REDD+ and forest tenure security: concerns in Nepal’s community forestry

As one of the dominant large-scale mechanisms proposed to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and rural poverty, REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) has added further complexity to the challenging governance of rights and resources in global forests. As REDD+ is commodifying carbon, concerns emerge about how carbon ownership and its rights can be accommodated into the existing framework that governs local forest resource rights. The Nepalese government has formally entered into REDD+ policy preparations, but it lacks clear legal provisions regarding key forest tenure rights such as carbon ownership, benefit sharing, and the political participation of community forest user groups from national to local. As a result, Nepal’s policy process points toward performance-based carbon forestry in a way that may undermine and weaken existing community tenure rights and forest tenure security.

This paper discusses Nepal’s potential impacts of new REDD+ and carbon ownership arrangements on forest tenure security and community-based forest governance. In a threefold methodological approach, the paper presents three scenarios for a REDD+-oriented tenure reform within the existing framework and assesses their concerns through in-depth qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, representatives, and advocates of Nepal’s community forestry system, complemented by a review of government documents and academic literature of REDD+ lessons so far. The analysis identifies critical concerns for forest tenure security, state-community power relationships, and effective local institutions of the commons, and suggests that Nepal’s REDD+ process is taking place at a particularly consequential time for structural changes of the forest governance framework.     

水的生态治理机制对林业劳动安全生产影响分析

随着我国可持续发展战略的实施,自然环境综合治理机制越来越受到社会关注,水资源保护成为自然生态保护的重要内容,水资源保护过程中需要建立完善的生态治理机制,保证水资源能够合理循环,实现经济社会的可持续发展。林业劳动安全生产对水具有高度依赖性,因此水资源生态治理机制建设可以推动林业劳动安全生产管理工作得以顺利开展,全面实现林业生产效益,保障林业劳动生产的安全性。     

Direct and Indirect Effects of Forest Harvesting on Sediment Yield in Forested Watersheds of the United States

Managed forests generally produce high water quality, but degradation is possible via sedimentation if proper management is not implemented during forest harvesting. To mitigate harvesting effects on total watershed sediment yield, it is necessary to understand all processes that contribute to these effects. Forest harvesting best management practices (BMPs) focus almost exclusively on overland sediment sources, whereas in‐and‐near stream sources go unaddressed although they can contribute substantially to sediment yield. Thus, we propose a new framework to classify forest harvesting effects on stream sediment yield according to their direct and indirect processes. Direct effects are those caused by erosion and sediment delivery to surface water from overland sources (e.g., forest roads). Indirect effects are those caused by a shift in hydrologic processes due to tree removal that accounts for increases in subsurface and surface flows to the stream such that alterations in water quality are not predicated upon overland sediment delivery to the stream, but rather in‐stream processes. Although the direct/indirect distinction is often implicit in forest hydrology studies, we have formalized it as a conceptual model to help identify primary drivers of sediment yield after forest harvesting in different landscapes. Based on a literature review, we identify drivers of these effects in five regions of the United States, discuss current forest management BMPs, and identify research needs.     

基于Esteban-Marquillas拓展模型的中国农业增长的演进特征

论文基于偏离-份额法的Esteban-Marquillas拓展模型,从份额分量、结构分量、净竞争分量和资源配置分量4方面系统研究了1985—2014年间中国农业生产规模及结构的演进特征。结果表明：1）研究期间,中国农业增加值呈现阶段式增长,种植业和牧业是导致农业增长的主要产业,黄淮海区和长江中下游区是全国农业增长的主要区域。2）八大粮食生产区农业产业份额分量均表现出先剧烈波动、后稳步增长的发展态势;各区域产业结构优势总体较弱且进一步下降;净竞争分量变化具有波动性,种植业、渔业促进区域农业总体竞争力的作用增强,林业和牧业的促进作用减弱;种植业和林业改善区域农业资源配置效应的作用增强,牧业和渔业则相对减弱。3）建议各区域结合产业发展优势,制定相关政策加强区域资源整合、农产品流通与技术合作,促进地区农业稳定发展。研究结果可为我国农业生产结构优化及差异化的发展策略制定提供依据。     

论煤矿城市塌陷区和露天采矿区的生态重建战略问题

本文对上述不同地区煤矿塌陷区和露天采矿区的生态重建战略问题分别进行了论述。     

Young adult conservation jobs and worker health

Decades of research studies demonstrate links between healthy environment, healthy lifestyles, and healthy people. This study evaluated the correlations between young adult conservation workers' perceived stress, personal effectiveness, and nature experience using quantitative and qualitative social science methods. The study cohort numbered nearly 300 individuals serving on small crews for an entire year, and were dispersed across Washington State (USA) to participate in conservation projects in rural to urban landscapes. Pre- and post-test surveys, using validated measures of perceived stress, health dimensions, and personal resiliency, were further informed by mid-year, field-based interviews. Overall, the young adults expressed fatigue with the physical work but were quite healthy when compared to national benchmarks. They indicated a reduction in perceived stress, and indicated social function influences based on the conservation work. Conclusions address the importance and implications of expanding this work opportunity to a more diverse cohort and future research needs.     

