Dear Meliaceae Working Perty:
This publication may be of interest.
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 7:04 AM
Subject: IUFRO NEWS 8, 2017
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO News]
Issue 8/2017
IUFRO NEWS 8, 2017
Dear IUFRO Officeholder:
We are happy to present to you issue 8 of IUFRO News 2017, volume 46. The
newsletter is also available for download as a PDF or Word file at:
http://www.iufro.org/publications/news/electronic-news/.
You are welcome to pass on this newsletter to your colleagues!
To find out more about IUFRO, just visit www.iufro.org and follow our blog
http://blog.iufro.org/, Twitter: @iufro <http://twitter.com/IUFRO> and
IUFRO Facebook entries <https://www.facebook.com/iufro>.
See you at the IUFRO 125th Anniversary Week next week in Freiburg, Germany!
Many sessions will be streamed live. If you cannot be in Freiburg, make
sure to tune in!
Find latest Congress information here: http://iufro2017.com/
Enjoy the read!
Alexander Buck
*IUFRO Executive Director IUFRO News is widely distributed among IUFRO
Members, officeholders and other interested groups. If you would like to
publish in IUFRO News, contribute to the IUFRO website content or promote a
publication via IUFRO Spotlight, do not hesitate to contact us at IUFRO
Headquarters: office(a)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> *
*The Science in Dialogue Plenary Sessions at the IUFRO 125th Anniversary
Congress: A Unique Platform for Interaction between Scientists and
Stakeholders*
The four sessions where "Science meets Policy", "Science meets Business",
"Science meets Stakeholders" and "Science meets Science" on 19 and 20
September 2017 will be major highlights of this Congress. Make sure to be
there or follow on live stream. *More*
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26767>…
*Sub-plenary sessions at the IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress*
Eight sub-plenary Congress sessions from 20-22 September 2017 at
13:30-15:00 will focus on topical issues such as communication, future
forests and forest governance and showcase the work of IUFRO Divisions 3,
4, 6, 7 and 9. *More* <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26766>…
*The IUFRO-EFI Young Scientists' Initiative Launch*
The Young Scientists' Initiative is the latest of many collaborations
between IUFRO and the European Forest Institute (EFI). This initiative has
been established to equip young forest-related researchers with the skills
and experience necessary to address the unique problems they will encounter
in this fast changing environment. It will be launched in Freiburg on
Thursday, 21 September 2017, at 12:00 - 12:45 in the Konzerthaus (room K
2-4). *More* <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26765>…
*Forest Products for the Future*
The forest sector is among the leaders in sustainability, diversification,
and innovation, and the theme of the 2017 IUFRO All-Division 5 Conference
was: "Forest Sector Innovations for a Greener Future". This
Innovation/Sustainability theme was the basis for the week-long conference
and guided the agenda through a series of plenary sessions that catalysed
discussion on what the future forest products sector might look like. *More*
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26764>…
*Promoting Sustainable Resources from Plantations for Economic Growth and
Community Benefits*
The conference was jointly organized by the IUFRO Working Party 2.08.07 on
Genetics and Silviculture of Acacia and Indonesia Forestry Researchers of
FORDA (Research Development and Innovation Agency of the Ministry of
Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia). It discussed progress and
development of various research related to plantation issues. *More*
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26763>…
*Productivity and Safety of Final Cutting on Mountain Forests*
This Joint Regional Meeting was supported by IUFRO Division 3 and the Japan
Forest Engineering Society, and was co-sponsored by Ehime and Kochi
Universities, Ehime and Kochi Prefectures, Forestry Agency, Shikoku Branch
of Forest and Forest Products Research Institute. *More*
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26762>…
*Publications*
*IUFRO Task Force on Forests, Soil and Water Contributed to Special Issue
of "Ecosistemas"*
A brief special issue supported by the Task Force has been released in the
journal Ecosistemas (in Spanish), with papers from Spain, Colombia and
Mexico.
