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This study aims to investigate the impact of forest exploitation methods on monthly discharge and hydrological indices of river flow using graphical methods in a forested watershed in North Iran. To achieve this, 10 hydrological index changes related to river flow regime influenced by the Shelterwood/clear cutting, Femel cutting, and the Near Nature approach forest cutting methods were assessed. According to the results, it can be stated that the Shelterwood/clear cutting method influenced monthly flow indices by increasing the coefficient of variations and intensifying runoff production, while the Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach methods contributed to regulating the flow regime and sustaining river flow. The influence of various tree-cutting techniques on river flow values and fluctuations is more evident during the wettest months compared to low-water months. The period of Shelterwood/clear cutting disrupted the natural correlation between precipitation and runoff production. Furthermore, the shift from Shelterwood/clear cutting to Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach progressively diminished the slope of the curve, indicating a reduction in monthly runoff at both measurement stations. In conclusion, opting for an appropriate method, such as the Near Nature approach, is preferable from both ecological and hydrological perspectives when managing forest areas in the study region and similar conditions involving comparable topography, climate, soil, and forest stands. The index-based coupled with graphical methodology employed appropriately demonstrates the influence of logging techniques on monthly flow patterns, which provides valuable insights into evaluating the repercussions of alternative management interventions on river flow dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of forest exploitation methods on monthly discharge and hydrological indices of river flow using graphical methods in a forested watershed in North Iran. To achieve this, 10 hydrological index changes related to river flow regime influenced by the Shelterwood/clear cutting, Femel cutting, and the Near Nature approach forest cutting methods were assessed. According to the results, it can be stated that the Shelterwood/clear cutting method influenced monthly flow indices by increasing the coefficient of variations and intensifying runoff production, while the Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach methods contributed to regulating the flow regime and sustaining river flow. The influence of various tree-cutting techniques on river flow values and fluctuations is more evident during the wettest months compared to low-water months. The period of Shelterwood/clear cutting disrupted the natural correlation between precipitation and runoff production. Furthermore, the shift from Shelterwood/clear cutting to Femel cutting and the Near Nature approach progressively diminished the slope of the curve, indicating a reduction in monthly runoff at both measurement stations. In conclusion, opting for an appropriate method, such as the Near Nature approach, is preferable from both ecological and hydrological perspectives when managing forest areas in the study region and similar conditions involving comparable topography, climate, soil, and forest stands. The index-based coupled with graphical methodology employed appropriately demonstrates the influence of logging techniques on monthly flow patterns, which provides valuable insights into evaluating the repercussions of alternative management interventions on river flow dynamics.

Copyright of Intus-Legere Historia is the property of Intus-Legere Historia 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.)

