furthermore, some indicators, such as ＂biodiversity＂, are difficult to quantify in the first place.Therefore, a mix of different methods, such as Multi-criteria Assessment, Life-cycle Assessment or Cost-Benefit Analysis, as well as different approaches（e.g.thresholds and strong/weak sustainability） are needed in aggregating the results of the impacts.SIAs are important in supporting and improving the acceptability of decision-making, but a certain degree of uncertainty will always have to be tolerated.

Delivering forestry courses online:experiences,lessons learned,and future of forestry online education in the Asia Pacifi c

Innovation in forestry education is needed to address changing contexts of the positionality of forests.This is particularly signifi cant in the Asia–Pacifi c region,where deforestation and degradation are high.However,the accessibility of high-quality forestry education to address changing regional and global contexts is lacking.A series of innovative sustainable forest management(SFM)open education resource(OER)courses were developed and implemented to improve the accessibility of SFM education to enhance teaching quality,curriculum,and research capacity of universities in the Asia-Pacifi c Region.To evaluate the SFM-OER program in terms of student experiences,this study investigated student achievement,perceived success of the pedagogical approach and instructional design,and perceived eff ectiveness of the learning activities in promoting active and transformative learning through the assessment of a 1,191-course feedback survey between 2018 and 2020,including the global pandemic.This study revealed that the program attracted diverse student demographics,including a higher proportion of female students majoring in forestry,ecology,and other environmental studies.Their primary motivation to participate in the courses was to gain international experience,followed by the fl exibility of online learning,mandatory course requirements,and earning course credits.Students were satisfi ed with the Canvas learning management system.Most students spent less than 5 to 10 h of their weekly time in the course and agreed or strongly agreed that the workloads were manageable.Students refl ected positively on various learning activities and assignments,such as watching lecture videos,taking quizzes,reading and summarizing,having discussions,and peer review writing.However,they did not clearly prefer specifi c learning activities,signifying the importance of using diverse learning activities to satisfy diverse individual learning styles in online settings.This analysis contributes to the further development of student-centered pedagogical development for online learning and provides insight into the ways forward for online higher forestry education,while repurposing existing OER courses in a post-Covid-19 era.

Experiencing urban forests for mitigation of negative emotions of people exposed to seasonal PM_(2.5)in Northeast China

Experiencing urban green and blue spaces(GBSs)can be a nature-based solution to improve mental well-being and cope with negative moods for people exposed to PM2.5 pollution.In this study,a total of 1257 photos were collected to recognize their posted emotions of Sina Weibo users from 38 parks in 22 cities in Northeast China in 2021,when atmospheric PM_(2.5)and landscape metrics were evaluated for GBSs of each park.Autumn and winter had heavy atmospheric PM_(2.5)pollutions in resource-dependent cities of Liaoning.Net positive emotions(happy minus sad scores)decreased in larger green spaces.The perception of blue space countered the presentation of sadness only for a limited period over four seasons.High elevation decreased the level of happiness presented in winter.Overall,this study confirms that visiting large urban green spaces at low elevations can benefit the perception of positive sentiments for people exposed to PM_(2.5)in autumn.For planning urban forests in Northeast China,more green spaces should be constructed in cities in southern Jilin province to alleviate air PM_(2.5)pollution and gain better well-being of local people.

Contribution of non-timber forest products to the livelihoods of the forest-dependent communities around the Khadimnagar National Park in northeastern Bangladesh

Non-timber forest products(NTFPs)play a significant role in the improvement of the forest-dependent people’s livelihoodsaround the world,strengthening protection for the sustainable use of forests.The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of occupational category-wise(fuelwood collectors,farmers,small-scale businessmen,day labourers,and tea estate labourers)dependencyon NTFPsand the role of NTFPs on household income around the Khadimnagar National Park(KNP)in northeastern Bangladesh.In 2014,178purposively selected respondents from four villages(out of 22 villagesaround the KNP)were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire.The study observed that these forest-dependent communities utilized resources of the KNP mainly for domestic energy supply,household income,and house construction.Results showed that income from NTFPs made a significant contribution to family income.Income data analysis indicated that small-scale businessmen earned relatively more income from NTFPs,followed by tea estate labourersand day labourers.The study revealed significant negative relationships of the distance of households from the forest with the amount of NTFPs collected(P<0.01)and monthly income from NTFPs(P<0.01).Positive significant relationships were found between the amount of NTFPs collected and the time spent in NTFP collection(P<0.001),as well as betweenmonthly income from NTFPs and family size(P<0.001).The fuelwood collectors and farmers collected significantly greater amounts of NTFPs per trip(P<0.001)than other occupational categories.The households that were moderately to highly dependent on NTFPs collected significantly higher amounts of NTFPs pertrip(P<0.01)than the households that were moderately dependent and less dependent on NTFPs.Community dependence on KNP’sresources,community’sappreciation of the KNP’s ecosystem services for villagers’livelihoods,and community’s high levels of concern for forest conservation provided a foundation for the sustainable management of the KNP.The study findings will be useful for designing an effective forest management plan and policy for NTFP management and forest conservation with the active involvement of the forest-dependent people in northeastern Bangladesh.

