The Impact of Community-Based Forest Management on Local People around the Forest: Case Study in Forest Management Unit Bogor, Indonesia

Fajar, Nugraha Cahya,Kim, Joon Soon Institute of Forest Science 2019 Journal of Forest Science Vol.35 No.2

The issue of sustainable forest management (SFM) continues to emerge as part of the REDD+ mechanism mitigation efforts. Especially for some developing countries, such as Indonesia, forest management is required to provide benefits to the welfare of local communities in addition to forest conservation efforts. This study aims to identify the economic, social, and environmental impacts of community-based forest management (CBFM) implementation activities, which is one of the implementations of SFM at field level. The primary objectives were to find out the impacts of CBFM activities based on local people's perceptions and to identify what factors need to be considered to increase local people's satisfaction on CBFM activities. The data from 6 sub-villages was derived through surveys with local people involved in CBFM activities, interviews with a key informant, and supported by secondary data. The results of the study state that CBFM activities have increased the local people's income as well as their welfare, strengthening the local institution, and help to resolve conflicts in the study area. CBFM has also been successful in protecting forests by rehabilitating unproductive lands and increase forest cover area. By using binary logistic regression analysis, it found that income, business development opportunities, access to forests, conflict resolution, institutional strengthening, and forest rehabilitation variable significantly affected the local people's satisfaction of CBFM activities.

Pattern of Species Distribution along Environmental Variables in Two Different Forest Beat of Raghunandan Reserve Forest of Habiganj

Hosen, Md. Shahadat,Ahamed, Md. Saleh Institute of Forest Science 2017 Journal of Forest Science Vol.33 No.4

The study has piloted to find the Pattern of species distribution along environmental variables and disturbance in Raghunandan Reserve Forest. Shaltila and Shahapur beat of Raghunandan Hill Reserve Forest are situated in Chunarughat sub-district of Habiganj district between $24^{\circ}5^{\prime}-24^{\circ}10^{\prime}N$ and $91^{\circ}25^{\prime}-91^{\circ}30^{\prime}E$ under the Sylhet Forest Division. The Environmental variable and vegetation data were collected from 30 sample plots from each forest beat by using arbitrary sampling without preconceived bias. 51 species were found from Shaltila and 34 species found in Shahapur forest beat. Thus the dataset continued with total 85 species in 60 samples. To determine the relationships between tree species distribution and environmental variables, Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) ordination method were performed separately for two forest beat. In CCA ordination, tree species showed significant variation along environmental gradients in terms of soil organic matter and disturbances (p<0.05) in the case of Shaltila forest. Potassium has a significant relationship with axis 1 and axis 2 in this forest. But Shahapur forest showed no significant relationship between species and environmental variables. Phosphorus has a significantly negative relationship with axis 2 in this forest. Disturbance played as a critical role of this forest thus influencing the distribution of species. The study showed that the distributions of tree species are strongly influenced by disturbance and organic matter in Shaltila and Shahapur forest beat showed no significant relationship between species and environmental variables. Future research should be included more environmental variables with larger study area that identify the most important environmental forces which will drive by species distribution findings in this forest.

Assessment of Carbon Stock in Chronosequence Rehabilitated Tropical Forest Stands in Malaysia

Kueh, Roland Jui Heng,Majid, Nik Muhamad,Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna,Gandaseca, Seca Institute of Forest Science 2016 Journal of Forest Science Vol.32 No.3

The loss and degradation in tropical forest region are some of the current global concern. Hence, these issues elevated the role of rehabilitated forests in providing ecological products and services. The information on the carbon stock is important in relation to global carbon and biomass use, but lacking from the tropical region. This paper reports the assessment of tree and soil carbon stock in a chronosequence rehabilitated tropical forest stands in Malaysia. The study site was at the UPM-Mitsubishi Forest Rehabilitation Project, UPMKB. $20{\times}20m$ plot was established each and assessed in 2009 at 1-, 10- and 19-year-old sites while an adjacent ${\pm}23-year-old$ natural regenerating secondary forest plot was established for comparison. The overall total carbon stock was in the order of 19-year-old>${\pm}23-year-old$>10-year-old>1-year-old. When forest carbon stock is low, the soil component plays an important role in the carbon storage. The forest carbon recovery is crucial to increase soil carbon stock. The variations in the carbon stock showed the different stages of the forest recovery. Species survived after 19-years of planting are potential species for carbon sequestration activities in rehabilitated forest. Human intervention in rehabilitating degraded forest areas through tree planting initiatives is crucial towards recovering the forest ecological role especially in forest carbon stock capacity.

