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Araucaria angustifolia is a species known for its valuable wood and nuts, but it is threatened with extinction. The plantation of forests for genetic resource conservation is a complementary strategy designed to reduce the species' genetic variability loss. This study aimed to evaluate the technical and economic viability of A. angustifolia for genetic conservation through use. The analyzed provenance and progeny trial was established in 1982 in Itapeva, Brazil. It was structured using a compact family blocks design with 110 open-pollinated progenies from five natural populations, three replicates, ten plants per subplot, and 3.0 m × 2.0 m spacing. After 33 years, the trial was evaluated for total height, diameter at breast height, wood volume, and survival. The variance components and genetic parameter estimates were performed using Restricted Maximum Likelihood/Best Linear Unbiased Prediction methods (REML/BLUP) methods with the Selegen software (version 2014). The production and management scenarios were obtained using the SisAraucaria software (version 2003). Sensitivity analysis and economic parameter estimates were obtained through various economic evaluation methods using the Planin software (version 1995). In general, the genetic parameters indicated that the population has enough variability for both conservation and breeding purposes, suggesting technical viability for the establishment of a seed orchard. The economic parameters indicated that the commercialization of wood and araucaria nuts proved to be more profitable than wood production by itself. In conclusion, araucaria genetic conservation through use is a technically and economically viable ex situ conservation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of the U.S. trade war and environmental policies on the timber trade between the U.S. and Vietnam. Due to the trade war, U.S. timber exports to China decreased, leading U.S. timber companies to look to Vietnam as an alternative market. However, concerns have been raised about Vietnam importing illegally harvested timber. The U.S. initiated a Section 301 investigation into Vietnam's timber imports, which resulted in an agreement for Vietnam to improve its timber legality assurance system. The article also discusses the implications of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on illegal timber trade. [Extracted from the article]

The achievement of international forest restoration goals requires economically viable land‐use options. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a priority area for ecosystem restoration, as it is widely deforested to make place for intensive agriculture and one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world. We systematically reviewed existing scientific literature on the biome to highlight the evidence on economic benefits and costs of forest restoration. A total of 15 publications were identified that quantify costs and/or economic benefits of forest restoration. We observed that most studies (11) [Correction added on 15 May 2024, after first online publication: In the preceding phrase, (12) was corrected to (11) in this version.] were published after 2018 and that research on the topic was biogeographically biased as 12 publications referred to study sites in Brazil's Southeast Region. Given its beneficial natural conditions, the Atlantic Forest is predestined for a wide range of restoration‐related opportunities, yet economic benefits of restoration are underexplored (seven studies). Moreover, benefits from a multifunctional use of restored forests are almost absent in the literature with only three studies presenting primary data. Elaboration of restoration costs is also limited to 10 studies that focus predominantly on active restoration. Thus, we argue that the economic costs and benefits of forest restoration are not well understood. Clarity thereon is, however, critical for policy formulation and to mobilize private investments. We therefore call for studies to fill in the knowledge gap on restoration economics in the Atlantic Forest biome, and to study restoration economics in other biomes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the proportion of broadleaved trees in stands during regeneration raises questions about how these trees will be reflected in the economics of forest owners and whether these owners can influence certain economic aspects during stand management. In this respect, the paper focuses mainly on the revenue side of forestry and, crucially, analyses the selling prices of assortments of tree species groups as offered in public tenders of state forests under the outsourcing business model. The price level of spruce is used as a benchmark for comparisons in the analyses. It is clear that the cultivation of species-diverse forests entails an increase in the representation of a higher number of tree species and, presumably, increased stand stability. However, a concomitant consequence may be an increase in costs and a reduction in returns for forest owners. Here, the revenue from timber sales can be improved by appropriate adjustment of the species composition through educational interventions. All this is in the context of the economic viability of forestry, as declared in a number of strategic and forest policy documents, which essentially depends on the timber production function of forestry and the subsequent processing of timber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Southeastern United States, freshwater resources are stressed due to human development, population growth, expansion of agricultural irrigation, and climate change. Restoring land to a low-density, fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savanna and woodland ecosystem may provide distinct ecosystem services such as increases in water quantity for vulnerable watersheds. To understand how economic incentives may bolster restoration programs, we analyze the economic and hydrologic impacts of longleaf pine restoration scenarios. We compare these scenarios against other common land uses in the Coastal Plain of Georgia, a major forestry state located in the Southern United States, identifying the financial barriers and water use impacts of alternative forest management regimes. Longleaf pine restoration shows the greatest increase in water yield per acre at 66 % over baseline timber production scenarios but at a lower timber value return. Thinning planted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands to low-density woodlands may offer a more cost-efficient, immediate alternative that improves water yields by 38 %. Current incentives to restore native habitats on private lands increase financial returns but lack sufficient incentives and governance to meet or exceed baseline forest income levels by $90-$235 ha-1 annually for longleaf savanna restoration. In the future, the emerging ecosystem service market in Georgia may steer decisions about competing values of carbon storage, water yield, and native habitat restoration.