Public expectations of forests as high-quality restorative environments that facilitate subjective well-being and stress relief along with numerous health benefits have been rising sharply during recent decades. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying restrictive measures also transformed forests into some of the few places to spend time away from home. The presented study drew on the assumption that the pandemic situation and a rise in the number of forest visits would affect the experience, recognition, and appreciation of the well-being aspects related to spending time in forests. The study goal was to elucidate the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the relationships between forest visits, well-being and stress relief, emotions, perception of nature and forest value and importance, pro-environmental behavior, and societal expectations of the role of forests and forest ecosystem services. A survey using a digital questionnaire was conducted several months after the pandemic outbreak on a representative sample of the Slovak population. The Wilcoxon test and ordinal regression analysis were used to identify significant relationships, e.g., between the recency of anger episodes and the number of forest visits. The results showed that the pandemic strengthened the perception of forests as a high-quality restorative environment and that emotions associated with forest visits played an important role in the perceived importance of forests and their possible overexploitation. The results underscore the urgent need to put demands for forest recreation on par with the forest bioeconomy and to sensitize forest visitors to management and conservation requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) forests support livelihoods in communities within Afghanistan's Pistachio Belt, a region characterized by extreme poverty and chronic insecurity. In this study, we used ecological data, as well as survey data to characterize standing attributes and resource user perceptions about local pistachio forests and their management. The survey questionnaire was verbally administered to 507 household representatives in remote communities that were chosen from eight districts in northern and northwestern Afghanistan based on accessibility and their location within the Pistachio Belt. Stand density and tree form varied widely between sites and as a function of elevation. Partial harvesting for fuelwood collection was positively correlated with stand density. The survey data also showed that pistachio forests support a variety of livelihood activities among respondents and their households. However, suboptimal nut collection timing and use of damaging nut harvesting methods were widespread with little effort to accommodate natural regeneration. Forest users typically recognized the degraded condition of the pistachio forest and the negative impacts of grazing and fuelwood collection on forest density. Respondents also recognized the impacts of nut collection practices, fuelwood collection, and grazing on forest regeneration status. These results suggest that efforts to sustainably manage pistachio forests must recognize considerable variation within and between communities regarding forest physical condition, accustomed uses by associated communities, and existing or potential mechanisms regulating forest uses. All of these necessitate context-specific forest management planning. We discuss challenges inherent to collecting baseline data needed for planning multiple-use community-based natural resources management in highly insecure environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1990 archaeologists, historians and dendrochronologists have worked on 128 sites in the Brussels-Capital Region. In addition to producing a typo-chronological inventory of wooden roof structures (12th–19th centuries), the studies have now extended to finishings and floor coverings, with an increasing focus being placed on the types of wood used. Although oak was the predominant material, especially before the 17th century, the resources used in Brussels and the surrounding villages were local. They came from three wooded areas, cleared or degraded to varying degrees: the Sonian Forest, state-owned forests, and hedgerows. Oak grows rapidly, with wide rings which make dendrochronological dating difficult, although this can be overcome by utilising more comparative data, employing carbon-14 dating, or knowing the historical context. The use of green wood has been confirmed, with unusual felling periods spread over two years. The sinuous profile of the fast-growing oaks was used to cut the knee braces in roofs over knee walls and porticoed wooden structures of monuments, urban housing, and vernacular architecture. Mediocre oak, or even wood from fruit trees, elm, or ash, was used for this kind of architecture. Moreover, from the 17th century onward, species other than oak began to appear in the roof frames of all buildings, especially after the centre of Brussels was bombarded in 1695. The typology of the reconstructed roof frames is the same as that prior to 1695, but a wider variety of woods were used to meet the high demand at the time of reconstruction. This diversity of species is more evident among floorboards, with poplar, elm, Scots pine, fir, and spruce being used. This may have been due to technical reasons, but, in the local context, it would also have been a question of using the precious oak of the Sonian Forest frugally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic efficiency of the harvesting system depends on several factors such as geomorphological and climatic conditions of the felling areas, characteristics of the future harvested trees, type of machinery used and the characteristics of the workforce. Therefore, based on the use of new technologies, it is decided to optimize the process of felling- stockpiling-wood transportation, and specifically, to optimize the cost of the harvesting system, select the most appropriate forest harvesting system for study area and develop a computerized record for cost analysis and financial evaluation. For this study, the natural forests of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea, in areas near Macurijes Agroforestry Company in the province of Pinar del Río, were examined. The application (COSTOFOR) has two work modules: harvesting system costs and financial analysis of the entire harvesting process. In the analysis of the costs, optimization criteria are applied to minimize them. Above these criteria stands out the one related to the interaction between the cost of the road and the cost of hauling based on the density of roads and loading yards. For the financial analysis, indicators are applied to define the feasibility of the project and profitability of the investment; the results of those indicators allow decisions to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sposób użytkowania lasów Puszczy Białowieskiej podczas II wojny światowej pod okupacją radziecką (1939-1941), a następnie niemiecką (1941-1944) jest jednym ze słabiej rozpoznanych zagadnień w historii tego obszaru. Poniższy tekst przybliża zakres eksploatacji i ochrony Puszczy w tym okresie, bazując na nowo rozpoznanych zasobach dokumentacyjnych, teledetekcyjnych i archeologicznych. Ponadto prezentuje potencjał poznawczy tych źródeł oraz przydatność badań interdyscyplinarnych do poszerzenia i uszczegółowienia wiedzy na temat wpływu II wojny światowej na lasy Puszczy Białowieskiej. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Our Forests / Naše Šume is the property of Udruzenje Inzinjera i Tehnicara Sumarstva Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine 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.)

