The mapping of forest age is important for effective forest inventory as age is indicative of a number of plant physiological processes. Field survey techniques have traditionally been used to collect forest inventory data, but these methods are costly and time-consuming. Remote sensing offers an alternative which is time-effective and cost-effective and can cover large areas. The aim of this research was to assess the capabilities of multispectral and hyperspectral remotely sensed image data and the statistical method, random forest, for Pinus patula age prediction. The first section of this study used spatial and spectral data derived from multispectral QuickBird imagery to predict forest age. Five co-occurrence texture measures (variance, contrast, correlation, homogeneity, and dissimilarity) were calculated on QuickBird panchromatic imagery (0.6 m spatial resolution) using 12 moving window sizes. The spectral data was extracted from visible and near infrared (NIR) QuickBird imagery (2.4 m spatial resolution). Using the random forest ensemble, various methods of combining the spectral and texture variables were evaluated. The best model was achieved using backward variable selection which aims to find the fewest number of input bands while maintaining the highest predictive accuracy. Only five of the original 64 variables were used in the final model (R2 = 0.68). The second part of this study examined the utility of the random forest ensemble and AISA Eagle hyperspectral image data to predict P. patula age. Random forest was used to determine the optimal subset of hyperspectral bands that could predict P. patula age. Two sequential variable selection methods were tested: forward and backward variable selection. Although both methods resulted in the same root mean square error (3.097), the backward variable selection method was unable to significantly reduce the large hyperspectral dataset and selected 206 variables for the model. The forward variable selection method successfully reduced the large dataset to only nine optimal bands while maintaining the highest predictive accuracy from the hyperspectral dataset (R2 = 0.6). Overall, we concluded that (i) remotely sensed data can produce accurate models for P. patula age prediction, (ii) random forest is an effective tool for the combination of spectral and spatial multispectral data, (iii) random forest is an effective tool for variable selection of a high dimensional hyperspectral dataset, and (iv), although random forest has mainly been used as a classifier, it is also a very effective tool for prediction. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

O presente estudo propôs analisar a aplicabilidade do Código Florestal, devido à obrigatoriedade da recomposição da Reserva Florestal Legal, tendo como possibilidade de recomposição a compensação da Reserva Florestal Legal em outra propriedade desde que na mesma microbacia, e no máximo na mesma Unidade de Gerenciamento de Recursos Hídricos. O objetivo geral do estudo foi ampliar o debate em torno da Reserva Florestal Legal e da sua compensação, por meio da análise de alguns conceitos considerados importantes para a gestão integrada floresta-água na propriedade rural. Tendo ainda como objetivos específicos: analisar as modificações ocorridas no Código Florestal Brasileiro no que diz respeito à Reserva Florestal Legal; identificar as vantagens técnicas ambientais da compensação; caracterizar os proprietários rurais de uma microbacia sobre a disposição em compensar a Reserva Florestal Legal; averiguar a necessidade de implantação de práticas educacionais e de fornecimento de informações legais voltadas ao proprietário rural, de forma a contribuir com a conservação da floresta e da água e colaborar para a regulamentação da compensação da Reserva Florestal Legal entre propriedades. Foi aplicado um questionário aos responsáveis por doze propriedades rurais localizadas no Município de Analândia, sendo 6 das propriedades localizadas na microbacia área de estudo, e seis delas localizadas em áreas adjacentes a esta microbacia, ambas pertencentes à subbacia Alto do Corumbataí. A microbacia de estudo foi escolhida por estar inserida na Bacia do Rio Corumbataí e ser uma área prioritária para a recuperação e a conservação florestal, além de ser uma das áreas próximas às cabeceiras de drenagem. Deve-se ressaltar sua importância na produção de água em quantidade e qualidade. As informações levantadas permitem concluir que o Código Florestal sofreu 67 alterações por meio de Medida Provisória, e, no entanto, ainda não existe regulamentação quanto à recomposição da Reserva Florestal Legal através da compensação. A possibilidade de se recompor a Reserva Florestal Legal por meio da compensação, é um instrumento muito importante para a gestão floresta-água. O desconhecimento da legislação e o desinteresse por parte dos proprietários rurais demonstram a necessidade de implantação de práticas educacionais, bem como a necessidade de se criar incentivos para a manutenção da cobertura florestal nas propriedades rurais. / The propose of this study was to analyze how The Code of Forestry is to be applied, in light of the compulsory requirement to restructure the Legal Forestry Reserve, one restructuring option