Forests - Industries and products

Title

Towards assessing the sustainability of European logging operations

Reference

European Journal of Forest Research
Doi: 10.1007/s10342-011-0561-x
EU funded.

Author(s)

Staffan Berg, Janine Fischbach, Franka Brüchert, Mikael Poissonnet, Stefania Pizzirani, Anne Varet and Udo H. Sauter

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

The forest-based sector has been at the forefront in operationally implementing the sustainability concept, its associated principles and indicators for sustainable forest management. Several methods have been developed to study environmental impacts of forestry activities, but none of the existing tools address all the dimensions of sustainability along the whole forest wood chain (FWC) in a balanced way. Consequently, the decision was made to develop a tool for sustainability impact assessment (ToSIA), the modelling framework for sustainability impact assessment of FWCs. The objective of the EU Project Eforwood was to develop ToSIA, a decision support tool. Within ToSIA, a FWC is modelled as a number of interconnected processes. For each process, a range of economic, environmental and social indicators and their respective values are calculated, thus representing the three pillars of sustainability. By this method, the multifunctionality of forests can be assessed and supply chains can be compared with respect to sustainability. Sensitivity analysis and scenario techniques can be applied to learn about the effect of expected changes to the structure of the chain, the material flows and the indicator values. In order to provide the tool with information about forest and logging operations, data were collected at two fundamental levels: (1) a regional level with case studies in Scandinavia, Iberia and Baden-Württemberg and (2) a European level with a case study that reflects conditions in the 27 countries of the European Union. This paper describes and details the harvesting and logging processes for the European countries. The results are displayed for each of the three regional case studies as well as aggregated to five principal areas in Europe: Eastern, Northern, Western, Central and Southwest Europe.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable business and industry
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable business and industry

Keywords

Sustainability impact assessment; Harvesting; Logging; Economic; Social; Environmental; Decision support

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/uhh20q49p4571654/
There is a fee to view this study in full    

Contact the study author at:

Staffan.berg@skogforsk.se

Title

Beyond biofuels: Assessing global land use for domestic consumption of biomass: A conceptual and empirical contribution to sustainable management of global resources

Reference

Land Use Policy
Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 224-232

Author(s)

Stefan Bringezu, Meghan O’Brien, Helmut Schütz

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Consumption of natural resources should not exceed sustainable levels. The increasing use of biofuels and to some extent biomaterials, on top of rising food and feed demands, is causing countries to use a growing amount of global land, which may lead to land use conflicts and the expansion of cropland and intensive cultivation at the expense of natural ecosystems. Selective product certification cannot control the land use change triggered by growing overall biomass consumption. We propose a comprehensive approach to account for the global land use of countries for their domestic consumption, and assess this level with regard to globally acceptable levels of resource use, based on the concept of safe operating space. It is shown that the European Union currently uses one-third more cropland than globally available on a per capita basis and that with constant consumption levels it would exceed its fair share of acceptable resource use in 2030. As the use of global forests to meet renewable energy targets is becoming a concern, an approach to account for sustainable levels of timber flows is also proposed, based on the use of net annual increment, exemplified with preliminary data for Switzerland. Altogether, our approach would integrate the concept of sustainable consumption into national resource management plans; offering a conceptual basis and concrete reference values for informed policy making and urging countries to monitor and adjust their levels of resource consumption in a comprehensive way, respectful of the limits of sustainable supply.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Land use >> Land use change

Keywords

Bioenergy; Biomaterials; Environmental space; Consumption; Agriculture; Forestry

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837711000640
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

stefan.bringezu@wupperinst.org

Title

International wood trade and forest change: A global analysis

Reference

Global Environmental Change
Volume 21, Issue 3, August 2011, Pages 947-956
EU Funded

Author(s)

Thomas Kastner, Karl-Heinz Erb, Sanderine Nonhebel

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Throughout history, humans have transformed natural forests into agricultural land, settlement areas and managed forests. Studies on the dynamics of forest change are one of the mainstays in land change science. The forest transition theory offers a powerful tool to analyze changes in human interference with forests. At the national level, a range of factors have been found to influence a country's forest change. The role of international wood product trade has, however, rarely been studied based on empirical data. We offer a global assessment of how this trade helps shape observed forest change, by relating forest stock change to net trade of wood products for the period 1997-2007 and by localizing the origin of wood consumed in a given nation. For many nations, traded wood products have a relevant impact on the course of ongoing forest transitions. We develop a general typology of how wood product trade can influence forest change and place various nations within this framework. We find that many wealthy nations with returning forests seem to accelerate this return by importing wood products. These imports appear to be provided by two main types of wood exporters: (a) by wealthy countries with low population densities and stable forests and (b) by relatively poor countries with declining forests, employing increasing population and welfare levels. We discuss these findings in the light of general theories on land use transitions and forest change and conclude by highlighting implications for national forest policies and global environmental governance, aiming at reducing negative impacts of wood products and enhancing the positive role they can play in replacing more fossil fuel intensive products.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Land use >> Land use change