Araucaria angustifolia is a species known for its valuable wood and nuts, but it is threatened with extinction. The plantation of forests for genetic resource conservation is a complementary strategy designed to reduce the species’ genetic variability loss. This study aimed to evaluate the technical and economic viability of A. angustifolia for genetic conservation through use. The analyzed provenance and progeny trial was established in 1982 in Itapeva, Brazil. It was structured using a compact family blocks design with 110 open-pollinated progenies from five natural populations, three replicates, ten plants per subplot, and 3.0 m × 2.0 m spacing. After 33 years, the trial was evaluated for total height, diameter at breast height, wood volume, and survival. The variance components and genetic parameter estimates were performed using Restricted Maximum Likelihood/Best Linear Unbiased Prediction methods (REML/BLUP) methods with the Selegen software (version 2014). The production and management scenarios were obtained using the SisAraucaria software (version 2003). Sensitivity analysis and economic parameter estimates were obtained through various economic evaluation methods using the Planin software (version 1995). In general, the genetic parameters indicated that the population has enough variability for both conservation and breeding purposes, suggesting technical viability for the establishment of a seed orchard. The economic parameters indicated that the commercialization of wood and araucaria nuts proved to be more profitable than wood production by itself. In conclusion, araucaria genetic conservation through use is a technically and economically viable ex situ conservation strategy.

Carbon sequestration in forests has increasingly captured the attention of scientists as a strategy for climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability. In this era of huge carbon emissions, being a low-carbon and cost-effective technology, the economic analysis of forest carbon sequestration holds higher importance for the successful implementation and intended outcomes. This study elucidates a scientometric view of the research structure and thematic evolution of economic studies on forest carbon sequestration based on 1439 articles over the time slice of 2001–2021. The bibliographic data have been retrieved from the Dimensions database, which accommodates a large coverage of research publications and also provides easy access to essential scholarly data and information. Vosviewer and Biblioshiny software tools have opted for visualisation and evaluation purposes of bibliometric data. This study employs various measures of bibliometric analysis like co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, citation and keyword analysis to find out the principal articles, authors, journals, most frequent keywords and highest publishing countries and institutions in this field, and the results show that the number of publications has escalated substantially in the last five years, the most cited article and most productive author are Popp A, 2017 (305 citations) and André P C Faaij (11 documents), respectively, Bradford's law calculates 21 core journals out of total 503 journals, among which Forest Policy and Economics is at the top, and the most productive country and institution are the USA and University of Florida, respectively. The study also investigates key publishing subject categories, and the number of publications covered under each of the Sustainable Development Goals. The overall outcome of this bibliometric study confers an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of economic analysis on forest carbon sequestration and its development pattern in the last 21 years and also provides emerging themes for future reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, the Russian forest sector was severely affected by the government's ban on the export of unprocessed timber and trade sanctions imposed by several countries. It is generally recognized that the regions of the Russian North-West are the most affected by trade barriers that have emerged. Against this background, the impact of bilateral trade restrictions on timber companies in the Asian part of Russia is not discussed. Nevertheless, the forest industry is an important sector of the Siberian economy that has an economic, social and environmental impact on the life of local communities. This paper analyzes the differences among Siberian timber companies in their response to the crisis depending on three factors: industrial specialization, scale of revenue and regional location. The results show that in 2022 the highest median revenues and net profits were generated by small firms that were focused on the domestic market and benefited from reduced competition due to sanctions. There is also evidence that spatial heterogeneity in the response to the crisis may be due to the different support measures of regional authorities and the proximity of the region to border points. We argue that the current conditions may become a new driver for the timber industry development, aimed at the growth of added value and expansion of domestic demand for wood products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State governments are responsible for the stewardship and management of more than 28 million ha of forest land in the United States. This study presents the findings of an in-depth examination of the characteristics and performance of sealed bid and oral auctions using records from more than a thousand tracts offered for sale by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which administers one of the nation's most robust state timber sale programs. The study found that although tracts offered for sale through oral and sealed bid auctions sold at the same rate and are undifferentiated with respect to nearly all characteristics, sealed bid tracts generated significantly higher winning prices and additional revenue per hectare than tracts sold using oral auctions. Logging businesses were more likely to win sealed auctions than oral auctions, and their portfolio of purchased tracts contained a higher proportion acquired through sealed bid auctions than the portfolio of sealed bid tracts purchased by mills. The study adds to the limited body of literature on public agency timber auctions and is the first to provide a detailed analysis of the auction methods used by a state forest management agency. Study Implications : Public agencies use sealed bid and oral auctions to sell timber rights. This study of the nation's largest state timber sale program found that the auction method used affects winning bid prices, the likelihood certain categories of bidders will win the auction, the allocation of timber to mills and logging businesses, and revenue generated for each hectare of timber sold. State timber sale program administrators may be able to use these findings to better understand how the choice of auction method affects the financial performance of their timber sale program as well as the allocation of timber among the major types of bidders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charcoal plays a relevant role in developing countries, with potential to contribute to the energy needs as a cheaper and carbon-friendly alternative. In Brazil, eucalyptus-charcoal has gained attention as an input for metal-steel industries, mostly supplied by small and medium forest producers. Those commonly use rudimentary charcoal-kilns, characterized by higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced productivity and economically unsustainable impacted by their reduced financial management. In order to fulfill this gap, a simplified financial planning model and an economic analysis of a less polluting charcoal productive system, called kilns-furnace system, were performed, also comparing to traditional charcoal-kilns. A differentiated cost of capital pricing model was also proposed, adjusted to bioenergy projects in emerging markets. Results showed that kilns-furnace system presented the best financial indicators, with greater free cash flow capacity, shorter reimbursement period, reduced charcoal production cost, better return on invested capital and a financial resilience even under pessimistic conditions. With its risk-return ratio verified, kilns-furnace larger insertion may be an attraction for charcoal producers, with probable increased long-term economic sustainability when compared to traditional kilns. The proposed cost of capital pricing model opened a new perspective for its calculation in developing countries, and should be used by producers, companies, and government in investment decision and as a guidance for financing lines.

