Approaches to Developing Sustainable Extraction Systems for Tropical Forest Products

Abstract

There are few if any examples of the demonstrably sustainable extraction of either timber or non—timber forest products. Even well—known products such as brazil nuts and mahogany lack a sufficient knowledge base to design a sustainable extraction system. Potential extraction systems for timber and non—timber forest products from tropical forests should be evaluated both in terms of their sustainability and their impact at the ecosystem level. The impact of forest product harvest on the demographics of the target species can be explored with the use of mathematical models, although we still lack an adequate understanding of some of the basic processes that are structuring tropical tree communities. Matrix models are relatively quick to construct, and they may be appropriate for modeling the dynamics of populations that are harvested without introducing large changes to the ecosystem, while individual—based mechanistic models are more appropriate for modeling the effects of harvest that cause large changes in population and ecosystem structure. Once the maximum sustainable level of harvest has been identified with the use of models, an economic analysis of the range of harvest intensities between zero and maximum sustainable yield should be conducted, with the goal of identifying the range of possible harvest intensities that are both sustainable and economically viable. This range of harvest intensities should then be analyzed in terms of its impact on the ecosystem, so that the harvest intensity that is chosen will not result in impacts to the forest that are unacceptably high.

Community based forest management and its impact on vegetation: a case study

“…Factors like total forested area, access, historic use of both target and non-target species and observation of land use patterns in adjacent areas have a dramatic impact on the forest development, which contributes to supply and the sustainable use (Howard 1993). If the harvesting quotas, established based on the original total area, continue despite reductions in supply area, harvesting per unit area will exceed growth and yield, leading to depletion of the target species (Boot & Gullison 1995). Earlier Markegaon forest was well managed hence maximum girth rate of the vegetation with more number of older trees was found, however, in recent times it was disturbed.…”

Review The Ecology, Silviculture, and Use of Tropical Wet Forests with Special Emphasis on Timber Rich Types

“…Studies have shown that in combination net present values can double or even triple with NTFPs often providing the majority of income (Peters et al 1989a, b;Godoy et al 1993;Boot and Gullison 1995;Ashton et al 2001b). Regional examples are provided in the following sections.…”

Developing a framework for growth modelling in a managed southern black beech forest

“…Longterm vegetation monitoring through permanent plots is widely used to provide an insight into regeneration behaviour and vegetation dynamics as well as growth and mortality patterns (Bakker et al 1996). Data from permanent plots allow study of the effects of many factors on tree growth through mathematical models, providing useful tools for forest management (Alder 1995;Boot and Gullison 1995;Alder 2002). In this study, we use data from permanent sample plots in a mono-specific black beech forest (Fuscospora solandri (Hook.f.)…”