Pressure imposed at any one place or point in time results in a complexity of spatial and temporal interactions within topographical ecosystems. It can be propagated through the system and may have implications for future ecosystem functions over a wide array of various spatial and temporal scales. Under conditions of wars and other socio-economic conflicts, these processes are most forceful in developing countries amidst declining economic growth, lack of awareness, deterioration of ecosystem services, loss of existing traditional knowledge bases and weak governance structures. Forests are an essential part of ecosystem services, not only as a resource but as a contributor to biological systems as well. They represent one of the most important sectors in the context of Environmental Change (EC), both from the point of mitigation as well as adaptation. While forests are projected to be adversely impacted under EC, they are also providing opportunities to mitigate these changes. Yet this is one of the least understood sectors, especially at the regional level - many of its fundamental metrics such as mitigation potential, vulnerability and the likely impacts of EC are still not well understood until now. Thus, there is a need for research and field investigations into the synergy of mitigation and adaptation so that the cost of addressing EC impacts can be reduced and the co-benefits can be increased. The aim of this study is to focus particularly on forest-based ecosystem services and to use forests as a strategy for inducing environmental change within the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, specifically for systems in poor condition under EC, and furthermore to explore forests as an entry point for investigating the relationship between urban and rural development and ecosystem services. In addition, the aim is also to raise understanding of the relations between patterns of local-level economic and demographic changes, the nature and value of local ecosystem services, and the role of such services in increasingly interlinked urban and rural livelihood systems. The methodology applied in the current research is three-pronged: a formal literature review, a socio–economic survey (based on semi-structured interviews of household heads via Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), with a focus on group discussions, informal meetings, free listening and key informant techniques), and multitemporal optical satellite data analysis (i.e. Landsat and RapidEye). Landsat imagery was utilized to gather the spatial characteristics of the region and to study the Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) changes during the period from 1984 to 2014. Meanwhile, RapidEye imagery was used to generate the tree species distribution map. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied to analyze socio-economic data. Moreover, Food Consumption Score (FCS) was used to gauge both diversity and frequency of food consumption in surveyed areas. Geographic object-based image analysis (i.e. K-Nearest Neighbour classifier and knowledge-based classifiers) based on a developed model of integrated features (such as vegetation indices, DEM, thematic layers and meteorological information) was applied. Post Classification Analysis (PCA) as well as Post Change Detection (PCD) techniques were used. Hotspot analysis was conducted to detect the areas affected by deforestation. Furthermore, Ordinary Least Squares regression (OLS), Autocorrelation (Moran's) analysis, and Geographically Weighted Regression analyses (GWR) were applied to address the interaction of the different socioeconomic/ecological factors on Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) collection and to simulate the dependency scenarios of NTFPs along with their impact on poverty alleviation. Additionally, simulation was performed to estimate the future forest density and predict the dependency on forest services. An increasing impact of intensive interactions between the rural and urban areas has long been acknowledged. However, recent changes in the global political economy and environmental systems, as well as local dynamics of the study area driven by war, drought and deforestation, have led to an increasing rapidity and depth in rural transformation, as well as to a significant impact on urban areas. Like most environmental problems, the effects of these drivers are complex and are stressed diversely across different geographic regions by the socio-political processes that underlie recent economic and cultural globalization. These interactions and processes have increasingly brought rapid changes in land cover, social, institutional and livelihood transformation across broad areas of South Kordofan. Moreover, the study unveils new dynamics such as high rates of migration and mobility by the indigenous population and the increasing domination of market-centric livelihoods in many villages that were once dominated by rural agricultural and natural resourcesbased socio-economic systems. Furthermore, the research highlights the significant roles of NTFPs and trees in contributing to Nuba Mountains’ economic development, food security and environmental health, indicating which requirements need to be addressed in order to improve these potentials. The study proves that drawing on a wide range of these products for livelihood strengthens rural people’s ability to deal with and adapt to both EC and extreme events. Moreover, the results underline the importance of participatory approaches of rural women and their impact on NTFPs management with recommendations of more emphasis on potential roles and the ability of women to participate in public fora. Furthermore, the study shows that the use of high-resolution satellite imagery, integrated with model-based terrestrial information, provides a precise knowledge about the magnitude and distribution of LU/LC patterns. These methods can make an important contribution towards a better understanding of EC dynamics over time. The study reveals that more information exchange is needed to inform actors and decision makers regarding specific experiences, capacity gaps and knowledge to address EC. Subsequently, new policies and strategies are required to much more specifically focus on how to deal with consequences of longer-term EC rather than with the impacts of sudden natural disasters.

