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The article examines the peculiarities of qualifying cases of destruction or damage to forests and other flora committed by the russian military in Ukraine as war crimes, taking into account the norms of national and international law. Based on the analysis of the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1976, and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I) of 8 June 1977, it was concluded that such facts are subject to qualification under Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter -- the CC) only if it is proved that they were committed in the context of and in connection with hostilities, and caused widespread, long-term and serious damage to the environment. It is stated that these features are evaluative, and therefore there is a need to initiate at the international level the development and regulatory consolidation of clear criteria for minimal damage to the environment, which will give grounds to qualify the infliction of such damage as a war crime under international humanitarian law. It is proved that if there is no connection with the conduct of hostilities, then mass destruction of flora is subject to qualification as ecocide under Article 441 of the Criminal Code, and if there is no mass destruction of such objects, then these acts may be qualified under Article 245 or Article 246 of the Criminal Code, but also only in cases where there is no connection with the conduct of hostilities. And if an individual or a group of russian military destroy or damage a plant life object, but this does not cause widespread, long-term and serious damage, but there is a contextual connection with the conduct of hostilities, such acts should also be qualified, depending on the subject and/or method of impact on plant life objects, under Article 245 of the CC or Article 246 of the CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibits the payment of bribes to foreign public officials. We uncover an unintended consequence—the shadow economies of the countries of these officials increase after FCPA enforcement. Our hypothesis is that corrupt officials may be switching to taking bribes from illegal markets. We find that one case of FCPA enforcement alone increases the shadow economy by as much as 0.27 percentage points (pp), tree loss—an indicator of illegal logging—by 0.027 pp, and trade misinvoicing by 0.5 pp. Our results suggest the need to harmonize anti-corruption policies across all sectors—legal and illegal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most Sub-Saharan African countries, such as Togo, forest ecosystems provide ecosystem services to the local population. These ecosystem services are of vital importance to the local populations, who depend on the benefits derived from their use to meet their socio-economic needs. The permanent dependence of these populations on ecosystem services is a major factor accelerating the degradation of natural resources, which are already under pressure from climatic factors. The present study assesses the provisioning of ecosystem services provided by the relics forest in the southeast region of the Mono Biosphere Reserve in Togo. Individual interviews and group discussions were carried out with 420 households in fourteen villages around the reserve to identify the current uses of woody species. The results show that 100% of the respondents cited plant species, such as Mitragyna inermis, Lonchocarpus sericeus, and Diospyros mespiliformis, as used for wood. Species, such as Mimusops andogensis and Triplohiton scleroxylon, were cited as exclusively used for wood by 94% and 86%, respectively. Other species, such as Vitex doniana and Dialium guineense, in addition to their use for wood (93% and 70%), were cited, respectively, by 97% and 98% of respondents as used for fruit, and by 82% and 90% for their leaves. The heavy daily use of these species compromises their sustainability. An analysis of Sorensen's similarity index, according to gender, age, ethnic group, and sector of activity, revealed a variation in this index ranging from 0.6 to 1, reflecting households' knowledge of the use of these seven species. The local populations are already feeling the effects of the low availability of these commonly used species. According to them, the depletion of these resources is caused mainly by agricultural clearing, illegal logging, and bushfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control authorities of timber trade lack quick and easy methods to verify the legality of the traded product. This includes the clear identification of the timber species. In this study, a simple genetic method, the macroarray technique, was modified and optimised for this purpose. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was used as barcode region. Specific probes were designed and tested using this barcode of trade-relevant, CITES protected wood species and their look-alikes. The results reveal that 61 of these probes are suitable for identification purposes. Hence, 32 of the 50 investigated species can be clearly identified using the developed macroarray. Additional 15 species are represented by probes in groups of two to three species, which enables a delimitation of the species present. For four species, no identification was possible applying the probes created. The findings indicate the potential of time and cost savings compared to currently established methods in species control in the timber trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild animals are increasingly subjected to noisier environments as the scale and scope of human activities, such as development and resource extraction, encroach into their habitats. Anthropogenic noise alters the behaviour and vocalisations of wild animals including primates, yet our understanding of how noise affects small apes is limited. The large population of endangered northern yellow‐cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus annamensis) inhabiting Veun Sai‐Siem Pang National Park (VSSP), in northeastern Cambodia, is frequently exposed to noise produced from illegal selective logging activities within the park. To determine the impacts of chainsaw noise on the gibbons' activity budgets and calling probability, we collected behavioural data on the only habituated gibbon group in VSSP during two consecutive dry seasons between 2017 and 2019. Our analyses of scan and focal‐animal samples revealed that when chainsaws were active, the group rested more and scanned less. The gibbons called