Using an extended full-cycle carbon model from the Faustmann framework, which allows for management strategies of several uses concurrently implemented in the same area of forest, this paper investigates the selection of management objectives that are beneficial and optimal for forest plantations in Vietnam. Three scenarios are considered: Scenario 1 investigates the management objective of maximizing the land economic value (LEV) of timber as a single production. Scenario 2 investigates the joint production of timber and bioenergy sources. Scenario 3 analyzes the joint production of timber, bioenergy production, and carbon sequestration. The findings reveal that if growers pursue a timber management objective (Scenario 1), the farming business only provides considerable benefits under the government-subsidized credit scheme of 8.4%. For a higher non-subsidized interest rate of 15.24% of commercial banks, such gains reduce substantially and become negative value under the mean interest rate of 19.08% of private credit sources. Altering the management objective to a joint production of timber and raw bioenergy production (Scenario 2) will boost the LEV by a moderate level, but at the expense of timber production and thus carbon stock. However, the reduction tendency of timber and carbon balance is not substantial due mainly to the relatively small proportion of bioenergy production compared to timber production; therefore, decision-making frameworks targeting carbon uptake may be capable of incorporating such levels of confliction. Further internalizing the carbon value of the forest into management objectives generally leads to a longer rotation length, thus improving both carbon sequestration and income gains. Shifting the current timber-dominant management objective to a joint production of timber and bioenergy sources, or, alternatively, a joint production of timber, bioenergy production, and carbon sequestration when the carbon market is emerging, is a good alternative strategy for forest management in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Adaptive pastoralists--insights into local and regional patterns in livelihood adaptation choices among pastoralists in Kenya." The corrigendum acknowledges a mistake in Figure 5 of the original article, where the bars in the bar chart for the variable "Migrate further" were incorrect. The authors apologize for the error and state that it does not change the scientific conclusions of the article. The original article has been updated to reflect the correction. [Extracted from the article]

