[IUFRO Div 1] Re: New publication on sustainability

Dear all, I am happy to share with you this new article titled “Sustained Timber Yield Claims, Considerations, and Tradeoffs for Selectively Logged Forests” in PNAS Nexus, the open-access on-line journal of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.  In this paper we explore the many meanings of sustainability in reference to timber. cheers *ABSTRACT* What is meant by sustainability depends onwhat is sustained and atwhat level. Sustainable forest management, for example, requires maintenance of a variety of values not the least ofwhich is sustained timber yields (STYs). For the 1 Bha of theworld’s forests subjected to selective or partial logging, failure to maintain yields can be hidden by regulatory requirements and questionable auditing practices such as increasing the number of commercial species with each harvest, reducing the minimum size at which trees can be harvested and accepting logs of lower quality. For assertions of STY to be credible, clarity is needed about all these issues, as well as about the associated ecological and economic tradeoffs. Lack of clarity about sustainability heightens risks of unsubstantiated claims and unseen losses. STY is possible but often requires cutting cycles that are longer and logging intensities that are lower than prescribed by law, as well as effective use of low-impact logging practices and application of silvicultural treatments to promote timber stock recovery.These departures frombusiness-as-usual practices will lower profit margins but generally benefit biodiversity and ecosystem services. Keywords: forest management, natural climate solutions, nature based solutions, climate change mitigation, timber growth and yield -- Plinio Sist Cirad-ES, Directeur-Director UR Forêts et Sociétés Tropical managed Forests Observatory (TmFO) Coordinator IUFRO 1.02.00 Silviculture of tropical forests Campus International de Baillarguet, TA C-105/D 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5 France Tél : +33 4 67 59 39 13 Tel.Portable/Mobile Phone: +33 786 3289 46 http://ur-forets-societes.cirad.fr/