Estimation of the Forest Stand Volumes from Forest Inventory Data Based on Synthetic Estimation Method: A Case of the Economic Forest in Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

Seo, Hwan seok,Park, Jeong mook,Lee, Jung soo Institute of Forest Science 2016 Journal of Forest Science Vol.32 No.2

This study aims to estimate the forest volumes of the economic forest in Gangwon Province of Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as Gangwon) through the synthetic estimation. To estimate the forest volume, Stratified systematic sampling method was used along with the forest type maps and the $5^{th}$ National Forest Inventory data. The synthetic estimation includes sample plots of the expanded areas as well as those of the target area, and the forest volume of economic forest in every city and county throughout Gangwon. Results show that the average forest volume calculated by synthetic estimation was $159.6m^3/ha$ in national economic forest and $129.6m^3/ha$ in private economic forest. The total forest volume of the national economic forest was approximately $59.45million\;m^3$, which was $20.18million\;m^3$ higher than that of the private economic forest. On the other hands, the standard error of the national economic forest was approximately ${\pm}2.21m^3/ha$, which was ${\pm}0.30m^3/ha$ lower than that of the private economic forest. The lowest standard errors was about ${\pm}3.12 m^3/ha$ in broad-leaved forest, followed by ${\pm}4.33m^3/ha$ of mixed forest, and ${\pm}5.78m^3/ha$ of coniferous forest.

Fuel Management and Experimental Wildfire Effects on Forest Structure, Tree Mortality and Soil Chemistry in Tropical Dry Forests in Ghana

Barnes, Victor R,Swaine, Mike D,Pinard, Michelle A,Kyereh, Boateng Institute of Forest Science 2017 Journal of Forest Science Vol.33 No.3

The effects of application of fuel-reduction treatment in wildfire management has not been tested in dry forests of Ghana. Therefore, the short-term ecological effects of prescribed burning and hand thinning treatments followed by experimental wildfire were investigated in degraded forests and Tectona grandis forest plantations in two forest reserves of different levels of dryness in Ghana. The results showed that more trees were killed in prescribed burning (average of 41% in degraded forest and 18% in plantations) than hand thinning (7.2% in degraded forests and 8% in plantation). More tree seedlings were also killed in prescribed burning (72%) than hand thinning (47%). The mortality of trees and seedlings were greater in Worobong South forest, a less dry forest reserve than the Afram Headwaters forest, a drier forest reserve. Fuel treatment especially prescribed burning compared to the control reduced wildfire effects on forest canopy particularly in the less dry forest and tree mortality especially in the drier forest. Prescribed burning temporarily increased pH, exchangeable potassium (52%) and available phosphorus (82%) in the surface soils of the entire plots. The two fuel treatment methods did not have much influence on basal area, organic matter and total nitrogen. Nevertheless, they were able to reduce the adverse wildfire effects on soil pH, exchangeable potassium, available phosphorus, organic matter and total nitrogen concentrations. Fuel treatments therefore have potential application in dry forest management in Ghana due to their ability to retain important forest ecological traits after a wildfire incidence.

The Ecological Characteristics of Classified Forest Cover Types in the Natural Forest of Sobaeksan

Lim, Seon-Mi,Kim, Ji Hong Institute of Forest Science 2015 Journal of Forest Science Vol.31 No.2

This study was conducted to evaluate the ecological characteristics of forest cover types which were classified by cluster analysis in the natural forest of Sobaeksan on the basis of the vegetation data from the point-quarter sampling method. Recognized forest cover types were 1) Mixed mesophytic forest, 2) Taxus cuspidata forest, 3) Fraxinus rhynchophylla-Quercus mongolica forest, 4) Betula ermanii forest, 5) Pinus densiflora forest, 6) Quercus mongolica mixed forest, and 7) Quercus mongolica pure forest. For those of classified types, the species composition was expressed by importance value (IV) to describe the community floristically. The species diversity was quantified using the Shannon's diversity index. The results showed that the forest cover types were characteristically different from one another in growing species and compositional rates, depending upon the type which was formed by a number of similar vegetational sample points. Species diversity indices (H') of total and overstory both were the highest in the mixed mesophytic forest (3.530 and 2.880, respectively), and lowest in the Q. mongolica pure forest (2.122 and 0.000, respectively) with only one canopy species. The highest species diversity in the mixed mesophytic forest may due to the relatively high species richness and evenness in the forest cover types. The description on ecological characteristics were suggested to understand the formation and development of forest cover types in this study area.

Altitudinal Variation in Species Composition and Soil Properties of Banj Oak and Chir Pine Dominated Forests

Kumar, Munesh,Singh, Harpal,Bhat, Jahangeer A.,Rajwar, G.S. Institute of Forest Science 2013 Journal of Forest Science Vol.29 No.1

The study was carried out in two different forest types viz., Banj oak and Chir pine forests to assess the variation in forest species composition and soil properties along altitudinal gradients in the Garhwal Himalayas. The results of the study showed that between the forests soil moisture was higher in Banj oak forest because of closed canopy and dense forest compared to Chir pine forest. The sand particles were reported higher in Banj oak forest which might be due to the addition of organic matter favouring coarse structure of soil, helping in holding maximum water in soils. However in the Chir pine forest low amount of soil organic matter and presence of clayey soil, develops soil compactness which reduces the penetration of water resulting in high soil bulk density. The higher accumulation of litter and presence of moisture in Banj oak forest favours higher nutrient level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to Chir pine forest. The soil organic carbon also reduced with increasing altitude at both gradients. While bulk density has reverse trend with soil organic carbon in both the forests at different peaks of same region. In Banj oak forest, the highest density and total basal cover was reported 1,100 tree $ha^{-1}$ and 58.86 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. However, the highest values of density and total basal cover of Chir pine forest was 560 tree$ha^{-1}$ and 56.94 $m^2\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. The total density and basal cover of both the forests reduced with increasing altitude. The study concludes that Banj oak forest has better nutrient cycling ability, well developed foest floor and has a greater protective and productive features compared to the Chir pine forest which is without lower vegetation cover and having only pine litter accumulation which does not allow any other species to grow.