New methodologies, rules, modalities, and procedures for the mechanism established under Article 6(4) of the Paris Agreement have led to the need to change the national conditions for the implementation of climate projects, including climate projects in forests. However, the issue of evaluating the effectiveness of such projects and their attractiveness to investors remains controversial, as their place and role in the modern economy remain uncertain. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the investment attractiveness and silvicultural feasibility of implementing reforestation climate projects in the central forest steppe of Russia. Thanks to mathematical models (including the developed coefficient of carbon intensity of investment costs) and the calculations carried out, it will be possible to develop a differentiated approach to assessing the investment attractiveness of climate projects' implementation in forests. Reforestation projects including the planting of fast-growing tree species were considered. Maximum carbon sequestration for these projects is expected to occur over a period of 10–30 years. It was found that the coefficient of carbon intensity of investment costs, discounted by the duration of such projects, may become the basis for decision-making on investments in afforestation and reforestation in the central forest steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background--Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To achieve common prosperity in the key state-owned forest areas is the goal of all forestry workers and their families. How to improve the livelihood of forestry workers' families and resolve multidimensional poverty has become a hot issue in the research field of forestry economics for many years. Optimizing the household assets allocation and rationally arranging the current consumption, savings and the proportion of investment is a family financial behavior aiming to realize the appreciation and utility maximization of the household assets of the forestry workers in the whole life cycle, and an effective way to increase the family income of the forestry workers and promote the common prosperity in the forest areas. (2) Methods--Using the methods of literature research, quantitative research and qualitative research, this paper firstly analyzes the logical mechanism of household assets allocation optimization enabling the key state-owned forest areas to achieve common prosperity from two aspects of theoretical logic and practical logic, and then discusses the behavioral characteristics and realistic challenges of household assets allocation of the forestry workers. Finally, this paper puts forward the path selection of the key state-owned forest areas to achieve common prosperity by optimizing the household assets allocation of the forestry workers. (3) Results--The optimization of household assets allocation enables the key state-owned forest areas to achieve common prosperity, which is reasonable in theory and feasible in practice. The household assets allocation behavior of the forestry workers in the key state-owned forest areas has the following characteristics: First, the household assets allocation structure is single, and the proportion of real estate is high. Second, there is a strong propensity to saving and less participation in risky investments. Third, the participation rate of production and operational investment is low, and the overall trend is declining year by year. The household assets allocation optimization of the forestry workers in the key state-owned forest areas faces the following practical challenges: First, the aging trend of the forestry workers is obvious, their education level is generally not high, and they generally lack basic knowledge of finance and awareness of assets allocation. Second, the livelihood vulnerability of the forestry workers' families has not been completely eliminated, and the household assets allocation options are limited. (4) Conclusions and Discussions--Based on the above analysis, this paper proposes the path selection of household assets allocation optimization enabling the key state-owned forest areas to achieve common prosperity: First, guide the forestry workers' families to change the concept of assets allocation and enhance family financial awareness. Second, encourage and support the forestry workers to carry out undergrowth economy entrepreneurship. Provide entrepreneurship guidance, skills training, policy support and market development to encourage innovation in the undergrowth economy and the application of modern agricultural technologies. Third, establish a market mechanism for realizing the value of forest ecological products to provide more investment choices for the forestry workers' families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention is drawn to scientifically based theoretical and practical approaches to the implementation of the concept of sustainable forest management and, accordingly, to ensuring the principles of sustainable forestry aimed at the adequate protection, use, and regeneration of forest resources in Ukraine during Russia's war against Ukraine. The main socio-economic and ecological aspects that influence the implementation of the concept of sustainable forest management at the national and regional level in the current conditions of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine are considered. The changes in the forest sector in the conditions of war are reflected, which must be considered from the point of view of understanding the principles of sustainable development, sustainable forestry, and the concept of sustainable forest management. It is proposed to develop and implement a theoretical, methodological, and practical approach to the implementation of the concept of sustainable forest management in Ukraine which would take into account the regional differences regarding the organisation and development of forestry in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forest plantations play an important role in meeting global wood demand. While research has highlighted the ecological potential of mixed-species plantations, studies on the economic viability and management of such plantations are largely missing in the context of tropical plantation forestry. In this study, we estimated the economic potential and optimized the management of commercial mixed-species plantations of four tree species native to Central America (Dalbergia retusa, Dipteryx oleifera, Hieronyma alchorneoides, and Vochysia guatemalensis) and Teak (Tectona grandis). We combined the forest growth model 3-PGmix and detailed economic data for two