more on mornings when there was no chainsaw activity; however, the trend was non‐significant. These findings suggest that despite long‐term exposure, chainsaw noise variably impacts important aspects of gibbon behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in the Bolivian Amazon as they strive for territorial autonomy and self-determination. The Multiethnic Indigenous Territory (TIM), home to five Indigenous peoples, was established in 1990 as a significant milestone in the recognition of Indigenous rights and ancestral lands. However, the process of achieving autonomy has been complex, with obstacles such as the interests of logging companies, cattle ranches, and the state. Despite these challenges, Indigenous communities persist in their fight for autonomy and the right to live on their ancestral lands. The article also discusses the process the TIM went through to attain autonomy, including navigating state bureaucracies and meeting various requirements. The TIM's journey serves as an example for other Indigenous territories and peoples worldwide, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding Indigenous autonomy within the nation-state structure. [Extracted from the article]

The African continent, renowned for its diverse landscapes and abundant biodiversity, grapples with a critical environmental challenge - deforestation. The swift depletion of forests, serving as the primary habitat for 80% of the world's terrestrial animals and plants, poses a severe threat in Africa. Human activities, including logging, agricultural expansion, and urbanization, have jeopardized numerous ecosystems, exacerbating the overarching global climate crisis. Beyond serving as mere collections of trees, forests are intricate ecosystems supporting a staggering diversity of flora and fauna. The repercussions of forest loss in Africa are profound, resulting in a significant decline in biodiversity. Numerous species, some exclusive to these ecosystems and found nowhere else on the planet, now teeter on the brink of extinction. The predicament of deforestation in Africa is intimately intertwined with the broader global challenge of climate change. Urgency is paramount in addressing this crisis, as the loss of forests impacts not only local ecosystems but also exacerbates the overarching climate emergency. Reforestation emerges as a pivotal solution, offering an opportunity to reverse the damage inflicted on these vital ecosystems. This study examines whether forest natural resources can explain the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in African countries. The empirical strategy is based on the second-generation cointegration approach, cross-sectional dependency autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator. The findings show a potential long-run relationship between the forest rent and the environment. Further analysis highlights the importance of effective management of natural forest resources for improving environmental quality in Africa. We recommend that policymakers prioritize the restoration of ecosystems that have suffered carbon depletion due to human activities. Restoration efforts should strategically aim to enhance carbon sequestration capacity and rebuild biodiversity. Additionally, the establishment of robust monitoring and reporting systems is imperative to track current carbon emissions from forests. This entails regular assessments of forest carbon stocks, landuse changes, and the effectiveness of ongoing conservation and restoration initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIGHLIGHTS The paper assesses the impact of China's legal restrictions on the global forest industry. Results demonstrate log and sawn timber output of high-risk countries will decrease. High-risk countries' production and export of processed wood products will increase. China's total timber imports will decline and will be replaced by domestic timber production. Increasing imports of processed Chinese timber products is beneficial for high-risk countries. Utilizing the Global Forest Products Model (GFPM), this paper analyzes the potential impacts of China's timber import legality requirement policies. Two alternative scenarios are compared with the baseline scenario: (1) China requires that imported timber must comply with the requirements of Verified Legal Compliance (VLC), (2) China imposes tighter requirements for imported timber, which must come from sustainably managed forests and meet Forest Certification (FC) requirements. The results show a decline in log production but an increase in processed wood exports to high-risk countries, suggesting a move towards more valuable wood processing. Both high- and low-risk countries are expected to see an increase in forest stocks. Welfare analysis indicates that high-risk countries will benefit from industrial upgrades, while China might face welfare losses. Nevertheless, the enforcement of legal standards for timber imports into China is likely to enhance the perceived legitimacy of the sources of domestic timber materials, thereby facilitating the re-entry of processed timber products into developed markets. This study proposes that China's timber import regulations could offer mutual advantages, aiding in the fight against illegal logging and encouraging the legal timber trade. Utilisant le Modèle global des produits forestiers (GFPM), ce papier analyse les impacts potentiels des politiques d'exigence légale dans les importations de bois en Chine. Deux scénarios alternatifs sont comparés avec ces scénarios de base: 1) la Chine requiert que le bois importé soit en accord avec les exigences légales de la Verified Legal Compliance (VLC), 2) la Chine impose une légalité plus serrée pour le bois importé, qui devrait être issu de forêts à gestion durable et respecter les canons de la Certification forestière (CF). Les résultats indiquent un déclin de la production de bois de coupe mais une croissance de l'exportation de bois transformé vers des pays à haut risque, suggérant un glissement vers une transformation du bois plus exclusive. Il est prévu que les pays à haut risque, tout comme ceux à bas risque, vont être témoins d'une croissance de leur stock forestier. Les analyses de bien-être social indiquent que les pays à haut risque vont bénéficier d'un progrès industriel, alors que la Chine pourrait connaître une diminution de son bien-être social. Toutefois, la mise en force des standards légaux pour les importations de bois en Chine va probablement renforcer la légitimité perçue des sources de matériaux de