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A restoration program is needed by West Lampung District, because 80% of the protected forests in this district have been damaged. Bina Wana (BW) Community Forest Group (CFG) has been successful in carrying out restoration program of 465 ha of Bukit Rigis protected forest. It resulted in an 80% increase in its members' income and an increase by 2.58% of the forest cover. To maintain the success of a sustainable restoration program, high commitment from the community is needed. This research has been conducted in June-July 2019 at West Lampung District, Lampung Province, Indonesia. The objective of this research is to analyse the social variables that affect restoration in the protection forest. The dependent variable is income and independent variables consist of respondents’ characteristics as individuals and social characteristics of the community. Based on the multiple regression linear analysis from 75 respondents, it was found that the significant variables for the sustainability of the restoration of Bukit Rigis protected forest are as follow: age, sex, education, status in CFG, distance from home to CF areas, social aids and social capital (networks, norms and trust). Existence of the youth groups namely Himpunan Pemuda Peduli Hutan dan Lingkungan (HPPHL) and Melati Women Forest Farmer Group (WFFG) plays an important role in implementing the restoration program. Establishment of HPPHL will ensure regeneration in maintaining the sustainability of restoration achievements. The role of WFFG is also important because their households’ income is supported by WFFG and enables the BW CFG members to be more concentrated in maintaining forest sustainability.

Geothermal is one of the new renewable energy, which is more environmentally friendly than the existing fossil energy and has great potential to become an alternative source of energy in the future. However, the level of social acceptance of geothermal power plants operating in forest areas has not been widely studied. This study aims to reveal the social acceptance of affected residents toward the exploration of Baturaden geothermal power plant, operating in the protection forest area of ​​Mount Slamet. The survey was conducted online to indirectly affected residents living mostly in Banyumas urban areas, while the offline face-to-face survey was administered to the directly affected residents in Sambirata and Karang Tengah villages. A total of 286 samples were analyzed. It was found that the majority of respondents preferred not to continue the establishment of the geothermal power plant, but both rural and urban dwellers have distinctive responses and reasonings. The rural tended to have stronger rejection compared to the urban residents. The acceptance of the project in both groups combined was motivated mainly by the prospect of electricity from more environmentally friendly energy sources and compliance to government policy. Those who refused tend to see from the negative impacts on the disruptions of the daily livelihood in rural areas and environmental damages. Three attitude factors significantly affect the continuation of drilling operation of GPP, namely: economic prospects of geothermal utilization in protection forests, technological optimism to migate the engative impacts, and perceived environmental concerns. To increase the social acceptance, it is suggested that policy makers and energy industry players should integrate the mitigation measures by using more proper technology within the project budget and act harmoniously to increase public awareness of the use of renewable and cleaner energy as well as pay attention to the health, welfare and culture of the local community

This study empirically assessed Social Forestry program implementation in Simancuang Village Forest or locally known asHutan Nagari(HN) Simancuang in West Sumatra, Indonesia. We performed two analyses using primary and secondary data, namely propensity score matching to estimate the effects of the enactment of HN Simancuang in 2012 on forest cover loss and ordinal logistic regression (OLR) to predict the determinants of conservation awareness. The results of the forest cover analysis showed that forest cover loss in HN Simancuang between 2012 and 2019 was 0.038 percentage point lower than the adjacent protection forest. The relatively small impact was meaningful because although HN Simancuang is located much closer to settlements which increases the pressure on the forest, it could still maintain lower tree cover losses than the adjacent protection forest. This result indicated a certain degree of conservation awareness among HN Simancuang members, which prompted us to conduct a survey to 111 individuals from different households. To do this, we used the Ecosystem Services framework to conceptualise conservation awareness in HN Simancuang. Our OLR results showed that regulating and provisioning services of forests are the strong determinants of conservation awareness among the individuals in our sample. Our study indicates the need to implement social forestry program monitoring and evaluation, improve access to facilitation, and enhance agroforestry practice as the means to increase conservation awareness among forest-dwelling communities.

The main problems faced in managing the Pesawaran forest area are the activities of forest encroachment, illegal logging and mining, and also shifting of boundaries that threaten the function of the forest. This research aims to ensure the design of strategies for community economic empowerment in forest areas so that they can be responsible for forest rehabilitation activities. Gayau Village, Padang Cermin sub-District, Pesawaran Region, Lampung represented as the research location that bordered with the Protection Forest 20 Region. Respondents were determined by purposive sampling method amount of 40 people. It was the representation of community leaders, village officials, farmer institutions (poktan/Gapoktan), and farmers who carry out agricultural activities around forest areas. The data collection method using a Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach. The data analysis method was descriptive qualitative method using SWOT analysis. Based on the analysis results show that strategy should consider the strengthen the community forest management based on Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) farming. This is in quadrant I potition or in growth conditions. It means that the appropriate strategy is cpmbining the Strength and Opportunity condition. Then the appropriate strategy is a concentration through horizontal integration of farm diversification. The production of intercropping plants with high economic value is an important alternative. Increasing farm productivity needs through by improving the quality of cultivation with GAP principles. This strategy is included in the growth strategy by expanding community activities and developing information and communication networks in regions that have the same program. Exploration of alternative income growth from non-timber resources requires assistance from capital institutions, the extension institution (state or private) and access to technology.

This research is about Sasi-based protection forest strategy, it is done to find out how the Sasi-based protection strategy mechanism in protecting the forest. The research method used is a qualitative research method with a normative legal research. The research was conducted at Universitas Kristen Indonesia from January to March 2021. The objects studied in this study were documents either in reports or regulations related to indigenous peoples' local wisdom. The research instrument used was a document checklist. The data analysis technique used is the descriptive analysis technique. The result of the research is that traditional Sasi wisdom has values and norms to protect forests, water sources, annual plants and food plants. With the concept and understanding of how environmental managers with various customary rules to obtain benefits and maintain the kinship value of area units that already have an identity and must continuously be maintained in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, food security for indigenous peoples on the island of Maluku (Ambon) during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely by building food security by encouraging a new paradigm based on local food with directions and policies for developing food security and absorption of dryland technology to support sustainable food self-sufficiency through sources

Heath forest serves as a large carbon and water storage. This study aims to obtain information on carbon storage potential of each carbon component in heat forest in Liang Anggang Protection Forest. Data collection was carried out on six types of land cover, namely: agricultural land, barren land/settlement, scrub, peat soil, and forest. The carbon components were measured such as trees, undergrowth, litter, necromass, and soil. Measurement plots were established with size of 40 x 100 m for trees and necromasses > 30 cm in size, and sub-plots measuring 5 x 40 m for trees with a diameter of 5–30 cm as many as 5 plots for each type of land cover. The understorey and litter components used a plot with size of 0.5 x 0.5 m. In tree pools, carbon stock was determined by indirect measured with alometric model, while the other was used by direct measurenment. The results showed that carbon in the soil contributed the largest potential carbon storage (> 95%) of the total carbon storage in all land cover types. The pattern of the proportion of carbon storage in this forest type was similar to the peat swamp forest type. On heat forest, carbon stock potential on scrub was 318.8 Mg/Ha and the potential of heat forest type was the lowest (256.8 Mg/Ha ). In total, the average carbon storage potential was 285.01 ± 48.78 Mg/Ha. The carbon storage at this location reached 2.99 x 105 tons of carbon, or equivalent to carbon absorption of 1,10 X 106 CO2 e ton CO2e. The large amount of carbon storage in heath forest in the study area has the potential to support diversification and optimization of land use through a carbon trading scheme. Key words: trade, agriculture, proportion, scheme, soil

