A half-century policy of forest exploitation and monoculture in China has led to disastrous consequences, including degradation of forests and landscapes, loss of biodiversity, unacceptable levels of soil erosion, and catastrophic flooding. A new forest policy had been adopted in China called the Natural Forest conservation Program (NFCP), which emphasizes expansion of natural forests and increasing the productivity of forest plantations. Through locally focused management strategies, biodiversity and forest resources will be sustained, and downstream regions will be better protected from flooding. This new policy is being implemented with a new combination of policy tools, including technical training and education, land management planning, mandatory conversion of marginal farmlands to forest, resettlement and retaining of forest dwellers, share in private ownership, and expanded research. These policy tools may have wider relevance for other countries, particularly developing countries.

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The dimensions of riparian buffers selected for stream biota–landscape association models determine correlation strength and subsequent model interpretation. Efforts have been made to optimize buffer dimensions incorporated into models, but none has explicitly determined a single optimum based on both longitudinal and lateral buffer dimensions. We applied partial correlation and multivariate linear regression on functional fish community response attributes and the index of biotic integrity using stream samples (N = 107) from the Eastern Corn Belt Plain Ecoregion of Indiana, USA. Land-cover data in digital format were processed in geographic information systems for an area covering 300 m on either side of selected streams and within 2000 m longitudinally. The optimal buffer dimension for the study area was 30 m laterally and 600 m longitudinally, with a partial correlation of 0.29 (P = 0.002), and there was agreement in the partial correlation and multiple regression models. The longitudinal dimension was more conclusively determined, but the lateral dimension was optimum only with respect to the resolution of the land-use data used. Based on these results, we propose the use of this approach to optimize the riparian buffer parameter in landscape models.

The development of landscape ecology, advances in computer technologies, the breaking up of Cold War political barriers,UNCED and the subsequent elaboration of public policy networks in resource conservation and sustainable development have combined to provide a new opportunity for sustainable development in a quality environment across the landscape. The challenge will be transformation of environmental and natural resource policies (rules) into landscape-scale management(practices). Successful implementation of these policies through the networks will require three conditions: the policies must meet well-known and accepted criteria; they must have the full force of law; and they must have a sound ethical foundation. These conditions being met, landscape-scale management can become a reality; the transition from environmental rule to landscape management practice can be complete.

This paper provides an overview of some of the changes in policy in the US National Forest management over the last three decades, and the forces and policies that have influenced them.