bois domestique, facilitant ainsi la réinsertion des produits de bois transformés dans les marchés développés. Cette étude avance que les régulations des importations de bois par la Chine pourraient résulter en avantages mutuels, aidant ainsi le combat contre la coupe de bois illégale et encourageant en revanche le commerce légal du bois. Utilizando el Modelo Global de Productos Forestales (MGPF), este artículo analiza las posibles repercusiones de las políticas chinas sobre requisitos de legalidad para la importación de madera. Se comparan dos escenarios alternativos con el escenario de línea de base de referencia: (1) China exige que la madera importada cumpla los requisitos de Conformidad Legal Verificada (CLV) y (2) China impone requisitos más estrictos para la madera importada, que debe proceder de bosques gestionados de forma sostenible y cumplir requisitos de Certificación Forestal (CF). Los resultados muestran un descenso de la producción de troncos rollizos, pero un aumento de las exportaciones de madera transformada a países de alto riesgo, lo que sugiere un cambio hacia una transformación de mayor valor de la madera. Se espera que tanto los países de alto como de bajo riesgo experimenten un aumento de las reservas forestales. El análisis del bienestar indica que los países de alto riesgo se beneficiarán de las mejoras industriales, mientras que China podría sufrir pérdidas de bienestar. No obstante, es probable que la aplicación de normas legales a las importaciones de madera en China aumente la percepción de legitimidad de las fuentes de productos maderables nacionales, lo que facilitaría la reintroducción de productos madereros transformados en los mercados desarrollados. Este estudio propone que la normativa china sobre importación de madera podría ofrecer ventajas mutuas, ayudando en la lucha contra la tala ilegal y fomentando el comercio legal de madera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study addresses the capture of Hungarian civilians by Soviet troops in Northern Transylvania during September-November 1944. Approximately 20,000 Hungarian men and boys were forcibly taken. The ages of those captured ranged from 14 to 70 years. They were deported to several forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The duration of captivity was typically four years, but in some cases, it extended to 8-9 years. The prisoners were compelled to work under harsh conditions in various mines or logging operations. During the summer, they participated in agricultural work on nearby Soviet kolkhozes. Due to the severe working conditions, acute food shortages, and lack of medical care, the prisoners became extremely debilitated. Onethird of them died in captivity. This aspect of our contemporary history was a taboo subject during the Communist era. Only the 1989 Revolution brought about significant change in this regard. This study aims to provide an overview of this tragic event, based on the author’s two decades of research. The source material for the study includes archival data, specialist books, studies, memoirs, data and articles published in contemporary press, as well as interviews with survivors, most of which were conducted by the author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses illegal logging as an environmental problem, especially in forestry. Illegal logging is a criminal offence, especially in violation of Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry and Law Number 18 of 2013 on Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction. Illegal logging is also prohibited based on the Manggarai community's local wisdom. The prohibition is motivated by the tradition of the Manggarai community, which utilizes the forest and recognizes the roko molas poco customary ritual. The ritual aims to inform the Manggarai people that anyone who wants to take a tree in the forest must bring a new tree seedling in exchange. This ritual also shows the responsibility to preserve the forest so it is not damaged. However, there are still people who commit illegal logging. This study aims to analyze and find regulations and concepts for eradicating illegal logging from the perspective of national criminal law and the local wisdom of the Manggarai community. The type of study used is empirical legal research. This study is a novelty because previous researchers should have specifically reviewed the role of local wisdom, especially the Manggarai community, in eradicating illegal logging. The results show that the role of criminal law and the local wisdom of the Manggarai community is significant in eradicating illegal logging crimes. Criminal law regulates the provision of criminal sanctions against individuals and groups who commit illegal logging. The same thing also applies to the local wisdom of the Manggarai community, namely the roko molas poco ritual that the taking or utilization of timber forest products must not conflict with the ritual; if it conflicts, then it will be subject to customary fines. Based on this explanation, not only national law has a role in combating illegal logging, but local wisdom law also has a role.

Deforestation is a phenomenon that needs to be addressed seriously to preserve the environment. One of the causes of deforestation is illegal logging activities in forest areas. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of illegal logging, analyze the law enforcement process against illegal logging perpetrators and analyse obstacles in the implementation of law enforcement against illegal logging in Tojo Una-Una Regency. The research method uses empirical juridical research by using a conceptual approach and a case approach. This research concludes that the investigation of the crime of illegal logging in the Tojo Una-Una Regency area is carried out by Investigators at the Tojo Una-Una Police Station and Civil Servant Investigators of the Sulawesi Regional Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement and Security Centre and obstacles in the implementation of law enforcement come from technical obstacles such as the difficulty of the terrain that must be traversed to reach the forest area, lack of facilities and infrastructure and lack of personnel at Tojo Una-Una Police Station and investigators of the Sulawesi Regional Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement and Security Centre to carry out law enforcement duties against illegal logging crimes, as well as obstacles originating from the rule of law or legal substance, especially after the enactment of the Job Creation law.

