Forest Quality

by Dudley, Nigel; Schlaepfer, Rodolphe; Jackson, William; Jeanrenaud, Jean-Paul; Stolton, Sue

• ISBN13: 9781844072781
• ISBN10: 1844072789
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

"In this text, forest quality is discussed as a useful new concept in forest assessment, conservation and management. Three main assessment criteria are used: authenticity; environmental benefits; and social and economic benefits. The book describes a methodology and protocol for collecting and analysing data, and outlines in detail the approach required with each indicator. The authors advocate a landscape approach to assessment and demonstrate how assessment works through a series of case studies that show how this approach can be used in many ways to help forest conservation management." "This hands-on manual is for professionals involved in forestry, conservation and resource management worldwide, and contains case study material from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America that demonstrates practical uses of the new 'landscape' approach to forest conservation."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud is Head of Business and Industry Relations at WWF International. William Jackson is Director, Global Programme at IUCN. Rodolphe Schlaepfer is Emeritus Professor for Ecosystem Management, Institute for Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes	viii
Acknowledgements	xi
Preface	xiii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	xiv
Part 1 Measuring Forest Quality
1 What is Forest Quality?	3	(8)
Quantity and quality	4	(1)
But what exactly is forest quality?	5	(1)
A brief overview of changes in global forest quality	5	(2)
Assessing forest quality	7	(1)
A definition of forest quality	7	(1)
Choosing and categorizing indicators of forest quality	8	(3)
2 Why Assess Forest Quality at a Landscape Scale?	11	(7)
Why assess?	11	(1)
Why a landscape scale?	12	(1)
The need for a landscape approach to forest quality	13	(5)
3 Who Should Assess Forest Quality?	18	(5)
Participatory and non-participatory approaches	18	(2)
Tools for participation	20	(2)
Choosing an approach	22	(1)
4 How to Assess Forest Quality at a Landscape Scale	23	(32)
Levels of application of the forest quality framework	23	(3)
Stage 1: Identifying the aims of the forest quality assessment - why, where, who and how	26	(3)
Stage 2: Selection of the landscape	29	(4)
Stage 3: Selection of the toolkit (indicators)	33	(8)
Stage 4: Collection of information about the indicators	41	(3)
Stage 5: Assessment	44	(2)
Stage 6: Presentation of results	46	(3)
Conclusions: What can a forest quality assessment tell us?	49	(6)
Part 2 Criteria of Forest Quality
5 Forest Authenticity and Prioritizing Conservation	55	(28)
The main components of authenticity	58	(1)
Authenticity component 1: Composition	59	(4)
Authenticity component 2: Pattern	63	(2)
Authenticity component 3: Functioning	65	(3)
Authenticity component 4: Process	68	(3)
Authenticity component 5: Resilience	71	(2)
Authenticity component 6: Continuity	73	(3)
Authenticity component 7: Agents of change	76	(1)
Measuring authenticity at a landscape scale	77	(6)
6 Environmental Benefits of Forest Quality	83	(10)
Environmental benefits component 1: Biodiversity and genetic resource conservation	83	(3)
Environmental benefits component 2: Soil and watershed protection	86	(3)
Environmental benefits component 3: Impacts on other natural or semi-natural habitats	89	(2)
Environmental benefits component 4: Influence on climate	91	(1)
Conclusions	92	(1)
7 Social and Economic Benefits of Forest Quality	93	(30)
Social and economic component 1: Wood products - timber, pulp and fuelwood	94	(1)
Social and economic component 2: Non-wood goods and services and non-timber forest products	95	(2)
Social and economic component 3: Employment, indirect employment and subsistence activities	97	(2)
Social and economic component 4: Recreation	99	(2)
Social and economic component 5: Homeland for people	101	(2)
Social and economic component 6: Historical importance	103	(1)
Social and economic component 7: Educational value, including the role of forests in scientific research	104	(2)
Social and economic component 8: Aesthetic and cultural values	106	(1)
Social and economic component 9: Spiritual and religious significance	107	(3)
Social and economic component 10: Local distinctiveness and cultural values	110	(1)
Social and economic component 11: Institutions and influential groups	111	(1)
Social and economic component 12: Rights and legal issues	112	(2)
Social and economic component 13: Knowledge	114	(2)
Social and economic component 14: Management systems	116	(1)
Social and economic component 15: Nature of incentives	117	(2)
Conclusions	119
Part 3 Case Studies
Case Study 1 A Participatory Assessment in Wales, UK	123	(5)
Case Study 2 A Partly Participatory Assessment in Cameroon	128	(3)
Case Study 3 Developing a Teaching Kit in Central America	131	(2)
Case Study 4 Investigating Data Availability in a Swiss Canton	133	(6)
Case Study 5 A Monitoring and Evaluation System in Viet Nam	139	(3)
Case Study 6 Assessing Authenticity in the Avon Gorge, UK	142	(3)
Case Study 7 Applying Forest Quality Assessment to Management - The Landscape Approach	145	(4)
Part 4 Appendices: Broader Issues and Sources of Information
Appendix 1 A forest quality scorecard	149	(6)
Appendix 2 Links to forest landscape restoration	155	(3)
Appendix 3 Links to High Conservation Value Forests	158	(1)
Appendix 4 Forest quality and forest certification	159	(2)
Appendix 5 A brief history of the forest quality concept	161	(2)
Appendix 6 Glossary	163	(2)
References	165	(15)
Index	180