being the payment of compensation by the Legal Forestry Reserve in the form of another property located in the same water basin, or at most in the same Hydro Resources Unit. The study had as its general objective the widening of discussion around the topic of the Legal Forestry Reserve and compensation by way of analysis of those ideas deemed essential for successful integrated Forestry/Water management of properties in rural areas. The study has the following specific objectives: analyzing the changes made to the Brazilian Forestry Code with regard to what it says about the Legal Forestry Reserve; identifying the technical and environmental advantages of the compensation program; making the owners of rural properties in the water basins aware of the Legal Forestry Reserve’s willingness to provide compensation; ascertaining the need to institute educational guidelines and a source of legal information that relate to owners of rural property so as to help promote the conservation of forest and water resources and collaboration with regard to regulating compensation paid by the Legal Forestry Reserve amongst the various properties. A questionnaire was submitted to twelve individuals responsible for rural properties located in the Municipality of Analândia. Six of these properties were located in the water basin under study, and six of them located out of this water basin. All the twelve properties belong to the sub-basin of Alto do Corumbataí, sandwiched in the River Corumbataí basin and being deemed a priority area regarding restoration and preservation of forest vegetation; as well as being one of the areas nearest to the drainage headwaters, an area whose importance is destined to revive through the production of good quality water in quantity. The information obtained led us to conclude that despite 67 (sixty-seven) changes made to the Forestry Code by way of a Provisional Ordinance, there is still, nevertheless, no regulatory framework in place governing the restructuring of the Legal Forestry Reserve through a program of compensation. The potential for restructuring the Legal Forestry Reserve through a compensation program is a way in the field of Forestry/Water management. Ignorance of the legislation in force or lack of interest on the part of owners of rural properties testify to the need to introduce a set of educational guidelines and foster incentives that will encourage the preservation of the current level of forest vegetation in properties located in rural areas.

<p>Active forest management is generally considered a desirable approach for both private and public tracts. While stakeholder collaboration and input are used on public lands, states have used several approaches to facilitate forest management on private forests including property tax-incentive programs, cost-share and technical assistant programs, and professional advice. Some researchers have studied how educational programs can facilitate woodland management on private lands. While some determined that the adoption of management practices can be influenced, in part, by attending educational programs, understanding of the factors that contribute to successful outcomes of educational programs for family forest owners is limited. Similarly, many federal and state agencies have used stakeholder input to inform natural resource management and policy in a variety of collaborative formats. In Indiana, the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee has provided input into private and public forest management in the state since 2010. </p> Using a case-study approach, this dissertation, through mail surveys and interviews, examined the role of the Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner eight-week short course in woodland owner management decisions. Findings suggest that, across behaviors, woodland owner attitudes about and reasons for owning their woodlands were the most consistent predictors of the level of influence the course had on participants. Enrollment in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program and likelihood of attending future educational programs were also positively associated with course influence for some behaviors while contact with the instructor after the course and owning woods for privacy had negative associations. The course played a role in different stages of the decision-making process of woodland owners to harvest timber, control invasive plants, create a written management plan, and use the services of a professional forester. Compatibility and relative advantage of a practice were important factors in adoption decisions. I also interviewed members of the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee to investigate its perceived value to members and how they view its contributions to forest management in the state. Overall, members generally held a positive perspective of its value<a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a> and thought the committee benefited Indiana’s forests although there was limited evidence to support this viewpoint. The committee followed some recommended collaborative approaches, but fell short on others. Findings inform several recommendations that could benefit the committee and its role in the future.

