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Abstract: Satellite imagery can be used to assess the state of vegetation in areas that are rarely visited. Here we report how satellite imagery clearly shows the outline of Mucheve Forest Reserve in Mozambique because the vegetation within the park has been severely degraded. This is contrast to several other protected areas, where the vegetation outside their boundaries is often more degraded than within. Possible reasons for the difference between the vegetation structure inside and outside the reserve are shortly discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In today's world, as ecological challenges continue to rise, the importance of environmental monitoring and conservation cannot be overstated. These efforts play a vital role in countering the adverse impacts of human activities on our planet. The development of predictive models that can accurately predict the results of different conservation measures is essential for the success of these conservation efforts. This paper's objective is to create a Machine Learning (ML) model that predicts how environmental changes can unfold. This prediction helps in proactive monitoring and conservation planning, considering factors like deforestation, air pollution, sea level rise, temperature shifts, and forest preservation. The model relies on machine learning techniques, including AdaBoost, ETS, Prophet, SARIMA, LightGBM, and TL-BLSTM models, to analyze data, uncover trends, and inform decision-making. By offering a thorough assessment of the effects of conservation approaches, this model aids in shaping well-informed decisions regarding the distribution of resources. As a result, this process strengthens initiatives designed to protect biodiversity and the Earth's natural resources. Predicting changes in environmental variables is the main goal of this research, which will improve effective environmental management. In order to draw conclusions that are meaningful, this study compares several models for each of the four crucial factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Payments for hydrological services (PHS) apply an incentive-based approach to achieve conservation and socioeconomic goals. PHS policies are most successful when they are designed and implemented with participation from diverse stakeholders and respond to local needs and conditions. Role-play simulations (RPS) engage stakeholders from different organizations and decision-making roles in policy deliberations and innovations. This paper explores how a science-based RPS encourages participation from diverse actors to inform PHS policy innovation in Veracruz, Mexico. We present results from two RPS workshops which engaged 69 stakeholders in negotiations on the future design of a hypothetical PHS program. Our RPS integrated qualitative and quantitative information from operating PHS programs to inform a hypothetical, but realistic, decision-making scenario. This paper analyzes data collected from surveys of workshop participants, audio recordings of workshop discussions, and post-workshop, in-depth interviews. We found the RPS fostered collaborative decision-making by engaging participants in constructive conversations about PHS program design options to effectively contribute to forest conservation and socioeconomic well-being, including incentivizing environmentally friendly farm practices and complementing cash payment with in-kind transactions. We also found the collaborative method of RPS challenged the exclusive role of technical expertise in decision-making by eliciting ideas for improvement of PHS programs and fostering understanding and empathy towards others and their interests, particularly for small landowners who do not typically participate in decision-making. We conclude that a science-based RPS can be a valuable tool for encouraging multi-stakeholder participation in policy design that reflects local environmental and socio-economic values and needs. • Role-play simulation (RPS) is a method to engage stakeholders in policy deliberations and innovation. • RPS promotes critical thinking about the design and approach of PHS policy. • RPS can potentially inform PHS policies. • RPS negotiations can contribute to mutual understanding between different stakeholders. • RPS negotiations can be a valuable tool for encouraging multi-stakeholder participation in generating policy options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports developments related to the paper industry in the U.S. Announcement of the conservation program of Coleman Natural Foods to address the critical need to restore forests, working farms and ranches; Recycling of wastepaper by Corenso North America from its community in 2004; Integration of Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s North Atlantic personal care and family care businesses into a single organization under one leader.

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As a leading cause of forest health degradation, non‐native invasive plant species are a key focus for many forest management and conservation efforts. These efforts come at a high price for resource‐limited agencies and organizations making cost‐effectiveness an important objective of invasion response plans. In this paper, we present an approach to guide the prioritization of locations for invasion management using species distribution models that account for the non‐equilibrium of invasive species distributions and use readily available land use data as the primary explanatory variables. This approach takes advantage of the relatively high spatial resolution, as well as the broad, continuous geographic coverage, of land use data to provide results at a landscape scale relevant to practitioners responsible for invasive species management. In our example from northern Virginia, we simultaneously modeled a suite of invasive plant species to identify common indicators of invasion. We found that the proportions of surrounding non‐forested land use types (grasses, crops, and development) were the most common and strongest indicators of invasion risk. These outcomes can guide managers of large protected areas to focus on major divides between forest and non‐forest land over linear disturbances. We also found useful species‐specific traits that can inform specific management actions. Additionally, we demonstrate through a case study how organizations that manage multiple smaller properties can take advantage of the projected distribution maps when considering acquiring or administering properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the Masters of Forest Conservation (MFC) Program at the University of Toronto's Faculty in Ontario. She cites the success experienced by the program since it started in 1996. She says that the program was established to recognize fundamental values, focus and priorities desired by the Canadian public and to address the interdisciplinary nature of forest conservation and management. An introduction to some of the papers within "The Forestry Chronicle" is also provided.

In Tanzania, beekeeping contributes to the natural ecosystem growth and livelihood of rural poor people. This activity provides income and ensures food security as generated from bee products. This paper explores adoption of hanging frame beehives and its implications for livelihoods and forest conservation in the Chemba district, Dodoma region. Data was collected through interviews and Focus group discussions using structured and unstructured questionnaires. Quantitative and qualitative information were analysed through a statistical package SPSS version 16 and content analysis. The research revealed that 37.9% of the beekeepers obtain an average income of above 50,000 (21.57 USD) Tshs per year from using hanging frame beehives and 36% of other beekeepers obtain less than 50,000 (21.57 USD) Tshs per year from using log beehives. The average income from beekeeping indicates that the communities are not yet receiving reasonable income to emphasise the activity as a main source of income. Furthermore, traditional beekeeping has remained a preferred technique, thus jeopardising the forest ecosystems around the areas. Implying that adoption of hanging frame beehives is still to ensure forest conservation. The study recommends that the government, in collaboration with private stakeholders, should plan to improve beekeeping by introducing improved beehives that can be affordable to rural communities and ensure forest conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virungas