The research was carried out in Sesaot Protected Forest Nature Tourism which focused on two locations, namely in front of the Sesaot Resort Office and Wisata Aik Nyet. The purpose of this research is to present data on environmental conditions and the value of the biodiversity index calculation so that this information is important as an evaluation material for forest managers to maintain and even improve the structure and composition of plant species in Sesaot Protection Forest. This research was conducted in three main parts, namely the strengthening of research design and methods, preparation for field work, data collection, and data analysis. The method used is a combination method of transect and double plot methods, namely the transect method consisting of four plots arranged in a double zigzag plot with a size of 20 x 20m for trees, 10 x 10m for shrubs, and 2 x 2m for shrubs. The results showed that the analysis of the calculation of the value of the highest Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H ') in front of the Sesaot Resort Office was found on a 10mx10m plot of 2.03 with moderate overflow category. Then, for the highest Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H ') value in Aik Nyet Sesaot, which is found in a 10mx10m plot of 1.88 with the medium abundance category.

The Chinese Mollisol region is affected by soil erosion. Soil and water conservation (SWC) measures are effective in preventing these phenomena. However, few studies have systematically reviewed soil erosion and SWC measures in this region. The objectives of this paper were to analyze soil erosion and identify typical SWC measures on hillslopes in this Mollisol region. A literature review and analysis were conducted. Soil erosion is widespread in this region and is dominated by snowmelt and wind erosion in winter and spring, rainfall in summer and wind erosion in autumn. The A-horizon thicknesses and organic matter content of the Mollisol decreased with an increase in the number of years of cultivation. Therefore, controlling soil erosion is a means to protect this precious Mollisol resource. The characteristics of 39 SWC measures used on hillslopes were summarized. Among these measures, the contour ridge, large ridge, minimal tillage with residue mulching, no-tillage, straw returning, slope terrace, ridge belt, and agricultural protection forest approaches were the most typical SWC measures. Furthermore, the new tillage measure of half-ridge planting needs to be examined in future studies. In conclusion, it is of practical significance to select suitable SWC measures for different hillslopes in the Mollisol region.

As a result of the activity of industrial enterprises, atmospheric air is being contaminated by gaseous pollutants. Such substances as chlorine and hydrogen chloride are considered to be harmful for both humans and plants. Vegetation is a universal filter that is able to combat the environmental pollution by industrial emissions with the help of appropriate technical facilities. The aim of this study is to analyze the level of accumulation of chlorine in the leaves of woody plants that grow in the area of forest plantations of sanitary protection zones of industrial enterprises. The objects of the study were the species of woody plants in the area of protective plantations of a number of enterprises in Zaporizhzhya: ZTMC, ZALК, ZABR, Zaporizhstal, Zaporizhzhya Ferroalloy Plant, Zaporizhvohnetryv, Ukrgrafit and Zaporizhtransformator. We established that during the vegetation period, a gradual accumulation of the element was the most intense in mature leaves, whose growth had already ceased. The maximum amount of chlorine was found at the end of the vegetation period. The concentration of the pollutant in leaves of woody plants in the area of sanitary protection zones of industrial enterprises is linearly proportional to the level of emissions of the pollutant into the atmosphere by a given enterprise. The largest coefficient of relative accumulation of chlorine in the leaves of such plants as Catalpa bignonioides, Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, Juglans regia, Populus alba, which can be used as information sites for the purpose of bioindication of atmospheric air pollution with chlorides, was established.

The aim of this paper is to achieve a quantitative assessment of rockfall protection forest efficiency at regional scale, considering site specific forest, morphological and lithological parameters. At first, a semi-automatic GIS-based method, integrated with a multi-scenario 3D-rockfall model realized by using the simulation code HY-STONE, was used to map protection forests of Regione Lombardia (central Italian Alps). For each different forest type, a rockfall protective efficiency was assessed by using empirical (energy line angle) and modelling (HY-STONE) approaches. The empirical approach shows an increase of the energy line angle value from about 36° for the bare slopes to over 40° in forested slopes, with a value ranging from 37° to 44° for different forests types. The modelling approach is based on a new efficiency index EEI ranging from 0 (minimum efficiency, equal to no forest condition) to 1 (maximum efficiency): the efficiency of different forest types ranges from 0.08 to 0.98 by using average values of the controlling parameters. To modulate the efficiency in each single forest at regional scale, a set of parametric simulations was performed to evaluate the effects of controlling parameters. The parametric simulations show that block volume, slope gradient, DBH (diameter at breast height) and forest density are the most important parameters at controlling the efficiency. These parameters were used within a multiple linear regression function to associate a protection efficiency to each specific protection forest in the regional map. This allows to discriminate quantitatively the individual forests according to their actual efficiency. Most of the protection forest area (46%) shows an efficiency greater than 0.50 and only the 24% of the total covered area shows a value lower than 0.25.

Community Forest (CF) development is the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s policy to reduce deforestation, strengthen communities’ management rights, and reduce conflicts. This research aims to identify the determinant of CF success factors, including perceptions, community attitudes, potential benefits from CF, institutions, and ability of the community to overcome the problems in managing CF. This study was conducted in Bakti Makmur and Sumber Rejeki CFs, located in Kota Agung Utara Protection Forest Management Unit, Tanggamus District, Lampung Province. Perception analysis using Likert Scale method is to measure perceptions,attitudes, or opinions of a person or group regarding social phenomena. The community income was analyzed using quantitative methods with simple tabulations. The study shows that the community's perception of the CF development is high, both from their understanding, and readiness in implementing the CF program. The gross income of the CF farmer group is estimated at Rp24,760,000/ha/year. This study indicates that CF land can be used as a source of community income. Continuous guidance from the government to CF farmers is necessary in facing challenges that continue to grow, while maintaining forest sustainability, improving forest cover.

The purpose of this study was to determine the tree and pole-level plant species found in the Oereu Protected Forest Bani-Bani Village Io Kufeu District of Malacca District, To find out the structure and composition of tree-level plant vegetation and poles found in the Oereu Protected Forest in the Bani-Bani Village District of Io Kufeu District of Malacca, and To implement research on the structure and composition of tree and pole level vegetation in the Oereu Protection Forest of Desa Bani-Bani District of Io Kufeu District of Malacca in learning biology in schools. The method used in this study is the quadratic method by placing a plot beside the transect line. At each transect line, 5 observation plots were placed with the size of each plot 20 mx 20 m = 400 m2 for tree level, and 10 mx 10 m = 100 m2 for pole level, with a distance between plots 25 m. analyzing the structure and composition of tree-level vegetation, and poles found at research sites, namely by calculating absolute density, relative density, absolute frequency, relative frequency, basal area, relative basal area, and important value index. The results of the study were found as many as 13 types of plants consisting of 11 families. When looking at the importance value index at tree level vegetation, the highest important value index is Tectona grandis, L, 57.35%, while the one with the lowest important value index is Alstonia scholaris, L 13.22%, and at pole level vegetation, the index value the highest importance is Tectona grandis, L, 36.33%, while the one with the lowest important value index is Leucena lenccophalla, 16.25%. The type of vegetation that has the highest important value index is because it has a fairly high distribution ability and can adapt well to its environment.