plantation sites in Costa Rica to optimize the management of 11 different mixtures using a genetic optimization algorithm. We found that several of the modeled mixed-species stands can be highly profitable with net present values (NPV) up to 4821.2 USD/ha at an 8% discount rate, and internal rates of return up to 17% (under excellent site conditions). This indicates that the most profitable mixtures (e.g. of V. guatemalensis-D. oleifera or T. grandis-D. oleifera on excellent sites) could compete economically with conventional monoculture plantations such as Teak monocultures. Further, mixed stands can be managed based on the same simple even-aged management approaches currently applied in monoculture plantations if the specific management parameters are adapted. The optimized management parameters also lead to improved NPV of the modeled stands under alternative valuation assumptions but are site-specific. In the present study, we only considered financial benefits from timber production. However, establishing mixed-species plantations in the tropics could provide a wide range of ecosystem services including climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the optimum time to harvest the trees is one of the most interesting problems in the economics of forest resources. It is highly debated whether forests in the Northern hemisphere should be used as carbon sinks or harvested more for long- or short-term wood use for carbon storage in long-lived wood products and for the use of bioenergy. In our study we examined the trend of the cutting ages by tree species, ownership and function in the period of 2006–2021 based on the data of the National Forestry Database (NFD). We also examined whether any changes in the effective rotation linked to the change of the Hungarian Forest Act in 2017 could be observed. We concluded that there were two main sub-groups in the case of which different trends applied. In the case of state-owned forests and indigenous species with a long rotation period, the actual harvesting ages had an increasing trend in the last fifteen years, while in the case of some species with short rotation periods and lower levels of naturalness, the cutting ages in private forests had a decreasing trend. The rotation period of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) showed a decreasing trend with a significant decrease in private production forests between years 2016 and 2021. This implies that since the more permissive regulation, the management of private black locust stands has moved towards the economically more profitable 20 years rotation cycle. We concluded that the new Forest Act of 2017 can be regarded as an important step towards the separation of forest functions, which means that the role of state-owned forests and forests with high nature conservation value is to protect biodiversity, provide ecosystem services and mitigate climate change through carbon storage in trees, dead wood and in the soil, while the role of forest plantations and forests with lower level of naturalness is to provide timber which is a climate-friendly resource, and which can contribute to climate change mitigation through long-term carbon storage in wood products, wooden buildings and through the substitution of fossil products and fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mikania micrantha is one of the worst invasive species globally and can cause significant negative impacts on agricultural and forestry economics, particularly in Asia and the Pacific region. The rust Puccinia spegazzinii has been used successfully as a biological control agent in several countries to help manage M. micrantha. However, the response mechanisms of M. micrantha to P. spegazzinii infection have never been studied. To investigate the response of M. micrantha to infection by P. spegazzinii, an integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics was performed. The levels of 74 metabolites, including organic acids, amino acids, and secondary metabolites in M. micrantha infected with P. spegazzinii, were significantly different compared to those in plants that were not infected. After P. spegazzinii infection, the expression of the TCA cycle gene was significantly induced to participate in energy biosynthesis and produce more ATP. The content of most amino acids, such as L-isoleucine, L-tryptophan and L-citrulline, increased. In addition, phytoalexins, such as maackiain, nobiletin, vasicin, arachidonic acid, and JA-Ile, accumulated in M. micrantha. A total of 4978 differentially expressed genes were identified in M. micrantha infected by P. spegazzinii. Many key genes of M. micrantha in the PTI (pattern-triggered immunity) and ETI (effector-triggered immunity) pathways showed significantly higher expression under P. spegazzinii infection. Through these reactions, M. micrantha is able to resist the infection of P. spegazzinii and maintain its growth. These results are helpful for us to understand the changes in metabolites and gene expression in M. micrantha after being infected by P. spegazzinii. Our results can provide a theoretical basis for weakening the defense response of M. micrantha to P. spegazzinii, and for P. spegazzinii as a long-term biological control agent of M. micrantha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In 2022, the Russian forest sector was severely affected by the government’s ban on the export of unprocessed timber and trade sanctions imposed by several countries. It is generally recognized that the regions of the Russian North-West are the most affected by trade barriers that have emerged. Against this background, the impact of bilateral trade restrictions on timber companies in the Asian part of Russia is not discussed. Nevertheless, the forest industry is an important sector of the Siberian economy that has an economic, social and environmental impact on the life of local communities. This paper analyzes the differences among Siberian timber companies in their response to the crisis depending on three factors: industrial specialization, scale of revenue and regional location. The results show that in 2022 the highest median revenues and net profits were generated by small firms that were focused on the domestic market and benefited from reduced competition due to sanctions. There is also evidence that spatial heterogeneity in the response to the crisis may be due to the different support measures of regional authorities and the proximity of the region to border points. We argue that the current conditions may become a new driver for the timber industry development, aimed at the growth of added value and expansion of domestic demand for wood products.