National Park, Rwanda, is a pristine wild environment abutting some of the most fertile agricultural land in Africa. Climate and altitude provide ideal conditions for many valuable crops there. In this paper, Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is highlighted in an excerpt from a fieldwork diary. Various elements that contribute to a wider understanding of challenges faced by various groups, including wildlife are explored through the perspective of global economic and political forces. The paper adopts an interdisciplinary approach from a perspective firmly grounded in conservation biology. It addresses a need for dialogue across fields and disciplines in order to contribute to more robust and effective strategies for both rain forest conservation and the well-being of precarious agricultural, hunter-gatherer and wildlife communities. Human agency in the face of monolithic business models, of 'primitive' versus 'modern' binaries, and the sustainability of conservation models that exclude such perspectives are outlined and explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many densely populated countries in Europe, land suitable for agriculture, forest and protected areas is becoming scarcer with expanding settlement area. One way to mitigate this pressure is to abstain from the in-kind replacement of forest clearances and to allow for their compensation by nature conservation projects on areas other than agricultural land, including the forest itself. It is particularly the latter that implies a difficult trade-off for forest owners who adhere to the forest area preservation principle but at the same time support biodiversity offsetting in the forest as a potential new source of income. This paper analyses the stated preferences of forest owners in the Swiss canton of Berne with a discrete choice survey experiment that allows examining how forest owners reconcile this trade-off and whether the requirement to spatially coordinate offsets affects their willingness to participate in such a scheme. The results show that while biodiversity offsetting in the forest is disputed and support is generally low, those forest owners that participate do not exclusively offer low-effectivity measures on marginal forest land. However, they also demand substantial financial compensation. A spatial coordination of biodiversity offsets is certainly not their main concern and thus needs to be secured by respective regulation. • We conduct a choice experiment among forest owners about biodiversity offsetting in the forest. • Biodiversity offsetting should compensate forest plots that were converted to other land-use. • A large proportion of invited forest owners rejects biodiversity offsets in lieu of compensatory afforestation. • A majority of those completing the choice experiment is offering offsets on productive forest plots. • This group is indifferent towards spatial coordination, which thus needs to be provided by the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce deforestation and mitigate climate change, the Peruvian government proposed and partially implemented incentive- and disincentive-based forest conservation policies, especially in the Amazon, where most of the country's deforestation occurs. However, to date, little is known about the magnitude of the trade-offs between cost-effectiveness and welfare effects of such a policy mix. To explore this question, this paper develops a spatially explicit simulation model of landholders' deforestation decisions based on fines, payments for ecosystem services (PES), and the probability of enforcement that incorporates enforcement costs and deforestation dynamics. Simulations show that a policy approach solely based on disincentives (i.e. fines) could avoid annual deforestation at 2128 soles 1 1 1 sol ∼ USD 0.28 in 2022. /ha (0.81 USD/tCO 2) and a total income loss of 425 million soles for sanctioned landholders due to fines and lost agricultural rents (10-year net present values). On the other hand, a policy approach based only on PES could reduce deforestation at 7692 soles/ha or ∼2.6 USD/tCO 2 with a total income gain of 146 million soles for landholders receiving PES. Our findings show where and by how much mixing different levels of fines and PES could mitigate such trade-offs and attaining similar levels of avoided deforestation. • Imposing fines proves most cost-effective for deforestation reduction. • Adding incentives alleviates trade-offs between cost-effectiveness and income loss. • Collecting fine revenues further enhances the cost-effectiveness of command-and-control. • We use the Poisson distribution for generating deforestation scenarios. • We consider the field operations costs to calculate the enforcement probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Tanzania, beekeeping contributes to the natural ecosystem growth and livelihood of rural poor people. This activity provides income and ensures food security as generated from bee products. This paper explores adoption of hanging frame beehives and its implications for livelihoods and forest conservation in the Chemba district, Dodoma region. Data was collected through interviews and Focus group discussions using structured and unstructured questionnaires. Quantitative and qualitative information were analysed through a statistical package SPSS version 16 and content analysis. The research revealed that 37.9% of the beekeepers obtain an average income of above 50,000 (21.57 USD) Tshs per year from using hanging frame beehives and 36% of other beekeepers obtain less than 50,000 (21.57 USD) Tshs per year from using log beehives. The average income from beekeeping indicates that the communities are not yet receiving reasonable income to emphasise the activity as a main source of income. Furthermore, traditional beekeeping has remained a preferred technique, thus jeopardising the forest ecosystems around the areas. Implying that adoption of hanging frame beehives is still to ensure forest conservation. The study recommends that the government, in collaboration with private stakeholders, should plan to improve beekeeping by introducing improved beehives that can be affordable to rural communities and ensure forest conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Paper analyzes the causes of recent reforestation in northern Phetchabun, Thailand. • Most reforestation due to 'push' dynamics (e.g. distress land abandonment). • Factors countering forest transition drivers are discussed. • More attention needed on the conditions of validity of broad generalizations. • Push factors and resistance strategies against FTs need further research. Abstract Researchers and policy makers are increasingly looking at the drivers of forest recovery (or forest transition) for inspiration in their search for win-win solutions to deforestation. However, causal generalizations regarding forest transitions are subject to significant problems. First, forest transition theory (FTT), at least in its simplest renditions, tends to emphasize socially benign processes and fails to pay sufficient attention to the causal role—and social impacts—of negative (push) dynamics. Second, we have yet to understand when and why forest transition drivers sometimes lead to outcomes other than forest transition (e.g., further deforestation). Of particular relevance is the paucity of work analyzing the capacity of actors to counter drivers of forest transitions through adaptation and resistance strategies. These problems can lead to overly optimistic views of the causes and consequences of forest transitions, and this hinders the search for contextually sensitive policy prescriptions compatible with social justice and sustainable development. Using process tracing, this paper presents analysis of the causes of reduced deforestation in the 1980s, and forest expansion in the 1990s and early 2000s, in rain-fed maize farming areas of northern Phetchabun, Thailand. From the perspective of past and current land users, forest expansion mainly occurred following distress-driven land abandonment and land confiscation rather than private afforestation. Increasing economic opportunities induced wealthier farmers (with access to paddy fields) to shift their attention to irrigated cultivation, but this had more indirect and contradictory effects on non-wealthy farmers. Most forest expansion thus appeared to be the result of "push" causal dynamics, to which some farmers were unable to respond or adapt. Adaptation and resistance strategies are discussed, including pluriactivity and political activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A conceptual framework for forest land use for cultural ecosystem services is presented. • The framework is based on von Thünen's model and Service Dominant Logic. • It contributes to land use analysis, policy and planning in an urban rural gradient. • It considers the processes leading to co-created ecosystem service value. Abstract The allocation of forest land to different uses for ecosystem services (ES) is a complex task which is increasingly influenced by current urbanisation trends and the growth of the service-oriented economy. With the focus on cultural ES, this paper examines the principles that are intended to ensure the best cultural ES value in forest land use allocation. The analysis considers the co-creation process of cultural ES value and the trade-off between cultural and other categories of ES in an urban–rural context. A literature review of applied studies on forest land use allocation and ES is presented and research gaps are identified. Based on the findings of the review, two theoretical frameworks for an improved analysis of cultural ES value and land use allocation are suggested: the von Thünen location theory and service-dominant logic (SDL). Von Thünen showed that optimal land use is determined by the land rents for different alternative uses, which vary depending on distance from population centres. SDL, a theory from the field of marketing research, focuses on the role of skills and services – in addition to the traditional goods-related attributes – for the creation of customer value. This paper argues that a combination of the two frameworks can inspire future research and policymaking concerning forest land use allocation. The von Thünen framework highlights the role of local forest landscapes in proximity to population centres for creating cultural ES value. The SDL theory emphasises the co-creation of forest based cultural ES value that involves the forest ecosystem; beneficiaries of cultural ES value; and actors, who also are resource integrators (e.g. forest owners, planners, associations and other actors). Examples of applications of the two frameworks are given and both practical implications and limitations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing threats from pests and diseases fundamentally question what forest management is and must do in the 21st century. The sociological concept of 'care' offers new understandings of forest management as intimate and emotional relationships between people and trees. In this paper, we examine the empirical realities of conservation forest management at a UK publicly owned site to reveal the social, economic, and institutional contexts of care and caring relations and their role in management decisions. This in-depth qualitative case study uses walking interviews with staff from all levels of the organisation and participatory data testing to show how care underpins the work of forest management, that forests are made and sustained through caring practices, and that management decisions are influenced by caring relations. Through the care framework we highlight the complexities of real-life decision-making and offer implications for forestry policy and practice. Applying the well-established components of care in a new setting, wherein the caring relations involve nonhumans, we extend care theory and demonstrate the potential of the single case study for deeply contextual forest and conservation research. • Care as feelings and activity is integral to the work of forest management. • Forests are sustained through caring practices involving relations between people and trees. • Context is integral to understanding forest management decisions. • Human-nonhuman relations of care may hold the key to more sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's forests, particularly in coal and other mineral-bearing regions, have been at the centre of many social and environmental conflicts. Such conflicts will likely remain salient over the next decade as India appears to be moving towards greater use of coal instead of transitioning away from it. The current governance architecture in mineral-bearing forested areas is characterized by fragmentation of rights across different stakeholders and a pluralistic institutional regime – a situation often characterized as 'anticommons.' 'Anticommons' lead to the resource getting gridlocked and underused. The Indian government undertook a critical and ambitious policy design exercise – the 'Go-No-Go' or Inviolate Forest Policy (IFP) policy – to address the resource dilemmas by 'objectively' demarcating forests for mining and conservation. This paper traces the conflict around the policy formulation as it manifested in the corridors and ministries of the government. We use a novel data source of government records of formal policy deliberations – obtained through India's transparency law, Right to Information (RTI) – supported by conversations with senior bureaucrats, policymakers, and expert observers. We find that the quest for 'objective' demarcation of 'pristine' forests for conservation was marked by inter-ministerial conflict, laden with asymmetric power balances and involving the careful deployment of discursive frames and tactical maneuvers. We argue that the multiplicity of use-values that get valued differently a) by different individuals/groups of individuals and b) at different scales inscribe the possibility of conflict at the heart of any attempt to resolve anticommons, as can be seen in the IFP. In the process, we expose the problems in prioritizing amongst competing resource-uses, using 'efficiency'-based approaches. Further, our analysis presents an implicit critique of the monolithic understanding of the State in the supply of property rights. • The Go-No-Go / Inviolate policy (IFP) sought to objectively demarcate India's forests for mining and conservation purposes. • IFP was an attempt to resolve fragmented rights (anticommons) over coal-bearing forests. • However, the policy trajectory and outcomes were shaped by inter-ministerial conflict. • It reveals political consequences of prioritization among multiple competing resource-uses that manifest at different scales. • The techno-bureaucratic approach either failed to resolve underlying conflict or ended up marginalizing certain use-values. • 'Conflict' emerges as a useful frame for analyzing intra-governmental policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability and stability of global forest carbon sinks confront challenges arising from deforestation, forest fires, and land use changes. The trajectory of forest carbon sink development, whether convergent or divergent, not only influences the global carbon balance but also holds direct implications for climate policies. Fostering international collaboration in the collective establishment of carbon sinks is essential to alleviate climate change. A critical imperative lies in comprehending the distribution and dynamics of global forest carbon sinks. This paper, within this context, examines the convergence trends of forest carbon sinks among 147 countries. Utilizing a data-driven algorithm, the presence of club convergence is test, followed by an analysis of the influence of economic and social factors on club convergence. While uniform convergence in forest carbon stock across the entire sample is not evident, club convergence is indeed identified among the 147 countries. This study, informed by club convergence outcomes, provides insights into the global development pattern of forest carbon sinks. Additionally, factors such as GDP, land use, temperature fluctuations, and energy consumption are pinpointed as catalysts for the formation of convergence clubs. These findings offer valuable insights into regional variations in forest carbon absorption capacity, contributing to the formulation of more effective climate policies. Achieving environmental, economic, and socially sustainable development demands a nuanced equilibrium between economic growth and forest preservation. • The development pattern of forest carbon sink holds implications for policies. • The Log t- test is employed to assess the absence of uniform convergence. • The club convergence did exist among the 147 countries. • Land should be made better utilization for sustainable forest development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a random forest classification approach for identifying and mapping three types of lowland native grassland communities found in the Tasmanian Midlands region. Due to the high conservation priority assigned to these communities, there has been an increasing need to identify appropriate datasets that can be used to derive accurate and frequently updateable maps of community extent. Therefore, this paper proposes a method employing repeat classification and statistical significance testing as a means of identifying the most appropriate dataset for mapping these communities. Two datasets were acquired and analysed; a Landsat ETM+ scene, and a WorldView-2 scene, both from 2010. Training and validation data were randomly subset using a k- fold ( k = 50) approach from a pre-existing field dataset. Poa labillardierei, Themeda triandra and lowland native grassland complex communities were identified in addition to dry woodland and agriculture. For each subset of randomly allocated points, a random forest model was trained based on each dataset, and then used to classify the corresponding imagery. Validation was performed using the reciprocal points from the independent subset that had not been used to train the model. Final training and classification accuracies were reported as per class means for each satellite dataset. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was undertaken to determine whether classification accuracy differed between the two datasets, as well as between classifications. Results showed mean class accuracies between 54% and 87%. Class accuracy only differed significantly between datasets for the dry woodland and Themeda grassland classes, with the WorldView-2 dataset showing higher mean classification accuracies. The results of this study indicate that remote sensing is a viable method for the identification of lowland native grassland communities in the Tasmanian Midlands, and that repeat classification and statistical significant testing can be used to identify optimal datasets for vegetation community mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burning of agricultural residue during the dry season in rural northern Thailand has been identified as an important source of air pollution at the heart of an ongoing haze crisis particularly felt in the region's urban areas. Public outcry in Chiang Mai over poor air quality pressured the government into developing fire management and prevention efforts in areas with high numbers of open-air fires, such as Mae Chaem district. Nevertheless, the haze situation deteriorated, prompting the 2014–2019 military-led government to develop a pilot fire-reduction project known as the Mae Chaem Model, whose original design to mitigate and prevent fires in the district evolved into a series of sustainable development objectives. Given optimistic discourses surrounding the project's novel and participatory nature, this paper offers a critical analysis of initial project results. The project claims to offer prized benefits such as tenure security in exchange for the collaboration of villagers in the project. Interviews with villagers and other stakeholders reveal a series of concerns regarding 1) the production of land use history maps for 2002, 2011 and 2016, and 2) substantial expropriation of farmland and other severe land use restrictions. Our calculations suggest that, under a likely scenario, an average of 66% of farmland would be expropriated in the process (88% in one community). In accordance with villagers interviewed in two villages of Mae Chaem district, we are concerned about the capacity of local villagers to sufficiently intensify their production or otherwise limit the negative impact of such drastic land use restrictions on their livelihood. The paper also outlines other problems related to the temporary and revocable nature of the benefits offered and the rather dubious claims of coercion-free 'participation'. • Thai state has long used territorialized rules to control upland forests and people. • Seasonal air pollution coming from upland vegetation fires lead to deep urban anxiety. • State uses forest and haze crisis narratives to justify Mae Chaem Model project. • Villagers must agree to major farmland expropriation and farming restrictions. • As per wider forest policy, state dangles small benefits (e.g. revocable land rights). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the realm of drone applications in forestry. Drones have revolutionized various forest operations, and their role in mapping, monitoring, and inventory procedures is explored comprehensively. Leveraging advanced imaging technologies and data processing techniques, drones enable real-time tracking of changes in forested landscapes, facilitating effective monitoring of threats such as fire outbreaks and pest infestations. They expedite forest inventory by swiftly surveying large areas, providing precise data on tree species identification, size estimation, and health assessment, thus supporting informed decision-making and sustainable forest management practices. Moreover, drones contribute to tree planting, pruning, and harvesting, while monitoring reforestation efforts in real-time. Wildlife monitoring is also enhanced, aiding in the identification of conservation concerns and informing targeted conservation strategies. Drones offer a safer and more efficient alternative in search and rescue operations within dense forests, reducing response time and improving outcomes. Additionally, drones equipped with thermal cameras enable early detection of wildfires, enabling timely response, mitigation, and preservation efforts. The integration of AI and drones holds immense potential for enhancing forestry practices and contributing to sustainable land management. In the future explainable AI (XAI) improves trust and safety by providing transparency in decision-making, aiding in liability issues, and enabling precise operations. XAI facilitates better environmental monitoring and impact analysis, contributing to efficient forest management and preservation efforts. If a drone's AI can explain its actions, it will be easier to understand why it chose a particular path or action, which could inform safety procedures and improvements. • Overview on the current state of the art on how drones can improve smart forestry. • Discussion on challenges and limitations impeding the utilization in real-world. • Insight into the machine learning methods currently used in smart forestry. • Concluding that drones can benefit forestry in a multi-dimensional way. • Drones beneath tree canopies is an open challenge is rarely tackled in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • REDD+ activities are fairly recognized in Uganda's policies and laws. • Local government Act is not comprehensive for the implementation of sub-national REDD+ projects. • The policies are skewed mostly towards direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. • The laws of Uganda mainly provide for reducing deforestation and conservation of forest stocks. • The Agriculture policy is silent on all the REDD+ activities. Abstract A supportive policy and legal framework is critical for the implementation of interventions to mitigate climate change such as REDD+. This paper analyses Uganda's policies and laws, with the purpose of determining whether the policy issue, objectives of policies and laws provide for a supportive environment for REDD+ activities. The policies and laws analyzed include those indicated in Uganda's Readiness preparedness proposal and any other relevant public policies. The following questions guided the analysis: Are the REDD+ activities as prescribed in proceedings of the 16th COP to UNFCCC recognized in the policy issue and characterized? Are the REDD+ activities reflected in the object and subsequent provisions of the laws reviewed? From the analysis, it was found that deforestation and forest degradation, loss of protected areas, failure to sustainably utilize natural forests, and limited implementation of forest enhancement activities are recognized as a policy issue in some but not all policies. The characterization of deforestation and forest degradation is mostly linked to proximate drivers while barriers to conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks is linked to underlying drivers. Reducing deforestation and forest degradation are the most provided for activities in the policy issue and characterization, while enhancement of forest carbon stocks and sustainable management of forests are the least considered. Reducing forest degradation and conservation of forest stocks are the most provided for in the object and subsequent provisions of the Laws, while enhancement