In-stand scenic beauty of variable retention harvests and mature forests in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: The effects of basal area, density, retention pattern and down wood

Tensions between amenity- and timber-based economies in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest motivated a study of scenic beauty inside mature forests and timber harvests. A diverse sample of regional forests, measures of forest structure, and large, representative samples of photographs and public judges were employed to measure scenic beauty inside un-harvested mature and old-growth forests, and timber harvests. The latter varied systematically in down wood levels and retention level and pattern. Scenic beauty tended to be optimized at a basal area of 110–155 m³/ha and/or 700–900 trees/ha. Older forests and those with larger trees were perceived to be more beautiful. In harvests, greater retention levels, less down wood, and dispersed rather than aggregated retention patterns contributed to aesthetic improvements. Green-tree retention harvests offer considerable potential gains in perceived scenic beauty compared to perceived very ugly clearcuts, particularly at higher retention levels. These gains are more reliable from dispersed retention patterns. The silvicultural parameters studied change strength in affecting scenic beauty with changes in retention level. These interactions are explored in relation to a range of scenic quality objectives as an aid to planners, visual impact analysts, and silviculturists.     

Cross-Boundary Coordination on Forested Landscapes: Investigating Alternatives for Implementation

Cross-boundary coordination is a tool for ecosystem management whereby landowners voluntarily coordinate management practices toward economic and/or ecological landscape-scale outcomes (e.g., fiber, invasive species control, habitat). Past research indicates that it may be particularly applicable on landscapes that include small forest landholdings. To explore alternatives by which coordination might occur, we conducted seven focus groups with landowners (n = 51) who actively manage their forests in southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. Focus group participants were presented with three hypothetical alternatives to coordinate with their neighbors; landowners could self-organize, work with a natural resource professional (i.e., forester), or work with an organization to complete a cross-boundary practice. In this article, we focus on the latter two alternatives and the role of two social theories—principal-agent and cooperation—in explaining landowners’ evaluations of these alternatives. Key findings are that (1) cross-boundary coordination has the potential to alleviate problems between landowners and resource professionals inherent to their typical working relationship, and (2) social relationships are a major factor contributing to landowners’ willingness to participate. We posit that cross-boundary coordination offers a non-economic incentive for landowners to work together as it may reduce the uncertainty associated with hiring a resource professional. At the same time, professionals can provide a bridging function among landowners who are unacquainted. To achieve these outcomes and expand the adoption of cross-boundary coordination, we suggest four guidelines. First, foster dialogue among landowners toward shared cognition and oversight. Second, match landowners’ practices and objectives such that there are clear benefits to all. Third, develop relationships through low risk activities where possible. Fourth, do not expect on-going commitments.

Forest Dynamics in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu,India

The primary deciduous forests in the Eastern Ghats (EG) of Tamil Nadu (TN) India have undergone many changes owing to various need-based forest managements, such as timber extraction for industry, railway sleepers, charcoal, and forest clearance for hydroelectric projects and agriculture, during preindependence and postindependence periods (i.e., from 1800 to 1980). The enactment of a forest conservation act during the 1980s changed the perception of forest managers from utilization to conservation. This study was taken up to assess the forests dynamics in the EG of TN spatially between 1990 and 2003 and nonspatially between 1900 and the 1980s. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Indian Remote Sensing satellite (IRS) 1D Linear Imaging and Self Scanning (LISS III) data were used to assess forests during 1990 and 2003, respectively. Field floristic survey and secondary data (such as published literature, floras, books, and forest working plans) were used to assess the forest dynamics in terms of forest type and species composition among the preindependence period, the postindependence period, and the present (i.e., before and after 1980). The satellite data analysis revealed a considerable amount of changes in all forest types during the 13 years. The comparison of species composition and forest types between the past and present revealed that need-based forest management along with anthropogenic activity have altered the primary deciduous forest in to secondary and postextraction secondary forests such as southern thorn and southern thorn scrub forests in the middle [400–900 m above mean sea level (MSL)] and lower slopes (<400 m MSL). However, the evergreen forests present at the upper slope (>900 m MSL) and plateau seemed not to be much affected by the forest management. The changes estimated by the satellite data processing in the major forest types such as evergreen, deciduous, southern thorn, and southern thorn scrub are really alarming because these changes have occurred after the implementation of a forest conservation act. The dependence of local people on forests for various purposes in this region is also considerably high, which might be a key factor for the changes in the forests. The results of this study not only provide an outlook on the present status of the forests and the change trends but also provide the basis for further studies on forests in the EG of TN.     

武汉市九峰城市森林保护区景观敏感度评价

为合理开展森林景观的规划与建设，应用RS和GIS技术，并结合小班调查，对武汉市九峰城市森林保护区的景观生态敏感度和景观视觉敏感度进行了研究。结果表明：在武汉市九峰城市森林保护区中，高生态敏感区面积占总面积的4.6％，主要包括荒山、废弃采石场和少量灌木林地，应尽快进行生态恢复。中生态敏感区面积占总面积的535％，主要为水域、农田、部分苗圃和建设用地，可重点开展森林植被恢复和景观建设。低生态敏感区面积占总面积的419％，主要是森林覆盖区域、部分苗圃和居民点，应重点加强保护。一级视觉敏感区主要分布在沿道路两侧坡度大于20°的近景带，应以保护和生态恢复措施为主。二级视觉敏感区主要是坡度较小的近景带和山体的中、远景带区域，可视性强，应重点开展景观改造。三级视觉敏感区主要是中、远景带中的平坦地带，包括农田、苗圃、居民点等半自然景观和人文景观，可在不影响整体风貌和视觉环境的前提下进行景观建设。四级视觉敏感区为不可见区域或低可见区域，坡度大，可及性差，不宜规划建设项目。