Las plantaciones de eucalipto (género Eucalyptus) tienen una amplia distribución a escala global y causan preocupación por los efectos que pueden ocasionar sobre el medio ambiente. En este trabajo revisamos la evolución de la superficie cubierta por los eucaliptos en Euskadi y evaluamos sus efectos ambientales a partir de la bibliografía científica existente sobre esta región y sobre la península ibérica. Entre 1986 y 2019, la superficie de plantaciones de eucaliptos se ha cuadruplicado, pasando de 4.866 a 19.643 ha, proceso este que está acelerándose a causa de la plaga de la banda marrón del pino. Los estudios publicados muestran de manera sistemática que las plantaciones de eucaliptos en Euskadi y el resto de la Península tienen un efecto medioambiental negativo si se compara con las plantaciones de pino y, especialmente, con los bosques nativos. Las plantaciones de eucalipto modifican las características del suelo y disminuyen la biodiversidad. Entre los organismos más afectados se encuentran los hongos, líquenes, plantas herbáceas, anfibios, aves e invertebrados acuáticos. También se detectan alteraciones en el funcionamiento del ecosistema, en procesos como la descomposición de hojarasca. Aunque algunas afecciones parecen ser consecuencia de la intensidad con la que se explotan estas plantaciones y podrían reducirse mediante medidas correctoras, otros efectos parecen guardar relación con las características intrínsecas del eucalipto que, en consecuencia, no pueden modificarse. Es previsible que la magnitud de los impactos se agrave conforme se incremente la superficie cubierta por eucaliptales así como el número de rotaciones en sus explotaciones. ___________________________________________ Abstract Eucalyptus plantations are widely distributed throughout the world, thus creating concern due to their potential environmental effects. In this work we analyse the evolution of the coverage of eucalypts in the Basque Country and assess their environmental effects based on the scientific literature from this region and from the Iberian Peninsula. From 1986 to 2019 the area covered by eucalypt plantations increased fourfold, from 4,866 to 19,643 ha, a process that is accelerating as a consequence of the pine needle blight. The research so far published shows systematically that eucalypt plantations in the Basque Country and in the rest of the peninsula have detrimental environmental effects, compared to pine plantations and, especially, to native forests. Eucalypt plantations alter soil characteristics and reduce biodiversity. Fungi, lichens, herbaceous plants, amphibians, birds and aquatic invertebrates are among the most seriously affected groups of organisms. Ecosystem processes, such as leaf-litter breakdown, are also affected. Some of these effects seem to be a consequence of the intensity of exploitation in these plantations and, thus, could be reduced by means of improved management; other effects seem to relate to the intrinsic characteristics of the eucalypts, which cannot be modified. The magnitude of the impacts will likely increase with the area covered by eucalypt plantations, as well as with the number of crop rotations.

The purpose of this study is to explore the value of environmental education and interaction between characters and nature in the short stories of the Republika newspaper. The author describes the form of ecological criticism and interaction between characters and the environment as a form of ecological criticism in the short story in the Republika newspaper. This type of research is qualitative research with an ecocritical approach. The method used is descriptive to describe ecological criticism in environmental education and interaction of characters with the environment in the short story. The data of this study are sourced from the short stories of the Republika newspaper downloaded from laconhidup.com. There are five ecocritical short stories, namely: Son of Only Wood author Riki Eka, short story, Republika January 13, 2013; short story A Muttaqin Leaf Sheet, Republika 4 August 2013; short story Yudhi Herwibowo Golden Tree, Republika May 11, 2014, Eni Wulansari's short story Trembling Steps, Republika August 23, 2015; and Short Time Zhizi Siregar Short Story ", Republika January 25, 2018. The data were analyzed using an ecocritical approach Grag Garrard (2004): pollution, forests, natural disasters, settlements, living things, and the earth. Of the five short stories found 45 data relating to the formulation of research problems. Data which is a form of ecological criticism is 31 data. Data that describes the form of interaction between characters and nature amounts to 14 data, which is divided into 3 forms of interaction, namely observation of characters with the environment, an attitude of characters, actions of characters, and thoughts of characters. The value of Republika's short story environmental education, namely: tree planting, reforestation of forests that have been exploited, the implementation of rules and regulations for deforestation, and animal conservation.

The main events of the eminent statesman Juriy Andropov’s ruling in Karelian-Finnish SSR (1940-1951) are discussed in this article. The decisions of J.Andropov and other Karelian-Finnish leaders (mainly G.Kuprijanov - the first secretary of CK CP KF SSR at that time), directed to the defense of interests of Karelians, Vepses, Finns are analysied also. The problem of the repatriation of Ingermanland Finns to Karelian-Finnish SSR is discussed too. This people were repressed during and immediately after the Second World War according of far-fetched charges with a crime. This problem is discussed in connection with difficult and tragic history of Ingermanland Finns people. The authors draw some actual conclusions for temporary state policy.