This thesis examines some of the factors that will have significant impact upon employment in Douglas County, Oregon to the year 2000. The major question this research attempts to answer is: Given a continuation of current policies and programs, what will future employment levels in the forest product industries and total employment levels in all industries in Douglas County be to the year 2000.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第19783号 / 農博第2179号 / 新制||農||1041(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H28||N4999(農学部図書室) / 32819 / 京都大学大学院農学研究科森林科学専攻 / (主査)教授 柴田 昌三, 教授 神﨑 護, 教授 井鷺 裕司 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

This work conducted market research on the use of smartphones and smartphone applications in the forest products industry and academia. This research also attempted to project how likely the industry would be to use an app that measures stiffness of wood. After the review of scholarly literature and existing apps, data was collected via an online survey. Participants were individuals who work with wood or wood-based products. Out of 1,221 invitations, 311 were returned at the response rate of 27.2 percent. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistics. Nearly all of the respondents (95.7%) had smartphones, and over half of them were iOS users (52.3%). More respondents had paid apps experiences (45.2%) than in-app purchases (28.5%). Regarding responses’ perceptions toward the app, the respondents expressed that the app could be useful, and were interested in the app. Millennials showed a higher interest level in the app than other generations.

With accelerating globalization, many industries have faced continuous pressure from rising importation. In the forest products industry, international trade has been intervened by either a tariff on roundwood or a temporary trade barrier on wood and paper products. In this dissertation, three studies are conducted to examine the patterns and impacts of these tariffs and trade barriers. In the first study, the adoption of antidumping and countervailing duty as a temporary trade barrier on forest products trade is examined. Initially, a two-step sample selection model is employed to identify determinants of trade barrier imposition by all the countries, and additionally, by developing countries as a group. Furthermore, the effects in paper and non-paper products are separately assessed by a probit regression. The results reveal that countries with high gross domestic products per capita can file more investigations than others. For these countries with petitions, they are found to be cautious to employ temporary trade barriers, as their attention shifts from the inefficiencies of domestic firms to unfair trade actions of foreign exporters. In the second study, outcomes of antidumping and countervailing petitions and their determinants are analyzed. The outcomes from preliminary and final investigations are separately evaluated by either a binary logistic model or a multinomial logistic model. The results reveal that more affirmative injury decisions exist if petitions initiated after 2000. Since the U.S. has announced the Byrd Amendment in 2000 to protect domestic firms, the trade environment is competitive. In addition, higher-income countries are associated with less affirmative decisions on petitions because of cooperation and retaliation. In the third study, the interaction between tariffs on roundwood and temporary trade barriers on forest products is assessed. A two-stage partial equilibrium displacement model is applied to measure the vertical linkage between roundwood and wood/paper products by estimating endogenous prices, quantities, and the change of welfare after imposing trade barriers. Tariffs on roundwood and temporary trade barriers on forest products are found to have a positive total welfare impact. The implementation of temporary trade barriers on forest products brings a higher welfare change than imposing tariffs on roundwood.

This study sought to determine the feasibility of introducing bamboo as a raw material to supplement the dwindling stock of traditional timber species for Ghana's forest products industry. First, the CEOs of the leading exporters of tertiary and panel products in the industry were canvassed to assess the current situation. Using descriptive statistics, it was discovered that the companies studied consume logs 12% in excess of the annual allowable timber harvest for the whole industry. There has been a drop in raw material availability and a 30% increase in raw material costs in the past five years. Harvest of lesser-used species in place of traditional species has also increased. Smaller companies have lost customers and are more restrained in raw material procurement. Next, barriers to the adoption of bamboo as a raw material perceived by the CEOs and institutional heads were identified. The major barriers perceived by CEOs include lack of information (e.g., on bamboo plantation management, products, processing, machines and markets) and lack of capital for investment. Institutions lack adequate information about bamboo technology and policy; they have research needs, (e.g., training, funding, laboratory equipment) and collaboration from all stakeholders. Institutions have done little to promote bamboo. Smaller companies were found to be more innovative in product development than larger companies. Companies located in the Ashanti region show higher propensity to engage in process innovation and product development. Companies appear to be receptive to initiatives that encourage bamboo adoption. In the current situation, few companies are willing to adopt bamboo but most companies are ready to adopt in the future if the existing barriers are mitigated. In the current situation, it is difficult for the industry to adopt bamboo until the government officially specifies roles for institutions and other stakeholders to make a compelling case for bamboo. Suggestions made for policymaking and change management include strategies for the creation of awareness, desire and knowledge for bamboo. Others include providing resources to enhance the ability of companies and institutions to adopt or promote bamboo, and reinforcing the change from timber to bamboo. / Ph. D.

