Clear-cut logging is the most widely practised forestry method in Sweden. This often conflicts with nature conservation and leads to issues where economic interests are pitted against ecological values. Bryophytes are a group of organisms commonly used as indicators of change in the environment, and several species of this group are also used as tools for assessing conservation values in the habitats they occur in. These are termed indicator or signal species, as they demand certain prerequisites regarding for example climate or substrate that are characteristic for the specific habitat type. In this thesis, the effects of clear-cut logging on five Red-Listed bryophyte species specialised in old-growth forests were tested, to see if they can survive such an intervention. This was done in ArcGIS, by overlaying layers containing 13 years of species observations from Artportalen.se and spatio-temporally matched clear-cut areas from the Swedish Forest Agency. There were 229 logged areas containing a total of 401 observations of the selected bryophyte species, of which 25 were found post-logging. Additionally, 64 % of the post-logged findings were located within a 10 m buffer strip along the edge of the logged areas. The results provide strong evidence that clear-cut logging does impact these species negatively. At the same time the data suggest that developing adequate mitigation measures, for example retention patches along the edges, and evaluating those already in use, can help these species to some extent, by mitigating the negative impact. This is the most important implication from this study, because forestry will continue to be a necessary contribution to the ongoing transition towards a fossil free society. Therefore, the practice needs to shift towards a more biodiversity-friendly management, where alternative forestry methods that are less destructive, are promoted and used to a wider extent. Furthermore, the weight of these species as indicators of high conservation value for the habitats they grow in requires special caution when planning for logging such areas. Otherwise, there is risk of losing species to regional extinction, with specialist species like the ones in this study being of greatest concern. / Den vanligast förekommande skogsbruksmetoden i Sverige är idag trakthyggesbruket. Denna metod är inte alltid kompatibel med naturvårdsintressen och leder ofta till konflikter mellan ekonomiska och ekologiska värden. En organismgrupp som ofta används som indikatorer på förändringar i naturmiljön är mossor. Flertalet mossarter är dessutom så kallade signalarter, vilket betyder att de kan användas som ett mått på naturvärden i den biotop de förekommer i, då de har artspecifika krav på särskilda förutsättningar, som till exempel klimat och substrat. I den här studien testades därför hur slutavverkning påverkar fem Rödlistade mossarter strikt knutna till äldre kontinuitetsskogar. Syftet var att undersöka om de överhuvudtaget kan överleva ett sådant ingrepp. Detta utfördes genom att analysera rumsligt matchade geodatalager i ArcGIS, innehållande 13 års artobservationer från Artportalen.se samt utförda avverkningar från Skogsstyrelsen. Det fanns 229 avverkade områden med totalt 401 artobservationer, varav 25 var funna efter utförd avverkning. Av dessa 25 fynd var 64 % observerade inom en 10 m bred buffertzon utmed det avverkade områdets kant. Resultaten visar tydligt att slutavverkning påverkar dessa arter negativt, men pekar samtidigt på att utvecklingen av lämpliga metoder för naturvårdshänsyn (till exempel hänsynsytor längs med avverkningsområdenas kantzoner) och utvärdering av de metoder som redan används kan mildra problemet. Detta är därmed den viktigaste slutsatsen från denna studie, då skogsnäringen även fortsättningsvis kommer att vara ett viktigt bidrag till den pågående gröna omställningen och det är därför nödvändigt att främja även andra, mindre destruktiva, skogsbruksmetoder för att bibehålla och stärka ekologiska värden, som biodiversitet. Dessutom bör de här arternas värde som signalarter väga tungt vid planering av avverkning i dessa områden, då de ju visar att habitaten har höga naturvårdsvärden. Annars är det risk att vissa arter dör ut, i synnerhet sådana arter som är specialiserade på de miljöer som är mål för exploatering.