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.

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.

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.

Rate of timber production in a tropical rainforest ecosystem of Southwestern Nigeria and its implications on sustainable forest management

Timber harvesting data are very essential for sustainable management of forest resources.These data are very scarce in developing countries.Therefore,we collected and analyzed data on the rate of timber production of the free areas and the forest reserves in Ondo State,Nigeria.The data collected from the State Department of Forestry＇s official records,annual reports and files were on the species,volume and number of different economic timbers exploited on monthly basis between 2003 and 2005.Analyses were done with the student t-test and one-way analysis of variance.Results reveal that the highest numbers of species,families and stems were exploited in the free areas when compared with what was exploited from the reserves for the three-year period.However,the total volume of trees removed from the reserves was significantly higher（p〈0.05） than what was removed from the free areas.A total 60 different indigenous hardwood species in 25 families were exploited from the free areas,and 57 in 23 families from the reserves.The total number of stems exploited from the forest ecosystem of Ondo state during the three-year period stood at 111377 with an estimated volume of 295089.67 m^3.While the mean number of stems and volume exploited per annum is 37125 and 98363.22 m^3,respectively.The monthly average number of stems and volume is 3094 and 8196 m^3,respectively.The t-test results show that there were significant differences（p〈0.05） in number of stems and volume removed from the free areas and the reserves.The ANOVA results reveal a significant increase（p〈0.05） in logging activities between the years of 2003 and 2004 but there was a decline in year 2005.This trend reveals that economic timber species were disappearing from the forests and the ecosystem was seriously disturbed during logging activities.Principles for achieving the goals of sustainable forest management（SFM） and urgent conservation measures to mitigate the consequences of forest degradation were suggested.

Alleviating forest degradation in the Lancang-Mekong Region requires closing management—measurement gaps

Deforestation and forest degradation are having profound negative impacts on social-ecological systems in the emerging economies across the tropics.Consequently,interest in restoring and rehabilitating degraded forests has been growing.This paper explores current issues related to addressing forest degradation in the Lancang-Mekong Region(LMR)of Southeast Asia through a review of the use of criteria and indicators for forest degradation and rehabilitation.Forest degradation must be understood in the context of its underlying drivers,which are numerous and complex.Understanding these underlying drivers of degradation requires diagnosing the entwined political,social,economic,and environmental systems that aff ect forests.Landscapes are the relevant scales to diagnose and intervene for improved forests.Interventions to restore or rehabilitate forests should be process-driven,focused on the underlying social,ecological and political processes that degrade landscapes.Interventions should also include negotiation among all actors infl uencing and competing for natural resource claims in forest landscapes.Criteria and indicators for forest landscape restoration should therefore help to improve the governance of forest landscapes.Criteria and indicators provide measures of the biophysical outcomes of degradation,in addition to processes,but these should be adapted to changing contexts and emerging challenges,and should rectify any pre-existing fl awed change-logic.Restoration activities should synthesize,integrate,and build upon the rich history of pre-existing restoration guidelines,but should be adaptable in order to be applied eff ectively in the contexts of local landscapes.This project is facilitating a dialogue around the use of criteria and indicators to help solve the degradation challenge in the LMR.We will trial the use of the criteria and indicators generated through this research in the LMR to learn what works and what doesn’t.This will provide an opportunity to build consensus around the ways in which restoration investments made by governments,civil society,and the private sector can infl uence sustainability.