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Adaptive pastoralists--insights into local and regional patterns in livelihood adaptation choices among pastoralists in Kenya." The corrigendum acknowledges a mistake in Figure 5 of the original article, where the bars in the bar chart for the variable "Migrate further" were incorrect. The authors apologize for the error and state that it does not change the scientific conclusions of the article. The original article has been updated to reflect the correction. [Extracted from the article]

Forest insurance exists for more than a century in lots of countries around the world. Currently, it is put forward as a recommended tool to finance resilience and adaptation towards climate change. However, little synthetic knowledge exists on forest insurance, although this seems to be a prerequisite for using insurance as an adaptation tool. This article aims at providing an overview of the current economics literature on the topic of forest insurance. More precisely, the objectives of this study are to carry out a review of the literature on this topic, to produce a bibliometric overview of knowledge on this issue, and thus to highlight scientific fronts. For that purpose, we propose a literature review. We collected 38 articles published in English between 1928 and 2021. We provide the following bibliometric information: journals, evolution over time of the publications, authors and co-citations network and analysis of the keywords. We also propose to synthesize the methods used, the various issues of interest, the risks considered and the countries where the studies were conducted. We show that an article on forest insurance has a high probability of being recent (after 2000) and of being published in the journal Forest Policy and Economics. In addition, it is highly probable that it will identify some determinants of insurance demand and that it will deal with fire risk in the U.S. or storm risk in Europe. Noting a small scientific community and a low number of publications, we identified seven fronts of science related to methods and data, new risks and uncertainties, public policies and forest insurance, and openness and the international dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In contrast with many other sectors of the Russian economy, there is low market concentration in the forest industry and, consequently, a large number of relatively small enterprises scattered throughout the world's largest country. In many cases, logging or woodworking companies are the only or key employers in sparsely populated areas, making them important sources of the social and economic stability of small towns and rural settlements. In 2022, Russian forest companies faced dramatic barriers to international trade, which led to the suspension of production with the risk of further layoffs. Thus, the issue of social and economic importance of the forest business in Russia has gained additional sounding. This paper aims to estimate the decline in revenues and the number of employees in forestry companies in Asian Russia because of sanctions. Based on corporate accounting reports, we have generated a dataset covering 4675 forest industry companies in Asian Russia. We use quantile regression to estimate the impact of the number of employees on revenue. All companies were divided into quartiles by revenue and into 6 groups by type of economic activity. A significant differentiation of the return on the number of employees depending on the type of activity and the volume of firms' revenues was found. Estimates of potential losses of companies during labor force reduction were obtained, which would be 1.2%–3.6% of revenue for a company from Q1, 2.2%–6.6% of revenue for Q2 and 2.7%–8.1% of revenue for Q3. The results clearly demonstrate that forest companies might be very interested in retaining a workforce, even if an opportunistic drop in product demand creates a financial shortfall. Policy makers should take this into account when shaping instruments to support the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atewa Forest Reserve is a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area and Important Bird Area in Ghana. The reserve has lost over 10% and 35% of its close canopy and buffer zone respectively in the last twenty years. Increasing the status of the reserve to a National Park with a buffer zone has been recommended as the key intervention that could help achieve a more optimal flow of its benefits to people. It is, however, not clear if fringe communities whose livelihoods are directly linked to the reserve will support such intervention. To provide an indication of their potential level of support and appreciation of this recommendation, we used contingent valuation method with the double-bounded dichotomous choice approach and an open ended follow up question to estimate willingness to pay of members in the fringe communities. The majority were willing to donate a day's wage for 12 months to support the project if implemented. The estimated mean willingness to pay was Ghȼ 9.99, (US$ 2.22). Respondents' income level, age and initial bid offered are the main factors that influence respondents' willingness to pay. The policy implication and importance of understanding socio-economic characteristics of households in the process of designing such intervention is discussed in the paper.

This document is a laudatory article from the Acta Facultatis Xylologiae Zvolen journal, celebrating the achievements and contributions of Dr. h. c. prof. Ing. Mikuláš Šupín, CSc. Dr. Šupín has had a distinguished career in academia, serving as the former rector of the university, dean of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, and founder of the Department of Marketing, Trade, and World Forestry. He has made significant contributions to the fields of world forestry, marketing, international management, and trade, and has authored several university textbooks. Dr. Šupín has also played a key role in the reforms and development of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, increasing its popularity and research activities. He has been involved in numerous scientific research projects and has supervised many students. Dr. Šupín has also held important positions in the Slovak government and represented the country in international organizations. The article concludes by wishing Dr. Šupín good health and continued success in his future endeavors. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the views of provincial government on the need for change to British Columbia forest management, which include careers in traditional forest management recommended a fundamental change from managing timber with constraints to prioritizing ecosystem health.

Copyright of ACTA Scientiarum Polonorum Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria is the property of Poznan University of Life Sciences Press 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.)

Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) is a professional and social institution whose basic mission is to influence the scientific level of research activities and education in its field of competence, to take care of its continuous development and to effectively popularize the acquired scientific knowledge. Within the CAAS and its Department of Forestry, the Commission of Forest Economics has been operating for a long time, focusing on forest and wood economics and policy. A total of 11 research directions are defined in the forthcoming Concept of Research, Development and Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture for the period 2023+, the professional part of which is covered and guaranteed by the CAAS. The following directions are included in forestry and wood processing: "Forestry and related industries" and the direction "Forest and agricultural economics and policy" integrated with agriculture. The paper briefly describes the scientific focus of forest and wood economics and policy in this context and especially the activities of the Commission of Forest Economics of the Department of Forestry of the CAAS. In the temporal and factual context, it mentions the published monograph "Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a Quarter-Century of the Commission of Forest Economics". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Forestry Economy is the property of China Forestry Economy Magazine Agency 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.)

