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As worldwide interest in sustainable forest management continues, this paper aims to contribute to the debate about the direction of the flow of science and knowledge by adding information that hybridity of knowledge occurred in international projects. As a case study, I selected a forestry development project of Burma called Forestry Project II East Pegu Yoma Project, funded mainly by the World Bank in the 1980s. By analysing the reports of this project, I attempted to find what kind of local knowledge was adopted, and to explain why that happened. The reports showed that they focused on logging teak (Tectona grandis) for export and establishing tree plantations, and they used techniques that came from the past, such as elephants and floating for logging, and the taungya method for planting, alongside modern techniques. The reasons why the project selected local species, activities and methods were considered to be because: (1) the then government intended to earn foreign exchange from exporting teak logs; (2) teak forestry had a long history in Burma, and the organisations, institutions and techniques aiming for sustainable yield already existed; (3) the project considered that local methods were suitable for particular ecological and socioeconomic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Venezolana de Gerencia (RVG) is the property of Revista de Filosofia-Universidad del Zulia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims at defining the appropriate model to describe the stem tapering of trees of Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis hybrid, and at evaluating the economic viability of obtaining wood multi-products at different interest rates. The volume of 60 sample trees were determined, and stem tapering was described according to the models proposed by Demaerschalk, Prodan, Kozak, and Ormerod. The best model was used to convert the trees into assortments so that the wood could be optimized for the product that offers the maximum economic return with the minimum possible waste. Then, an economic viability analysis was performed for wood multi-product production, using the Net Present Value (NPV) and applying interest rates of 8 to 12% p.a. The Demaerschalk model is the most appropriate one for the study of stem tapering and assortment determination in short-rotation stands of the Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis hybrid intended for multi-products in the region covered by the study. The allocation of wood for multi-products is a viable option for stands of the Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis hybrid, according to the interest rates applied in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation projects commonly claim to convert local people into long-term environmental stewards and improve their well-being. Yet, evidence frequently contradicts these win-win claims. The "multiple environmentalities" framework outlines distinct approaches that projects often use to foster environmental motivation and behavior: (1) neoliberal: constructing material incentives, (2) sovereign: imposing protective laws, and (3) disciplinary: fostering norms and values. We use a mixed method approach to examine how combinations of these environmentalities shape the land use motivations and behavior of 270 families living in 15 project settings in the Peruvian Amazon. We identify four direct reasons why these projects often fail to achieve their intended outcomes, regardless of the environmentalities employed: (1) self-selection of like-minded individuals, (2) limited ability of extrinsic motivators (i.e. material incentives and protective laws) to reduce reported deforestation behaviors, (3) limited internalization of motivations for conservation, and (4) ignored broader economic drivers of deforestation. We argue that these challenges stem from the typical external design of conservation projects based on fixed and limited interpretations of human motivation. Our findings point to the importance of deliberative processes that can support local and external actors to navigate and reframe competing motivations to co-design approaches to conservation governance at local and broader scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Land use policies have had a strong bearing on landscape patterns. • Rapid expansion of plantation forest due to tax benefits for MIS forestry. • Reforestation policies are vulnerable to legislative changes of tax rulings. • Tax-effective schemes should be grounded in sound market principles to avoid failure. Land use policies interact with biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics to determine land use and land cover (LULC) changes. This paper presents a method for assessing the determinants of plantation land use transitions from 1979 to 2014 from Landsat data for the Warren River Catchment (4,416 km2) in Western Australia. This catchment is intrinsically interesting because it is a frontier between agriculture, high biodiversity native forests and commercial forest plantations. Further land use policies have had a strong bearing on LULC. Initial forest clearing in the catchment was the result of agricultural development policy. It was followed by the ban on clearing native vegetation on private land in 1978. The Management Investment Scheme introduced in the 1990s led to a rapid increase in the area of plantation forest on agricultural land. The catchment has two significant environmental problems: first dryland salinity leading to land degradation and the salinization of rivers and streams; and second the protection of high levels of endemic biodiversity. LULC changes from 1979 to 2014 reveal that soil