*More Publications* <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6543#c26761>…
*Other Information*
Fellowships <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6518#c26531>
Positions <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6518#c26530>
IUFRO Meetings <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6518#c26527>
Other Meetings <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=6518#c26526>
*IUFRO Website Features*
IUFRO Blog <http://blog.iufro.org/>
Noticeboard <http://www.iufro.org/?id=95>
Proceedings Archive <http://www.iufro.org/?id=75>
Scientific Summaries <http://www.iufro.org/?id=79>
RSS Feeds <http://www.iufro.org/?id=3745>
Newsletter Archive <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=147>
*IUFRO News 8*
*, 2017, published in September 2017by IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna,
Austria.Available for download
at: http://www.iufro.org/publications/news/electronic-news/
<http://www.iufro.org/publications/news/electronic-news/>Contact the editor
at office(at)iufro.org <http://iufro.org> or visit www.iufro.org
<http://www.iufro.org/> <http://www.iufro.org/> If you do not wish to
receive IUFRO News, please send us a short note by e-mail
(office(at)iufro.org <http://iufro.org>).Imprint: www.iufro.org/legal/
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c10402> <http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c10402>*
Dear Meliaceae working party:
For those who are going to the IUFRO 2017 Congress in Freiburg, Germany,
the following events on tropical forests and the Meliaceae may be of
interest:. Please pass this information on to others who might be attending.
Thanks,
Sheila Ward
*Some sessions on tropical forests at IUFRO 2017 Freiburg, Germany*
MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2017
12:45 – 13:45 KG I - 1139 (University Freiburg),
Side Event
BM 8 *International Society of Tropical Foresters Business Meeting*
Organizer Ward S. (Puerto Rico)
After a five year hiatus, the International Society of Tropical Foresters
(ISTF) is being reactivated. This group aims to connect all who are
interested in international tropical forestry, from the forester and
conservationist in the field to government, industry, NGOs, and academia.
All are invited to attend the business meeting to discuss strategies for
forming the new ISTF.
MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2017
20:00 – 21:30 KG I - 1015 (University Freiburg)
Side Events
BM 9 *Tropical Forest Datasets Networking Meeting*
Organizer Ward S. (Puerto Rico)
For this networking session, we welcome participants who are interested in
orphaned tropical forest datasets. We are trying to locate these data sets,
which are scattered among different institutions and individuals. Some of
the data are available only on paper, some are digitized but in old
formats, and some are still undiscovered. These data sets may become lost
and with them our ability to assess historical changes that can inform
research and policy development for land use change and landscape
resilience. If you can help us in locating information on such datasets, or
are interested in the topic, please come to the session.
TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2017
20:00 – 21:00 KG I - 1134 (University Freiburg)
BM 6 Meliaceae Working Party Business Meeting (IUFRO Working Group 1.02.04)
Organizer Ward S. (Puerto Rico)
This Working Party serves as a forum for the exchange of information on the
sustainable management and genetic resources of Meliaceae, particularly the
Swietenioideae, for all interested parties and countries. All are welcome
to help us plan future doings.
WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2017
15:30 – 17:30 KG I - Aula (University Freiburg)
Theme 3: Forests and Forest-Based Products for a Greener Future
303 T3 - *Research Advances for the Meliaceae*
Organizer Ward S. (Puerto Rico)
3263 Patterns of pollen- and seed-mediated gene flow in three rain forest
timber species from the Entandrophagma genus (Melicaeae), F.S. Monthe
Kameni, J. Duminil , J.-L. Doucet, J. Loo, O.J. Hardy
1110 Selection of seed sources - a crucial factor for effective
conservation of genetic resources of Melia dubia, Warrier R. (India)
2604 Survival and growth of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) 20 years after
planting in Mexico's community forests: effects of silvicultural
treatments, Snook L. (Italy)
185 Genetic trials of mahogany and Spanish cedar in Quintana Roo, Mexico
after almost 20 years, Ward S. (Puerto Rico)
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #52 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Tue, Aug 29, 2017 at 12:34 PM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #52: Building on tradition to
plan for the future of forests
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #52: Building on tradition to plan
for the future of forests
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Building on tradition to plan for the future of forests*
PDF for download
<https://www.iufro.org/download/file/27186/6530/anniversary-congress-spotlig…>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18564&md5=9989a7394c…>
*A 3D machine vision technology developed to detect and measure tree
characteristics real-time during thinning operations. (Credit: Lucas Wells,
Oregon State University)*
"We're trying to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater," said Dr.