Despite the importance of protecting forests and woodlands to achieve global climate and biodiversity goals, logging impacts persist worldwide. Forestry advocates often downplay these impacts but rarely consider the cumulative threat deforestation and degradation has had, and continues to have, on biodiversity. Using New South Wales (Australia) as a case study, we quantify the extent of deforestation and degradation from 1788 (pre‐European colonization) to 2021. We used historical loss as a baseline to evaluate recent logging (2000–2022) and the condition of the remaining native forest and woodland. Condition was quantified by measuring the similarity of a current ecosystem to a historical reference state with high ecological integrity. Using these data, we measured the impacts on 269 threatened terrestrial species. We show that possibly over half (29 million ha) of pre‐1788 native forest and woodland vegetation in NSW has been lost. Of the remaining 25 million ha, 9 million ha is estimated to be degraded. We found recent logging potentially impacted 150 species that had already been affected by this historical deforestation and degradation, but the impacts varied across species. Forty‐three species that were identified as impacted by historical deforestation and degradation and continue to be impacted by logging, now have ≤50% of their pre‐1788 extent remaining that is intact and nine species now have ≤30%. Our research contextualizes the impact of current logging against historical deforestation and highlights deficiencies in environmental assessments that ignore historical baselines. Future land management must consider both the extent and condition of remaining habitat based on pre‐1788 extents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gap formations in the forest canopy have natural causes, such as bad weather, and anthropic ones, such as sustainable selective extraction of trees and illegal logging, which can already be detected through orbital remote sensing. However, the Amazon region is under frequent cloud cover, which makes it challenging to detect gaps using passive sensors. This study aimed to identify and delimit gaps in the Amazon forest canopy through airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor application while testing six different return densities. LiDAR and forest inventory data were obtained over an Amazon rainforest region, defining the minimum area as a forest canopy gap. The point cloud was processed to obtain six return densities with the generation of their respective CHM (Canopy Height Model), which were applied for segmentation and subsequent identification of gap areas and roads. The minimum gap area found was 34 m², and the Kruskal Wallis test showed no significant difference among the six densities in gap detection; however, road identification decreased as the return density decreased. We concluded that LiDAR data proved promising as point clouds with low return density can be used without impairing gap identification. However, reducing the return density for road identification is not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main authorities and practitioners face crucial challenges in safeguarding wildlife and conservation areas due to massive direct anthropogenic disturbances, such as illegal logging, habitat conversion into human development areas, and wildlife poaching. Therefore, measuring the effectiveness of wildlife and habitat protection is essential for wider conservation intervention. This study aimed to examine patrol effectiveness using measurable effort and parameters of SMART-based data collection in Rimbang Baling and Bukit Betabuh, Sumatra. We conducted a series of planned SMART-based data collections in designated patrol blocks of Rimbang Baling from 2014 to 2018. We implemented catch per unit effort (CPUE) measurement by the number of detected illegal activities and then a generalized linear model (GLM) to assess the relationship between patrol efforts and threat numbers. This study covered 209 patrols within 2,129 patrol days, 13,153.05 patrol hours, and 14,864 km. The CPUE value decreased from 0.381 to 0.191. Our GLM showed that patrol efforts significantly reduced threat numbers. This study provides new knowledge regarding SMART-based data collection and its ability to increase the effectiveness of patrols in promoting better protection and threat reduction in conservation areas in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the utility of nuclear and cytoplasmic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for timber tracking of the intensively logged and commercialized Amazonian tree Jacaranda copaia. Eight hundred and thirty-two trees were sampled (cambium or leaves) from 38 sampling sites in Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, and Peru. A total of 128 SNP markers (113 nuclear, 11 chloroplastic, and 4 mitochondrial) were used for genotyping the samples. Bayesian cluster analyses were carried out to group individuals into homogeneous genetic groups for tests to self-assign groups of individuals or individuals to their population of origin. Cluster analysis based on all the SNP markers detected seven main genetic groups. Genetic differentiation was high among populations (0.484) and among genetic groups (0.415), and populations showed a strong isolation-by-distance pattern. Self-assignment testing of the groups of individuals for all loci was able to determine the population origin of all the samples (accuracy = 100%). Self-assignment tests of individuals were able to assign the origin of 94.5%–100% of individuals (accuracy: 91.7%–100%). Our results show that the use of the 128 SNP markers is suitable to correctly determine the origin of J. copaia timber, and they should be considered a useful tool for customs and local and international police. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Distribution shift, a phenomenon in machine learning characterized by a change in input data distribution between training and testing, can reduce the predictive accuracy of deep learning models. As operator and hardware conditions at the time of training are not always consistent with those after deployment, computer vision wood identification (CVWID) models are potentially susceptible to the negative impacts of distribution shift in the field. To maximize the robustness of CVWID models, it is critical to evaluate the influence of distribution shifts on model performance. In this study, a previously published 24-class CVWID model for Peruvian timbers was evaluated on images of test specimens digitally perturbed to simulate four kinds of image variations an operator might encounter in the field including (1) red and blue color shifts to simulate sensor drift or the effects of disparate sensors; (2) resizing to simulate different magnifications that could result from using different or improperly calibrated hardware; (3) digital scratches to simulate artifacts of specimen preparation; and (4) a range of blurring effects to simulate out-of-focus images. The model was most robust to digital scratches, moderately robust to red shift and smaller areas of medium-to-severe blur, and was least robust to resizing, blue shift, and large areas of medium-to-severe blur. These findings emphasize the importance of formulating and consistently applying best practices to reduce the occurrence of distribution shift in practice and standardizing imaging hardware and protocols to ensure dataset compatibility across CVWID platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas worldwide are strongholds for safeguarding biodiversity, natural habitats, ecosystem services and cultural values. Yet despite their importance, the effectiveness of protected area management varies greatly. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, with 554 protected areas that cover 27 million ha across the archipelago. To assess and improve the management effectiveness of these protected areas, the Government of Indonesia applied an adapted version of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) to assess 422 of the country's protected areas, of which 170 were repeatedly assessed in 2015, 2017 and 2019. We investigated the METT score changes across these protected areas and the factors explaining the varying scores. Over the study years, METT scores significantly improved (mean increase of 44.1%). National parks had the highest mean score, which was 13.4 points higher than other protected area types. After correcting for spatial autocorrelation using a generalized least-squares model, we found that METT score increase was positively influenced by year of assessment and having a well-resourced management authority, with no influence of protected area size or mean protected area budget allocation per ha. The assessments identified five main threats to protected areas: poaching, illegal logging, human settlements, tourism and non-timber cultivation. The widespread and repeated use of METT across the protected areas of Indonesia and the increasing METT scores indicate an overall improvement in management and professionalism. Building on the foundational work in our study, future studies should assess the association between METT scores and progress made towards achieving the conservation objectives of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gretna Weste was a remarkable plant pathologist born to Australian parents in the United Kingdom (UK) during World War 1. She studied at the University of Melbourne and was employed in the Forests Commission of Victoria as a 'temporary typist' while investigating the preservation of timber logs burnt in the 1939 Black Friday bushfires. Weste returned to the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne briefly before raising a family. Once her children reached high school she returned to the School of Botany as a senior demonstrator, and enrolled as a PhD student part-time to study the cause of take-all disease of wheat. She was awarded a PhD in 1968. After take-all research was claimed by the Faculty of Agriculture in 1970, Gretna's focus shifted to the newly discovered dieback disease affecting the forests of Western Australia and Victoria. Her research laid the foundations of our understanding of dieback disease, and underpinned the recognition of Phytophthora cinnamomi as a Key Threatening Process under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). Dr Weste was awarded a DSc in 1983, appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 1989 for her significant service to plant pathology and became an Honorary Member of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society in 1992. Her distinguished career reflects a spirit and resilience that enabled her to overcome, or dodge, a series of gender-based obstacles in research, government and university hierarchies. Gretna Weste was a woman plant pathologist who pioneered research on dieback, a devastating new disease of forests in southern Australia, in the late twentieth century. Weste's research was foundational in the recognition of dieback disease as a Key Threatening Process for Australia's natural biodiversity in 2000. Her career illustrates the significant gender-based obstacles faced by women scientists in Australia, and the stoic strength demonstrated by Weste. Photographer unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection attacks are one of the most intimidating threats organizations face. A reflection attack is a special type of distributed denial-of-service attack that amplifies the amount of malicious traffic by using reflectors and hides the identity of the attacker. Reflection attacks are known to be one of the most common causes of service disruption in large networks. Large networks perform extensive logging of NetFlow data, and parsing this data is an advocated basis for identifying network attacks. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of NetFlow data containing 1.7 billion NetFlow records and identified reflection attacks on the network time protocol (NTP) and NetBIOS servers. We set up three regression models including the Ridge, Elastic Net and LASSO. To the best of our knowledge, there is no work that studied different regression models to understand patterns of reflection attacks in a large network. In this paper, we (a) propose an approach for identifying correlations of reflection attacks, and (b) evaluate the three regression models on real NetFlow data. Our results show that (a) reflection attacks on the NTP servers are not correlated, (b) reflection attacks on the NetBIOS servers are not correlated, (c) the traffic generated by those reflection attacks did not overwhelm the NTP and NetBIOS servers, and (d) the dwell times of reflection attacks on the NTP and NetBIOS servers are too small for predicting reflection attacks on these servers. Our work on reflection attacks identification highlights recommendations that could facilitate better handling of reflection attacks in large networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family law has been a fundamental issue in the negotiation of the relationship between the state and religion at the national level. For more than 50 years, the everyday functioning of the administration of Muslim marriage has depended on intermediating roles played by informal religious leaders. During the last decade, the central government perceived the practice of receiving informal fee for bedolan (marriage outside the office) as illegal gratification. The central government, therefore, launched reform in some ways. It made marriage ceremony free of charge and abolished bedolan fee. It removed informal religious leaders from marriage functionaries. In practice, Muslims do value the religious aspect of a marriage ceremony and regard the administrative one as a complement. It is informal religious leaders who can meet this perception. This article investigates how intermediaries play roles in marriage administration and delves into local relations between state-promoted officials and informal religious leaders to understand why the reform did not affect the latter's position. In day-to-day practice of Muslim marriage, the co-existence of different authorities handling marriage is continuously negotiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study addresses the urgent need for non-destructive identification of commercially