depth, distance to urban centres, surrounding land use, and private land are positively correlated with transitions to plantation forest. The Management Investment Scheme brought the largest changes in LULC as land transitioned into Eucalyptus plantations in the 1990s when the tax incentives were introduced and then gradually out of plantations by clear-felling and conversion to agriculture as tax benefits for the scheme were reformulated and uncertainty about the policy increased. Other evidence on policy effects are that the Forest Management Plans have sustained the area of native forest and the ban on clearing has been effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the local impacts of World Bank development projects on sites of recognized conservation significance (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas [IBAs]) using tree cover change data and in situ state, pressure, and response monitoring data. IBAs adjacent to World Bank project locations and a matched set of IBAs distant from World Bank project locations had similar rates of tree loss and similar in situ measurements of conservation outcomes. Thus, we did not detect any significant net negative impacts of World Bank projects on tree cover or conservation outcomes. These results are encouraging because 89% of World Bank projects that are close to IBAs are environmentally sensitive projects (so-called Category A and Category B projects) subjected to the organization's most stringent safeguards. However, the limitations of our evaluation design do not allow us to rule out the possibility that World Bank projects had positive or negative effects that were undetectable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nativa is the property of Revista Nativa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article addresses the question of how forestry projects, given the recently improved standards for the accounting of carbon sequestration, can benefit from existing and emerging carbon markets in the world. For a long time, forestry projects have been set up for the purpose of generating carbon credits. They were surrounded by uncertainties about the permanence of carbon sequestration in trees, potential replacement of deforestation due to projects (leakage), and how and what to measure as sequestered carbon. Through experience with Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forestry projects, albeit limited, and with forestry projects in voluntary carbon markets, considerable improvements have been made with accounting of carbon sequestration in forests, resulting in a more solid basis for carbon credit trading. The scope of selling these credits exists both in compliance markets, although currently with strong limitations, and in voluntary markets for offsetting emissions with carbon credits. Improved carbon accounting methods for forestry investments can also enhance the scope for forestry in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that countries must prepare under the Paris Agreement. POLICY RELEVANCE This article identifies how forestry projects can contribute to climate change mitigation. Forestry projects have addressed a number of challenges, like reforestation, afforestation on degraded lands, and long-term sustainable forest management. An interesting new option for forestry carbon projects could be the NDCs under the Paris Agreement in December 2015. Initially, under CDM and JI, the number of forestry projects was far below that for renewable energy projects. With the adoption of the Paris Agreement, both developed and developing countries have agreed on NDCs for country-specific measures on climate change mitigation, and increased the need for investing in new measures. Over the years, considerable experience has been built up with forestry projects that fix CO2over a long-term period. Accounting rules are nowadays at a sufficient level for the large potential of forestry projects to deliver a reliable, additional contribution towards reducing or halting emissions from deforestation and forest degradation activities worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent UK government policy design has drawn heavily on insights from behavioural sciences, however, engagement with these ideas in the forestry sector has been limited. This article critically reflects on the interface between forest policy and 'behaviour'. After considering what the term 'behaviour' may mean in the forestry context, we draw on a literature review to develop four key principles that can be used to guide forestry interventions seeking behavioural change. These recommend that interventions: (1) are grounded on an understanding of individual's and groups' values and motivations, (2) seek to affect the wider social and physical context of its target groups, (3) adopt a multifaceted approach at various scales and (4) facilitate active involvement by participants in project design and implementation. These principles are then applied to the analysis of four UK forestry case studies. We conclude that forestry interventions have affected behaviours but without explicitly linking them to 'behavioural' discourses. Furthermore, robust monitoring and evaluation to track behaviour change is currently lacking. We argue that the principles we have developed can be used in forest programme design to ensure that participatory processes, monitoring and evaluation criteria and adequate periods for reflection are built into interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An urgent need to stop degradation is frequently cited as support for climate mitigation efforts involving forests. However, lessons learnt from social science research on degradation narratives are not taken into consideration. This