Copyright of China Forestry Economy is the property of China Forestry Economy Magazine Agency 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.)

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play an essential role in the Amazon region, contributing to the integration between biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of the bioeconomy. This study has examined the scope of NTFP research in the Amazon and pinpointed areas lacking scientific insight. From the 219 publications initially identified, 146 satisfied established inclusion criteria based on the methodology employed and the results achieved. It was found that the inaugural publication indexed by Scopus on Amazonian NTFPs dates to 1992. It was found that the inaugural publication indexed by Scopus on Amazonian NTFPs dates to 1992. Despite the extensive body of research, there is a noticeable deficit in studies addressing legal and regulatory frameworks within the NTFP production chain and public policy development. Research has predominantly concentrated on production, distribution, management, and economic aspects, often neglecting the social, normative, and political dimensions. Advancing the bioeconomy value chains in the Amazon necessitates empowering local communities to derive economic benefits from biodiversity. However, recognizing the complexity of these communities' relationships with the forest is important. Their interaction with the forest extends beyond economic considerations, embracing cultural, subsistence, and spiritual connections. These insights underscore the necessity for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to NTFP management in the Amazon, ensuring that biodiversity conservation and local community empowerment are integrally pursued. This holistic perspective is vital for fostering a resilient bioeconomy in the region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest between the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

ABSTRACT This article aims to analyze Brazil’s global competitiveness in the exportation of forest products from 2008 to 2018. Data on importation and exportation were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO, while Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Contribution to Trade Balance (CTB), and Terms of Trade (TOT) were the indicators used to measure international trade. The main results show that Brazil has a positive trade balance for forest products, mainly for wood pulp exports. Brazil’s RCA for forest products was classified as moderate to strong. As for the forest product groups, it was strong for wood pulp, weak to moderate for wood panels, weak for paper and paperboard, weak to nonexpressive for timber, and non-expressive for industrial roundwood and wood fuel. Based on Brazil’s CTB, all the forest product groups have a comparative advantage, except wood fuel. Brazil’s TOT was strong for wood panels, timber, industrial roundwood, wood pulp, in order from most to least expressive. In conclusion, Brazilian exports have comparative advantages and are competitive in the international market.

The forest carbon sink is a cornerstone in Vietnam's strategy to combat climate change, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 as pledged during COP26. Assessing the economic benefits of Vietnam's current forest carbon sinks is crucial for initiating a domestic forest carbon trading market. Following protocols set by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change in 2006, market valuation techniques to approximate the economic value of the forest carbon reservoir were employed. Results show Vietnam's forest ecosystems sequester about 1,401.52 million tons of carbon, equivalent to 5,143.60 million tons of CO2. The estimated economic value is approximately 25,717.95 million USD, with natural forests valued at about 87.44 million USD annually and planted forests at 63 million USD annually. These findings underscore Vietnam's capacity to establish and expand its forest carbon trading market. However, currently the establishment of Vietnam's forest carbon sink market is still in the preparatory phase and has not yet developed into an independent and complete trading system. Therefore, to optimize this potential, Vietnam needs to improve forest quality, promote sustainable forestry economics, and conduct scientific research to provide persuasive and reliable evidence, to support policies for the establishment and development of the forest carbon sink market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to outline the ecological and economic priority areas of forestry production in Ukraine in the postwar period. Theoretical and informational basis of the study were reports of the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, laws and regulations of Ukraine and the European Union, the Global Forest Watch platform, studies of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of environmental protection, environmental economics and forestry management. Economic and statistical (statistical data processing in assessing the numerical relationship of various phenomena and the forest production); correlation-regression (study of the impact of forestry activities); abstractlogical (theoretical generalizations and concluding) research methods have been used. According to the analyzed research, the main problems that will slow the development of new directions of forestry production and forest industry in general in the postwar period are the tenuous relationship between forestry and wood processing industry; low technological level; poor innovation activity; low efficiency of forest resources use; insufficient implementation of the postulates of European environmental policy statements. Criteria for the effectiveness of forestry production environmentalization, taking into account current and retrospective indicators, the current legislative requirements, confirmed theoretical and mathematical models, information on current efficiency, the results of the internal check, etc. have been proposed. Based on statistical data the analysis which allows characterizing prospects of creation and development of new forestry clusters has been carried out. The main characteristics of the cluster in the timber industry for the full functioning of the line and its modernization and ecologization in the postwar period have been outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the emerging forest bioeconomy as an integrated, multi-product industrial ecosystem, where the traditional pulp mills allocate the use of side streams to independent biochemical companies manufacturing bioproducts in the vicinity of the pulp mills. Topics include the biochemical benefit from the proximity by receiving wood-based side streams at lower costs, and at the same time, and the pulp mills benefit from having a new source of revenue from selling side streams.