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important in rural southwest Virginia as a source of household sustenance and supplemental income. The trade in NTFPs from this region is centuries old and now helps supply growing worldwide demands. Although marketing is a vital part of optimizing the value of these products, it has been ignored in rural natural resource development. This research analyzes marketing systems for selected NTFPs in southwest Virginia by describing marketing chains, interpreting data on important marketing elements, and comparing results within and between different groups of NTFPs. Product categories selected for emphasis are crafts (grapevine wreaths, baskets, furniture, and birdhouses), medicinal and herbal products, specialty wood products (musical instruments), and edible forest products. This qualitative, exploratory study utilizes direct interviews with fifty market players at various levels in marketing chains. Results provide information on NTFP products, value addition, market outlets, pricing, promotion, distribution, and marketing chains. Hundreds of people are involved with the NTFP trade in southwest Virginia and marketing can help ameliorate negative effects of job scarcity. The greatest opportunity for local level marketing exists for market players of crafts and specialty wood products. Medicinal and herbal products are the only category which very little local value addition takes place within the region and as a result, market players have minimal control over marketing. Edible forest products are not marketed but are collected only for consumption in the household. Several opportunities for marketing include improving market access for crafts and specialty wood products, increasing production through cultivation for medicinal and herbal products, and developing capacity for edible product cultivation. / Master of Science

Recently, capital investment amounts into Mississippi’s forest products industry have been disproportionate compared with those in neighboring states. Reasons for this have been casually hypothesized, but the topic has not been researched in depth. An economic model has been developed that will aid stakeholders in examining and addressing this issue. The model utilizes county-level data related to southern yellow pine (SYP) lumber manufacturing in tandem with a linear programming solver to produce estimates of annual costs for a SYP sawmill built in any southeastern county. Early results suggest that Mississippi has been an underutilized location for investments in SYP lumber manufacturing based on the costs estimated by the model. The model will be exceptionally useful to those involved in forest industry recruitment efforts because it provides an objective method by which sites in Mississippi can be evaluated for suitability in contrast with sites in neighboring states.

No description available.

The nonindustrial private forest sector controls 58 percent of the nation’s commercial forest area. Timber output from the NIPF has been a major forest policy issue throughout this century. A long-run regional timber output projection model was developed for the NIPF sector. The model was based upon two key assumptions: (1) forest management intensity and timber output are inversely related to the forest landowner’s alternative rate of return, and (2) for the NIPF sector, the alternative rate of return is inversely related to the size of forest holding. The timber output model was based on a cross-classification of NIPF land by its physical characteristics (e.g., forest type) and economic characteristics (e.g., landowner’s alternative rate of return). The stratification objective was to create strata with a uniform timber output response to changes in the above characteristics. If the total forest resource is thought of in terms of a matrix, each characteristic serves as a stratification dimension, creating a matrix composed of “homogeneous timber output response cells.” The values of each cell can be used as observations in a regression analysis projecting NIPF timber output. For the NIPF, the size of forest holding would be a primary stratification dimension. Due to the relationships described above, stratification by size of forest holding constitutes stratification by the landowner’s alternative rate of return. Also, since the forest resource is physically uniform, the expected rate of return (marginal value growth percent) of the forest will be uniform within a cell. NIPF landowners base their timber output decision on the relationship between the expected and alternative rates of return, resulting in a convenient forest policy analysis tool. The model was applied to a study region, Virginia’s Coastal Plain, with satisfactory results. / Ph. D.