creates a risk of problematic degradation narratives being used to legitimise forest carbon projects. This study examined a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forest plantation in Uganda, where incomplete and partly contradictory evidence on land use change was interpreted in a way that overemphasised degradation. This interpretation was in line with the interests of the forestry company proposing the CDM activity and with national interests in Uganda, and was stimulated by CDM guidelines and regulations. Our investigation revealed a more complex picture of land cover change in the area that did not support the narrative of an area undergoing continuous degradation. We therefore recommend that close scrutiny of the degradation narrative presented be included in every type of forest carbon project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mid-1970s, Mozambique embarked on several forestry projects to promote and establish large plantation areas with eucalypt trees. The planted species includedCorymbia citriodora,Eucalyptus camaldulensis,E. salignaandE. tereticornis. Similar to other regions of the world, pests and pathogens pose a significant threat to eucalypt plantations in Mozambique, but little is known regarding the diseases of trees in the country. The aim of this study was to provide the first detailed consideration of the possible disease problems affecting plantation- grown eucalypt species in the central and northern provinces of Mozambique. Isolates of fungal pathogens were obtained from material displaying disease symptoms collected during two field surveys conducted in 2010 and 2011. Representative fungal isolates were identified using DNA sequence data. Stem canker diseases caused by fungi in the Botryosphaeriaceae, Cryphonectriaceae and Teratosphaeriaceae, as well as leaf spots caused by species ofCalonectria,Pilidiella,PilidiumandPhakopsora myrtacearumwere commonly encountered. Their relative importance to the future of planation forestry in Mozambique is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the economic viability of Eucalyptus wood use for four different purposes: charcoal, energy/firewood, construction and sawmill. We performed economic analysis using the three methods of project evaluation most commonly employed in Brazil, since they consider the capital variation in time, known as: Net Present Value (NPV), Equivalent Periodic Value (EPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). We also performed a sensitivity analysis, considering the three rates most used in economic evaluation of forest projects, 6%, 9% and 12% per year (p.y.), also considering variation in production and in 10% of wood prices (both for more and less). The wood use that provided the greatest financial return considering discount rate of 6%, was the production of wood for construction (NPV = R$ 16,965.38/ha; EPV = R$ 1,825.22/ha/year; IRR = 38.0%). For such interest rate, the production of logs destined for energy/firewood generated lower profitability (NPV = R$ 402.66/ha; EPV= R$ 43.32/ha/year; IRR = 8.0%), use that is uneconomical for the discount rates of 9% and 12% (p.y.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We often hear about the resistance of First Nation (FN) communities to the industrial model of forestry, but we hear less about what they wish to achieve. Translating FN perspectives into concepts that are understood by the mainstream society can help inform current and future forest policies. Such translation can support initiatives that seek ways to increase FN participation in the forest sector. This paper documents one process of translation. It identifies the principles and objectives for forest-based development of the Essipit Innu First Nation in Quebec, Canada, reflective of the deep roots that anchor the Essipit to their territory. Based on participatory research carried out between January and July 2013, we identify 34 objectives folded into three core FN principles: Nutshimiu-Aitun (identity-territoriality), Mishkutunam (sharing-exchange), and Pakassitishun (responsibility-autonomy). Our analysis shows that the economic aims of the dominant forestry model are too narrow for FN communities. This paper contributes to expanding FN engagement in forestry through management and economic approaches that are better adapted to their culture and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the future of the National Park Service Organic Act in a changing climate. Managers and scholars have raised questions about whether the Organic Act gives the Park Service sufficient authority to undertake the steps necessary to adapt to climate change. This article concludes that the Organic Act and park-specific enabling acts, as interpreted by the courts, grant the Park Service wide discretion to pursue management options for adaptation to climate change impacts on national park resources. It also concludes that the Organic Act, properly understood, does impose some necessary constraints on agency decision-making, constraints that prevent inappropriate development projects and that require thoughtful decision-making to minimize the risk of unintended management consequences. Overall, the Organic Act will remain relevant into the next century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ambiente & Sociedade is the property of Nepam Unicamp and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In a 15-year case study, we used the multiple streams approach (MSA) and the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) to examine a controversial industry-led proposal for increased harvest of Crown forests in New Brunswick, Canada, in an adversarial policy subsystem. Study participants were queried on their