Copyright of Our Forests / Naše Šume is the property of Udruzenje Inzinjera i Tehnicara Sumarstva Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine 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.)

Trait-based functional ecology plays a key role for valuing biodiversity, based on the mechanistic link between species assembly and ecosystem-services. To evaluate the vulnerability of valuable biodiversity to human impacts, this study focused on assemblages of tree species with timber provisioning services and investigated the functional response of their utilitarian traits to forest exploitation. We first merged traditional knowledge of timber use, successional niche, and functional traits of tree species across forest biomes in Japan. Using leaf and wood traits of 514 tree species, we quantified macro-scale patterns of functional identity, richness, and divergence for the timber species and entire tree assemblages in Japan. At the 10-km grid cell level, we conducted a species loss simulation that assumed forest exploitation, in which later successional species were step-wisely removed from the potential tree assemblages. The simulation showed that species loss led to shifting functional identity and changes in functional richness and divergence. Such responses of functional structure were geographically associated with region-specific redundancy or complementarity in tree species assemblages. Specifically, the shift of functional identities was prominent in high latitudes with low species loss and low latitude with higher species loss. The utilitarian value of tree species in higher latitude forests was more closely associated with their ecological niche and functional uniqueness, which indicates vulnerability of trait space to species loss. The changes in trait space, which were associated with non-random species loss, were context-dependently influenced by climate conditions and species pool size. Our findings indicate that the insurance effect of biodiversity was a region-specific feature of forest biomes. We conclude that ethnobotany-informed trait ecology can elucidate the valuable biodiversity for human culture and its vulnerability to species loss; this information is essential for sustainable use of biodiversity resources in human society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research studies the wages of foreign prisoners of war (P.O.W.s) who worked in the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1942–1948. The paper contains the information about the pays to the P.O.W.s were transferred from the funds of the enterprises where they worked. The article analyses the level of P.O.W. wages, the dependence of the wages from the labour activities and the bonus that the P.O.W.s received for good performance. The paper contains the data on the average level of P.O.W. wages in Izhevsk and lists the kinds of labour activities where the P.O.W.s received the highest wages. The research is based on archival documents, most of which were involved in the scientific use for the first time.It is highly unlikely that the P.O.W.s who were in Udmurtia in 1945–1948 starved since they could use their wages to buy additional provisions in the camp stalls and town shops.

Las acciones y omisiones del presente en materia de política forestal pueden clarificarse si se revisan los antecedentes históricos. Por ello, el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la influencia del contexto internacional sobre las políticas forestales implementadas durante el régimen de Porfirio Díaz. Se amplía el panorama sobre las de uso y conservación de los bosques, así como sus repercusiones en San Luis Potosí. Para contextualizar los procesos mencionados, se realizó una consulta exhaustiva de documentos históricos y bibliográficos, y se encontró que el entorno internacional incentivó la creación de leyes e instituciones federales y locales para regular la explotación, el manejo y la conservación de los bosques. A pesar de ello, en esta entidad hubo una reducción importante en sus superficies boscosas; además, el gobierno federal y estatal no evidenció un interés por preservarlas. _______________ Current actions and omissions in forest policy can be clarified if the historical background is reviewed. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the influence of the international context on forest policies implemented during the regime of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911). In particular, it aims to broaden the outlook on government policies created for the management, use and conservation of forests and their impacts on San Luis Potosi. A thorough consultation of historical and bibliographical documents was made to understand the historical processes. It was found that the international environment encouraged the creation of laws, regulations and federal and local institutions for the purpose of regulating the exploitation, management and conservation of forests. However, the state of San Luis Potosi experienced a significant reduction in their forest areas; in addition, the federal and state governments showed no interest in applying conservation of forests in Potosi territory.