Windstorms are natural disturbances predicted to increase in frequency in the future, with a consequent increased risk of damage to forests. Such damage severely affects the forest structure and, therefore, its protection capacity. Previous studies analyzed post event conditions and the recovery time of abated forest within study areas smaller than 10 ha, while not accounting for larger spatial scales. In this study, we propose a new methodology to provide tools for the spatial assessment and monitoring of protection forests against snow avalanches affected by large-scale windstorms. Four indices have been used: (i) vegetation height model, (ii) surface roughness, (iii) stored volume height and (iv) adapted tree parameters, of which the latter two have been specifically developed for this goal. We selected and periodically recorded two windthrow areas using photogrammetric surveys (deriving dense point clouds) to assess the performance of the proposed indices and to investigate the long-term changes in protective effects (Disentis, CH) and the influence of snow cover (Franza, IT). Stored volume height and the adapted tree parameters were the best indices to capture the forest conditions and standing trees, respectively. The stored volume height was further used to estimate forest protective capacity in relation to the snow cover height. Analyzing the Disentis (CH) area, we concluded that the minimum level of protective capacity occurs ten years after the storm event. After 29 years, the forest protective capacity against natural hazards increased again as forest recovery proceeded. However, special attention should be given to gaps between growing trees that may be critical for potential avalanche formation as wood decays. This study provided new insights into the long-term protective efficiency of windthrow forests, introducing two new indices to spatially assess and monitors their evolution., Ecological Engineering, 181, ISSN:0925-8574, ISSN:1872-6992

In steep terrain, forests play an important role as natural means of protection against natural hazards, such as rockfall. Due to climate warming, significant changes in the protection service of these forests have to be expected in future. Shifts of current to more drought adapted species may result in temporary or even irreversible losses in the reduction of rockfall risk provided by these forests. In this study, we assessed how the protective capacity against rockfall of a protection forest in the western part of the Valais in the Swiss Alps may change in future, by combining dynamic forest modelling with a quantitative risk analysis. Current and future forest development was modelled with the spatially explicit forest model TreeMig under a moderate (RCP4.5) and an extreme (RCP8.5) climate change scenario. The simulated forest scenarios were compared to ground-truth data from the current forest complex. We quantified the protective effect of the different forest scenarios based on the reduction of rockfall risk for people and infrastructure at the bottom of the slope. Rockfall risk was calculated on the basis of three-dimensional rockfall simulations. The forest simulations predicted a clear decrease in basal area of most of the currently occuring species (Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, Larix decidua, and Abies alba) in future. The forest turned into a Quercus pubescens dominated forest, for both climate scenarios, mixed with Pinus sylvestris under RCP4.5. With climate warming, a clear increase in risk is expected for both climate change scenarios. In the long-term (>100 years), a stabilization of risk, or even a slight decline may be expected due to an increase in biomass of the trees. The results of this study further indicate that regular forest interventions may promote regeneration and thus accelerate the shift in species distribution. Future research should explore into more details the long-term effect of different adaptive forest management strategies on the protection service of forests under climate change.

Aerial photographs and 3-D laser scans of a 90-m high star dune at the Crescent Moon Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang, China, are used to investigate the changes in dune morphology on timescales from months to decades. The result revealed that relative-equilibrium airflow strength in three wind directions of northeast, west and south was an important condition for the stability of star dunes with limited migration. Transverse and longitudinal airflows exerted a crucial impact on variation processes of star dune morphology. Controlled by transverse airflows, the easterly winds, the east side was dominated by wind erosion; and strong deposition occurred on the south-south-east arm with a maximum deposition rate of 0.44 m/a in the 46-a monitoring period, causing the east side becoming steep and high. Controlled by longitudinal airflows, the westerly winds, the west-north-west side was mainly eroded and the north arm migrated from west to east with a rate of 0.30 m/a, causing the dune slope becoming gentle and elongate. The local air circulation (southerly winds) exerted a significant impact on the development process of the star dune. Due to the influence of human activities, the south side present surface processes from a concave profile to a convex profile in 46 a, which is a potential threat to the Crescent Moon Spring. The results indicate that rehabilitating the airflow field at most is a crucial strategy to the protection of Crescent Moon Spring from burial. Opening up the passage of easterly, westerly and southerly winds through intermediately cutting the protection forest, demolishing the enclosed wall and changing the pavilion into a porous pattern have been suggested to protect the Crescent Moon Spring from burial.

Forest health is very important in the whole world, when global issues like air pollution, acid rain, forest fires, quality and quantity of water, and global climate change has affected the realization of a sustainable forest. Achievement of forest preservation in forest ecosystem, criteria and indicators had been widely formulated. Therefore, carbon analysis is significantly needed to figure the indicator of forest health. The aim of the research was to analyze the carbon as a forest health indicator in Protection Forest, Reg. 25. The data were collected through cluster plot based on Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) method. The calculus of the amount of stored biomass within the tree was referring to [1] is W = 0,11 x ρ x D2, 62, mean while under growth and litter biomass are gained from total dry weight. Carbon sink is based on conversion number; 0,5 out of total biomass number. The average of carbon stored in Protection Forest Reg. 25 is about 939,12 ton/ha. Carbon within the stands are contributed the most; 937, 43 ton/ha, litter carbon about 1,06 ton C/ha and undergrowth carbon is about 0,63 ton C/ha. Based on the analysis, carbon can be a health indicator of Protection Forest Register 25 with the category of ugly, moderate, and good. Cluster plots 1 and 2 classified to good category (1,232.75 ton C/ha - 1744.13 ton C/ha). As for cluster plots 3 and 4 classified to poor category (209.97 ton C/ha - 721.35 ton C/ha). Keyword: Carbon, cluster plot, forest health indicator, protection forest register 25

Currently, incentive payment of carbon mechanism has not yet provided significant economic benefit for community who live in the surrounding forest area as the carbon price is relatively low. Consequently, potential carbon owners are likely to invest conserved carbon biomass into other products that give more profitable economic value. This paper discusses the estimation of feasible carbon selling price of Sekaroh Protection Forest based on analysis of the forest economic value approach. This study was conducted using descriptive quantitative method based on primary data sources of the Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) implementation in 2010–2013 at Sekaroh. Research results showed that based on the calculation of annual economic value (AEV), the economic value is estimated about Rp73,394,816.00 per hectare per year at the interest rate of 5.75%. Hence, a reasonable carbon price based on the economic value is US$23 per ton carbon. This estimated value is significantly greater than the current prevailing carbon price that is US$4.6–10 per ton carbon. Higher reasonable carbon price will attract community around the forest to keep their biomass carbon stocks in the forest, so that future business of carbon trade mechanism can be more interesting and runs better.