Biochar Production and Application in Forest Soils-A Critical Review

The increasing deforestation with an alarming rate is the prime cause of upsetting the balance in the natural ecosystem and the livelihood of local communities.Sustainable forest management and reforestation efforts can equilibrium this destruction and maintain the protected areas.In this regard,soil management strategies for reforestation of the degraded forest land can be helpful.In this review,the potential of using biochar,a solid carbon rich product of biomass thermochemical conversion,as a soil amendment in forest soils has been discussed.The production procedures of biochar,availability of feedstocks and the biochar properties are discussed using the existing knowledge.The positive effects of biochar are soil quality depended and change with varying geographical locations.Therefore,long-term field trials examining a range of biochars,soils,and forest types are required for a better understanding of this issue.Careful planning to match biochar with the soil properties is essential to obtain maximum benefits of biochar as a soil amendment.

Comparison of sustainable forest management (SFM) trends at global and country levels: case study in Iran

Sustainable Forest Management （SFM） is an integral component of sustainable development. Iran is a Near East country with low forest cover. Iran uses 7 criteria and 65 indicators for regional and national monitoring of forest management. We evaluated the status of SFM in Iran, and a location imaging in its path towards SFM was provided by existing validation data and library references for the Criteria and Indicators （C＆I） adopted in the Near East, We identify challenges and opportunities associated with SFM in Iran. Although the information to evaluate the trend of SFM in Iran was incomplete, we compiled some information on the basis of C＆I. Comparison of some indicators with the values for the rest of the world revealed that the situation in Iran is very different. Although some indicators revealed a better situation in Iran, Iran lags the rest of the world in the implementation of SFM. Iran, like many countries, is trying hard to find ways to sustainably use its forests. Not all C＆I for assessment of SFM in Iran have been determined or defined. However, a consistent and comprehensive framework of criteria and indicators to monitor progress towards SFM is being applied. Defining some C＆I is still at an early stage.

The Potential Impacts of National, Regional and International Policies and Legislation on the Sustainable Forest Management for NTFPs： A Swaziland Case Study

The objective of this study entails the review and assessment of the relevance of existing and draft policies and legislation that affects the Non-timber Forest Products （NTFP） sector in Swaziland. A hierarchical method of policy and legislation review and analysis was devised for this study. Findings indicated that most national policies and legislation are outdated and old-fashioned, with gaps and overlaps, and there is lack of collaboration between institutions implementing these. The present national forest policy does not adequately guide the development of NTFPs. As a consequence, whilst international policies and legislation capture an excellent spectrum of elements and issues on NTFPs they still remain difficult to implement. However, national level criteria and indicators have issues and elements that are relevant to the sustainable use of NTFPs. It was recommended that national strategies, action plans, policies and legislation be reviewed and updated. The study shows that there are no existing institutional networks or formal collaboration between the institutions involved in the implementation of local, national, regional, and international policies and legislation that affect NTFPs. Government, private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations （NGO＇s）, communities, individuals, and all concerned agencies should jointly develop and implement policies and legislation to provide secure access and benefits to people whose livelihood depends on/is supplemented by NTFPs and further foster networking and collaboration. The immediate adoption and implementation of the 11 policy recommendations on the sustainable management of Non-timber Forest Resources compiled by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity （CBD） from the Convention on Biological Diversity is highly recommended. It is worthwhile to note that while some of the 11 recommendations were directly inherited from certain articles of the CBD some are general recommendations.

Exploring the nexus between Indian forestry and the Sustainable Development Goals

Forests are considered as a sacred asset in India and have guided the way of living throughout its history.Indian forests not only accommodate the myriad species but also act as a survival support system to the communities that depended on them.The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposed by the United Nations(UN)has gained momentum and becomes an integral part of the recent efforts of Indian governance.In this investigation,we examined the potential nexus between Indian forestry system(biodiversity-enriched assets,ecosystem services,constitutional mechanisms,and governances)and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)through theoretical underpinnings from literature that selected from database like Google Scholar,Indian forest survey reports,and information retrieved from Indian government websites.The significance of this review is that it presents comprehensive information about Indian forestry,biodiversity-rich assets,and sustainable forest management practices.The results show that Indian forestry as a whole is an integral part of the food-energy-water cycle and contributes to all dimensions of sustainable development,i.e.,economic sustainability,social sustainability,and environmental sustainability.The investigation confirms that besides partly contributing to the economy and life support systems to many dependent species,forests also act as boosters in the areas of food security and health.Targets related to the climate action,peace,and partnership goals are well in place through various forestry interventions and environmental commitments by the Government of India.