of forest carbon stocks is the least. Conservation of forest carbon stocks and reducing forest degradation are reflected in both policy issue and laws. The current policy and legal framework is suitable mainly for addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation as well as addressing the barriers to conservation of forest stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Financial and non-financial motivations influenced participation in PHS programs. • Participants in PHS programs recognized many non-financial benefits. • Impact evaluation methods found modest impacts on material benefits. • Impact evaluation methods found positive impacts on non-material benefits. • Future PHS program design should consider non-financial motivations and benefits. Abstract Payments for hydrological services (PHS) programs are expected to confer tangible benefits to households. Impact evaluations of PHS programs, however, find few to no changes in material indicators. One reason for this may be that non-financial motivations and benefits—including environmental or social—influence participation and are important outcomes for households participating in PHS programs. In this paper we test this hypothesis using 56 interviews and 181 surveys from households in Veracruz State, Mexico. Using logistic regression models we find that human, natural, physical and financial capital are important to the decision to participate in PHS, but so are pro-social and pro-environmental motivations. Using counterfactual impact evaluation methods we find few changes in material benefits but do find that PHS participants are more likely to report positive changes in their household and community quality of life over the last five years compared to households not participating in PHS programs. Qualitative information supports these findings. Our results contribute to the evolving theory on PHS that participation is driven by a mix of financial and non-financial motivations and that non-material benefits are an important outcome of these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Results denotes high extent of competition with respect to land use between mitigation options. • The net effect of transaction costs is small and may not represent a critical impediment. • The simulated REDD+ incentive shows how it might positively affect land use in developing countries. Abstract This paper develops an econometric model to estimate the economic determinants of forest land conversion in Esmeraldas, Ecuador and evaluates the effect that transaction costs have on incentive-based climate change mitigation activities. Using a logistic share model, the results show a high extent of competition for the use of land between agricultural production for palm oil processing and land-based carbon mitigation through avoided emissions from deforestation. Our results show that the current policy of introducing conservation payments in Ecuador is not sufficient to significantly reduce deforestation, but that payment levels based on a plausible international carbon price would make an appreciable difference in the net sequestration contribution of forests in northern Ecuador. Knowledge generated from this research can inform site-specific land use policy design aimed at addressing the opportunity costs of tropical forest conservation as an important component of climate mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on an empirical study of struggles concerning access to land and political inclusion (and exclusion) in the context of a forest conservation project in rural Burkina Faso, this paper analyses environmental politics through the lens of citizenship. In Centre-east Burkina Faso, a peasant resistance to a newly demarcated forest conservation zone turns into an identity and political conflict involving an international conservation organization, the state, decentralized and customary authorities. Based on shared history and residency, a new citizenship of migrants had emerged. These new citizens, finding their given lands within the new forest conservation area, rejected the project-proposed forest boundaries, put forward their citizenship entitlements and engaged in resistance. Eventually they also found themselves in conflict with their polity, lost their claims along with their still-fragile citizenship. Consequently, they were evicted from the forest and labelled as les déguerpis, denied citizenship and became denizens. Beyond confirming the fragile, processual, nature of citizenship these findings also bear theoretical and conceptual implications, challenge the mainstream way environmental politics are analysed and suggest the need to understand political belonging and citizenship as the very basis of environmental struggles. Highlights • Forest conservation can produce uneven forms of rural citizenship beyond the State. • Citizenship is fragile, processual, and part of an ongoing struggle that reflects but also reforms citizenship itself. • Environmental struggles are often more than about mere access to resources or material benefits, but political belonging. • Such conflicts and resistance can reflect citizenship and belonging but can also result in undermining these. • A citizenship lens enables to uncover agency and social changes in a rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the application of growth-simulation model SYBILA in conjunction with pulse tomography ARBOTOM for the evaluation of the strategy that was chosen for the management and protection of hardwood floodplain-forest in two study sites in Litovelske Pomoravi Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic). The results of the simulation-growth model, supplemented by wood tomography showed that the current method of protection and management of the studied floodplain-forest ecosystems would lead to a change in habitat character, which is in conflict with the basic mission of Natura 2000. Simultaneous application of both non-invasive methods enables adjustments to the protected area management plan in accordance with the principles of adaptive ecosystem management. The results of the paper show that the combination of the two relatively new non-invasive methods of ecological research can be a promising support tool for adaptive ecosystem management and protection of forest ecosystems in protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove resources are extensively harvested by urban-dwellers and rural community members across West Africa. It is un-known how current legislation and policy tools used to manage this ecosystem influence its sustainability in West Africa. However, current practices of mangrove wood harvesting are affecting the sustainability of this ecosystem. This paper explores literature to identify government institutions and legislations under which mangrove forests are managed, and critically analyzes the capacity of these institutions and regulations in promoting the sustainability of mangroves forests. The paper further uses mangrove wood harvesting and mangrove forests projects as case studies to assess the appropriateness of these legislations, enforcement and contribution to mangrove forests sustainability in West Africa. Results indicate there are too many institutions, with devolved roles and responsibilities charged with the management of mangrove forests. Countries of the region have ratified several international conventions and are using associated national natural resources legislations to support mangrove forests management. However, mangrove wood harvesting practices and patterns are almost un-regulated across these countries. Mangrove wood harvesting is strongly influenced by gender type, physical strength and market forces, rather than existing legislations under which mangroves are managed. Government institutions have partnered with national and international NGOS to implement projects that are contributing to alleviate anthropogenic pressures from mangrove forests. This marginal performance is the result of limited logistic capacity, lack of sustained financial resources, inappropriate legislations, policies, and lack of political interest, coupled with lack of data on the economic value of mangrove forests across countries of the region. Mangrove forests thus deserve appropriate regulations and policies that consider their socio-economic and ecological peculiarities. Such legislations should highlight economic incentives that promote ecosystem conservation; and management systems with good governance indicators that measure and promote ecosystem health and