A conservação das florestas tropicais é uma necessidade de escalas global e nacional. A Amazônia é possivelmente a maior detentora de madeira tropical do mundo, sendo o manejo florestal madeireiro uma alternativa que possibilita promover o desenvolvimento econômico e garantir a integridade dos recursos naturais. Porém, a efetividade e a continuidade dessa atividade dependem da sustentabilidade volumétrica da produção, de forma que o processo de regeneração florestal deve ser monitorado para garantir que o incremento florestal seja composto por proporção economicamente aceitável de espécies de interesse comercial. O presente trabalho avaliou as alterações do valor econômico do estoque madeireiro de florestas após 21 anos de manejo realizado por Exploração Convencional (EC) e Exploração de Impacto Reduzido (EIR), comparando-os com uma floresta sem exploração (Testemunha (TE)). Os resultados apontam que a floresta manejada via EIR recuperou 91% do volume de espécies comerciais e 94% do volume total, enquanto que os valores para EC foram, respectivamente, 72% e 85%. As explorações promoveram aumento do incremento médio anual, que foram de 0,68 m3/ha/ano em EC e 1,05 m3/ha/ano para EIR, sendo de 0,35 m3/ha/ano para TE. Porém, nos dois tipos de exploração observou-se maior dominância de espécies pioneiras, que na média aumentaram em 8% o número de indivíduos, 10% o volume e 9% a área basal. Além disso, a recuperação volumétrica ocorreu essencialmente em árvores de diâmetro <= 75 cm em EIR e <= 50 cm em EC, de forma que o diâmetro médio das árvores passíveis de corte reduziu em 8,4%. Enquanto as variáveis se mantiveram estáveis em TE, nos talhões manejados as árvores com diâmetro menor que 50 cm aumentaram a sua proporção em 13% na densidade, 29% no volume e 22% na área basal. Por outro lado, na média para os blocos, as 6% maiores árvores representam 45% do volume total, e o incremento volumétrico individual aumenta exponencialmente com o aumento do diâmetro. Esses dados permitem concluir que as técnicas de EIR são superiores ao manejo realizado via EC, mas parecem ser insuficientes para garantir a sustentabilidade volumétrica. As árvores maiores são mais importantes tanto em valor econômico quanto em incremento volumétrico, de forma que a gestão florestal orientada para a produção madeireira deve monitorar o diâmetro médio do povoamento e buscar promover o estabelecimento de estoques de elevado interesse comercial, seja através da otimização no planejando da colheita (garantindo que o estoque remanescente não seja dominado por árvores de menor porte) e pela aplicação de tratamentos silviculturais. Os tratamentos silviculturais implicam na domesticação das florestas, sendo que o desafio da silvicultura tropical é determinar qual é o limite aceitável de transformação das florestas. Até um determinado ponto, essa domesticação não é incompatível com objetivos de conservação, e a sustentabilidade da aplicação dos tratamentos deve se orientar pelo limite no qual as alterações não comprometam as funções ecológicas, a produtividade florestal e a resiliência do ecossistema. / The conservation of tropical forests is a necessity at global and national scales. The Amazon is possibly the largest stock of tropical timber in the world, and timber-based forest management is an alternative that allows to promote economic development and guarantee the integrity of natural resources. However, the effectiveness and continuity of this activity depends on the volumetric sustainability of the production, so that the process of forest regeneration must be monitored to ensure that the forest increment is composed of an economically acceptable proportion of species of commercial interest. The present study evaluated the changes in the economic value of the timber\'s stock in forests after 21 years of management by Conventional Exploration (EC) and Reduced Impact Logging (EIR), comparing them to a forest without exploration (TE). The results indicate that the forest managed by EIR recovered 91% of the volume of commercial species and 94% of the total volume, while the values for EC were, respectively, 72% and 85%. The logging operations promoted an increase of the average annual increment, which was 0.68 m3/ha/year for EC and 1.05 m3/ha/year for RIL, and just 0.35 m3/ha/year for TE. However, in both types of exploration, there was observed dominance of pioneer species, which on average increased by 8% the number of trees, 10% the volume and 9% the basal area. In addition, volumetric recovery occurred essentially in trees with diameter <= 75 cm in EIR and <= 50 cm in EC, so that the average diameter of the trees susceptible to cutting reduced by 8.4%. While the variables remained stable in TE, trees with a diameter smaller than 50 cm increased their proportion by 13% in density, 29% in volume and 22% in the basal area. On the other hand, in the average for the blocks, the 6% bigger trees represent 45% of the total volume, and the individual volumetric growth is exponentially greater with the increase of the diameter. These data allow to conclude that EIR techniques are superior to the EC\'s management, but appear to be insufficient to guarantee volumetric sustainability. Larger trees are more important in terms of both economic value and volumetric increase, so that timber-based forest management should monitor the average diameter of the stands and seek to promote the establishment of stocks of high commercial interest, either through optimization in the harvest (ensuring that the remaining stock is not dominated by smaller trees) and by the application of silvicultural treatments. Silvicultural treatments involve the domestication of forests, and the challenge of tropical forestry is to determine the acceptable limit of forest transformation. To a certain point, this domestication is not incompatible with conservation objectives, and the sustainability of the application should be guided by the limit where the changes do not compromise ecological functions, forest productivity and ecosystem resilience.