Land Conversions and Forest Dynamics in a Riparian Forest Zone in South East Nigeria

The rate at which forest ecosystems are lost and modified across tropical landscapes are alarming,yet proper documentation and proactive measures to curtail this still remains a huge challenge in most areas.This research focused on elucidating the ongoing land use change patterns of a riparian forest landscape,its current impacts on the ecosystem and land surface temperature,as well as its likely future scenarios for the zone.LANDSAT images were downloaded for 1988,2003 and 2018 and used to show the dynamics for the zone,its drivers and their varying temperatures.Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm was used for the classification and the land-use classes were categorized as:Water body,Farms and Sparse Vegetation,Built-up Areas,Bare Surface,and Thick Vegetation.Furthermore,Markov Chain Analysis was employed for understanding the future patterns of land use change in the zone.Land use categories experienced changes over the three epochs,but among all,farmlands/sparse vegetation and thick vegetation had the most significant changes from 7.70 to 58.67 percent and 73.56 to 20.58 percent,respectively;implying that much of the forestland use/cover(which constituted the bulk of the land initially;73.56 percent)were converted to agricultural land use.This same trend at which agriculture grew in the zone was seen to affect the land surface temperature for zone(Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.99 with p=0.0058 at 0.05 level of significance).Future projection for the zone equally showed that agricultural land use will likely dominate the entire landscape in the coming years and a consequent impact on the climate and ecosystem expected as well.On that note,intensive agricultural practices that seek to maximize allocated farm units were advocated.Such initiatives will help to ensure that agricultural growth is contained within delimited zones so that haphazard cultivations,reductions in ecological value of the forest landscape and consequent climatic impacts could be managed across the region.

Assessment of a Public Participation Tool by Experts: A Case Study of Quebec, Canada

In theory, sustainable forest management (SFM) puts public participation at the epicenter of the decision-making process. However, in reality, the situation is different. The growing importance of public participation seems essential for the implementation of sustainable forest management. The aim of this study is to assess the implementation of a theoretical concept closely related to SFM, integrated land and resource management (ILRM). This Canadian concept aims to integrate many forest functions using participatory tools. Using semi-structured interviews with experts, we clarify our theoretical concept and adapt it to reality. Our results show that better communication between stakeholders is necessary. It is also important to increase the flexibility of the timber harvest system and adapted forest zoning should be considered. A new concept, the forest culture, seems to be a key element that needs to be considered upstream of forest management. A new definition of ILRM is proposed in order to better reach social values.

Progress of forest certification in China

The Chinese Government is committed to forest certification as a market-based instrument to promote sustainable forest management. Forest certification includes a number of regulations, rules and policy paradigms related to certification and there are numerous challenges facing the uptake of forest certification in China. In particular, the ban on commercial logging in natural forests implemented by the Natural Forest Protection Program has resulted in little demand for forest certification of natural forest management units. However,there are also certification opportunities, such as the certification of non-timber forest products that benefit local communities who depend on forests for the goods and services they provide. This paper provides an overview of progress in forest certification in China, including its development history, organizational structure, scheme documents, certification scopes and standards, accreditation, certification bodies and auditors, and certification logos. The paper also focuses on government support for the supervision and management of forest certification through policy incentives, including the potential government procurement and subsidy policies for certified forest products. Finally, the paper analyzes certified non-timber forest products as an example of the value of certification to promote sustainable forest management and how the concept of forest certification can be used to add value to forests and ensure they are responsibly and sustainably managed. In general, forest certification in China has a clear role in sustainable forest management, both for timber and non-timber forest products.

Approach Analyses to Promote Sustainable Forest Management with Forest Certification in China

The paper was based on the current development status of forest certification to analyze the basic characteristics of forest certification from the development point of view in terms of origin, development, main drivers and impacts, and then conducted the approach analysis to promote sustainable forest management with forest certification in China. The result showed that China shall establish her own forest certification scheme, with the focus on the improvement of forest sustainable management concept through forest certification, the promotion of forest certification through the leadership of large companies and the strengthening of capacity building. It is unrealistically expected to employ forest certification to facilitate China’s forest management immediately on the track of sustainability.

International Processes on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management and their Influences on China

Currently more attention has been paid to sustainable forest management (SFM) all over the world. The paper gives the presentation of criteria and indicators (C & I) for SFM at international, national, regional and management unit levels. Under the international framework, the paper summarizes the developing situation of C & I for SFM in China and gives the suggestion on how to promote its development.