Keywords

Forest transition; Trade; Wood products; Global assessment; Displacement of environmental impacts

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095937801100080X  
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

t.kastner@rug.nl

Title

A concept for assessing sustainability impacts of forestry-wood
Chains

Reference

Eur J Forest Res
DOI 10.1007/s10342-010-0446-4

Author(s)

R. Päivinen, M. Lindner, K. Rose'n
M. J. Lexer

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Abstract Due to the emerging importance of sustainable use of natural resources, and policies requiring actions towards sustainable development, there is a demand for methodologies and tools that are able to address these new challenges. In this paper, an approach to assess sustainability impacts of alternative production chains of the forest sector is presented. The approach, which is designed for both public and private decision-makers, describes the forest sector as a set of processes by which forest resources are used to (1) produce biomass which is routed through different value-adding production chains and converted to products and (2) provide other ecosystem services. It is suggested that each production process included in a production chain will be characterised by a set of indicators covering environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable development. The approach is demonstrated by a numerical example, in which the indicator values are determined based on the volume of wood material flowing through the processes. Sustainability impacts of policy scenarios or technological changes result from changing from one production chain to another; the impacts accumulate along the production chains. Combined cost-benefit and multi-criteria analyses are proposed to evaluate overall impacts and to compare alternative chains.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable business and industry

Keywords

Sustainable development, Environmental Sustainability, Social sustainability, Economic Sustainability, Forestry-wood chains, Sustainability Indicators, Forest Sector

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/u845tg14uhp06qq5/
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

 risto.paivinen@efi.int

Title

Forests in a green economy : A Synthesis

Reference

UNEP report 2011

Author(s)

UNEP

Study type

Report

Abstract

This synthesis is part of UNEP's contributions to the RIO+20 process and
the green economy discourse. It is directed at policy makers and presents a
menu of alternatives that can enable a transformation of the sector, one that can better realize the myriad possibilities forests promise. It also examines the conditions for significantly increasing investments in forests and the underlying goods and services forests provide.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Green economy

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.unep.org/pdf/PressReleases/UNEP-ForestsGreenEco-basse_def_version_normale.pdf
It is free to view this study

Contact the study author at:

uneppub@unep.org

Title

Mediterranean cork oak savannas require human use to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services

Reference

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9: 278-286.
doi:10.1890/100084

Author(s)

Miguel N Bugalho, Maria C Caldeira, João S Pereira, James Aronson, and Juli G Pausas

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Mediterranean cork oak savannas, which are found only in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, are ecosystems of high socioeconomic and conservation value. Characterized by sparse tree cover and a diversity of understory vegetation - ranging from shrub formations to grasslands - that support high levels of biodiversity, these ecosystems require active management and use by humans to ensure their continued existence. The most important product of these savannas is cork, a non-timber forest product that is periodically harvested without requiring tree felling. Market devaluation of, and lower demand for, cork are causing a decline in management, or even abandonment, of southwestern Europe's cork oak savannas. Subsequent shrub encroachment into the savanna's grassland components reduces biodiversity and degrades the services provided by these ecosystems. In contrast, poverty-driven overuse is degrading cork oak savannas in northwestern Africa. 'Payment for ecosystem services' schemes, such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) programs, could produce novel economic incentives to promote sustainable use and conservation of Mediterranean cork oak savanna ecosystems in both Europe and Africa.

Policy theme(s)

Environmental economics >> Ecosystem services >> Ecosystem services
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation
Forests >> Forest protection >> Forest biodiversity

Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.frontiersinecology.org/beyond/?p=275
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

migbugalho@isa.utl.pt

Title

Impact of cork extraction on birds: Relevance for conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity

Reference

Biological Conservation
Volume 144, Issue 5, May 2011, Pages 1655-1662

Author(s)