The behavioural ecology of duikers (Cephalophus spp.) was studied in mature forest and mixed secondary vegetation around TaI National Park, Cöte d'Ivoire. The most common species in both vegetation types was C. maxwelli, followed by C. dorsalis, C. ogilbyi, C. niger, C. zebra and C. lentinki in mature forest, and C. niger, C. dorsalis and C. sylvicultor in secondary vegetation. Population surveys were carried out by a number of methods. Transect censuses by night were found most efficient in mature forest, whereas in secondary vegetation, only pellet transect censuses and drives into nets were possible. C. maxwelli populations were estimated at about 63 km2 in mature forest and 79 km2 in secondary vegetation. Duikers were primarily frugivorous, but the proportion of leaves taken increased in the season of fruit scarcity. Fruit abundance in different habitats increased with the age of the vegetation. Six C. maxwelli in mature forest and four in secondary vegetation were radio-collared to determine ranging patterns and social behaviour. They were diurnal and lived in groups of one male with one or two females and young. Home ranges, which were about 5 ha in size in mature forest and 3.6 ha in secondary vegetation, were defended by males, and the boundaries were marked by latrine areas by both sexes. In mixed secondary vegetation, all habitats were used except open fields and bamboo thickets. Implications for conservation and management are discussed. The continued preservation of mature forest and the control of poaching are essential for the survival of the three rarer species (C. -jentinki, C. zebra and C. ogilbyi). The control of poaching must precede any programme of sustainable harvesting of the more abundant species, which could be carried out in secondary vegetation. Duiker farming may be possible if low-cost sources of fencing and forage can be identified.

A conservação das florestas tropicais é uma necessidade de escalas global e nacional. A Amazônia é possivelmente a maior detentora de madeira tropical do mundo, sendo o manejo florestal madeireiro uma alternativa que possibilita promover o desenvolvimento econômico e garantir a integridade dos recursos naturais. Porém, a efetividade e a continuidade dessa atividade dependem da sustentabilidade volumétrica da produção, de forma que o processo de regeneração florestal deve ser monitorado para garantir que o incremento florestal seja composto por proporção economicamente aceitável de espécies de interesse comercial. O presente trabalho avaliou as alterações do valor econômico do estoque madeireiro de florestas após 21 anos de manejo realizado por Exploração Convencional (EC) e Exploração de Impacto Reduzido (EIR), comparando-os com uma floresta sem exploração (Testemunha (TE)). Os resultados apontam que a floresta manejada via EIR recuperou 91% do volume de espécies comerciais e 94% do volume total, enquanto que os valores para EC foram, respectivamente, 72% e 85%. As explorações promoveram aumento do incremento médio anual, que foram de 0,68 m3/ha/ano em EC e 1,05 m3/ha/ano para EIR, sendo de 0,35 m3/ha/ano para TE. Porém, nos dois tipos de exploração observou-se maior dominância de espécies pioneiras, que na média aumentaram em 8% o número de indivíduos, 10% o volume e 9% a área basal. Além disso, a recuperação volumétrica ocorreu essencialmente em árvores de diâmetro <= 75 cm em EIR e <= 50 cm em EC, de forma que o diâmetro médio das árvores passíveis de corte reduziu em 8,4%. Enquanto as variáveis se mantiveram estáveis em TE, nos talhões manejados as árvores com diâmetro menor que 50 cm aumentaram a sua proporção em 13% na densidade, 29% no volume e 22% na área basal. Por outro lado, na média para os blocos, as 6% maiores árvores representam 45% do volume total, e o incremento volumétrico individual aumenta exponencialmente com o aumento do diâmetro. Esses dados permitem concluir que as técnicas de EIR são superiores ao manejo realizado via EC, mas parecem ser insuficientes para garantir a sustentabilidade volumétrica. As árvores maiores são mais importantes tanto em valor econômico quanto em incremento volumétrico, de forma que a gestão florestal orientada para a produção madeireira deve monitorar o diâmetro médio do povoamento e buscar promover o estabelecimento de estoques