Jens Peter Skovsgaard of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in
Alnarp, Sweden.
He was speaking about forestry operations and research and how change can
be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Dr. Skovsgaard is coordinator of
a session entitled: *Forestry "Classic" for the Future*, at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany in September.
"We want to re-examine the traditional role and practice of forestry from
the perspectives of modern engineering technology and current environmental
and social demands on forests and forest products," said Dr. Woodam Chung,
Department of Forest Engineering, Management and Resources at Oregon State
University, USA. Dr. Chung will moderate the "Classic" session at the
IUFRO Congress.
To that end, the session will discuss contemporary and future-oriented
research on the use of "classic" forest management practices aimed at
developing new, modern aspects of traditional production forestry.
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18565&md5=bc6883e148…>
*Increment "autograph" by J. Friedrich, Austria, 1905.*
"We learn from past forest practices, but also plan for the future while
focusing on the present," said Dr. Chung. "It is important to share and
learn the state-of-the-art technologies in each discipline in forestry and
apply them across all forestry activities – from silviculture and genetics
to forest harvesting and products – to fully realize the benefits of new
technologies."
In addition to focusing on tangible classic products such as wood, the
session will also look at potentially new or future-oriented products –
bioenergy and bio-based products such as biofuels, ethanol, bio-based
adhesives, etc. – and products for human health promotion, food production
and pharmaceutical drugs.
Both scientists believe classic practices must continue to change.
As an example of how a practice might change, Dr. Chung noted that
potential soil and water damages from ground-based forest equipment are big
environmental concerns. Currently, to address those concerns, riparian
management areas are set aside and-or timber harvesting is restricted.
"However," he said, "recent development of sensors and remote sensing
technologies allow soil property and conditions to be measured at a high
spatial resolution and incorporated into skid trail network planning,
allowing machine paths to be avoided or reduced in wet, unstable or erosion
prone areas."
"Most operational forestry activities are carried out to provide economic
revenue, but it is also a basic principle of sustainable forest management
to safeguard the forest for future generations," said Dr. Skovsgaard. "For
this reason, forestry often considers conversion or transformation or
adaptation of past or current silvicultural practices towards something
‘better', something we believe will be better tailored towards future
demands, future climatic conditions, etc."
But, Dr. Skovsgaard said, new methods and technologies are generally being
imported to forestry rather than developed directly for forestry. This
means they often need to be adapted and "this process is often limited by
the small scale– when compared to other industries or professions – of
forestry, because it does not pay, or because we don't have enough volume
to fully implement new methods."
"We should be researching and developing our own tools, our own solutions,"
he said. "Right now, in many cases forestry can't afford the cost of
adaptation."
As an example, he noted that eye operations are being performed using laser
technology. "If or when laser technology is modified so that we can use the
technology to prune branches on future crop trees, it could greatly lower
production costs. But at this time, it is prohibitively expensive to adapt
laser technologies for this purpose," he said.
He suggested two possible solutions to this issue: if large forest
companies took on the responsibility for developing new technologies and
making them available to smaller forests owners at reasonable cost; and-or
if small-scale innovation companies or inventors did the development,
provided their idea or product could be viably commercialized.
But the main thing, Dr. Skovsgaard reiterated, is to get people thinking
about how existing operational forest-related techniques, approaches and
philosophies might be tweaked rather than jettisoned, to better serve
future forest needs.
Dr. Chung added: "Unique and different forest practices were developed in
different regions based on their traditions, culture and needs. Although we
can learn tremendously from other regions, sharing knowledge and experience
across the globe is somewhat limited. The role of IUFRO and this IUFRO
Congress address that very challenge."
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forestry "Classic" session in Freiburg will be one of
172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing with
various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th Anniversary
Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #52, published in August 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #51 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 24, 2017 at 1:46 AM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #51: Pooling resources to
meet sub-Saharan forest challenges
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #51: Pooling resources to meet
sub-Saharan forest challenges
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Pooling resources to meet sub-Saharan forest challenges*
PDF for download
<https://www.iufro.org/download/file/27092/6527/anniversary-congress-spotlig…>
*Training workshops for early and mid-career forest scientists across
FORNESSA countries contribute to enhancing research competence and
networking. (Photo by Michael Kleine, IUFRO)*
Collaboration and cooperation are the keys to facilitating learning and
making better use of research outcomes in sub-Saharan African countries
facing severe forestry challenges.