Ana I. Leal, Ricardo A. Correia, José P. Granadeiro and Jorge M. Palmeirim

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Montados are Mediterranean agro-forestry-pastoral systems recognized as an excellent example of balance between socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation. The economic viability of montados dominated by cork oak Quercus suber depends on the extraction of cork (the bark of trees), usually in 9 year cycles, which is mostly used for production of bottle stoppers. This study evaluated the impact of cork extraction on biodiversity, using birds as indicators.
Comparing bird assemblages of areas with recently extracted cork and older cork revealed that only two species of bark gleaners and two of bark-foliage gleaners had lower densities in recently debarked areas. Arthropod sampling revealed that, in the first years after cork extraction, the bark has less prey, suggesting that the reduction in bark gleaners densities is a result of the decreased food availability. Focal observations confirmed that the affected species were those that foraged mostly on cork. However, our data demonstrated that bird richness and the density of the majority of species were unaffected by debarking, and that at the landscape level even bark gleaners had potentially stable populations.
Pressure from the synthetic bottle stopper industry threatens to render montados economically unviable, and consequently be replaced by land uses much less valuable for biodiversity. Showing that cork extraction is compatible with the maintenance of the great ornithological value of montados, our results confirm that it is an economic activity that should be promoted for the benefit of biodiversity.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture  >>    Agricultural management  >>    Agri-environment schemes
Biodiversity  >>  Threats to biodiversity  >>  Human impacts
Forests  >>  Forest protection  >>  Forest biodiversity
Forests  >>  Forest services   >>   Forest industries/products

Keywords

Cork oak, Cork extraction, Birds, Montados management, Agro-forestry-pastoral system

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320711000826
There is a fee to view this study in full    

Contact the study author at:

aiencarnacao@fc.ul.pt

Title

A wish, a fear and a complaint: understanding the (dis)engagement of forest owners in forest management

Reference

European Journal of Forest Research 10.1007/s10342-009-0332-0

Author(s)

Gloria Domínguez and Margaret Shannon

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Inducing private forest owners to undertake any kind of forest management poses a challenge to policy makers. To gain a better understanding of the attitudes of forest owners, this study set out to describe, analyze, and interpret how forest owners engage (or fail to engage) in the management of their properties. A grounded theory approach Glaser and Strauss (The discovering of grounded theory, Aldine: Chicago, 1967); Charmaz (Constructing grounded theory. A practical guide through qualitative analysis, Sage publications, Ltd: London, 2006) was used to build an emergent theory through a descriptive and interpretational analysis of how forest owners get involved in forest management and the factors that influence their active decision-making process. The research was conducted in Catalonia. The main finding was that forest owners are more likely to engage in the management of their properties when they believe that through their actions they are fulfilling a moral norm, they are reducing the risk of forest fires, they have an archetypal image of what the forest should look like, and they can justify forest management as part of their economic strategy. These interdependent personal, social and cultural factors question the likely effectiveness of traditional economic policy tools.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest governance and management
Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/jpg478536872x2h1/
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

Gloria.dominguez@ctfc.es

Title

Sciences, knowledges, and the practice of forestry

Reference

European Journal of Forest Research 10.1007/s10342-009-0334-y

Author(s)

Louise Fortmann and Heidi Ballard

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

We address the question of how credible knowledge that will contribute to more effective forest policy and management can be produced. We argue that some forest-related knowledge-producing practices of professional scientists and of local people are similar, and given the differences in the knowledge they produce, we explore how they might be used productively together to create better understandings of forests with resulting better forestry practice and policy. Using a case study of participatory forest ecology research, we demonstrate that when professional (conventional) scientists do research in collaboration with local experts (civil scientists), the resulting knowledge can be more accurate and more policy relevant than they could produce doing research on their own or only with other conventional scientists.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest governance and management
Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

Non-timber forest products, Forest understory, Gaultheria shallon,  Science and technology studies, Interdependent science, Civil science

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/l3154012858j2855/
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

Hballard@ucdavis.edu

Title

Forest Bioenergy or Forest Carbon?
Assessing Trade-Offs in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation with Wood-Based Fuels

Reference

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (2), pp 789-795

Author(s)

Jon McKechnie, Steve Colombo, Jiaxin Chen, Warren Mabee, and Heather L. MacLean

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The potential of forest-based bioenergy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when displacing fossil-based energy must be balanced with forest carbon implications related to biomass harvest. We integrate life cycle assessment (LCA) and forest carbon analysis to assess total GHG emissions of forest bioenergy over time. Application of the method to case studies of wood pellet and ethanol production from forest biomass reveals a substantial reduction in forest carbon due to bioenergy production. For all cases, harvest-related forest carbon reductions and associated GHG emissions initially exceed avoided fossil fuel-related emissions, temporarily increasing overall emissions. In the long term, electricity generation from pellets reduces overall emissions relative to coal, although forest carbon losses delay net GHG mitigation by 16-38 years, depending on biomass source (harvest residues/standing trees). Ethanol produced from standing trees increases overall emissions throughout 100 years of continuous production: ethanol from residues achieves reductions after a 74 year delay. Forest carbon more significantly affects bioenergy emissions when biomass is sourced from standing trees compared to residues and when less GHG-intensive fuels are displaced. In all cases, forest carbon dynamics are significant. Although study results are not generalizable to all forests, we suggest the integrated LCA/forest carbon approach be undertaken for bioenergy studies.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Renewable energy
Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Land use >> Land use change

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es1024004
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

hmaclean@ecf.utoronto.ca