The intention of this paper is to introduce the Potential Vegetation Map as a potential tool in Nepal in the fi elds of Forestry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Livestock, and Biodiversity/Conservation. The introduction in chapter 1 explains that the purpose of this paper is to inspire people working with natural resource management in Nepal to discuss what constitutes a good framework for understanding the tremendous varia- tion of climate, vegetation, farming systems, and biodiversity in Nepal. Chapter 2 explains how the Potential Vegetation Map is based on work car- ried out in Nepal over a period of more than 30 years by a large number of people and organisations, and how the method of vegetation mapping relates to other vegetation classifi cation carried out in the rest of the world. The chapter also gives a brief account of the work of the main authors at the dif- ferent stages of development of the map. Chapter 3 introduces a new climate classifi cation in Nepal based on 261 me- teorological stations in the country and extensive analysis by an expert from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (the co-author of the present paper). The classifi cation is based on more stations than any previously pub- lished account. The classifi cation presents the climate in the context of the Potential Vegetation Map. Chapter 4 presents the physiographic classifi cation of Nepal. This is a classi- fi cation used by practically all Government Departments, Donors, Non Gov- ernment Organisations and fi eld workers in Nepal. It divides Nepal into 3 to 5 ‘horizontal sections’. Chapter 5 presents some of the important requirements of an agro-ecological classification and also shows that the physiographic classifi cation only partly fulfi ls the requirements of an agro-ecological classifi cation. Chapter 6 presents a brief account of agroecological classifi cation in Nepal and how the Potential Vegetation Map relates to these other classifi cations. Chapter 7 looks at the major objectives of the Forest Sector Policy (2000), the Agricultural Perspective Plan (1995), and the Nepal Biodiversity Action Plan (2000) and briefl y outlines how these programmes would benefi t from utilis- ing the potential of the Potential Vegetation Map. Chapter 8 discusses how the power of the Potential Vegetation Map can be increased by utilising the map and by incorporating more information into the system by establishment of a cross-sectoral Board to spearhead the continuous updating.
Tag: forestry
More Trees, More Poverty? The Socioeconomic Effects of Tree Plantations in Chile, 2001-2011
Tree plantations play a controversial role in many nations’ efforts to balance goals for economic development, ecological conservation, and social justice. This paper seeks to contribute to this debate by analyzing the socioeconomic impact of such plantations. We focus our study on Chile, a country that has experienced extraordinary growth of industrial tree plantations. Our analysis draws on a unique dataset with longitudinal observations collected in 180 municipal territories during 2001-2011. Employing panel data regression techniques, we find that growth in plantation area is associated with higher than average rates of poverty during this period.
Ecosystem concepts and current trends in forest management: time for reappraisal
Large areas of natural forest ecosystems are being converted into industrial plantations in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. In the short term, this seems to maximize returns from investment and to homogenize the raw material base for forest industries. It is argued here that society will continue to use more wood and foresters must produce it; in doing so, however, it is imperative that the immense importance of biotic diversity in containing pests and pathogens, in maintaining current levels of production in perpetuity, and in moderating the global climate should be addressed. Current criteria for economic evaluation do not adequately address these and other important considerations accruing from the management of whole forest ecosystems.
Roles of global and regional networks and consortia in strengthening forestry research
Collaborative institutional arrangements such as networks and consortia are becoming significant players in the provision of goods and services in situations where such collaborations can improve the overall comparative advantage of the alliance. Economic globalisation, rapid development of communication technologies, and increasing problem complexity have enhanced the relevance of networks and other such arrangements. While networks and strategic alliances are an integral part of business and industry, and are playing an increasingly important role in national and international agriculture research (APAARI 1997) they have been less widely used in forestry for collaborative research. Convinced that both the efficiency and effectiveness of forestry research could be improved through strategic alliances, the Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests stressed the need to “promote consortia and networks to lead and organize research” (IISD 1997). Historically, forestry among research networks have been created principally to foster the exchange of information among scientists and to a lesser extent, users and beneficiaries of forestry research. This was the primary aim of IUFRO, by far the largest and oldest forestry research network, when it was created in 1892. For nearly all forestry research network, including IUFRO, exchange of information continues to be a primary focus but recent developments in foresty suggest that by broadening the scope of their activities, these networks could potentially contribute much more to forestry research. Numerous research problems can potentially be handled more effectively through networking than by individual research institutes. National research systems are often constrained by lack of expertise and resources, and networks can help overcome these limitations. Making this potential a reality requires a clear understanding of the role of networks and consortia, as well as their potential strengths and limitations. In this paper we examine a selection of issues relating to collaboration in forestry research through networks and consortia at the regional and global levels. We make no pretence that our treatment provides a comprehensive overview of this subject. Rather than attempting to catalogue the many forestry research networks and collaborative arrangem ents that exist, our objective is to raise issues that might be fruitfully discussed during the ICRIS dialogue
Annex 3: Roles of global and regional networks and consortia in strengthening forestry research
Collaborative institutional arrangements such as networks and consortia are becoming significant in the provision of goods and services in situations where such collaborations can improve the overall comparative advantage of the alliance. Economic globalisation, rapid development of communication technologies and increasing problem complexity have enhanced the relevance of these networks. While networks and strategic alliances are playing an increasingly important role in national and international agricultural research they have been less widely used in forestry for collaborative research. Forestry research networks foster the exchange of information among scientists and to a lesser extent, users and beneficiaries of forestry research. Recent developments in forestry suggest that by broadening the scope of their activities, these networks could contribute much more to forestry research. Many research problems could be handled more effectively through networking than by individual research institutes. In this paper a selection of issues relating to collaboration in forestry research through networks and consortia at the regional and global levels is examined. It is not a comprehensive overview of the subject but rather an attempt to catalogue the many existing forestry research networks and collaborative arrangements. The aim is to raise issues for discussion.