Yuliana E, Hewindati YT, Winata A, Djatmiko WA, Rahadiati A. 2019. Diversity and characteristics of mangrove vegetation in Pulau Rimau Protection Forest, Banyuasin District, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1215-1221. The purpose of the study was to analyze the flora diversity and characteristics of mangrove vegetation in Pulau Rimau Protection Forest, Banyuasin District, South Sumatra. Data collected were the number and girth diameter of mangrove tree species, and aquatic ecology parameters using transect method. The sample plots size were 2m×2 m; 5m×5 m; 10m×10 m; for seedling, sapling, and tree, respectively. The observation plots were arranged in a row of 120 m length on two sides of the forest edge, namely Calik Riverbank and Banyuasin Riverbank. Data were analyzed using importance value index (IVI), Simpson’s diversity index and Sørensen’s community similarity. The study revealed that there were differences in mangrove characteristics in two study sites. There were 57 plant species identified inside and outside sample plots, but only 15 species (26.32%) among them were categorized as true mangrove species. Inside the sample plots, there were 11 and 10 mangrove tree species recorded on the Calik Riverbank and Banyuasin Riverbank, respectively, but only 7 species among them were found in both sites. The mangroves on Calik Riverbank were dominated by Nypa (IVI 53.59%) and Bruguiera (51.12%), while those on Banyuasin Riverbank were dominated by Sonneratia (66.91%) and Avicennia (51.73%). The Simpson’s diversity index for Calik Riverbank and Banyuasin Riverbank was 0.82 and 0.78, respectively, whereas the Sørensen’s coefficient of community between the two sites was 0.67.

Protection Forest in Indonesia is in critical situation. Several community activities threat the main functions of protection forest as watershed conservation. This study aimed to explore business opportunities of protection forest by investigating the potencies of wildlife, socio-economic, institution, actor interaction, and its contribution towards community’s livelihood. This research was conducted in surrounding protection forest in FMU Batulanteh, Sumbawa by field observation, semi structured interview, focus group discussion, literature study in August 2015 – November 2016. Combination among descriptive – participative – explorative approaches was used in data analysis. Protection forests contributed 33% for cash income and provided nutritious foods for local community, especially wild honey. FMU of Batulanteh could develop forestry business with community and other stakeholders in NTFPs manufacturing, especially wild honey, coffee, candle nut, herbal medicine and ecotourism business. Forestry extension and community empowerment are absolutely necessary for facilitating these businesses.Keywords: forestry business, forest contribution, livelihood, non-timber forest products, wild honey

Protected areas (PA) cover an impressive 62% of Laos' land surface, however there are a lot of low biodiversity value residential and agricultural areas within the protected area network (PAN). The Government of Laos is aiming to re-delineate the PAN in order to exclude these areas. We support this aim by estimating how efficiently different protected area categories have reduced deforestation, by modeling priority areas for conservation and by evaluating the mismatch between these and the current PAN. Protection effectiveness was analyzed via combined matching and regression method, which indicates that only National Protected Areas have actually reduced deforestation, while the remaining PA categories have had negligible impacts. Spatial multi-criteria decision analysis supported by local and international expert knowledge on conservation, forestry and land management was used to model conservation priority areas, which were compared with the current PAN. The results indicate that vast overprotected low conservation priority areas exist inside the PAN, especially within Protection Forest Areas. Based on these findings, we argue that the current PAN is ineffective and inappropriately targeted. We recommend that Laos re-delineates and downsizes its PAN to ensure sufficient management of remaining high conservation priority areas both inside and outside the PAN. We further discuss potential methods and co-benefits of PA re-delineation in Laos' context. The findings are also globally linked to limitations of systematic conservation planning in data-scarce developing countries and the need to improve both quality and coverage of biodiversity data alongside protected area monitoring and management.

Large-scale bark beetle outbreaks in spruce dominated mountain forests have increased in recent decades, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. These outbreaks have immediate and major effects on forest structure and ecosystem services. However, it remains unclear how forests recover from bark beetle infestations over the long term, and how different recovery stages fulfil the capacity of forests to protect infrastructures and human lives from natural hazards. The aim of this study was to investigate how a bark beetle infestation (1992–1997) in a spruce dominated forest in the Swiss Alps changed the forest structure and its protective function against snow avalanches. In 2020, i.e. 27 years after the peak of the outbreak, we re-surveyed the composition and height of new trees, as well as the deadwood height and degree of decay in an area that had been surveyed 20 years earlier. With the help of remote sensing data and avalanche simulations, we assessed the protective effect against avalanches before the disturbances (in 1985) and in 1997, 2007, 2014 and 2019 for a frequent (30-year return period) and an extreme (300-year return period) avalanche scenario. Post-disturbance regeneration led to a young forest that was again dominated by spruce 27 years after the outbreak, with median tree heights of 3–4 m and a crown cover of 10–30%. Deadwood covered 20–25% of the forest floor and was mainly in decay stages two and three out of five. Snags had median heights of 1.4 m, leaning logs 0.5 m and lying logs 0.3 m. The protective effect of the forest was high before the bark beetle outbreak and decreased during the first years of infestation (until 1997), mainly in the case of extreme avalanche events. The protective capacity reached an overall minimum in 2007 as a result of many forest openings. It partially recovered by 2014 and further increased by 2019, thanks to forest regeneration. Simulation results and a lack of avalanche releases since the infestation indicate that the protective capacity of post-disturbance forest stands affected by bark beetle may often be underestimated., Forest Ecology and Management, 514, ISSN:0378-1127, ISSN:1872-7042

The ecological characteristic of gas-dust protection forest belts of motor roads is carried out in the article, depending on structural features. The parameters of wood-shrub gas-dust protective forest belts are proved by the methods of fractal-invariant modeling.

Eddy S, Milantara N, Basyuni M. 2021. Carbon emissions as impact of mangrove degradation: A case study on the Air Telang Protected Forest, South Sumatra, Indonesia (2000-2020). Biodiversitas 22: 2142-2149. Massive degradation in ATPF occurs due to anthropogenic activities that have converted this area into a coconut plantation, fishpond, settlement, and agriculture. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in land cover and the amount of CO2 emission in ATPF and its causes during the 2000-2020 period using remote sensing data. Data from remote sensing were used to obtain area, classification and land cover change in each period; meanwhile, carbon stock, emissions, and CO2 sequestration were obtained from the analysis using LUMENS software. The results showed that the emissions resulting from land conversion in ATPF during the 2000-2020 period were much greater than sequestration. Net emissions of 1,928,076.56 tons of CO2-eq with an annual emission rate of 96,403.83 tons of CO2-eq/year. The largest source of emissions came from the conversion of primary forest, coconut plantation and secondary forest to open areas; while the source of sequestration comes from the formation of primary and secondary forests. There need to be restoration and conservation efforts in this area by the government and the community to restore the function of ATPF as a coastal protection forest. This research is the first study to examine land cover changes in mangrove forests using data analysis methods with LUMENS.