Aim of study: To verify how well near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is able to discriminate wood specimens from natural and planted forests. This study was carried out using tropical trees from Brazil. Area of study: Wood specimens coming from Lavras (21°10′S, 44°54′W), Paraopeba (19°16′S, 44°24′W) and Belo Oriente (19°17′S, 42°23′W) cities, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil were insvetigated. Material and methods: NIR spectra were recorded in the radial surface of wood specimens of four native species (Cedrela sp., Apuleia sp., Aspidosperma sp. and Jacaranda sp.) and two commercial clones (Eucalyptus for bioenergy and pulp & paper). Main results: The principal component analysis (PCA) of spectral information revealed that it is possible to distinguish wood from planted and native forests. The dispersion of scores in the graphic formed by the first and second principal component formed two groups allowing differentiating very clearly the Eucalyptus clones from the native woods. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) allowed the prediction of group of species with a high degree of correct classification. The PLS-DA models performed from untreated NIR spectra obtained 86 to 100% accuracy for the natural wood species. Research highlights: From PLS-DA of treated NIR spectra, no Eucalyptus wood sample was classified as a natural forest species and vice versa. NIR technique associated with multivariate statistics are promising to discriminate wood specimens from native or planted forests and thus identify frauds.

Purpose. The aim of the article is determination and substantiation of directions of rational use of forest resources in Ukraine. Methodology of research. The theoretical and methodological basis of conducted research is the provision of economic theory, sustainable development, environmental economics and economics forest exploitation. The following methodological tools and techniques were used to achieve this goal: methods of analysis and synthesis (to identify problems of the relationship for using potential of forest resources with factors of influence on their reproduction, the studying essence of the term “forest resources”); monographic – to study the experience of forming rational use of forest resources and wood waste; systematic approach (in substantiating the use of instruments for regulation forest exploitation); scientific abstraction (in the study of capabilities to ensure the process of rational reproduction of forest resources); graphic (for visual images of some analytical observations). Results. Theoretical approach to forest regeneration as a major task in forest anagement, which includes the integrated use of all available organizational and technological measures to facilitate its natural regeneration has been formulated. It has been established the regularity of ensuring the efficient use of waste wood in places of billets, identified and systematized its forms for future use. The methodical approach to assess the effect of using wood waste for fuel production and related products during processing on the harmonization of economic and environmental interests in the area of forest exploitation has been formulated. Practical implications. The obtained results are the basis for solving practical problems of integrated management of forest resources in Ukraine, waste of forest felling in the places of timber harvesting and also for development of the system of measures to improve the ecological and economic mechanism of development of nature protection territories and formation on this basis effective policy of nature use according to the national interests of Ukraine. It will promote increasing the economic efficiency and the reasonableness of decisions related with priority directions of natural resource policy in terms of transformation of the national economy. Value/originality. It has been established the application of fuel wood in the production of bio-fuels through the establishment of plantations of fast-growing woody species for industrial forest growing for energy purposes.

The activity of exploitation represents a main sector in the production process of the forest economy. This activity contains works of cropping, collection, transportation and processing of raw wood, by using production means, manuals and mechanized. The Romanian forest fund is managed by the National Department of Forests, by the forestry districts, public and private companies with legal personality, which draw up check balance, balance sheet and their own budget of incomes and expenses. The registering in accounting of the operations in the forest exploitation activity presents numerous features, given by the profile of this activity: specific documents, specific valuation and specific costs of processing. The Fiscal Code stipulates also special taxes for the forest exploitation activity, related to the fact that, there are exploited natural resources, and the activity has a major impact on the environment. In the other hand, the acquisitions and sellings of wood are placed under a special regime of taxation.