valuable Dalbergia species, which are threatened by illegal logging. Effective identification methods are crucial for ecological conservation, biodiversity preservation, and the regulation of the timber trade. Methods: We integrate Visible/Near-Infrared (Vis/NIR) Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) with advanced machine learning techniques to enhance the precision and efficiency of wood species identification. Our methodology employs various modeling approaches, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). These models analyze spectral data across Vis (383-982 nm), NIR (982-2386 nm), and full spectral ranges (383 nm to 2386 nm). We also assess the impact of preprocessing techniques such as Standard Normal Variate (SNV), Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing, normalization, and Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC) on model performance. Results: With optimal preprocessing, both SVM and CNN models achieve 100% accuracy across NIR and full spectral ranges. The selection of an appropriate wavelength range is critical; utilizing the full spectrum captures a broader array of thewood's chemical and physical properties, significantly enhancingmodel accuracy and predictive power. Discussion: These findings underscore the effectiveness of Vis/NIR HSI in wood species identification. They also highlight the importance of precise wavelength selection and preprocessing techniques to maximize both accuracy and costefficiency. This research contributes substantially to ecological conservation and the regulation of the timber trade by providing a reliable, non-destructive method for identifying threatened wood species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that ecology and conservation researchers should utilize open source technologies to enhance data collection and analysis in their field. Open source hardware, which allows for the study, modification, distribution, and sale of designs or hardware, can reduce costs, adapt to new situations, and improve research quality and transparency. The article provides examples of open source hardware being used in biodiversity research, such as affordable location data loggers and high-quality microscopes. It suggests publishing open source hardware designs with structured metadata and licenses, as well as reforming institutional policies to support open source hardware as part of open science practices. The article emphasizes the benefits of open source hardware for biodiversity researchers and other scientific disciplines, and encourages engagement with global practitioner communities that promote the development and use of open source hardware. The authors disclose financial support for their research and state that the opinions expressed in the article are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their affiliated organizations or the publisher. [Extracted from the article]

Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP) is a conservation area that contains a lot of wood resources. Various illegal community activities have become widespread, such as illegal mining and illegal logging. So, this research aims to determine the involvement of communities around forest areas in material and wood theft from June to October 2021. To determine forest encroachment, we find explanatory variables, using qualitative description integrated with perceptual tests and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. Based on the results of the 10-fold cross-validation analysis with the smallest Rcv (x-Val relative error) value of 0.428, with a classification accuracy of 68.6%, a four-node optimum tree was obtained, which explained that as many as 86 forest encroachers were victims of a vast landslide disaster along with flood and whirlwind, due to which there was no longer any property left for them. Their encroachment affected the condition of land cover. The data on the land cover change, from 2010 to 2020, showed a reduction of 15,369.20 ha or 6.90%, which indicated a severe threat to the sustainability of LLNP as a biodiversity conservation area that should be protected. The involvement in illegal logging by communities living around the forest areas resulted from the loss of their agricultural land for their livelihoods due to natural disasters such as flood, landslide and whirlwind that destroyed infrastructure and community settlement facilities. As a result, these losses and destruction were a catalyst for forest destruction. Initially being in the frontline for preserving the forest, however, the community has now turned into silent partners with licensed wood businesspeople. The community eventually becomes a subsystem in the social ecology system (SES), which negatively affects the destruction of forest resources, production and conservation forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the discovery of a "Frozen Charlotte" doll in Frost Town, New York, shedding light on family life in this 19th-century logging village. Topics include the history of Frost Town as a logging settlement; the cultural significance and origins of Frozen Charlotte dolls; and the insight this artifact provides into the childhood experiences of the village's residents.

Over the past decade, during the tenure of President Joko Widodo, West Papua has undergone a process that Jason and Michael (2019) describe as a “recurring frontier”, whereby frontiers emerge, evolve and are continually redefined. The situation there is exemplified by a number of intertwined “frontier indicators”, which in this article are focused on military threats, the corrupt bureaucracy surrounding infrastructure and the environmental disasters of deforestation and flooding. The paper is based on reflections from fieldwork in Sorong greater area (Sorong Raya) between 2019 and 2023. It indicates several developments occurring at the micro level in Sorong including the history of threats and violence that have created frontiers and overlapping bureaucratic governance, resulting in urban environmental degradation. The creation of frontiers for Papuans is not only currently underway but is also envisioned as a future project to be developed across Papua. Reflecting on this specific case in Sorong, West Papua, it is anticipated that frontier areas will emerge throughout Papua in the future.

Accurate identification of geographical origin and species of wood is crucial for endorsing laws to combat illegal trade. Here, the multi-element profile of Ipê species of economic interest in Brazil was investigated by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Eu, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sc, Sm, Sr and Zn were determined in the heartwood and sapwood tissues. The Random Forest algorithm identified Sr, Ba, Sm, La, Ce and Br as the most important elements for discriminating species. The analyses revealed significant differences between species and wood tissues, indicating that multi-element profile has great potential as a forensic tool. The establishment of comprehensive reference databases that cover large geographical areas and take into account the natural variability between species is fundamental to achieving this goal.