We present object protection forest maps for rockfall, shallow landslides and snow avalanches, which were generated within the Interreg Alpine Space project GreenRisk4ALPs with the runout model Flow-py. Six Alpine regions with varying sizes from 45 km2 to 2250 km2, and topographies, from steep valleys of Val Ferret in Italy to the German Alpine foothills in Oberammergau, were modeled. The term direct object protection forest is used for forests that protect objects in developed areas against gravitational natural hazards. That is, a direct object protection forest can only be assigned, if an object is endangered and a direct link between the precise locations of the hazard process area and the object can be established. The two main protective effects forests can have against gravitational natural hazards are 1) to reduce the release probability, or 2) to reduce the magnitude of an event, the effectiveness of both is dependent on forest structure. In addition, the degree to which the forest reduces the energy (magnitude) of the hazard also depends on the speed of the mass. If the magnitude/speed of a hazard process is too high, the forest will be destroyed. The location of a forest therefore determines its protective effect in two ways. First, high elevations and steep terrain (over 45°) will produce a weaker structure and be less effective against gravitational natural hazards compared to lower elevation gentle sloped terrain. Second, the energy of the hazard will be lower closer to the hazard’s release and runout areas than in the middle of the process path. Based on these relationships, we generated two types of object protection forest maps: (i) maps that highlight existing direct object protection forest (ii) maps that show where direct object protection forests have or would have the highest potential to either reduce release probability or reduce the energy of the hazard The Flow-py model was used to model the routing and stopping of the three hazards and to establish the link between endangered objects and the hazard process areas. Input data are digital elevation models (10 m resolution) and locations of release areas as well as a GIS layer containing locations and types of objects, which is required for a custom plugin. The Back-calculation plugin was used with the Flow-py model to identify areas on the terrain (release areas, transit paths and deposition areas) that are associated with endangered infrastructure. To obtain the first maps, the model outputs were overlaid with digital maps of existing forest areas to identify direct object protection forest. The second map was produced by using the same model outputs and digital terrain models to identify areas in the process paths where the modelled hazard energy was low and effective protection forest can grow. The presented maps can help to support decisions and prioritize interventions in risk-based protection forest and ecosystem-based integral natural hazard risk management in the Alpine Space.

Fiqa AP, Budiharta S, Siahaan FA, Rindyastuti R. 2020. Population structure of Gyrinops versteegii within floristic community in Nggalak Protection Forest, Flores Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 1561-1568. Gyrinops versteegii (Gilg) Domke is one of the agarwood-producing plants native to eastern Indonesia with high level of exploitation in its natural habitat. Despite being protected by listing it in the CITES Appendix II, anecdotal evidence suggests that G. versteegii population continues to decline. Yet, there is limited empirical data to support such premise. This study was conducted to evaluate the abundance, population structure and floristic importance position of G.versteegii within vegetation community in its natural habitat in Nggalak Forest, Flores. Vegetation analysis was carried out at four growth stages: mature, immature, saplings, and seedlings stage. The results showed that G. versteegii was abundant in its natural habitat in Nggalak Forest in juvenile stages (i.e. seedlings to immature), but not in mature stage. Population densities for seedlings, saplings and immature stage were 313, 150 and 22 individuals per hectare respectively. G. versteegii also hold important position in the community structure, ranks 28th, 6th, and 14th for seedlings, saplings and immature stages respectively in term of importance value index. The high abundance and floristic importance of G. versteegii at the juvenile stages, but not at mature stages, indicates that rampant and over-exploitation of mature plants is likely the major threat to its population. We recommend to replicate similar study in other G. versteegii distribution areas. If similar pattern is found, conservation intervention in the form of protection of its natural population to sustain the juveniles to grow until mature stage may be required along with encouraging cultivation and reintroduction to enhance the population.

In mountainous areas, rockfall phenomena cause damages and safety problems in residential areas and along transportation facilities. Forests that lay upslope the elements at risk can mitigate rockfall hazard by reducing the kinetic energy of blocks and the probability of impact. Nevertheless, the effects of rockfall protection forests is usually quantified only at local scale.In order to assess the forest efficiency for different combinations of forest (tree size, forest density, forest position, forest length), morphological (slope gradient) and lithological (expected block volume) conditions, we performed a large set of parametric simulations by using the HY-STONE rockfall simulator (Crosta et al, 2004) with a tree impact algorithm that allows calculating the probability of impact, the loss of energy and the lateral deviation of the trajectories based on forest density, tree size and block volume. For each simulation, we therefore quantified the forest efficiency by using a new energy-based efficiency index (EEI) that measure the reduction of rockfall kinetic energy along the forest.The results of the parametric simulations show that the block volume, the slope inclination, the tree size, and the forest density are, in decreasing order of relevance, the most sensitive parameters for rockfall efficiency. Due to its importance, the volume of blocks associated to different lithologies found in Central Italian Alps have been analysed through a statistical analysis of talus deposits. This allowed to obtain volume frequency distributions for the different lithologies, and the associated percentiles of expected block volume.Starting from the parametric simulations, we developed a multiple linear regression that allows to predict an EEI index value (efficiency of protection forest) as a function of forest, morphological and lithological parameters. This regression function has been eventually applied to all the protection forest of Central Italian Alps, providing regional scale maps of rockfall-protection forest efficiency for different block volume percentiles. Crosta, G. B., and F. Agliardi. (2004) Parametric evaluation of 3D dispersion of rockfall trajectories.” Natural Hazards and Earth System Science 4.4: 583-598.

The register forest area in Lampung Province has a long history of conflict, starting from forest use that was not in accordance with the function of the forest. Lampung Province has three forms of forest, namely; conservation forest, protection forest, and production forest which have different conflict characteristics. The problem is that in all 51 register forest areas,conflicts frequently and repeatedly occur, requiring permanent resolutions. The government has issued a policy of social forestry through Presidential Regulation No. 88 of 2017 concerning Settlement of Land Tenure in Forest Areas. The researcher summarizes two legal issues, namely: (1) How is the typology of conflict in the register forest area in Lampung Province? (2) How is the implementation of the social forestry program as a form of conflict resolution in the register forest areas of Lampung Province? The researcher use legal or empirical sociology methods to answer these problems, including research on legal identification (unwritten) and research on the effectiveness of law in society. The results of the study provide the answer that, first, the implementation of social forestry must observantly regard the characteristics of conflict and forest function so that the social forestry scheme can truly become a bridge to resolve conflicts that occur in the register forest areas of Lampung Province. It must be said that the social forestry that currently exists is not a „panacea‟ in all kinds of conflicts in the Lampung Province r egisters Partnership Not Panacea. Social Forestry Schemes must consider forest function, legal, social, economic, cultural, and political aspects, and identify protected forests starting from: (1) communities, (2) register land tenancy, (3) village officials, (4) security apparatus, and (5) the government. Meanwhile, In production forests, the aspects to concern are: (1) investors, (2) land providers, (3) land cultivators, (4) partnership groups, (5) non-partnership groups, (6) thugs, (7) companies, (8) security officials, and (9) the government. Second, the register forest areas of Lampung Province can only run with two schemes, namely Community Forestry and Forestry Partnership, because other forest functions do not exist in Lampung Province. The evaluation of the social forestry program implementation is deliberately required to improve the subsequent implementation of the program and to become a bridge for conflict resolutions.

In February 2017 and August 2018, respectively, two Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) reintroduced into the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest in Central Kalimantan were found in weakened physical condition and with deep puncture wounds. The first individual was a sub-adult male, and the second an adult female whose 6- to 8-week-old infant was missing. Both individuals were rescued and transported back to the field base camp for treatment. Experienced veterinarians treating the injuries reported that the type of wounds appeared consistent with those expected from an attack by a large felid. The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) is the largest felid known to inhabit Bukit Batikap Protection Forest, and we suspect that these cases were unsuccessful predatory attacks by this species. Given the severity of his condition when found, the male orangutan would probably have died without medical intervention; however, both orangutans fully recovered following intensive treatment and were successfully returned to the forest. Predation attempts on orangutans are infrequently reported, thus our observations add to the body of knowledge about possible predation by clouded leopards on reintroduced, rehabilitant orangutans.