Taper functions allow modelling stem profile, estimating the dimensions of tree sections and the timber-yielding volume per type of products, and planning forest supply. The objective of this study was to develop a function that allows modelling the stem profile of Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake clone trees established with commercial purposes in Huimanguillo, Tabasco, Mexico. With 2,133 pairs of data from 93 trees, ten taper models were fitted with the maximum likelihood method. The best model was selected according to the lowest values of the root mean square error (RMSE), the coefficient of variation, the bias and the highest adjusted coefficient of determination (R²aj.). The fifth-degree polynomial model was the best statistically to model the stem profile of E. urophylla clones, because it includes the relative proportion of the height in each section of the total height. Autocorrelation was corrected by including in the fiiting a CAR(1) type autocorrelation structure. The polynomial model estimates in a reliable way the diameter and the height in clone trees from commercial plantations of E. urophylla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Central Europe, deciduous forests are the dominant community type and lichen pine forests are restricted to certain areas with extremely nutrient-poor and xeric soil types. In recent decades, a retreat of vegetation of oligotrophic habitats has been observed in Central Europe. In this study, we assessed changes of lichen pine forests in Poland: within the main area of the range in Central Europe. We used two sets of data collected at a local and regional (nation-wide) scale. On the basis of data from semi-permanent plots, we examined changes in the structure and species composition of lichen pine forests over 33 years at the local scale (between 1975 and 2008). To compare trends at the regional scale, we used data collected in the Polish Vegetation Database (PVD). For identification of lichen pine forests we determined a group of co-occurring Cladonia species. We analyzed differences in species richness and vegetation structure at the regional scale in tree time periods (1) between 1951 and 1969, (2) 1970 and 1989, and (3) 1990 and 2011. We found that changes in lichen pine forests are primarily quantitative at both scales. Our results indicate that the abundance of Cladonia species is limited by strong competitors, i.e., vascular plants and bryophytes, which may be explained by eutrophication and climate warming. Only pine forests with a minor abundance of lichens have chances to persist in the vegetation of Central Europe, while the most valuable communities with high abundance of indicators will disappear. Though an assessment of the total decrease in the area of lichen pine forests is not possible with the available regional data, local observations indicate a large decline in the area of lichen pine forests in Central Europe. Their conservation seems to be a serious challenge, because it is difficult to provide optimal conditions for all indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the flow of labour from China to Indonesia has fuelled many discussions but is not a new phenomenon. It can be traced back to the eighteenth century and continued until the twentieth century. In colonial Indonesia, the Chinese labour force was recruited to work in the economic sectors of mining, plantations, fisheries and forestry. Unfortunately, previous studies about Chinese society in Indonesia more focused on economic and political elites rather than the social history of the Chinese contract coolies. This article attempts to look at the labour history of the Chinese coolie in the forest exploitation companies, known as panglong. By focusing on the ways in which they were treated in the recruitment process and workplace, this article shows that changes for the better did take place in the appalling working conditions of the labourers. Until the second decade of the twentieth century, recruitment, food, and health care were rife with manipulations, exacerbated by arduous working conditions and insecurity in the workplace, abuse of power by mandors and forms of non-economic coercion like the use of opium. All these factors were meant to ensure that the Chinese contract labourers could not break loose from their indentures, a modern form of slavery. Hampered by budgetary restrictions, lack of personnel, and marine transport facilities, the state colonial officials were hamstrung. But in the second decade of twentieth century, when the abysmal working conditions of the Chinese coolies were debated on a higher level by politicians and bureauracts state control was tightened. More effectual control by the state had a positive effect on improving of the working and living conditions.

The forest fund represents one of the most important elements of the national riches and its exploitation influence directly both the economic growth and sustainable development of a country. The paper presents the dimensions of the forest fund in Romania, its structure by categories of areas, the dimension and structure of the forests surface by species of trees, theirs evolution after 1990. Also, we want to emphasize the tendencies registered in the forest exploitation, in the last 23 years, the destination of harvested wood and to relieve some consequences of this activity on the environment. Unfortunately, after 1990, in Romania, irrational and inefficient exploitation both of the forests and the harvested wood volume, lead to a diminishing of the density and the degradation of the forest fund and had implicit affected the sustainable development. In these conditions, it’s hard to talk about sustainable development from this point of view, because the forests are severely affected, not only by their bad exploitation but also by the climate changes. So, a vicious circle was created, because cutting forests means climate changes and climate changes affect the forests.