That's the philosophy behind Dr. Joseph Cobbinah's upcoming session on
the *impact
of forestry research on policy, livelihoods and economic development in
sub-Saharan Africa*. The session will take place at the IUFRO 125th
Congress in Freiburg in September.
Dr. Cobbinah, of the CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, is also
coordinator of the session. The session will provide a platform for
sharing knowledge and experience on common challenges and for discussing
measures and approaches to accelerate cooperation. It will allow
researchers from member institutions to present research outcomes that have
impacted policy, livelihoods and economic development in the region, he
said.
"Forest research, when properly designed managed and utilized, can play a
vital role in the formulation and implementation of SFM policies, improve
livelihoods and contribute to national GDPs," Dr. Cobbinah said.
In the sub-Saharan region of Africa in recent years, climate change has
caused specific, noticeable challenges, he said. "Due largely to erratic
rainfall patterns, soil moisture deficits have had major negative impacts
on forests and people in terms of forest growth, pests and diseases, food
security and basic health."
He went on to emphasize the importance of cooperation. "Ecological zones
often cut across national boundaries. Different countries may have common
ecological challenges. The rain forests of Central Africa, as an example,
are shared by a number of countries, as is the Miombo forest of the South
Eastern Region of Africa.
"Countries within these specific enclaves tend to have similar ecological,
social and economic challenges. In a region where institutions are
generally under-resourced, networking and cooperation allow for focusing
the minds of a critical mass of experts on common problems. It can avoid
duplication of efforts, act as a catalyst for the generation of knowledge,
facilitate collective learning, and allow the sharing of technology
development costs," he added.
Dr. Cobbinah says to make the most of the situation, there is a need to
change the way research is conducted. He feels that currently there is
often a lack of connection between the researchers, forest managers and
policy makers and the local communities, which are the direct beneficiaries
of the research.
He is hopeful his session will provide a pathway to better understand how
forest research results feed into policy decisions, contribute to economic
development and affect livelihoods in the region and also help rejuvenate
the FORNESSA (Forest Research Network for Sub-Saharan Africa) network.
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18504&md5=0e47077333…>
*Meeting of Directors of FORNESSA institutions to discuss strategic issues
of research priorities, collaboration and funding. (Photo by FRIM, Malawi)*
The network, a non-profit, non-governmental scientific organization, aims
to support and strengthen forestry research in order to improve the
conservation, sustainable management and utilization of forest resources
throughout the region.
Several issues have, in Dr. Cobbinah's opinion, hampered the network's
progress. Among them, he mentions a weak to non-existent IT infrastructure
in some institutions; uneven institutional development (many forest
researchers operate within agricultural institutes where their activities
are overshadowed by agriculture research); funding support that is weak in
some areas; and also language issues involved in dealing with scientists
from different colonial (Anglophone, Francophone and Portuguese)
backgrounds.
While he does not view the IUFRO Congress as a panacea, "it should help us
identify areas for collaboration and cooperation, allow us to share
information and be a step toward reinvigorating our network," Dr. Cobbinah
said.
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The sub-Saharan Africa session in Freiburg will be one of 172
scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing with
various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th Anniversary
Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #51, published in August 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #50 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 2:46 AM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #50: Filling in knowledge
gaps about natural disturbances and their interactions in
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #50: Filling in knowledge gaps about
natural disturbances and their interactions in mountain forests
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Filling in knowledge gaps about natural disturbances and their
interactions in mountain forests*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/27088/6523/anniversary-congress-spotligh…>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18502&md5=833003b578…>
*Forest fire in protection forest. (Photo U. Wasem/WSL)*
In mountainous terrain they are called protection forests – forests that
protect human settlements and infrastructure against natural disturbances
such as rockfall, snow avalanche and shallow landslides.
