Representative boreal forest habitats in northern Europe,and a revised model for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation

The natural range of variation of ecosystems provides reference conditions for sustainable management and biodiversity conservation. We review how the understanding of natural reference conditions of boreal forests in northern Europe has changed from earlier perceptions of even-aged dynamics driven by stand-replacing disturbances towards current understanding highlighting the role of non-stand-replacing disturbances and the resultant complex forest dynamics and structures. We show how earlier views and conceptual models of forest disturbance dynamics, including the influential ASIO model, provide estimates of reference conditions that are outside the natural range of variation. Based on a research synthesis, we present a revised forest reference model incorporating the observed complexity of ecosystem dynamics and the prevalence of old forests. Finally, we outline a management model and demonstrate its use in forest ecosystem management and show how regional conservation area needs can be estimated. We conclude that attaining favourable conservation status in northern Europe’s boreal forests requires increasing emphasis on ecosystem management and conservation for old forest characteristics.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01444-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Natural food resources bank in the form of forestry and grassland: Scenarios to ensure sustainable food security

An evaluation was conducted to establish the feasibility of a Natural Food Resources Bank (NFRB), in the form of forestry or grassland, to achieve both continuous food production and an accumulation of primary nutrients in living perennial plants. The development of an NFRB protects our living environment from deterioration (especially soil erosion) by increasing the surface coverage of the world's land, even in mountainous areas. Additionally a functioning NFRB enhances food sustainably and security, representing a tangible and renewable food resource production system. Research has identified the prospects of cultivating the NFRB in the form of forestry and also grassland. The review investigated the distinct differences of an NFRB from a range of approaches and discusses the environmental advantage and feasibility of cultivating NFRB. The ability of the NFRB to realize sustainable food resources production for ensuring food security is evaluated in terms of environmental and economical feasibility. A NFRB can attenuate climatic change by increasing CO₂ absorption and fixation. It is worth considering the replacement of the annual food production system by the NFRB (especially in steeplands) in environmental law, and replacing the policy of maintaining annual food reserves by the NFRB in food security policy.     

河南省林业经济差异与空间演变

采用经济重心研究法和变异系数法对河南省林业经济进行了计量分析,发现该省林业经济差异在不断扩大,林业经济重心偏向东南方向,有北移和西移的趋势,对此现象进行了合理的解释.在此基础上,提出了河南省林业经济发展的建议：①转变林业经济增长方式;②豫北山区培育形成特色经济林基地;③豫南山区加强名优经济林种植及深加工;④豫东豫中平原区大力发展速生丰产林和用材林.     

Opportunities and constraints for organizations to help sustain tropical forest resources

A large number of organizations make decisions that directly or indirectly affect tropical forests. The principal constraints that affect these organizations are (1) insufficient funds; (2) insufficient knowledge about the resources and appropriate technologies; (3) institutional, cultural, and political factors; (4) inadequate communication; and (5) contradictory efforts. Opportunities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these organizations include (1) increasing cooperation among US government agencies; (2) redirecting international organizations; (3) increasing coordination among organizations; (4) boosting support of nongovernmental organizations and universities; (5) encouraging responsible involvement by private corporations; (6) strengthening existing organizations; and (7) creating new organizations.This article is drawn from US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment (1984), Technologies to Sustain Tropical Forest Resources, chap. 5. Other articles drawn from the OTA report are Hyman (1984a and b) and Hyman and Ross-Sheriff (1984). A larger number of organizations with activities related to tropical forestry are briefly described in the background paper (US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment 1983).     

Deforestation in the drylands of Africa: Quantitative modelling approach

This paper has developed a two-sector model of forestry that gives some insights into the interactions of poverty, land tenure insecurity, economic growth, trade and deforestation in the context of the drylands of Africa. Externally, the model results show that the world demand for non-timber forestry products can lead to a win-win situation whereby both trade and environmental sustainability can be promoted. Monopolistic measures to control the supply of these products, for short-term price gains, are harmful economically and environmentally. By contrast, productivity-raising measures have a favourable impact on both the economy and the environment. Internally, the model results show that the growth of the rest of the economy has driven the economic growth of the forestry sector, but at the same time, its environmental degradation. Poverty and land tenure insecurity also contribute to this degradation. Fortunately, policies promoting basic needs satisfaction and property rights security are shown to be effective in mitigating environmental degradation in the forestry sector. The paper results contribute towards a more sustainable exploitation of forestry.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

生态公益林建设管理的环境经济政策分析--以广州市为例

根据环境经济学的外部性理论 ,生态公益林建设管理具有外部经济性。使生态公益林建设管理外部性内部化的主要手段是“调节市场”型的环境经济政策 ,即由政府向公众征收生态公益林建设管理费用 ,而“建立市场”型的环境经济政策———明晰生态公益林的产权、承包经营权 ,则是生态公益林建设管理外部性内部化和生态公益林有效管理的需要。广州市生态公益林建设管理中存在的建设管理资金不足、林地的使用权分散、对林农补偿的数量难以确定等问题 ,有待于上述两种环境经济政策来解决     

氮沉降增加对森林植物影响的研究进展

由于化石燃料的燃烧、含氮化肥的使用以及畜牧业等人类活动的影响,向大气中排放的含氮化合物数量不断上升,从而引起大气氮沉降的增加,使得生态系统发生了一系列变化。为了更好地研究氮沉降这一环境变化,从植物生长、植物抗逆性、植物营养、凋落物分解、以及外来植物入侵等方面对氮沉降进行了综述。     

四川森林资源的可持续发展

四川森林是我国三大林区之一“青藏高原东部林区”的重要组成部分，该区的森林植被是维系长江流域生态平衡的主要天然屏障。本区森林资源能否持续发展整关长江流域的生态安全。通过对四川森林资源的现状，特点和存在问题的分析表明，四川森林资源丰富，具很高的生物多样性，发展潜力大，是重要的生态屏障，但天然林多、人工林少、林地土中退化严重，资源分布不均，树种单一，森林结构不合理，引种与林副产品的开发也存在许多问题，经济、生态效益差，也是森林植被生态系统的脆弱区之一。要促进该省森林资源的可持续发展，保护其生物多样性，发挥潜力，增强生态屏障作用，必须走以保护为主，多渠道开发，经济与生态效益并重的综合发展之路。     

国际标准产业分类体系的农、林、牧、渔业分类演化及启示

国际标准产业分类体系是目前国际上最有影响和权威的产业分类体系。深入了解国际标准产业分类体系中农、林、牧、渔业分类演化,对正确收集、处理和测算我国农、林、牧、渔业的指标以及国际间数据比较至关重要。论文首先详细地剖析国际标准产业分类体系的农、林、牧、渔业的分类演化,然后依据国际标准产业分类体系的最新变化,结合我国农、林、牧、渔业现状,为我国国民经济行业分类中农、林、牧、渔业的修改和调整提供建议。     

Forgetting about hazard

Abstract

This paper examines long-term recovery outcomes of businesses impacted by major natural disasters. Data were collected via two large-scale mail surveys—one administered to Santa Cruz County, California businesses 8 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake and the other administered to businesses in South Dade County, Florida, 6 years after Hurricane Andrew. Based on the results of OLS regression models, we argue that long-term recovery experiences of businesses are affected by various factors, including the economic sector in which a business operates, its age and financial condition, and the scope of its primary market; direct and indirect disaster impacts, including physical damage, forced closure, and disruption of operations; and owner perceptions of the broader economic climate. Previous disaster experience, level of disaster preparedness, and use of external sources of aid were not found to significantly affect the long-term economic viability of businesses in the two study communities.