Vegetation Type Effects on Nutrient Status and Stoichiometry of the Forest Floor in Southern Korea

Choonsig Kim,Nam Jin Noh Institute of Forest Science 2024 Journal of Forest Science Vol.40 No.1

Quantitative evaluation of nutrient status and stoichiometry on the forest floor is a good indicator of litter quality in various vegetation types. This study was conducted to determine the effects of vegetation type on the nutrient concentration and stoichiometry of forest floors at a regional scale. Forest floor samples were collected from four vegetation types of evergreen coniferous forests including Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, evergreen broadleaf, and bamboo spp. forests in southern Korea. The dry weight of the forest floor was higher in the C. japonica and C. obtusa forests than in the evergreen broadleaf and bamboo forests. The mean carbon (C) concentrations of the forest floor were highest in the broadleaf forest, followed by the bamboo forest, C. japonica and C. obtusa forests. Mean nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations in the the coniferous forests were lower than those in the broadleaf and bamboo forests. The mean C:N ratio was the highest in C. obtusa forest (118±25), followed by C. japonica (66±6), evergreen broadleaf (41±1), and bamboo (30±1) forests. However, C:P and N:P ratios were lower in the coniferous forests than in the broadleaf forest indicating that the stoichiometry of the forest floor varies across vegetation types. The C, N, and P stocks on the forest floor were higher in the C. obtusa forest than in the broadleaf or bamboo forests. These results highlight that vegetation type-dependent stoichiometric ratio is an useful indicator for understanding interspecific difference in quality and quantity of the forest floor.

Perspective on Forest Conservation: A Case Study of Community at Gana Resettlement and Integrated Development Project (GRID), Sabah, Malaysia

Yahya, Hardawati,Idrus, Roszehan Mohd.,Talib, Hamimah,Fong, Eunice Institute of Forest Science 2012 Journal of Forest Science Vol.28 No.3

This study was carried out in Gana Resettlement and Integrated Development (GRID) Project as a pioneer model for Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) in Sabah, Malaysia. The GRID project is developed to improve community livelihood as well as to promote community involvement in CBFM and at the same time to lessen community encroachment and traditional farming practices inside the forest conservation area. The objectives of this study are: (i) to identify the dependency of local community on forest resources; (ii) to examine local community's roles in conserving forest resources and, (iii) to analyze their views on GRID project in conserving forest. Interviews were conducted with randomly selected 130 households at the GRID project using semi structured questionnaires comprising closed and open-ended questions. The study reveals that community dependency on forest resources have lessened after the resettlement of the GRID project. The community shows positive perspective on their contribution for conserving the forest resources. However, the community's willingness to contribute as well as their real contribution can be further improved. The study recommends the government to create more effective training and relevant activities to improve the livelihood of community as well as to increase their positive perception on forest conservation efforts. Further research to strengthen the relationship between local community and forest governance through forest conservation is also recommended.

Forest Fire Risk Zonation in Madi Khola Watershed, Nepal

Jeetendra Gautam Institute of Forest Science 2024 Journal of Forest Science Vol.40 No.1

Fire, being primarily a natural phenomenon, is impossible to control, although it is feasible to map the forest fire risk zone, minimizing the frequency of fires. The spread of a fire starting in any stand in a forest can be predicted, given the burning conditions. The natural cover of the land and the safety of the population may be threatened by the spread of forest fires; thus, the prevention of fire damage requires early discovery. Satellite data and geographic information system (GIS) can be used effectively to combine different forest-fire-causing factors for mapping the forest fire risk zone. This study mainly focuses on mapping forest fire risk in the Madikhola watershed. The primary causes of forest fires appear to be human negligence, uncontrolled fire in nearby forests and agricultural regions, and fire for pastoral purposes which were used to evaluate and assign risk values to the mapping process. The majority of fires, according to MODIS events, occurred from December to April, with March recording the highest occurrences. The Risk Zonation Map, which was prepared using LULC, Forest Type, Slope, Aspect, Elevation, Road Proximity, and Proximity to Water Bodies, showed that a High Fire Risk Zone comprised 29% of the Total Watershed Area, followed by a Moderate Risk Zone, covering 37% of the total area. The derived map products are helpful to local forest managers to minimize fire risks within the forests and take proper responses when fires break out. This study further recommends including the fuel factor and other fire-contributing factors to derive a higher resolution of the fire risk map.