Evaluación de los impactos de REDD+ desde una perspectiva local: Reflexiones sobre el bienestar en la Amazonía peruana
Mensajes clave
- Al ser uno de los principales países que lideran los esfuerzos para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) asociadas con el cambio del uso del suelo, Perú ha establecido un marco regulatorio para la compensación por la reducción de emisiones a través de los mercados de carbono.
- La compensación de emisiones mediante mecanismos como REDD+ tiene el potencial de generar diversos impactos en las comunidades forestales que participan en estos proyectos, que pueden abarcar aspectos económicos, sociales y de bienestar.
- Para evaluar las implicaciones de REDD+ en el bienestar local, es fundamental entender, en primer lugar, cómo perciben las comunidades locales el concepto de bienestar y los efectos de REDD+ sobre el bienestar local.
- Observamos que, en dos sitios REDD+ de la Amazonía peruana, existe consenso en que el acceso a la educación y el acceso a los servicios de salud son dimensiones fundamentales del bienestar local. La importancia de otras dimensiones de bienestar varía entre los dos sitios, siendo las diferencias socioculturales (comunidades rurales frente a comunidades indígenas) más marcadas que las de género.
- Nuestros hallazgos indican que REDD+ no tuvo un impacto consistente en las dimensiones de bienestar identificadas a nivel local. Sin embargo, se observó un impacto negativo en uno de los dos sitios de estudio, posiblemente atribuido a las percepciones sobre falta de transparencia y al incumplimiento de las expectativas sobre los beneficios prometidos.
SCUAF version 4: a model to estimate soil changes under agriculture, agroforestry and forestry
SCUAF is a computer model which predicts the effects on soil of specific land ue systems under given environmental conditions. It is designed to include the distinctive features of agroforestry that is, land use systems which include both trees and crops. This document discusses a new model, version 4, which is developed in conjuction with the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies of the Australian National University
6th conference biometeorology and aerobiology April 25, 1983 and 16th conference agriculture and forest meteorology April 25-28, 1983, Campus of Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colo
Mapping of international funding flows to support the forest and environment sectors in Central Africa: An update
The forestry and environmental sectors’ funding has become a focal point for policymakers in Central Africa (CA). In 2019, the Observatory for Forests of Central Africa (OFAC) addressed this issue by conducting a study that mapped international financial flows to these sectors in CA. They also published an initial policy analysis paper examining international funding for these sectors from 2008 to 2017. During that period, CA received a measly sum of USD 2 billion, which represented 11% of the USD 15 billion in forestry and environmental official development assistance (FEODA) allocated to tropical regions. Subsequently, Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) member countries submitted their second revised nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to combat climate change impacts, making them eligible to apply for funding to international funding mechanisms for forestry and environmental sectors. Given these developments, it is necessary to update the previous study on international financial flows for forestry and environmental sectors in CA to assess any changes that have occurred since the initial research.
Appropriate R&D support for forestry extension
An examination of the nature of information requirements for participatory extension effort in the implementation of community forestry and agroforestry projects (viewed here as promotion of the use of multipurpose trees and cropping systems to satisfy a diversity of local needs) for rural development. The authors suggest that obtaining such information will need a broadly conceived approach to research and development (R&D) which will require new kinds of linkages between R&D and extension activities. Approaches to maximum participation are discussed, and some of the more important research considerations for deciding ‘what to extend’ to any situation are highlighted. These include: choosing the right trees; choosing the right ‘tree technology’ (or ‘cropping system’ which needs a consideration of problems/potential/functions and functional combinations/locations/components (species)/arrangements/ management); combining structured inputs with open-ended participation; and organizational innovations. The last part of the paper discusses ‘how to extend’, and suggests the need for a new model incorporating the research needs of extension. This is envisaged as expanding upon the farming systems research (FSR) approach to technology generation by providing the missing link between research instituted at a research centre and extension work in the community. In some cases such links have already begun to evolve (informally) as: ‘on-farm’ or ‘adaptive’ research carried out by research institutions; ‘extension trials’ undertaken by extension agencies and development authorities; and monitoring and evaluation activities in community forestry projects. A new, more formal link is proposed here, and termed Extension R&D (or ER&D). The requirement for such a link in the implementation of agroforestry projects is also noted, as illustrated by the use of ICRAF’s Diagnosis and Design (D&D) technology (an FSR approach which is sensitive to the tree components of farming systems, and is more explicit about system design questions). In both cases, the existing missing link is identified as the ‘design’ or ‘engineering’ step. The idea of ER&D is founded on the near equivalence of the adaptive research of FSR and the extension trials of extensionists. It is envisaged as operating via a community based ER&D change agent (who would combine the traditionally separate roles of researcher and extension agent) and work in a community based ER&D team, with local co-workers. The role of the ER&D agent is described and contrasted with that of the classical extension agent. Institutional and training aspects of the proposed model are discussed.