This article investigates the use of payments for environmental services to support a wildlife corridor between two Priority Tiger Conservation Landscapes in central Sumatra, Indonesia. Several hundred smallholders operate within a Protection Forest linking the Tiger Conservation Landscapes. This study explores the willingness of these smallholders to accept a payment requiring them to forgo access to their land for five years. In addition to asking households directly what they would be willing to accept (WTA), we also ask them to infer what their neighbour would accept. The study finds evidence of hypothetical bias in the conventional WTA values, with a statistically significant difference between what people say they would be willing to accept when surveyed, compared to what they say would actually be willing to accept in a ‘real life’ situation. We show how inferred valuation techniques can mitigate against this.

Located in the west and shares a border with the Gulf of Thailand, Kien Giang province in general and the coastal area of An Minh - An Bien in particular has the general feature of the Southwestern climate. Here, the sea regime and currents are complicated by the activities of rivers, the system of canals flowing into the sea, along with seasonal ocean currents and waves. In terms of geology, the coastal zone of An Minh - An Bien area is formed from young sediments (mbQ23, amQ23) located right on the surface which comprise of silty clay mixed with sand (thickness from 2 – 5 m) and very prone to instability. This shows that the research area is very sensitive to the mechanical impacts of sea waves and currents. In such natural conditions, the coastal erosion in An Minh - An Bien area has been happening in many places. Coastal erosion has encroached on the land for hundreds of meters, destroying many areas of protection forest, cultivated land, aquaculture, houses, infrastructures …, leaving serious consequences for local people. Recently, the cause of coastal erosion has become more and more serious in An Minh - An Bien area due to the strong waves combined with the coastal currents which lead to imbalance in the amount of mud – sand. The root of the problem is the impact of climate change causing the abnormal weather and sea level rise. In order to effectively prevent coastal erosion in the study area, it is necessary to synchronously apply many countermeasures, including structural and non-structural types. Each countermeasure must be suitable with the characteristics of each section and follow the reasonable procedure…

Mangrove ecosystem is a complex tropical forest ecosystem that is able to live and to adapt in coastal environments. Unfortunatelly, its existence is vulnerable to the environmental change. Unless utilization of mangrove forest is not followed by enrichment and rehabilitation, it will lead to degradation of logged-over land such as pest and disease infestation. The pest study was conducted in mangrove stands in PT. Bina Ovivipari Semesta (BIOS), Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan. The result of study consisted of three sample plots obtained from the average of mangrove pest on the cutting area of 2017 (93.33%), attack intensity (28%). Additionally, the average of cutting area of 2012 were at 91.95% and attack intensity (29%) while the protection forest obtained the average of attack at 79.23% and attack intensity (21.87%). The results of pest identification of mangrove arboretum were 9 pests, including pagoda bagworm ( Pagodiella spp.), bagworm ( Acanthopsych e sp.), krama / tree climbing crab ( Episesarma spp.), nacerdes beetle ( Xanthochroa sp.), aphid ( Prociphilus tessellatus ), barnacles ( Balanus amphitrite ), snails (Gastropoda Class), cobwebs, leatherleaf slugs ( Vaginula bleekeri ). Key words: Kubu Raya, Mangrove, Pagodiella spp., PT. BIOS

The expansion of tree plantations in tropical forests for commercial rubber cultivation threatens biodiversity which may affect ecosystem services, and hinders ecosystem productivity, causing net carbon emission. Numerous studies refer to the challenge of reliably distinguishing rubber plantations from natural forest, using satellite data, due to their similar spectral signatures, even when phenology is incorporated into an analysis. This study presents a novel approach for monitoring the establishment and expansion of rubber plantations in Seima Protection Forest (SPF), Cambodia (1995–2015), by detecting and analyzing the ‘shapelet’ structure in a Landsat-NDVI time series. This paper introduces a new classification procedure consisting of two steps: (1) an exhaustive-searching algorithm to detect shapelets that represent a period for relatively low NDVI values within an image time series; and (2) a t-test used to determine if NDVI values of detected shapelets are significantly different than their non-shapelet trend, thereby indicating the presence of rubber plantations. Using this approach, historical rubber plantation events were mapped over the twenty-year timespan. The shapelet algorithm produced two types of information: (1) year of rubber plantation establishment; and (2) pre-conversion land-cover type (i.e., agriculture, or natural forest). The overall accuracy of the rubber plantation map for the year of 2015 was 89%. The multi-temporal map products reveal that more than half of the rubber planting activity (57%) took place in 2010 and 2011, following the granting of numerous rubber concessions two years prior. Seventy-three percent of the rubber plantations were converted from natural forest and twenty-three percent were established on non-forest land-cover. The shapelet approach developed here can be used reliably to improve our understanding of the expansion of rubber production beyond Seima Protection Forest of Cambodia, and likely elsewhere in the tropics.

This study aimed to determine changes in litter biomass and the effect of changes in litter biomass on carbon stock changes in Permanent Sample Plots of primary and secondary forest in the Protection Forest of Soya Village, Ambon City, for three years of measurement. This study used a sampling method with harvesting/collection and using laboratory analysis, where the working procedure used the SNI: 7724 guidelines. The data taken includes the water content of litter, total wet weight, dry weight of the sample, and wet weight of the sample to calculate the range of biomass or organic matter and carbon content of litter organic matter. The results showed that the average value of water content in both primary and secondary forests decreased. The depletion degree was higher in the first year than the second and third year. The biomass content of litter in primary forests decreased from year to year for three years of measurement. It causes a decrease in the carbon content in the primary forest. In contrast, the biomass content in secondary forests increased from year to year and increased carbon content from year to year for three years of measurement.

Sustainability in managing natural resources depends on the availability of current and future resources within management schemes. Tapping Pine trees for resin production have long been practiced in Bukit Daun Protection Forest, Kepahiang, Bengkulu, despite Bengkulu has not been known as a main province producing pine’s resin. Therefore, it was worthily to examine the sustainability of managing pine stand for production of pine’s resin at Bayung, Seberang Musi, Kepahiang, Bengkulu. The research was carried out with Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) approach and using Rapid Appraisal for Tapping Pine Trees (RP-TPT) software. It was constructed by ecologiy, economy, Social and culture, law dan institution, and technology and infrastructure dimensions. Ten attributes were assigned to each dimension. The result indicated that the managing pine stand was moderately sustainable (57.66). All dimensions were categorized into moderately sustainable, except to technology and infrastructure dimension (48.15), which was classified as poorly sustainable. Among 50 attributes, sixteen attributes were grouped as sensitive, meaning they are strongly influential to the sustainability to pine’s resin production. Sustainability could be increased by management intervention, especially to the improvement of tapping’s kill attribute of the technology and infrasrtucture dimension. This management intervention should also be followed by the improvement of the other attributes.

The preservation of natural resources such as forest, land, water and air is needed to ensure their ecosystem availability. The existence of forests as a water regulator is the main element of human life and other living organisms. The research objectives were to examine and determine the role of forest land use on forest land characteristics and soil hydrological characteristics in the Wanggu watershed. This study used a survey method and then conducted intensive observations. Forest soil observations were carried out by making a soil profile. Soil infiltration and permeability parameters were carried out through an infiltrometer and a permeameter, erosion and ETol using erosion prediction. The data used were primary data and secondary data. The results showed that: 1) the use of protection forest, production forest and agroforestry improves forest land characteristics, soil fauna and soil hydrological characteristics and soil erosion, 2) protection forest produces field capacitance, soil infiltration capacity and soil permeability higher than production forest and agroforestry with runoff, runoff coefficient and erosion < tolerable soil erosion, followed by production forest and agroforestry and 3) protection forest, production forest and agroforestry.