The city of Novgorod the Great in north-west Russia has been subjected to extensive excavation of its superbly preserved medieval anaerobic deposits for many decades. Situated on the River Volkhov near Lake Ilmen and surrounded by mixed boreal and deciduous woodland and seasonally flooded meadowlands, Novgorod was well-placed for the exploitation of local wild fauna and flora. It was also the focus for international trade in furs obtained from a much broader catchment area. Although its inhabitants relied heavily on domestic animals and crops for their food, evidence for the acquisition of wild resources is also provided by animal bones, plant macrofossils, birch-bark documents and other archaeological finds. Pollen analysis has also provided information about landscape history of its hinterland. Even from a limited programme of sieved sampling, it is clear that a very large number of fish bones were present in the deposits. The main taxa are cyprinids, pike and zander, whereas birch-bark documents, largely concerned with tribute, mention salmonids and sturgeon, rare amongst the excavated remains. The wild bird assemblage is dominated by various species of ducks. Other waterfowl were utilised as well as large game birds such as capercaillie. Birds of prey are also present and other remains such as jackdaws reveal the local bird life in town. Wild mammals contributed little to the Novgorodian diet: bones of hare, beaver and elk being the most frequently found. Very few bones of fur-bearing mammals were recovered. The few remains include bear claws and bones of squirrel, marten, otter, and fox, in addition to beaver. Their paucity can be explained by the fact that most would have arrived from the hunting grounds to the north as prepared pelts without bones. Evidence for the hunting for these species is provided on sites deep within the forest zone such as Minino. Most of the wild animals eaten in Novgorod itself were obtained from the land and waters of its near hinterland. The paper discusses the character of the local forest based on pollen and other evidence. Models are being developed to provide a more detailed understanding of the changes in the composition of the forest during the medieval period and the consequences this had for wildlife. The paper demonstrates the benefits of developing a multi-disciplinary approach comparing urban assemblages with contemporary sites in its hinterland and further afield, to understand more fully how wild species were exploited in complex societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first human arrivals in northern Sahul (New Guinea) encountered new environments, flora and fauna, yet they appear to have rapidly adapted to the challenges of settlement in these different ecological niches. Our paper looks at these adaptations and makes a contribution in understanding the temporal and geographical diversity of rainforest environments occupied by our species. Most of our understanding of these events comes from palaeo-environmental and archaeological records. Here we review the current evidence for the impact of people in forested environments with a view to model landscape management practices from the earliest arrivals at c.50,000 years ago through to the Early Holocene. The first Sahul colonisers were remarkably dynamic, attested to by their rapid dispersal across Sahul in a relatively short time span, and not all would necessarily have arrived in Sahul by the most northern pathway discussed here. The model presented here provides a heuristic framework within which new data can be tested to further our understanding of human activities and subsistence strategies across a diverse range of New Guinea landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Historia is the property of Universidad de Costa Rica 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.)

A particular development is proposed to mine some good quality out crops of granite found in a forest exploitation of eucalypts. The exploitation has been designed with a quarrying method, in which small open cast pits are opened and quarried sequentially, and later filled with the waste of the new open pit. Soil is finally used to cover this waste, so new growing tree areas are gained

A particular development is proposed to mine some good quality outcrops of granite found in a forest exploitation of eucalypts.The exploitation has been designed with a quarrying method, in which small open cast pits are opened and quarried sequentially,and later filled with the waste of the new open pit. Soil is finally used to cover this waste, so new growing tree areas are gained.

The knowledge on productive capacity and variable elements that affect machines efficiency is essential for optimizing operations in forest harvesting. This study aimed to evaluate Harvester and Forwarder machines efficiency and operational performance, for forest exploitation, in the south of the Bahia State, Brazil. Data concerning the number of programmed and effective working hours, as well as reasons for machine downtime, were collected from historical archives, from October 2010 to September 2011. Based on these data, the total working hours, operational efficiency, and mechanical availability were calculated. Harvester machines showed an average of total working hours of 480 hours and 18 minutes, being 75.6% (363.2 hours) of effective work and 24.4% (117.1 hours) of downtime. Forwarder machines showed an average of total working hours of 481 hours and 36 minutes, being 84.7% (407.9 hours) of effective work and 15.3% (73.7 hours) of downtime. The average operational efficiency was of 73.2%, for the Harvester, and 82.2%, for the Forwarder, and technical downtimes, such as displacements and corrective and preventive maintenances, comprised the main reason for explaining those values. The machines operational performance showed to be adequate, according to time distribution, with 76% and 85% of effective working time, respectively for the Harvester and Forwarder, and an average of 89% for mechanical availability, for both machines, which showed satisfactory operational efficiency (above 70%).