stakeholders' interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Green-tree retention is a black woodpecker nesting habitat in managed forests. • Patches and single trees are used regularly by black woodpeckers for breeding. • Pine is the best black woodpecker nesting tree in eastern and northern coniferous forests. • Dead trees are strongly preferred by black woodpeckers for excavating cavities. • Black woodpeckers do well in a landscape mix of old-growth with decaying trees and disturbed forest. The black woodpecker, Dryocopus martius, a creator of tree cavities, is considered a keystone species and a priority in terms of forest biodiversity conservation. The aim of this paper was to understand how the structure of managed forests impacts the choice of tree for excavating cavities of the black woodpecker. The study was conducted in an extensive forest complex in northeastern Poland dominated by the pine Pinus sylvestris. The parameters of the cavity trees and surrounding forest were analyzed on different levels to determine what trees and stand types were selected by the black woodpecker. In the period from 2018 to 2021, analyses were carried out for 367 cavities excavated in trees growing in forest areas from 0 to 225 years old. The most numerous cavity trees were between 121 and 160 years old. Cavity trees were found in the stands (62%), in the residual forest patches (19%) and in the single trees remaining after logging (19%). Forty-four percent of all cavities were excavated in dead trees. Black woodpecker nesting stands were characterized by lower canopy closures and low understory and shrub layer cover. We did not find a difference between the diameters or the heights of cavity entrances among the black woodpecker nesting trees growing in different habitat types. The black woodpecker is capable of nesting in small fragments of an old stand and even in single old trees growing in clearcut areas. This is due to the high proportion of dead trees in these habitats, which are preferred by woodpeckers for excavating cavities. Leaving patches of old-growth stands in commercial forests positively affects the habitat formation of the black woodpecker and perhaps, as a consequence, that of other animal species that depend on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforestation and degradation are tied to a complex array of socioeconomic and political factors. Many assume that among the most important of these are the particular bundles of rights regulating who can benefit from land (tenure form) and the overall assurance that those rights will be upheld (tenure security). This paper reviews literature that connects forest outcomes and land tenure to better understand broad interactions between tenure form, security and forest change. Papers from economic theory suggest tenure is embedded in a broader socioeconomic context, with the potential for either a positive or negative conservation impact on forested land. Empirically, we find 36 publications that link land cover change to tenure conditions while also controlling for other plausibly confounding variables. Publications often investigate more than one site and more than one form of tenure, so from these we derive 118 cases linking forest change with a specific tenure form in a particular location. From these cases, we find evidence that protected areas are associated with positive forest outcomes and that land tenure security is associated with less deforestation, regardless of the form of tenure. We conclude with a call for more robust identification of this relationship in future research, as well as set of recommendations for policymakers, particularly as forest carbon incentive programs such as REDD integrate further into national policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Strong reliance on organizational blueprints in climate financed forestry projects conceal the unequal distributions of natural resources. • The logic and rules embedded in the climate financed forestry projects lead to social exclusion, elite capture and state-sanctioned land grab. • Despite euphoria at international level climate financed interventions often negatively affect rural livelihoods. • Efforts to establish safeguards are at best managing in the margin and at worst legitimizing a structurally unequal process. Abstract Despite euphoria at international level there is a growing concern that participatory forest conservation projects established with climate finance might not lead to the assumed win-win solution expressed in policy rhetoric of addressing both forest degradation and persistent poverty. Based on two climate financed forestry (pilot) projects in Ethiopia, this paper shows that the strong reliance on organizational blueprints and the focus on crafting institutions concealed the more pertinent issues at stake, in particular the unequal distributions of natural resources as result of the enclosure of the commons. The logic and rules on which the projects have been designed have been superimposed on existing social relations of power and prevailing organizational configurations, leading to aggravation of conflicts over resources as result of social exclusion, elite capture and even state-sanctioned land grab. This does not only points to the elusiveness of the quest for the best organizational model to implement such forestry projects, but also questions the faith in climate finance mechanisms at international level and the effectiveness of the efforts made by advocacy groups to establish safeguards to minimize possible negative outcomes at local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Deforestation has been widespread in the Northern Albertine Rift Landscape in rural Western Uganda. In this paper, we present perceptions from local residents and narratives from key informants on causes of forest loss during a 30-year period between 1985 and 2014. While the generic drivers we find are consistent with previous literature, we suggest that the specific context in which forest cover is lost in rural areas is path dependent, and this is vital for adequate management. In the Ugandan case, the history of the sugar industry and its relation to local political drivers and international considerations (e.g. biofuel) are prominent. Global drivers of forest loss therefore mask local-level complexities, but an amalgamation of local-level dynamics does not necessarily sum up to larger-scale manifestations (in a linear manner): striking a balance between understanding local-level and large-scale dynamics could be key in addressing the deforestation conundrum. We surveyed 263 households in 7 parishes around Budongo and Bugoma forests, and conducted 22 key informant interviews. Our findings indicate that the drivers and mechanisms of deforestation are local; they also vary between Budongo and Bugoma. Key amongst these include: agricultural expansion (28%–58.5% of the responses)—with large-scale commercial and small-scale subsistence farming significant around Budongo and Bugoma respectively; "poverty" (26%–76%) often alluding to heavy dependence on forests for livelihoods. Others include: population growth driven by dissimilar migratory patterns; and moving protected forest boundaries. Our data suggest that a combination of both local and key informant perceptions is instrumental in filling data gaps where a dearth of information is prevalent (especially around Bugoma forest), and is important for corroboration of other scientific data (e.g. remote sensing). However, a survey of wider literature indicates that there are significant issues missing from their stated views. While the continued expansion of cash-crop farming and lack of inclusion of local people in forest policy continues to raise concern, the stability of protected forest (i.e. Budongo and Bugoma) is encouraging and suggests a refocusing of the forest debate on practical working schemes for forest preservation and recovery might be the way forward for sustainable forestry and livelihoods. Highlights • Global drivers of deforestation mask local-scale complexities. • Drivers and mechanisms of deforestation around Budongo and Bugoma are local and varied. • Comparison of forest loss between locations reveals different migration and agricultural dynamics. • Debate about forest loss might benefit on a refocus towards what works for forest preservation and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether and how payments for hydrological services (PHS) programs implemented on communal lands in Mexico result in household-level conservation and human