François' langur is an Endangered colobine inhabiting limestone habitats in southern China and northern Vietnam. Its global population has been estimated to be just more than 2000 mature individuals. Populations in Vietnam are highly fragmented with reportedly fewer than 200 adults in total and 50 in a single location. Although the François' langur in Vietnam is highly imperiled as remnant populations persist in only three to four sites, little research has been carried out to provide a reliable estimate of its remaining population. In this study, we conducted field surveys in Lam Binh District, Tuyen Quang Province, northeastern Vietnam. In total, we recorded at least 16 groups of François' langurs, with 156 individuals, raising the total number of individuals by approximately 10% compared to a previous study. The group structure, group size, activity budget, and density of the Lam Binh population resemble those reported in François' langurs in China and other limestone langur species. The results show that the behavior ecology of limestone langurs significantly differs from that of forest langurs probably because they occupy separate habitats with distinctly different environmental variables. During our surveys, we detected a number of direct threats to this population, namely illegal logging, hunting, firewood collecting, hydropower development, grazing, and mining. It is recommended that the protection forest be elevated to the nature reserve status to better protect the most important population of the François' langur in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the application of timber-based retrofitting techniques to a case-study stone masonry church featuring a wooden roof from 18th century. From the static point of view, the original roof structure presented a number of undersized structural elements, and its members were poorly or not connected among each other and to the masonry, making the church vulnerable to seismic loads as well. Thus, the roof was retrofitted with wood-based techniques, including an overlay of plywood panels, against seismic actions. These affordable, rapid, easily realizable interventions enabled both the conservation and seismic retrofitting of the roof, providing an adequate load-carrying capacity for static loads, and an effective diaphragm action against seismic loads. The conducted numerical analyses showed that the realized interventions greatly improve the seismic behaviour of the building. Besides, when the additional energy dissipation provided by the plywood panels overlay is taken into account in the numerical model, the church would even potentially be able to fully withstand the expected seismic action of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer vision-based wood identification has been successfully applied to recognize tree species using digital images of wood sections or surfaces. However, this image-to-species approach can only recognize a limited number of species due to two main reasons: 1) the lack of a good reference database requiring high-quality standardized images from multiple individuals of hundreds or even thousands of traded timber species, and 2) species not included in the reference database cannot be identified without expert knowledge. Another bottleneck is that the feature extraction process used by these species recognition approaches is a black box, thereby creating a discrepancy between machine learning features and wood anatomical features. This discrepancy prevents wood anatomists from understanding how these machine-learning algorithms work. Here, we survey currently existing methods used in feature extraction, classification, and deep learning methods applied in wood identification along with their pitfalls and opportunities. As an example of how the field could move forward, we launch the idea of building an image-to-features-to-species identification approach based on microscopic wood images as well as text files comprising wood anatomical descriptions. If we can manage machine learning-based algorithms to recognize the main wood anatomical traits that experts use to identify species in a (semi-)automated way, this would boost wood identification in two ways: (1) extensive reference databases for each species would become less crucial as the databases are ordered at the trait level, (2) timber identification would become more feasible for species that have not yet been included in the reference database as long as wood anatomical descriptions are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timber granaries are found in numerous ethnic minority settlements in the southeast and south of Guizhou Province in China. A timber granary is a unique type of vernacular building in rice-farming villages. Most of these granaries adopted the stilting architectural form and column-and-tie framework to provide a safe and cool inner space for the storage of grains, prevent rats, and enhance natural ventilation. This is a case study on the repair project of a timber granary in Yaogu village. The granary was disassembled into timber components and reconstructed for conservation, which is called 'Repair by Disassembly' in the east Asian tradition of wooden architecture. Through in-situ surveying, participant observation of the construction process, and interviews with local craftsmen, this study analyses the repair methodology and Buyi ethnic construction techniques applied in the timber granary. This work suggest guidelines for the conservation and restoration of similar wooden architectural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The objective of this research is to increase awareness about conservation among the residents of Pematang Gadung Village in the sanctuary region of Ketapang Regency, West Borneo. This will be achieved by employing a biocultural conservation approach through narrative texts, with the goal of addressing environmental issues like illegal logging, poaching, and mining. The research and development process is divided into three stages based on the Successive Approximation Model (SAM): preparation, iterative design, and iterative development. This work focuses primarily on the iterative design phase, expanding on the findings of the research completed in the first year, when the local people perceived forests as commodities due to their lack of conservation literacy. Their biocultural conservation, on the other hand, was profoundly based on indigenous Muslim Malay ethnic beliefs and traditions. The present study seeks to develop a narrative text based on biocultural conservation as an initial effort to create conservation material that aligns with the local wisdom of the community, utilizing a biocultural approach involving 12 students from middle and high schools in Pematang Gadung, West Kalimantan. The findings of this research include the emergence of awareness among respondents regarding the importance of conservation and an improvement in the creative writing skills of the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primates are facing an impending extinction crisis. Here, we examine the set of conservation challenges faced by the 100 primate species that inhabit the Brazilian Amazon, the largest remaining area of primary tropical rainforest in the world. The vast majority (86%) of Brazil's Amazonian primate species have declining populations. Primate population decline in Amazonia has been driven principally by deforestation related to the production of forest‐risk commodities including soy and cattle ranching, the illegal logging and setting of fires, dam building, road and rail construction, hunting, mining, and the confiscation and conversion of Indigenous Peoples' traditional lands. In a spatial analysis of the Brazilian Amazon, we found that 75% of Indigenous Peoples' lands (IPLs) remained forested compared with 64% of Conservation Units (CUs) and 56% of other lands (OLs). In addition, primate species richness was significantly higher on IPLs than on CUs and OLs. Thus, safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' land rights, systems of knowledge, and human rights is one of the most effective ways to protect Amazonian primates and the conservation value of the ecosystems they inhabit. Intense public and political pressure is required and a global call‐to‐action is needed to encourage all Amazonian countries, especially Brazil, as well as citizens of consumer nations, to actively commit to changing business as usual, living more sustainably, and doing all they can to protect the Amazon. We end with a set of actions one can take to promote primate conservation in the Brazilian Amazon. Research Highlights: 86% of the 100 species of primates in the Brazilian Amazon have declining populations. 