perceptions of policy problems and reasons for community attention, the relationship between science and policy, and whether policy decisions were consistent with scientific understanding. Thematic analysis was used to examine interview data for evidence of Kingdon's MSA and Sabatier's ACF. During public hearings of a Legislative Select Committee on Wood Supply, two competing policy alternatives emerged. The first, put forward by the forest industry coalition, advocated an intensive forest management approach in support of a competitive industry. The second, supported by the conservation coalition, largely made up of scientists and environmental groups, focused on adaptive management, an ecosystem approach, and greater public input. This counterproposal forestalled the industry from placing its proposal on the government 2005 decision agenda. However, in 2014, the government unexpectedly adopted essentially the same industry proposal. Although the MSA provided a better explanation of the factors critical to the 2014 policy change, i.e., a declining provincial economy and a change of key government personnel, the ACF offered a nuanced perspective on the need for a professional forum to facilitate policy-oriented learning across competing coalitions. In 2014, the lack of such a forum and a closed process limited policy alternatives considered by elected officials. Results also emphasize the importance of how legislators choose to interact with experts and scientists, particularly within an adversarial subsystem, especially when a powerful coalition develops ways to limit the access to decision makers by competing coalitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the livelihoods and experiences of local people after two decades of living close to a strict protected area (PA). A total of 290 local PA neighbors and 60 key informants were interviewed. Findings reveal a limited access to assets and low incomes. An average PA neighbor earns US$0.5 per adult equivalent unit (AEU)/day. PA proximity is associated with lower incomes, mainly because of wildlife damages that cost an average household (HH) up to 10% of its annual income. Other recurrent PA costs include the “invisible” costs incurred to cope with crop raiding, and restricted access to PA resources, that jointly amount to 16% of an average HH’s annual income. PA benefits include the sharing of tourism revenues, integrated conservation and development projects, and park-related employment. In total, benefits constitute 3.5% of the total annual income of an average HH, a figure higher than the contribution of other PAs in Uganda. However, overall, an average HH accrues a net annual loss of 12.5% of its total income or a total loss of US$1.54 million for the 1,1875 HHs, yet the park sends up to US$7 million to the central treasury. This highlights the need for policy revisions of the political economy of PA management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the defining challenges facing the planet. Voluntary forest carbon offset project which has the potential to boost forest carbon storage and mitigate global warming has aroused the global concern. The objective of this paper is to model the game situation and analyze the game behaviors of stakeholders of voluntary forest carbon offset projects in China. A stakeholder model and a Power-Benefit Matrix are constructed to analyze the roles, behaviors, and conflicts of stakeholders including farmers, planting entities, communities, government, and China Green Carbon Foundation. The empirical analysis results show that although the stakeholders have diverse interests and different goals, a win-win solution is still possible through their joint participation and compromise in the voluntary forest carbon offset project. A wide governance structure laying emphasis on benefit balance, equality, and information exchanges and being regulated by all stakeholders has been constructed. It facilitates the agreement among the stakeholders with conflicting or different interests. The joint participation of stakeholders in voluntary forest carbon offset projects might change the government-dominated afforestation/reforestation into a market, where all participators including government are encouraged to cooperate with each other to improve the condition of fund shortage and low efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Payments for ecosystem services offer the potential to financially benefit landowners in exchange for active forest management. Given their nontimber focus, such payments might be particularly attractive to those owners who do not participate in typical forestry programs. To investigate, we surveyed "nonparticipating" Wisconsin landowners to assess their interest in possible payments for ecosystem services. Our design experimentally compared the effects of ecosystem service type (carbon storage, water, and wildlife) and program sponsorship (government and market) on landowner interest. We also tested the effects of increasing program requirements (no requirements, written plan, required practices, and required inspections). Findings indicate that 42% had some interest under no requirements. This portion dropped to 18% with requirements that resemble how payments might work in practice. Under "real-world" requirements, reliance on a forester in future decisions and the importance of a forest-based income were significant explanatory factors. Findings suggest that program requirements are key in shaping landowner willingness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on family farming topics which include family farming in Latin America, family farming and groundwater irrigation in Maghreb, and forest projects and forestry policy in Morocco.