This thesis is a result of a research conducted during three months in four State Protected Conservation Units in the State of Amazonas in Brazil. The world‟s largest PES-program - Programa Bolsa Floresta, will serve as case study. The aim of the study is to identify the socio-environmental conditions under which the program is implemented and, to study if the program architecture is in coherence with the livelihood needs of the target group-, and the needs to protect the rain forest. The target group of the program are the river dwellers, “ribeirinhos”, living in extremely isolated areas being excluded from the public safety net of the Brazilian Government.A basic understanding of the livelihood situation was achieved through the use of systematic collection of empirical data. A combination of qualitative semi-structured interviews, quantitative literature reviews and triangulation of data compose the methodological base of the study. The holistic and human centered theoretical framework of Carney‟s Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) laid the theoretical base of the study.Based upon the baseline study made over the local conditions and the context description this study recognizes that the programs architecture is coherent with the most basic needs of the ribeirinhos as well as the need to protect the forest. Due to the programs few years in execution it is hard to determine long-term impacts of the program at this stage. However, even being in an early stage, the program seems to be a potential key mechanism to build the foundation for future sustainable development in the region. The object of the program is to put value on the Environmental Services (ES) provided by the locals and by doing so, compensate them for their loss of capital. The program is designed holistically, i.e. its components include all five capital assets of the SLA framework. The payments given as compensations aim to advocate participatory, social organizational, educative, and self-reliance promoting methods, such as incentives to an alternative income, construction of schools, improved infrastructure, investments in water filters, means for communication, health programs in schools and ambulance boats.

Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / It is evident that existing, nominal, functional, national and international policies and legislation continue to be ineffective in combating the disastrous environmental and socioeconomic consequences of unsustainable forest management. Several underlying causes to this failure were identified as: i) the lack of involvement or omission of the full range of stakeholders, in particular resource users, in the various steps and procedures of policy and legislation formulation and implementation; ii) these stakeholders are excluded in the review and updating of obsolete policies and legislation; iii) little emphasis is placed on sustainable forest management through the scientific understanding of natural forests and woodlands, including the dynamics of their ecology and socio-economics. This study identified the key/critical aspects of the development process of policy and strategy for the sustainable management of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). This research study reviewed existing policies and legislation and the current status of the NTFP sector, conducted a series of community consultation meetings on resource use and management, user surveys and economic valuation, resource surveys and economic valuation, and made policy recommendations for the development of a concept and strategy for the sustainable management of NTFPs. The main focus was on the edible and medicinal NTFPs in the four ecological zones of Swaziland...

Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Developing sustainable mechanisms for use-management of forest products by user communities has been suggested as a possible solution to the often-observed conflict between forest use and the conservation of protected forests. In Zimbabwe, the use of forest products in protected forests by local communities has a long history, but few studies have explored both the socio-economic and ecological aspects of this use. This study was conducted in the Baikiaea plurijuga forests and woodlands in and around Fuller Forest in western Zimbabwe, protected since 1943. It explored the characteristics and dynamics of forest products use by communities surrounding this protected forest. Further, the demography and dynamics of commonly harvested woody species was examined in order to establish the present status of populations of these species. This examination, focusing on diameter class distributions, was aimed at informing whether species populations were expanding, stable or declining in view of their capacity to continue providing required goods and services. Results indicated that all households, rich and poor, were harvesting at least some forest resources from the protected forest, with the most frequently harvested resources being firewood, wood for curios, thatch grass, wild fruits, timber for construction and fencing and those who owned livestock used the forest for livestock grazing. The extraction and use of 23 different products was recorded across the villages. The top five harvested forest products in terms of the mean proportion of households using them were fuelwood, building poles, thatch grass, wild fruits and broom grass. Forest products were harvested both for own consumption and for sale. At present Baikiaea plurijuga, Colophospermum mopane, Brachystegia spiciformis, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon, Commiphora mocambicensis and Bauhinia petersiana out of 14 commonly harvested species appear to have relatively stable populations as indicated by their inverse J-shaped diameter class distribution profiles. Preliminary indications from this baseline information point towards the successful integration of local use of forest products and conservation objectives noting that there is need for caution until further studies as recommended in this study are taken.

This thesis addresses the situation of First Nations people in forestry of British Columbia. Aboriginal people in British Columbia have been involved in the forest industry as laborers since the 1850s when the commercial logging operations began in the province, but have been politically and economically marginalized in the industry. The institutional and economic factors not only have restricted aboriginal people to control over forest resources on their traditional lands but have affected their forest management practices. For aboriginal communities, it is a critical issue that protecting old growth forests, with which they are culturally associated, without giving up economic benefit generated from harvesting these forests. In order to suggest possible changes and approaches for shaping native forest management in the existing institutional and economic frameworks, I examined the issues of provincial forestry and analyzed how these issues effect and interact with aboriginal people. It is important but difficult for First Nations to obtain forest tenure because their resource management is related to their land rights. However, the issues of aboriginal people in forestry overlap with those of the province. Thus, perspectives and participation of aboriginal people is critical for the government and the industry. Forestry of British Columbia is in transition and has begun to consider the potential contribution of aboriginal people to sustainable forestry. Therefore, aboriginal people have a significant role to play in the future of forestry.