98% of these species range onto Indigenous People's lands. A call‐to‐action is needed to protect Indigenous People's land rights, Amazonian ecosystems, and primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an archaeological case study that explores a residential logging camp as a site of social antagonism between the relations of abstract and living labor. Within such settings, living labor overtly works to resist their full subsumption to the logic, relations, and rhythms of capitalist production. I explore this antagonistic relationship through the archaeological record of an early twentieth-century logging camp operated by an Anishinaabe family in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I argue that the logging camp context was integral to a larger Anishinaabe social strategy for pursuing the practices and teachings of bimaadiziwin, or "the good life," while actively participating in industrial logging as timber workers. The way the Moses family structured their everyday life reflects the antagonism between living and abstract labor and helps to illuminate capitalism's cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat ecosystems have very important ecosystem services and functions, and roles for human life, the flora and fauna. Management of Lepironia articulata Retz. become an alternative business carried out by forest farmers in peat ecosystems. This study aims to evaluate the management of L.articulata in supporting peat ecosystem conservation. The research conducted in Haur Gading sub-district, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data collection carried out through the interview on the stages of L.articulata management and socio-economic data on the community. Field survey were done by collecting ecological data from L.articulata habitat. Conservation support for peat ecosystems from L.articulata management analyzed using 7 variables and 17 indicators. Conservation support for the peat ecosystem from the management of L.articulata result is high (90.24%). Conservation support obtained from the indicator values of social benefits, economic benefits, technical aspects of L.articulata management stages, and several ecological benefits. The management of L.articulata by forest farmers able to reduce illegal logging and forest fires. Revegetation activities by forest farmers on enrichment planting is one option to increase the diversity of vegetation in peat ecosystems and also the form of conservation based on the utilization of the biodiversity of peat ecosystems. It contributes for improving the socioeconomic community and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sr isotopes prove valuable in illegal timber investigations. • Pilot study reveals Sr isotope signatures in Brazilwood. • Challenges and promises in Sr isotope timber provenance. • Method ruled out questioned samples' origin in Brazilwood National Park. The illicit exploitation of Brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata) presents a significant challenge in Brazil, given its substantial value in the global production of bows for musical instruments. To address timber provenance, the use of strontium (Sr) isotope ratios as indicators of bedrock signatures has emerged as a robust tool in forensic investigations. In this study, we critically evaluate the efficacy of this approach using Sr isotope data derived from bulk soils and trees collected at two distinct sites in Brazil. Despite the statistically indistinguishable 87Sr/86Sr ratios observed in the investigated tree species, the compiled 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of Brazilwood from Brazilwood National Park (PNPB) and the ES Group provide valuable insights into the potential application of this method for tracing forensic timber seizures. This pilot study also addresses crucial sampling considerations. While the regional signatures exhibit clear distinctions, the limited sample sizes underscore the necessity for supplementary methods to confidently attribute timber to a specific source forest. In isolation, this method proves most effective in refuting presumed timber provenances rather than definitively confirming them. The discussion delves into the nuances of the Sr isotope data, emphasizing the importance of increasing the number of samples and exploring complementary techniques for a more comprehensive and reliable assessment of timber origin. [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.)

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the world loses 1.0 ​× ​106 ​hm2 forest land through deforestation annually. About 1.6 ​× ​106 people who depend on forests for livelihood are negatively affected by deforestation and forest degradation. The paper attempts to study the impact of forest governance, enforcement and socio-economic factors on deforestation and forest degradation at the local level in West Bengal State, India. The study was based on questionnaire survey data during 2020–2021 collected from three western districts (Purulia, Bankura, and Paschim Medinipur) where deforestation and poverty rates are higher than other districts in West Bengal State. The total number of selected villages was 29, and the total sample households were 693. A stratified random sampling technique was used to collect data, and a questionnaire was followed. Forest governance and enforcement indices were constructed using United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) methodology and a step-wise logistic regression model was used to identify the factors affecting deforestation and forest degradation. The result of this study showed that four factors (illegal logging, weak forest administration, encroachment, and poverty) are identified for the causes of deforestation and forest degradation. It is observed that six indices of forest governance (rule of law, transparency, accountability, participation, inclusiveness and equitability, and efficiency and effectiveness) is relatively high in Purulia District. Moreover, this study shows that Purulia and Bankura districts follow medium forest governance, while Paschim Medinipur District has poor forest governance. The enforcement index is found to be highest in Purulia District (0.717) and lowest for Paschim Medinipur District (0.257). Finally, weak forest governance, poor socio-economic conditions of the households, and weak enforcement lead to the deforestation and forest degradationin the study area. Therefore, governments should strengthen law enforcement and encourage sustainable forest certification schemes to combat illegal logging.