de elevado interesse comercial, seja através da otimização no planejando da colheita (garantindo que o estoque remanescente não seja dominado por árvores de menor porte) e pela aplicação de tratamentos silviculturais. Os tratamentos silviculturais implicam na domesticação das florestas, sendo que o desafio da silvicultura tropical é determinar qual é o limite aceitável de transformação das florestas. Até um determinado ponto, essa domesticação não é incompatível com objetivos de conservação, e a sustentabilidade da aplicação dos tratamentos deve se orientar pelo limite no qual as alterações não comprometam as funções ecológicas, a produtividade florestal e a resiliência do ecossistema. / The conservation of tropical forests is a necessity at global and national scales. The Amazon is possibly the largest stock of tropical timber in the world, and timber-based forest management is an alternative that allows to promote economic development and guarantee the integrity of natural resources. However, the effectiveness and continuity of this activity depends on the volumetric sustainability of the production, so that the process of forest regeneration must be monitored to ensure that the forest increment is composed of an economically acceptable proportion of species of commercial interest. The present study evaluated the changes in the economic value of the timber\'s stock in forests after 21 years of management by Conventional Exploration (EC) and Reduced Impact Logging (EIR), comparing them to a forest without exploration (TE). The results indicate that the forest managed by EIR recovered 91% of the volume of commercial species and 94% of the total volume, while the values for EC were, respectively, 72% and 85%. The logging operations promoted an increase of the average annual increment, which was 0.68 m3/ha/year for EC and 1.05 m3/ha/year for RIL, and just 0.35 m3/ha/year for TE. However, in both types of exploration, there was observed dominance of pioneer species, which on average increased by 8% the number of trees, 10% the volume and 9% the basal area. In addition, volumetric recovery occurred essentially in trees with diameter <= 75 cm in EIR and <= 50 cm in EC, so that the average diameter of the trees susceptible to cutting reduced by 8.4%. While the variables remained stable in TE, trees with a diameter smaller than 50 cm increased their proportion by 13% in density, 29% in volume and 22% in the basal area. On the other hand, in the average for the blocks, the 6% bigger trees represent 45% of the total volume, and the individual volumetric growth is exponentially greater with the increase of the diameter. These data allow to conclude that EIR techniques are superior to the EC\'s management, but appear to be insufficient to guarantee volumetric sustainability. Larger trees are more important in terms of both economic value and volumetric increase, so that timber-based forest management should monitor the average diameter of the stands and seek to promote the establishment of stocks of high commercial interest, either through optimization in the harvest (ensuring that the remaining stock is not dominated by smaller trees) and by the application of silvicultural treatments. Silvicultural treatments involve the domestication of forests, and the challenge of tropical forestry is to determine the acceptable limit of forest transformation. To a certain point, this domestication is not incompatible with conservation objectives, and the sustainability of the application should be guided by the limit where the changes do not compromise ecological functions, forest productivity and ecosystem resilience.

This paper delves into the significance of land disposal to indigenous rights and Settler-Colonies. Specifically, it examines land use regulations for forestry management and Forest Sami villages. Through interviews with practicing forest reindeer herders, it has been revealed that forestry practices in Sweden have dramatically altered the landscape, posing significant challenges to the continuation of reindeer herding. In the context of Settler-Colonialism, the analysis of these findings shows that land use regulations align with the "logic of elimination," which seeks to remove the native population to secure settlers’ access to land.