Copyright of Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Natural Forest Protection (NFP) program is one of the Six Key Forestry Projects which were adopted by the Chinese Government since the 1980s to address important natural issues in China. It advanced to protecting and restoring the structures and functions of the natural forests through sustainable forest management. However, the role of forest carbon storage and tree carbon pool dynamics since the adoption of the NFP remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study calculated forest carbon storage (tree, understory, forest floor and soil) in the forest region of northeastern (NE) China based on National Forest Inventory databases and field investigated databases. For tree biomass, this study utilized an improved method for biomass estimation that converts timber volume to total forest biomass; while for understory, forest floor and soil carbon storage, this study utilized forest type-specific mean carbon densities multiplied by their areas in the region. Results showed that the tree carbon pool under the NFP in NE China functioned as a carbon sink from 1998 to 2008, with an increase of 6.3 Tg C/yr, which was mainly sequestrated by natural forests (5.1 Tg C/yr). At the same time, plantations also acted as a carbon sink, reflecting an increase of 1.2 Tg C/yr. In 2008, total carbon storage in forests covered by the NFP in NE China was 4603.8 Tg C, of which 4393.3 Tg C was stored in natural forests and 210.5 Tg C in planted forests. Soil was the largest carbon storage component, contributing 69.5%-77.8% of total carbon storage; followed by tree and forest floor, accounting for 16.3%-23.0% and 5.0%-6.5% of total carbon storage, respectively. Understory carbon pool ranged from 1.9 to 42.7 Tg C, accounting for only 0.9% of total carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many forestry projects have been implemented in developing countries. In China, a variety of large-scale afforestation and reforestation programmes have been carried out with multiple objectives, such as livelihood improvement and carbon sequestration. As in many developing countries, these projects have been implemented in a smallholder context. This paper investigates the determinants of smallholder participation in large forestry projects. Using the case of camellia, it explores the determinants of smallholder participation using a probit regression model. To distinguish between participation in international and government-run projects, a bivariate probit regression model is used. The findings show that only 37% of households in the sample had participated in the Camellia project; a major reason for the low participation rate is perceived tenure insecurity. The results of the bivariate probit model show that the education level of the household head and household size have a positive impact on the likelihood of household participation. The more 'off-farm' activities are taken up in a household, the less likely a household is to participate in an international project. For a government project, household size also has a positive impact on the likelihood of participation. Chinese forestry is diversifying since the devolution offorestland use rights, with a majority of households hesitating to invest, while some risk investment and others depend on government subsidies. The main policy implication is that, if the Chinese government wishes to achieve its goal of 1.68 million hectares of camellia, then improving tenure security is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various parts of a landscape unit or region can be used for multiple purposes. Before the collectivisation of agricultural fields in the 1960s, the use of the land was more or less in accordance with the given natural conditions. After collectivisation, huge plots were created, neglecting the features of the capability of the area. The map of ecological potential types shows favourable and unfavourable conditions for agricultural and forestry use, i.e. it indicates which parts of the region off er the best ecological conditions for arable cultivation, viticulture, fruit production, cultivation of meadows and pasture, just to mention a few. A capability assessment using GIS is being carried out for the total area of the Eger region. The database used for the capability analysis contains the Corine 1990 and 2006 data, soil maps and the National Gully Cadastre. The map is compared with present-day land use and the discrepancies between landscape capability and present land use are identified. Suggestions are made to optimise land use according to the capability map. Alterations since the change of the regime in 1989 have been determined and analysed from the aspect of suitability, as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extension Forestry has long acted as a medium for landowner education and engagement through a variety of programs that encourage peer learning. We describe recent trends and innovations in Extension Forestry programming by reporting the results of surveys and focus groups with the managers of 39 (of 42 identified) Extension Forestry master volunteer and other peer-learning programs. These programs combine instruction from experts with peer learning and volunteerism to provide nonformal adult education for family forest owners. Results indicate that Extension Forestry peer-learning programs are evolving to address emerging issues and to use recent developments in communication and educational technologies, such as online programming and social media. With median annual budgets of just over $10,000, several programs target small and often underserved segments of the landowner population, such as women and absentee landowners. Although program outputs and demands for service are increasing, many program managers face reduced budgets and a variety of challenges to program sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the project funded by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM). Topics discussed include aims of the project to maximize the production of goods and services provided by Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the context of global changes, promotion of sustainable management of forest ecosystems, usage of REDD opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation and forest degradation.