An analysis of a numerous official documents and publications reveals a serious crisis of forest management in Russia. Forest management paradigm, defined by the Forest Code ideologues, will lead inevitably to the Russian forest fund degradation. Meanwhile, forestry is production industry in which laws of the market economy are in force. For this reason, forest management should be reconstructed in Russia. A principle of forestry revival will be impartial ecological and market economic assessment of forest resources, which would be instrumental in transition of the subsidized scheme of forest management financing to a system that would provide rational forestry and a profit. Forestry organization is the key task of forest inventory that is completed in close connection with forest economy and forest management. Specific problems of sustainable forestry organization and forest use should be solved on this basis. When State owns forests in the market economy environments, stumpage sale at prices lower than the cost for reforestation cannot be allowed. In view of this, market transition of forest use is crucial to establish payments for standing timber based on rental income. This will guarantee the financing of reforestation as well as assignments to the budget at the different levels. Chief reorganization objective of forest management in Russia is outlined as follows: ensuring economic efficiency of the forest sector; sustainable use of forest resources and reforestation; forest conservation for the next generations.

In this paper, we provide an overview of achievements in forest research in Ireland carried out by various agencies over the past 60 yr. Many of the outcomes of the research have ensured that policy and practice are well-founded, and many of the research results form the basis of current forest standards and practice. Forest research has, and will continue to have, a significant role in national policy development and international reporting commitments. The achievement of future goals and targets is increasingly dependent on the maintenance of the goods and services that forests provide; these can be enhanced through the establishment of new forests and by appropriate management of the resource (e.g. The EU Green Deal and EU Forest Strategy). We outline the current state of knowledge which can be used to inform afforestation goals and the importance of tree improvement, forest management and forest protection to improve competitiveness and sustainability. Research into forestry and carbon provides a focus on the opportunities and challenges of climate change to Irish forestry. Future efforts will involve longer-term monitoring of environmental change commensurate with the forest rotation to reduce the uncertainties associated with climate change. Research into forestry economics, attitudinal surveys and behavioural studies may help inform the achievement of future policy goals. Reducing the impacts of biotic attack through efficient surveying, disease monitoring and assessing future risk is likely to be the focus of future research effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of non‐commodity ecosystem services provided by forests is widely recognized, but intensive forest management practices are increasing, with uncertain consequences for a multitude of these services. Quantitative relationships among biodiversity conservation, timber production and other ecosystem services remain poorly understood, especially during the early‐successional period of intensively managed forestlands.We manipulated management intensity in regenerating forest plantations to test the prediction that treatments aimed at maximizing timber production decrease biodiversity conservation and non‐timber services. We measured species richness of 3 taxonomic groups and 13 proxies for provisioning, cultural and regulating services within stands randomly assigned to one of the three herbicide application intensities or an untreated control.Herbicides increased allocation of net primary production to crop trees, increasing projected timber volume and revenues at 40‐ and 60‐year harvest ages. Commonly used herbicide prescriptions reduced culturally valued plants by 71%, wild‐ungulate forage by 41%, avian richness by 20% and pollinator floral resources by 42%, the latter being associated with 38% fewer pollinator species. However, agriculturally valued bumblebees, pollination of blueberries, avian‐mediated arthropod control, wild ungulate observations and regulation services tied to forest productivity appeared unaffected by increasing management intensity and timber production.Species richness and flora‐provided services in young forest plantations exhibited strong trade‐offs with projected timber production, whereas post‐treatment vegetation regeneration and site‐level variation likely maintained a range of other services. Although vegetation recovery is important for supporting wildlife and some ecosystem services on industrial forestlands, it is unlikely that any single prescription can optimize both timber and non‐timber benefits to society across managed forest landscapes. Instead, producing different services in discrete portions of the landscape may be necessary.Synthesis and applications. We tested the effects of intensive forest management via herbicides on ecosystem services and found that biodiversity responses and services from early‐successional vegetation trade‐off against timber production. A number of services appeared to be compatible with timber production, although no single prescription optimized the full range of services. Stand‐level biodiversity conservation and a variety of services could potentially be provided by treatment skips and less‐intensive management on productive sites, although it is unlikely that all services can be optimized without landscape‐level planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana 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.)