<p dir="ltr">Forest ecosystems play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation. Sustainable forest management practices necessitate accurate quantification of forest aboveground carbon stocks (FACS). In the first part of this study, I compared the 13-year changes in FACS across three silvicultural systems, including even-aged management (EA), uneven-aged management (UEA), and non-harvested controls (NH), in Indiana's hardwood forests. Forest stands within each silvicultural system were assigned with one of the six treatment types, including clearcutting, shelterwood, or prescribed burning for EA, single-tree selection or patch cutting for UEA, or untreated controls. From 2008 to 2021, the FACS of the study area exhibited an increase from 91.5 ± 9.0 Mg/ha to 115.3 ± 2.1 Mg/ha. Single-tree selection, shelterwood, and prescribed burning were found to have minimal impacts on FACS. However, clearcutting and patch cutting resulted in a significant reduction in FACS, with subsequent recovery reaching only 30-37% of their pre-treatment levels after 13 years. Further investigations may use long-term inventory data to analyze the chronic recovery patterns on these sites.</p><p dir="ltr">In the second part of this study, I evaluated the feasibility of using 3DEP LiDAR in conjunction with the random forest algorithm for multiscale FACS prediction. It was found that the stand-scale model outperformed the plot-scale model, primarily due to a stand’s higher positioning accuracy and reduced boundary effects than the plot-scale model. This led to a reduction in RMSE from 25.43 Mg/ha (26%) to 16.74 Mg/ha (20%). Moreover, the stand-scale model exhibited robust landscape-level prediction performance even in scenarios where point density decreased from 7.7 points/m² to 2.0 points/m². However, the partitioned model including solely clearcut and patch sites produced a higher RMSE of 59% (17.82 Mg/ha) due to inaccurate LiDAR return classification and biased canopy height metrics extraction. Future research should delve into the mechanisms of point cloud classification to improve the FACS prediction accuracy for clearcut forest monitoring.</p><p dir="ltr">Overall, this thesis contributed to a deeper understanding of carbon dynamics in managed hardwood forests, highlighted the potential of using LiDAR technology for improved landscape-level carbon monitoring, and informed the decision-making processes in the context of climate change mitigation.</p><p><br></p>

Relatórios científicos apontam a mudança global do clima por conta de ações antrópicas decorrentes de atividades econômicas e industriais. Em conseqüência, as propostas e medidas para evitar o aquecimento global direta ou indiretamente remetem a questões de política energética e desenvolvimento sustentável. Energias renováveis ocupam uma posição estratégica dentro desse contexto. A bioenergia representa cerca de 10,2% de oferta de energia primaria global, sendo que mais de 80% desta biomassa é derivada de madeira. Entretanto, existem dúvidas com relação à biomassa florestal e sua contribuição. A complexidade da situação expõe a relevância de políticas públicas que regulem o uso da biomassa florestal. A política de Reposição Florestal Obrigatória Obrigatória (RFO), em vigor no Estado de São Paulo desde 2008, prevê que a madeira consumida seja reposta e dessa forma agrega os conceitos de sustentabilidade no consumo do produto florestal. Para abordar o potencial energético da biomassa florestal através do mecanismo de regulação da RFO no cenário de mudanças climáticas o estudo foi estruturado em duas etapas:1) levantamento da dinâmica do mecanismos de regulação praticados; 2) padronização de um sistema de produção de lenha de RFO e quantificação das emissões de CO2 equivalente do processo. Foi constatado que a RFO sustenta um papel significativo para regulação da biomassa florestal energética. Entretanto, na prática apresenta falhas. Proporcionalmente, Piracicaba repôs o equivalente a 1,92% da lenha produzida em 2009. O sistema de produção de lenha envolve as etapas: produção de mudas; transporte de mudas; manejo florestal; Corte; transporte de lenha. A lenha de RFO confirmou-se como energético de baixa expressividade com relação a CO2 equivalente, principalmente quando comparada com seus energéticos concorrentes: a eletricidade e o gás natural. / Sceintific reports point antropic activities as the most significant contribution to climate change. Strategies for climate change mitigation concerns directly on energy policy and sustainable development. Bioenergy offering represents 10.2% in global energy resources but more than 80% of this offering consists in woodfuel. However, the questions regarding the role forest biomass plays in climate changing scenery demands public policy and crucial regulatory mechanisms. The Forest Reposition Policy (FRP), since 2008, in São Paulo State regulates forest biomass consumption providing a potential sustainable chain. The main objective in this study consist on evaluate the FRP as a potential mechanism to regulate bioenergy production. To evaluate FRP as a strategic tool in this scenery the study approaches the case of Piracicaba (SP, Brazil) and presents two stages of analyses: 1) Evaluation of FRP mechanism dynamics analyzing official documents; 2) Setting up a firewood standard chain through FRP and evaluation of CO2 equivalent emissions on the process by using Life Cycle Assessment tool. The results bring out the lack of efficiency on FRP. Proporcionally, in Piracicaba only 1.92% of firewood were repositioned. Apart from that, FRP demonstrated a strong potential to forest biomass sustainable production. The standard productions system was defined as: seedlings production; seedlings transportation, forest management; logging; firewood transportation. The CO2 emissions in chain quantified non significant results and firewood in FRP system confirms its potential of mitigation between other available options.