wellbeing outcomes. We first use evaluation methods to establish the impact of PHS by comparing outcomes across seven communities enrolled, and one community not enrolled, in PHS. Second, we exploit variations in PHS program design across the enrolled communities to test the role of cash and technical assistance on outcomes. Data come from a 2016 cross-sectional survey of 261 households around El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, in Chiapas, Mexico. We find that households enrolled in PHS implement more conservation actions and that some own more assets than similar households not enrolled in PHS. We find that asset ownership is positively correlated with a household’s payment amount and that conservation practices are related to amount of assistance received. We also measure perceived equity and benefits for households enrolled in PHS and find that perceptions are correlated with both payment and assistance, and strongly influenced by community organization. Our results provide evidence that common-property PHS contracts can change household-level conservation and human wellbeing outcomes, but that these changes are dependent on the type of external motivator and community organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mahasweta Devi is a Bengali novelist, playwright, short-story writer, journalist and social-activist. Her works are filled with the lives of the downtrodden, the oppressed, the marginalized and the most neglected. She documents that the life of the tribal. With the pen in her hand becoming a sword, she wages a persistent battle to provide them justice. This research paper aims to study the life of Shabar tribes as depicted in her novel, The Book of the Hunter (2002). This research also tries to highlight the importance of preserving the forest, its resources and the culture of the tribal. This research presents how their culture is affected by the mainstream. It stresses the importance of preserving the oral traditions, folklore, myths of the tribals. It tries to change the negative attitude towards the subaltern and be ready for the revolt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper provides a deep insight into the managerial aspects of Indian mangroves and highlights the transition of Indian forest policies and their impacts on these extensive coastal ecosystems. Citing examples from historical past to the recent developing era, the paper highlights the transition of core mangrove management strategies and observes a paradigm shift from preventive to ameliorative management mostly through increased community participation in mainstream resource management. The paper also examines the existing framework of mangrove management, legislative and non-legislative provisions for conservation and identifies it's effectively against the persisting extinction threats. Addressing the major gaps and challenges, the paper concludes with some key recommended strategies for an effective mangrove management in India. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) is widely accepted as a land use policy objective for mitigating climate change, but the ways through which REDD+ can provide incentives to simultaneously conserve forest and reduce poverty remain uncertain. The experiences of integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) have shaped initial pilots of landscape level REDD+ action. Yet, little thought has been given to the design challenges that need to be overcome in multi-scale REDD+ programs, where local shifts of behavior need to be connected to international finance and investment. This paper highlights and discusses emerging design challenges for REDD+ at multiple levels in two distinct circumstances. First, for sub-national REDD+ design where ICDP approaches are employed as a platform for demonstration and project design and implementation. In this case, issues of scale, nesting and leakage are prominent. Secondly, ICDP is used as a strategy for implementation of REDD+ at multiple levels. In the second case, the challenges are about choices or optimal mixes between multiple policies and instruments such as “sparing” and “sharing” for addressing drivers of deforestation and payments, rewards and/or co-investments in the achievement of multiple co-benefits of emission reductions. The paper also explores how combinations of incentive paradigms can be used at the local, sub-national and national scale within a nested approach to REDD+ as derived from distinguishing features of REDD+ such as performance measurements, financial modalities and carbon as a commodity that have not hitherto been part of ICDPs. We posit that a nested land-based Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) approach could overcome design issues with REDD+ frameworks that use additional co-investment for achieving biodiversity goals on a modified ICDP platform. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Land reform settlements (LRS) in the Brazilian Amazon have been suggested to hold promise for the successful implementation of incipient efforts to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). However, differences in forest cover, deforestation behaviour and settler welfare plus the inevitable overlap of upcoming REDD efforts with existing conservation policies, mean that scope and impact of REDD in LRS will not be uniform across settlements. Based on evidence from a case study of four LRS and a Brazilian Amazon regional analysis of opportunity costs, this paper explores the actual scope for targeting initial Brazilian REDD efforts to LRS and discusses potential welfare and equity implications based on scenario analysis. While our findings confirm considerable economic scope for compensation-based schemes for avoided degradation and deforestation, the pre-existence of legal use right limitations in combination with the distribution of forest cover among LRS means that less than half of settlements – poorer – will be able to derive economic gains. Exploring a mix between incentives and disincentives seems to offer the most promising future regarding efficiency and equity successful results. The paper concludes with the implications of the results in the international debate on the constraints ahead to implement the REDD principles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a procedure for estimating safe yield of a 3-layer aquifer groundwater system. First, based on Darcy''s Law, a set of equations is derived to describe the groundwater flow regime. The estimation of parameters for these equations is based upon observations on water-well elevation and natural recharge. These equations then serve as building blocks for a linear programming model, which maximizes groundwater extraction while subjected to minimum water-table elevation requirements for the prevention of saline intrusion. The model is compact, transparent and flexible for handling different patterns of natural recharge and well field. Uncertainty in system modeling and parameters estimation is explicitly dealt with by gray linear programming. To test the usefulness of the procedure, this paper presents the results of a case study of the Chou-Shui-Chee alluvial fan in Taiwan. The 3-layer aquifer is sliced into 19 computational cells. Based on natural recharge estimates and existing extraction well distribution, estimated safe yield is about 1/3 of the natural recharge rate under the restriction that the groundwater table at the outflow to the Taiwan Strait is at least 2m above mean sea level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Joint Forest Management (JFM), embracing the philosophy of forest conservation and livelihood improvement through cooperation between state and civil society, has emerged over the past decades both as a specific paradigm of forest governance in India and as India''s largest community forestry program. The JFM program, evolved during early 1970s covering a few forest villages as a model for reversing the trend of degraded forest ecosystem through the active protection by local villagers. The JFM program is implemented currently by 106,482 Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) and it covers 22 million ha of forests spread across 28 constituent states of India and union territories. JFM emerged against a backdrop of two centuries of centralised bureaucratic control over forest management in India. Centralized control during the 19th and 20th centuries failed either to conserve resources or to contribute substantially to the well-being of local populations. However, inconsistent persuasions