The article offers information on The International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM), a non-profit organization. Topics discussed include aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience relating to forests in the Mediterranean region, involvement of AIFM in several cooperation programs, including the CLIMADAPT and MEDLAND 2020 projects, objective of the Climadapt project include development of observation systems and adaptive silviculture to protect biodiversity.

The article presents several abstracts related to the agricultural related injuries and risk management on topics which include injuries and fatalities in the dairy farm operators, risks related to the pesticides exposure in agriculture, and work organization in the forestry and fishing sector.

The article offers insights of magazine editor Beng Ek on several tips for better mass media relations along with ten networks who were granted with funding from SNS network. Ek states that inviting journalist for a research interview is an efficient way of promoting one's research. Moreover, ten networks were granted with research funding which includes Forest Water Mercury, Forest Policy Science, and Social Indicators in Forestry.

Contractors perform the majority of forestry activities in Sweden, yet little is known about the development of their company structures and strategies. By analyzing data from the Swedish Forest Agency's yearly survey to forestry contractors for 2006–2009 and comparing the results with previous data for 1993–1998, we examined the current profiles of Swedish forestry contractors and their recent development. For 2006–2009, responses were received from 700 to 770 forestry contractors, corresponding to ca. 20% of the estimated total number of Swedish forestry contractors. In 2009, 60% of contractors were mainly performing logging activities, whereas 30% were mainly performing silvicultural activities. Between 1993 and 2009, the number of contractors increased by ca. 80%, while the number of forestry working contractors and their employees increased by 157%. These increases were mainly due to increased silvicultural activities. Although one-person enterprises still dominate among Swedish forestry contractors, most logging work is performed by small-sized enterprises, whereas most silviculture work is performed by large-sized enterprises. Our study suggests that there is an increased dependency upon contractors and forestry contractors have become more diversified, but still specialized, in the type of work they perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forest carbon offset project implementation costs, comprised of both production and transaction costs, could present an important barrier to private landowner participation in carbon offset markets. These costs likewise represent a largely undocumented component of forest carbon offset potential. Using a custom spreadsheet model and accounting tool, this study examines the implementation costs of different forest offset project types operating in different forest types under different accounting and sampling methodologies. Sensitivity results are summarized concisely through response surface regression analysis to illustrate the relative effect of project-specific variables on total implementation costs. Results suggest that transaction costs may represent a relatively small percentage of total project implementation costs – generally less than 25% of the total. Results also show that carbon accounting methods, specifically the method used to establish project baseline, may be among the most important factors in driving implementation costs on a per-ton-of-carbon-sequestered basis, dramatically increasing variability in both transaction and production costs. This suggests that accounting could be a large driver in the financial viability of forest offset projects, with transaction costs likely being of largest concern to those projects at the margin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]