Relatórios científicos apontam a mudança global do clima por conta de ações antrópicas decorrentes de atividades econômicas e industriais. Em conseqüência, as propostas e medidas para evitar o aquecimento global direta ou indiretamente remetem a questões de política energética e desenvolvimento sustentável. Energias renováveis ocupam uma posição estratégica dentro desse contexto. A bioenergia representa cerca de 10,2% de oferta de energia primaria global, sendo que mais de 80% desta biomassa é derivada de madeira. Entretanto, existem dúvidas com relação à biomassa florestal e sua contribuição. A complexidade da situação expõe a relevância de políticas públicas que regulem o uso da biomassa florestal. A política de Reposição Florestal Obrigatória Obrigatória (RFO), em vigor no Estado de São Paulo desde 2008, prevê que a madeira consumida seja reposta e dessa forma agrega os conceitos de sustentabilidade no consumo do produto florestal. Para abordar o potencial energético da biomassa florestal através do mecanismo de regulação da RFO no cenário de mudanças climáticas o estudo foi estruturado em duas etapas:1) levantamento da dinâmica do mecanismos de regulação praticados; 2) padronização de um sistema de produção de lenha de RFO e quantificação das emissões de CO2 equivalente do processo. Foi constatado que a RFO sustenta um papel significativo para regulação da biomassa florestal energética. Entretanto, na prática apresenta falhas. Proporcionalmente, Piracicaba repôs o equivalente a 1,92% da lenha produzida em 2009. O sistema de produção de lenha envolve as etapas: produção de mudas; transporte de mudas; manejo florestal; Corte; transporte de lenha. A lenha de RFO confirmou-se como energético de baixa expressividade com relação a CO2 equivalente, principalmente quando comparada com seus energéticos concorrentes: a eletricidade e o gás natural. / Sceintific reports point antropic activities as the most significant contribution to climate change. Strategies for climate change mitigation concerns directly on energy policy and sustainable development. Bioenergy offering represents 10.2% in global energy resources but more than 80% of this offering consists in woodfuel. However, the questions regarding the role forest biomass plays in climate changing scenery demands public policy and crucial regulatory mechanisms. The Forest Reposition Policy (FRP), since 2008, in São Paulo State regulates forest biomass consumption providing a potential sustainable chain. The main objective in this study consist on evaluate the FRP as a potential mechanism to regulate bioenergy production. To evaluate FRP as a strategic tool in this scenery the study approaches the case of Piracicaba (SP, Brazil) and presents two stages of analyses: 1) Evaluation of FRP mechanism dynamics analyzing official documents; 2) Setting up a firewood standard chain through FRP and evaluation of CO2 equivalent emissions on the process by using Life Cycle Assessment tool. The results bring out the lack of efficiency on FRP. Proporcionally, in Piracicaba only 1.92% of firewood were repositioned. Apart from that, FRP demonstrated a strong potential to forest biomass sustainable production. The standard productions system was defined as: seedlings production; seedlings transportation, forest management; logging; firewood transportation. The CO2 emissions in chain quantified non significant results and firewood in FRP system confirms its potential of mitigation between other available options.