from decentralization policies in India under present forest policy (1988) have prompted people to analyse the theoretical basis for accepting that decentralization would bring improvements in forest ecosystem management. Still others have contested the de facto rationale for decentralization (i.e., improved forest management) and have suggested that decentralization may be a manipulation by elites to serve their own interests or to shift power, for example from national to international agencies that have funded decentralization. Thirty years from its inception, there are now concerns for the recent effectiveness of JFM (over the past 20 years) because it is a group action that is getting old and is perhaps losing some of its pioneering drive and innovativeness. Although JFM has been administered nationally, decisions on implementation detail have been left to the individual states, resulting in different strategies. The long history of JFM has also provided scope for experiences with it to change over time as well as between places. Given the range of experiences with and perceptions of JFM, as well as the importance of the objectives JFM ostensibly serves, the time is ripe therefore for a retrospective evaluation to take stock of its actual achievements, its status and ways forward. The current paper seeks to provide such a review and analysis. The paper highlights design and implementation issues related to government resolutions, benefits-sharing and forest offences. It also assesses the critical design factors and key drivers responsible for institutional reforms. The paper evaluates impacts of protection on forest productivity and on the livelihoods of local communities. It highlights that the JFM program, by virtue of the diversity of its implementation, provides an ideal laboratory for exploring why similar reforms can lead to different outcomes. The paper argued that though there are supporting government policy and guideline and massive fund support, why there has been a low down of enthusiasm for JFM in the last two decades. From experiences, it suggests strategies for its revival and JFM can further contribute effective toward forest conservation and enhanced livelihood opportunities in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to document "the Gudo culture" in the Sheka zone, south-western Ethiopia from 2016 to 2019. The study adopted criterion sampling for this study in line with an ethnographic method involving the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistical data techniques were used to analyse the field data. Qualitative methods involving interviews and focus group discussions with villagers are used to gather data. Eighty-five percent (85%) of respondents confirmed that the sacred forest is a cultural symbol related to indigenous beliefs and signifies spiritual connections to the forestland. Wide conservation practices were observed (a) people's beliefs, (b) conservation mechanisms, (c) taboos and totems, and (d) people's knowledge of the sacred forest (e) forbidden Forest (f) spiritual significance of sacred forests (g) conservation and management of sacred forests (h) cutting of trees in the sacred forest (i) protection of the sacred forest (j) conservation of biodiversity. This paper concludes that Gudo forest conservation culture provides important insights into protecting various forest types and tree species, contributing to biodiversity conservation. • The ethnographic research design employed based on participant perception on traditional forest conservation knowledge and belief system. • The results of this research work show that own indigenous knowledge, beliefs, and management practices related to forest. • The study suggested this useful culture has demonstrated its significance in the protection of various forest types and tree species, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest conversion for farming remains an issue of scientific and societal concern due to its growing impacts on biodiversity and climate change. Therefore, scientists and policymakers emphasise the urgent need to find a balance between forest conservation and agriculture. Meanwhile, across tropical Africa, subsistence farmers account for nearly two-thirds of forest conversion to farms annually. These farmers' perceptions and experiences about forest conversion may offer alternative perspectives about the problem and how to tackle it. However, such viewpoints remain scanty in the sustainable forestry literature. This paper employs narrative policy analysis to disentangle the stories that underpin farming by forest-fringe communities (FFCs) in protected forests. The FFCs' narratives were identified through fieldwork in 12 forest communities of Southwestern Ghana and juxtaposed with forest regulators and cocoa sector actors' narrativization of forest conversion in Ghana. The results indicate that a combination of factors incite FFCs to farm in protected forests, but the perceived need to respond to food insecurity is the most crucial factor. In the absence of strong grassroots organisations, FFCs cannot convey this crucial need to the forest policy arena, leaving it largely unaddressed in forest policy. Thus, forest encroachment has become a tool for FFCs to resist forest conservation, and generally, as a means for their survival. The paper proposes food security corridors (FSCs) as an integrated landscape management option that can enable FFCs and other policy actors to negotiate and institute food security and conservation goalswithin communities trapped in blocks of forest reserves. The potential FSCs hold to overcome forest conversion for subsistence farming can be unleashed when governments, development partners invest to refine and pilot the concept. Overall, the paper contributes to the land-use conflict literature, showing how context-specific food insecurity can accelerate deforestation. Forestry sector actors need to guard against oversimplifying their assumptions about forest conversion in order to find pragmatic and sustainable solutions to the problem. • Smallholder farmers account for about 65% of forest conversion to farmlands in tropical Africa. • The experiences of these farmers have often been neglected in forest policy formulation. • Disentangling the farmers' narratives show food insecurity is most crucial reason why they farm in protected forests. • Food security corridors offer an opportunity to produce food permanently in forest-fringe communities. • Governments and development agencies need to invest to refine and pilot FSCs in communites trapped by protected forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the theory of decentralized forest management, the associated narrative and the underlying hypotheses. That discussion informs the assessment of whether decentralization can lead to forest conservation. The paper argues that the ideal model of democratic decentralization described in the literature is unlikely to be implemented given the governance constraints present in many tropical forest countries. Even if that model could be implemented, it is shown that decentralization cannot be expected to necessarily lead to forest conservation. The policies required to complement the current decentralization model are discussed, including financial incentives and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a recent paper, we described a multi-block approach to the regulation and management of reforestation (P.J. Martin, S. Browne Clayton, and E. McWilliams (2002), "A results-based system for regulating reforestation obligations," Forestry Chronicle 78(4): 492-498). Under the multi-block approach, indicators are devised that portray the degree to which the condition of regeneration on harvested areas is consistent with forest management goals. A population of harvested areas is sampled. The current levels of the indicators are estimated and compared to threshold values. If observed levels exceed threshold levels, the population is considered adequately reforested and all reforestation obligations are met. In this paper, we describe some recent enhancements of this concept and demonstrate how the multi-block approach provides characteristics desirable in a regulatory regime. By shifting the focus of reforestation regulation from the stand level to the level of a population of harvested areas, the multi-block approach provides effective regulation, permits efficient management, and addresses several shortcomings in British Columbia's current reforestation regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]