The aim of this study was to engage small-scale timber growers in the development of national principles, criteria, indicators and standards (PCI&S) for sustainable forest management (SFM) in South Africa (SA). To ensure effective participation of small-scale timber growers in the development PCI&S, an overview of sustainable and small-scale forestry was explored. Furthermore, because of the importance of globalisation on the SFM concept, its conceptual framework and small-scale forestry development in relation to SFM were investigated. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods, and PCI&S evaluation and development processes were used to engage small-scale timber growers by identifying and integrating their perceptions into the process of SFM standards development. These small-scale timber growers' perceptions focused on social, economic, environment and policy issues. The stUdy indicates that the views of small-scale timber growers regarding SFM do not vary significantly from those held globally. However, they demonstrate that local conditions determined issues of relevance and importance to this specific group. The results further support the view that there is value in combining both top-down and bottom-up approaches in developing an appropriate set of PCI&S. This is critical because the perceptions of small-scale timber growers for SFM are scale sensitive. Finally, the results supported the view that there is a need to give attention to and strengthen socio-economic issues versus those of the physical environment to improve inequalities of the past, and influence future decisions. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 15, 2009). Thesis advisor: Donald G. Hodges. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p.20-24).

No description available.

Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deforestation in Malawi is said to reach 2.3% per annum and negatively affects agricultural production, the backbone of the country's economy. High dependence on indigenous wood for sale as fuelwood or charcoal by rural communities due to poverty largely contributes to this deforestation. Women and children suffer most because they spend more time collecting firewood than men, affecting other activities like child-care and education. The study, aimed at investigating ways to alleviate deforestation by increasing rural people's economic benefits from non-destructive indigenous fruit utilisation, was conducted in Mwanza District from February to June 2001. The district's customary forests which contain a wide variety of wild fruit species are currently deforested due mainly to charcoal production. Five out of 16 villages facing deforestation were randomly chosen by the lottery method. Group, individual and key informant interviews focused on the utilisation of preferred fruit species by communities while participatory resource assessment was used to determine availability and distribution of fruit trees. A market survey to assess fruit trade in the country was conducted in Balaka, Blantyre, Mangochi, Mwanza and Zomba Districts in early June 2001. Twenty-six wild fruit species were found to be utilised by villagers in the study area but Adansonia digitata (Baobab) was the most commonly found near villages and the most preferred fruit by 90% of respondents. Other preferred species were Tamarindus indica (Tamarind), Diospyros kirkii, Flacourtia indica and Vangueria infausta. Most fruit trees except for baobab were found to be of small size classes because of being young stems regenerating while others were shrubs. The poor largely depended on fruit as a meal and for sale. Mainly children and women sold baobab and tamarind within the villages while only men sold fruit at distant markets for more income. Middlemen largely benefited from fruit sales compared to villagers who sold at low prices and lacked marketing information. Fruit rot affected retailers outside the study area. Tree climbing to harvest fruit was mainly done by boys and destructive harvesting methods were associated with commercial use. Large, sweet tasting fruit were mainly chosen by rural communities for subsistence use. Land clearance, mast fruiting, perishability and seasonality of fruit seemed to have affected harvest both for subsistence and for sale. However, 89% of households owned fruit trees in homesteads and agricultural fields, said to be more protected than in communal lands with open access. Preferred wild fruit trees were rarely cut by the communities. Local fruit processing, mainly by women, included porridge and juice making and fruit drying while careful storage enabled baobab fruit to be stored for up to a year. Wild fruit plays an important role in the lives of rural communities mainly the poor. Communities attach value to the preferred fruit species but it is difficult to convince most of them to sell wild fruit unless value is added and price incentives are initiated. Regular marketing information could be provided to rural communities and policy makers should set fruit pricing guidelines to create price incentives. Domestication of the preferred fruit trees should be encouraged for continuous fruit supply. Simple fruit processing technologies for commercial purpose could be initiated for women mostly. Research is needed to determine sustainable harvesting levels of wild fruit and ways for participatory monitoring of the levels and harvesting methods used. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ontbossing in Malawi beloop 2.3% per jaar, wat beteken dat landbouproduksie, die ruggraat van die land se ekonomie, negatief geaffekteer word. Wat grootliks bydra tot hierdie ontbossing is dat die plattelandse gemeenskappe as gevolg van armoede hoogs afhanklik is van inheemse hout wat as brandhout of as houtskool verkoop word. Vroue en kinders ly die meeste omdat hulle meer tyd as mans spandeer om vuurmaakhout bymekaar te maak. Dit affekteer ander aktiwiteite soos kindersorg en opvoeding. Hierdie studie het ten doelom maniere te ondersoek waarvolgens ontbossing verlig kan word deur mense op die platteland se ekonomiese voordele uit die benutting van inheemse vrugte te vermeerder sonder dat daar enige omgewingskade aangebring word. Die studie is uitgevoer in die Mwanza Distrik vanaf Februarie 2001 tot Junie 2001. Die distrik se inheemse bosse wat 'n wye verskeidenheid wilde vrugtespesies bevat, word tans ontbos - hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die produksie van houtskool. Vyf uit die 16 dorpies wat ontbossing in die gesig staar, is op 'n lukrake wyse met die loterymetode gekies. In die onderhoude met groepe, individue, en sleutelinformante is gefokus op die benutting van vrugtespesies wat deur die gemeenskappe verkies word. Hulpbronevaluering is gebruik om die beskikbaarheid en verspreiding van vrugtebome te bepaal. Die gemeenskap is by hierdie evaluering betrek. Marknavorsing om vrugtehandel in die land te evalueer, is vroeg in Junie 2001 in die Balaka, Blantyre, Mangochi, Mwanza en Zomba distrikte gedoen. In die studie is bevind dat die inwoners van die area wat bestudeer is 26 wilde vrugtespesies benut. Adansonia digitata (Baobab/Kremetartboom) is egter die meeste naby die dorpies aangetref, en is deur 90% van die respondente as hulle gunsteling vrug aangedui. Ander gewilde spesies is Tamarindus indica (Tamarinde/Suurdadelboom), Diospyros kirkii, Flacourtia indica en Vangueria infausta. Die meeste vrugtebome, behalwe die baobab, val in die laer klasse wat grootte betref, omdat dit die jong lote is wat regenereer, terwyl ander struike is. Die arm mense is grootliks afhanklik van vrugte as 'n maaltyd en as verkoopsartikels. Hoofsaaklik kinders en vroue verkoop baobab- en tamarindevrugte in die dorpies, terwyl vrugte by verafgeleë markte slegs deur mans vir 'n groter inkomste verkoop word. Die middelman trek grootliks voordeel uit vrugteverkope, in vergelyking met die inwoners van die dorpies wat vrugte teen lae pryse verkoop as gevolg van 'n tekort aan bemarkingsinligting. Kleinhandelaars buite die studie-area is deur vrugteverrotting geaffekteer. Dit is hoofsaaklik seuns wat die bome klim om vrugte te oes, en destruktiewe oesmetodes is met kommersiële gebruik geassosieer. Plattelandse gemeenskappe verkies hoofsaaklik groot, soet vrugte vir bestaansgebruik. Dit wil voorkom of grondopruiming, die vrugvorming van byvoorbeeld akkers (mast fruiting), die bederfbaarheid en seisoensgebondenheid van vrugte, die oes affekteer vir bestaansgebruik sowel as vir verkope. Vrugtebome word egter deur 89% van die huishoudings besit en die bome by hierdie huise en in landbouvelde word beter beskerm as dié in gemeenskaplike lande met vrye toegang. Die gemeenskappe kap selde hulle gunsteling wilde vrugtebome uit. Plaaslike vrugteverwerking, hoofsaaklik deur vroue, sluit in die maak van pap en sap, asook die droog van vrugte, terwyl sorgvuldige bewaring daartoe kan lei dat baobabvrugte vir tot 'n jaar lank gebêre kan word. Wilde vrugte speel 'n belangrike rol in die lewens van plattelandse gemeenskappe, veral vir die armes. Die gemeenskappe heg waarde aan hulle gunstelingvrugtespesies, maar dit is moeilik om die meeste te oortuig om wilde vrugte te verkoop - behalwe as waarde bygevoeg word en prysaansporings ingestel word. Gereelde bemarkingsinligting kan aan plattelandse gemeenskappe voorsien word, en beleidbepalers behoort riglyne vir vrugtepryse daar te stelom prysaansporings te skep. Die mense behoort aangemoedig te word om hulle gunstelingvrugtebome by hulle huise te plant om 'n voortdurende vrugtevoorraad te verseker. Eenvoudige vrugteverwerkingtegnologie kan vir kommersiële doeleindes vir hoofsaaklik vroue ingestel word. Navorsing is nodig om volhoubare oesvlakke van wilde vrugte te bepaal, sowel as maniere vir die deelnemende monitering van hierdie vlakke en die oesmetodes wat gebruik word.