Forests have an important role regarding climate change both in mitigation and adaptation efforts. Indonesia is one of the countries with the most extensive tropical forest systems in the world. However, Indonesia experienced the highest level of forest destruction in Southeast Asia. For this reason, Indonesia needs to apply the principles of Sustainable Forest Management to improve the condition of forests through reducing deforestation without compromising the improvement of the welfare of the surrounding community, both men and women. Previous studies prove the involvement of local communities, both men and women, who consider their local knowledge and wisdom is a determining factor for realizing the objectives of Sustainable Forest Management. Previous studies regarding improving the welfare of forest farmers have ignored the needs of both men and women. Similar studies have not been done much in Indonesia or at the global level. There is less research on local knowledge/knowledge that examines how gender differences determine differences in local knowledge/wisdom that men and women have and their respective needs regarding forest resources. For this reason, this study generally aims to increase knowledge about the differences in local wisdom/knowledge possessed and the perceived needs of both men and women who have the potential to rehabilitate forests while improving their lives. This research is the third study in Barangkalang Sangihe Village, located around the protected forest of Mount Sahendaruman. This study uses qualitative data collection methods concerning local wisdom and the needs of men and women relating to forest resources and management. The principle of triangulation is applied to data collection methods and sources. Data collection is done by interview, discussion and observation. Data sources are farmers and village leaders and social organizations. Data analysis uses a qualitative data analysis approach. The results showed that the subconscious of women in particular and the whole community in general who have absorbed the pattern of forest growth that is diverse, structured from high to lowest creeping, is the superiority of the community around the forest. The superiority of this subconscious can be used as a basic capital to develop forest agriculture (agroforestry) that supports each other (mutualistic symbiosis) with protected forests above. Protection Forest can be maintained well only by the community around the forest who can feel the positive impact of the existence of the protected forest, for example as a source of water and as a source of plant seeds (plasma nuftah). Commercial tree crops managed by farmers in the area around the forest cannot be ignored for their biological function for environmental preservation. Because commercial crops, among others, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, and sago, also perennial plants that have deep roots and are also managed like the growth of forestry plants are not regulated like modern plantations.

BKPH Tampomas is part of the FMU area of Sumedang entirely classified into protected forest area. However, part of treated as CBFM with the aim of involfing the community in forest concervation activities the aim of this research is to describe and compare the structure and composition of the plant species between the subjected to CBFM and non CBFM Tampomas. The reaserch location was based on forest status of the protected area as having the same stand age and tree spacing. Data collection conducted throught the analysis of vegetation and soil sampling at each observation location species richness of BKPH Tampomas protection forest was relatively low either non CBFM of protected forest, CBFM protection forest of coffe and CBFM protection forest of cardamon. At the level of seedling stage there are 9 species and Calliandra haematocephala, the dominant. Species at the pole stage are found 3 species with Pinus merkusii species as the dominant species, at the tree stage are 2 species that dominated by Pinus merkusii. The covercrop found were 30 species and dominated by Lepturus repens. The low soil fertility and sandy soil texture composition also account for the low plant species in the BKPH Tampomas protection forest areas.Key words : CBFM cardamon, CDFM coffee, species composition, structure vegetation, Tampomas Mountain

Natural disturbances may cause a temporary reduction or elimination of the protective effect of forests. The management of protection forests aims to influence forest dynamics to ensure an optimal and continuous protective effect. To achieve this goal quantitative and detailed information about the post-disturbance stand dynamics is needed. In the case of hillslopes prone to shallow landslides in particular, there is a lack of knowledge about the effect of fire on the dynamic of root reinforcement and on the related increment in landslide risk. Such quantitative information is of paramount importance when dealing with forest system engineering resilience after disturbances. The objective of this work is to quantify the temporal and spatial dynamics of root reinforcement in a burnt Scots pine (Pinus silvestris) forest 4 years after a stand replacing fire in Switzerland. To this purpose, we compare the contribution of root reinforcement to soil strength of a burnt forest patch with a nearby-located, similar mature and healthy, stand. Root distribution measurements and field pullout tests on roots were used to calculate the spatial distribution of root reinforcement in both types of stand. The results show a reduction by a factor of 3.6 in root reinforcement 4 years after the forest fire due to the degradation of the root mechanical properties. Moreover, we demonstrate that at this post-fire stage the natural regeneration is not able to counterbalance the protective function loss in term of root reinforcement.

Traditional communities in East Kalimantan have been using traditional medicinal plants for centuries. This paper aims to identify the plant species used for traditional medicine for women’s health in three tribes in East Kalimantan: Dayak Benuaq around Gunung Beratus Protection Forest, Dayak Bahau around Wehea Forest, and Kutai tribe around Kutai National Park. Medicinal plant species identification is important for plant breeding and developing utilization technology of those species. Data were collected by: 1) interview with traditional midwives and traditional medicinal plants users in those villages; 2) collecting the medicinal plant specimens in their natural habitat; 3) qualitative analysis of the interview records; 4) botanical identification of the specimens in Herbarium Wanariset Samboja; and 5) literature review about the usage of those medicinal plants by traditional communities in other places. This research result showed 44 medicinal plant species from 30 families for cosmetics, maternal uses, and women’s reproductive health. The used parts of the medicinal plants were the roots, leaves, barks, stem, and fruits. The medicinal plants were processed by simple methods. There were 27 species also used by other communities for similar or different efficacies, and the active chemical compounds of 25 species have been known. The utilization of traditional medicinal plants are cheaper, more available, and accessible. However, the quality of the medicinal plants can not be guaranteed, and the dosage was not standardized. Therefore the medicinal plants need to be cultivated to ensure the quality and quantity, and to prevent species extinction.

The demand for wood as construction material, renewable source for energy and feedstock for chemicals is expected to increase. However, timber increments are currently only partly harvested in many European mountain regions, which may lead to supply shortages for local timber industries, decreases in forest resistance to disturbances and functioning as protection from gravitational hazards. Using an inventory-based forest simulator, we evaluated scenarios to increase wood mobilization in the 7105-km2 Swiss canton of Grisons for the period 2007–2106. Scenarios varied with respect to landscape-scale harvesting amounts and silvicultural strategies (low vs. high stand-scale treatment intensity) and accounted for regulations and incentives for protection forest management. With 50 and 100% increases of harvests, the current average growing stock of 319 m3 ha−1 was simulated to be reduced by 12 and 33%, respectively, until 2106 in protection forests of Northern Grisons, where management is prioritized due to subsidies. Outside protection forests and in Southern Grisons, growing stock was simulated to continually increase, which led to divergent developments in forest structure in- and outside protection forests and in the Northern and Southern Grisons. The effect of silvicultural strategies on simulated forest structure was small compared to the effect of future harvesting levels. We discuss opportunities and threats of decreasing management activities outside protection forests and advocate for incentives to promote natural regeneration also outside protection forests to safeguard long-term forest stability.