Sustainable management and development of forest sector should become an essential element in the strategy of prevention of the degradation of the land of each state. The forests play an important role in debts settlement of water courses, in ensuring the water quality, in maintaining land stability including the erosion control, landslides or avalanches. Forest exploitation represents a main source on degradation on the soil, having a major impact on the environment. Accelerated erosion caused by forest exploitation and soil degradation has become the main factor which limits the sustainable use of the soil. Through irrational forest exploitation, the nature of damage that occurs is ecological, social and economic. Forests are sours of other goods and services for society, such as processed wood and non-wood products, space of recreation, landscaping etc. The large number of sites affected as a result of the forest exploitation, emphasizes massive environmental risks and their existence without urgent action has a negative impact on human health and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems facing the rich forest belts in Nigeria have become so intense in relation to the unemployment dilemma ravaging most youths in several urban and rural settlements as well as the wide-ranging negative impacts on environmental crime in South-West Nigeria. This study examines the dynamics of forest exploitation, youth adaptability and survival strategies in the nation's forest belt. Data collected for the study was basically qualitative, among a hundred and twenty-five (125) respondents in Ondo-Edo forest belts. It was discovered that a strong network of syndicates often (local and foreign) capitalized on the prevailing surge of unemployment in the country to lure young, unemployed and able-bodied men and women into criminal survival strategies and environmental crime of illegal logging of precious woods (Iroko, Mahogany and Obeche). The study concludes that illegal activities of unemployed youths should be curtailed by providing agro based industries in the forest belt as well as adequate security to stop the illegal and indiscriminate logging of woods by local and foreign syndicates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados do estudo da dinâmica da floresta em um sistema de manejo florestal voltado para a pequena propriedade. O sistema prescreve ciclo de corte de 10 anos e taxa de corte de 10 m³.ha-1 e tração animal para o arraste. O crescimento da floresta de 1 m³.ha-1.ano-1 foi compatível com o ciclo e taxa de corte adotados. Os danos causados pela exploração representaram 5 % da área basal total, e a taxa de mortalidade quatro anos após a exploração foi 3,2 %.On this work we present the results of a forest dynamics study performed in a forest management system designed for small properties. The system prescribes cutting cycles of 10 years, harvesting intensity of 10 m³ ha-1 and animal traction for skidding. The forest growth was 1 m³ ha-1 year-1 adequate to the proposed cutting cycle and harvesting intensity. The damage produced by the forest exploitation represented 5 % of the total basal area of the forest and the mortality rate four years after exploitation was 3.2 %.

O presente estudo, realizado no município de Matias Barbosa,MG, na Fazenda Paciência, teve como objetivo avaliar as alterações estruturais ocorridas em uma Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, nos domínios de floresta Atlântica, em decorrência das atividades de exploração convencional de um plano de manejo. Para isso, foi utilizado um trecho contínuo de floresta que teve uma área explorada há seis anos e outra área não-explorada. Foram lançadas parcelas para estudo da vegetação arbórea, nas quais se avaliou a sua estrutura. Os dados foram analisados de forma comparativa, considerando-se a situação observada na área de floresta não-explorada como desejável. O resultado do estudo indicou que a atividade de exploração madeireira realizada na Fazenda Paciência tem levado a alterações significativas na estrutura, além de um depauperamento do valor comercial do estoque remanescente da área de floresta explorada, podendo levar a um comprometimento dos recursos da comunidade florestal.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the structural changes caused by the activities of a conventional management plan in a semideciduous forest in the Atlantic Forest domain. The study was conducted in the Fazenda Paciência, municipality of Matias Barbosa, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A continuous stretch of forest was analyzed, which contained areas that were exploited six years ago and areas that remained untouched. Plots were established to survey the floristic and structural composition of the arboreal vegetation. Data were analized in a comparative way and the state of the non-exploited forest was considered as the desirable one. The study results indicated that the harvesting as it was done at the Fazenda Paciência was causing significant changes in the floristic and structural composition, aside from decreasing the commercial value of the remaining stock, which could endanger the forest resources of the area.

The article analyzes the developments of the forest in Romania, in the last six years, the officially harvest of the wood mass, and make a comparative analysis with Austria, another member of the European Union. Based on data provided by the National Forest Administration - Romsilva and NIS – National Institute of Statistics, there appears a contradiction: Romania reports an area of forest larger than 10 years ago, although illegal logging increased year by year. The diagnosis analysis of forest in Romania is performed by comparison to the forest in Austria. Austria was chosen because it is a country with a strong wood processing industry, while being a country with a substantial growth forest. Article aims to demonstrate the importance and contribution of the woodworking industry in Romania's exports, which proved to be positive even during the economic crisis of recent years. The conclusion is that the rational exploitation of forest bring benefits, if and only if the environment is a priority concern for the government, is effective on the medium and long term and development is sustainable through an integrated nationwide reforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]