The global to local-level importance of Indonesian forests for the environment and development is now very well documented. However, how to govern these forests to achieve the diverse and, at times, conflicting interests is still an open question. Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKm) is a community forest (CF) that is being implemented to contribute to local development while creating sufficient incentives for conserving the forest. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of HKm to conserve forests. This study analyzed the changes in the five major types of capital for HKm farmers. The results indicated HKm to have contributed positively to the improvement of natural, physical, and human capital. In addition to its direct impact, HKm was also found to improve the financial capital of the farmers by avoiding patron–client relationships and side payments between the pre-HKm illegal encroacher farmers (now legal land cultivators) and government officers. Although the results support the possibility of...

As a hot topic in Landscape Ecology study, ecological connectivity is an important indicator for regional land sustainable use and biological protection. This paper conducted a systematic assessment of ecological connectivity using remote sensing images of Dongshan Island in 1994, 2003 and 2011. Based on least-cost modelling, the method takes into consideration the type of barrier, the distance impact, and the adjacent land use types to obtain the Barrier Effect Index (BEI) and Ecological Connectivity Index (ECI). The application of this method to Dongshan Island showed the ecological connectivity index (ECI) was low in 1994, improved in 2003, and decreased significantly in 2011. The results of the dynamic analysis of landscape structure showed farmland and roads were the main landscape classes that caused the low observed ECI in 1994 and 2003; these tended to divide the landscape and cause fragmentation. Construction land and roads were the main landscape classes resulting in low ECI in 2011, while forest and grassland had a high ECI. Trajectory analysis showed ECI tended to decrease in the low mountain forest zone of the northwestern and southeastern parts of Dongshan Island as well as in the coastal protection forest area. The areas where ECI became high were located in the northeastern part of Dongshan Island where cities and towns are concentrated with high human populations. Therefore, rapid urbanization has been the most important factor driving changes in landscape structure and patterns during the last 17 years on Dongshan Island. The approach not only assists us in revealing the driving mechanism of landscape dynamics from another aspect, but also can assess the impacts of regional and urban plans on landscape structure and function.

Vietnam is one of the countries where a shift from net deforestation to net reforestation is taking place. This study examines the pattern of tree-cover transition and gender-specific land-use preferences and decisions in northern Vietnam. We employed a mixed-method approach that combined a land-use transition analysis, gender-disaggregated survey and role-playing games (RPG) to assess the relationship between tree-cover transition and gender. The first two methods revealed continuous conversion of protection forest to tree plantations and upland crops (dominated by swidden rice). Factors affecting conversion identified through regression analysis were elevation and labor availability. The land-use RPG revealed gender-specific preferences for annual crops and tree-based agroforestry systems, and the underlying motivation of those preferences. The overall pattern of tree-cover transition in northern Vietnam falls under the smallholder agricultural intensification path. Agroforestry potentially balances the specific land-use preferences of men and women, and helps to achieve their specific land use related livelihood objectives.

HERIYANTO, N. M., SAMSOEDIN, I. & KARTAWINATA, K. 2018. Tree species diversity, structural characteristics and carbon stock in a one-hectare plot of the protection forest area in West Lampung Regency, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 18(1): 1‒18. — A study of species composition, structure and carbon stock in the lower montane forest in the Register 45B of the protection forest area in the Tri Budi Syukur District, Kebun Tebu Village, West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province was conducted in September 2016. The objective of the study was to undertake quantified measurements of floristic composition and structure of and carbon storage in the lower montane forest at 965 m asl in the protection forest area. A one hectare plot (100 m × 100 m) was established randomly. The plot was further divided into 25 subplots of 20 m × 20 m each to record trees. Quadrats of 5 m × 5 m for saplings and subquadrats of 2 m × 2 m for seedlings were nested in the tree subplots. We recorded 247 trees with diameter at breast height ≥ 10 cm representing 25 species and 19 families, with a total basal area of 59.14 m2. Overall including seedlings and saplings we recorded 31 species. The species richness was very low due to disturbances, and was the lowest compared to that of other forests in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. The dominant species in terms of importance values (IV) were Litsea cf. fulva (IV=77.02), Lithocarpus reinwardtii (IV=45.21) and Altingia excelsa (IV=26.95). Dominant species in seedling and sapling stages were Polyalthia lateriflora (IV=27.54) and Memecylon multiflorum (IV=41.58). Biomass and carbon stock of trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm was 50.87 ton/ha and 25.43 ton C/ha, respectively. Regeneration was poor. Structurally and floristically the forest was a developing disturbed forest and the composition will remain unchanged in many years to come. The successions leading to terminal communities similar to the original conditions would be very slow and should be assisted and enhanced by applying ecological restoration through planting tree species native to the site.

Healthy, dense forests growing in avalanche terrain reduce the likelihood of slab avalanche release by inhibiting the formation of continuous snow layers and weaknesses in the snowpack. Driven by climate change, trends towards more frequent and severe bark beetle disturbances have already resulted in the death of millions of hectares of forest in North America and central Europe, affecting snowpack in mountain forests and potentially reducing their protective capacity against avalanches. We examined the spatial variability in snow stratigraphy, i.e., the characteristic layering of the snowpack, by repeatedly measuring vertical profiles of snow penetration resistance with a digital snow micro penetrometer (SMP) along 10- and 20-m transects in a spruce beetle-infested Engelmann spruce forest in Utah, USA. Three study plots were selected characterizing different stages within a spruce beetle outbreak cycle: non-infested/green, infested > 3 years ago/gray stage, and salvage-logged. A fourth plot was installed in a non-forested meadow as the control. Based on our SMP measurements and a layer matching algorithm, we quantified the spatial variability in snow stratigraphy, and tested which forest, snow and/or meteorological conditions influenced differences between our plots using linear mixed effects models. Our results showed that spatial variability in snow stratigraphy was best explained by the percentage of canopy covering a transect (R2 = 0.71, p

Forests provide a series of ecosystem services, including the protection from natural hazards. Thanks to these forests, structural protection measures can be avoided in many places. A realistic long-term valuation of this ecosystem-based risk reduction provided by the forest is essential. The aim of this study is to assess the Net Present Value (NPV) of a protection forest using a risk-based approach and compare it to the NPV of rockfall nets. Costs to be included in the NPV calculation are forest management interventions, net construction, and benefits are the risk reduction and wood sales. The risk reduction is monetised as avoided costs, i.e. the difference between the yearly rockfall risk with and without measure. Uncertainties in the protection effect due to possible forest fires were simulated over a period of 100 years using a Monte-Carlo approach. Both the protection forest and the nets effectively reduce rockfall risk at the study site. The NPV of the nets is highly negative (−124,100 CHF/ha), indicating that they are economically not worthwhile at the study site. The NPV of the protection forest is highly positive (162,400 CHF/ha). The variation of the NPV due to fires is very low and the influence of this disturbance on the long-term efficiency of the protection forest is small. Building temporary nets in case of a large fire can restore the protective effect. Their NPV is, however, lower compared to the situation without net. By calculating the NPV of a forest considering its risk reducing effect, we provide a methodology for a realistic valuation of its protective effect. It is based on a case study, which, however, can be applied in a broader context. The presented approach can serve as basis to find optimal combinations of investment in natural hazard prevention, be this ecosystem-based or structural measures.