Natural disturbances are becoming more and more important drivers in many
mountain chains worldwide, mainly because of past land-use legacies. But
also, under climate change, the incidence of some natural disturbances is
increasing.
These disturbances and their interactions can threaten human life and
property and can compromise the protection function of mountain forests.
"Certainly we have learned a fair amount in terms of understanding and
quantifying protection functions and disturbance interactions, but
knowledge gaps remain," said Dr. Peter Bebi of WSL-Institute for Snow and
Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland.
Dr. Bebi, who is coordinating a session entitled: *Natural hazards and
disturbance interactions in mountain forests* at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary in Freiburg in September, said some of the more important gaps
are related to management interventions associated with natural
disturbances such as windthrow, fire or beetle outbreaks.
"These can dramatically and abruptly change forest structure and function,
individually or through their interactions," he said. "It is crucial to
better understand how disturbances interact and how these interactions
affect gravitational natural hazards in different forest types.
"At this point," he continued, "we actually have little experience related
to interactions between gravitational natural hazards and other natural
disturbances in forests and related cascading processes."
As an example of interactions, he notes that a gravitational natural hazard
like an avalanche will leave a track down a mountainside. That avalanche
track may interact with another type of natural disturbance such as a
wildfire, by acting as a firebreak and retarding the fire's spread. But
with climate change, wildfires are increasing, so a better understanding of
how these two disturbances – as well as other types of gravitational and
non-gravitational disturbances – interact is critical to good management.
He anticipates his session will deal with four main points of discussion:
- The effect of different forest structural characteristics (including
different development stages, tree species composition and terrain
roughness) on natural hazard processes and how these characteristics change
over time;
- Ways and means to better quantify and account for the effect of such
forest characteristics;
- How the forest characteristics that are responsible for providing
protection function are affected by disturbances and their interactions; and
- The management implications that can be deduced from recent findings
on natural hazard processes in forested terrain and from expected changes
in forest structures and disturbance regimes in mountain forests.
"The future management of mountain forest ecosystems has to take into
account the important, and potentially increasing, influence of natural
disturbances," Dr. Bebi said. "It is not possible and, from an ecological
perspective, also not desirable to impede these natural disturbances.
However, where the protection of forests against natural hazards is
threatened by disturbances, management may focus on reducing risks and
increasing the resilience of these forests.
"This can be achieved by disturbance management that allows forests to
adapt to future environmental conditions and by counteracting the growing
biomass and reduced fragmentation," he said.
As examples of important mitigation measures, he suggested increasing
terrain roughness and resilience after natural disturbances by the
fostering of advance regeneration in combination with remaining dead woody
debris and setting up forest fire management plans in areas that have
protection forests where fires have not occurred for a long time but will
be more likely to happen in the future.
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forest Landowner Research session in Freiburg will be one
of 172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing
with various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #50, published in August 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #49 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 2:46 AM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #49: Citizen scientists
around the world take to the woods in an effort to improve
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #49: Citizen scientists around the
world take to the woods in an effort to improve the health of forests
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Citizen scientists around the world take to the woods in an effort to
improve the health of forests*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/27084/6522/anniversary-congress-spotligh…>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18501&md5=2f23f3a645…>
*Involving the public in the scientific process is a primary objective.
(Photo Pixabay)*
The coordinator of a session on citizen science planned for the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress is aiming high.
He hopes the session will inspire discussion about the merit and potential
of a global initiative on invasive forest pest monitoring, with special
emphasis and resources for countries with developing economies.
The focus is on invasive species because people are major drivers of their
spread. Consumer demand drives globalization and the international trade
in ornamental plants, which is a major contributor to the invasive problem.
"There are simply not enough scientists studying invasive forest pests and
pathogens, especially in much of the world with developing economies," said
Joseph Hulbert, of the Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute in
Pretoria, South Africa and the session coordinator. "The more observers and
forest protectors we have, the better chance we have of detecting a new
problem early enough to control it.
Citizen science is a growing phenomenon because it is increasingly
recognized as a method to facilitate research at broad scales with
relatively low costs and it provides an avenue for outreach and education.
Scientists are now designing projects and studies that completely rely on
public participation. There are many citizen science projects globally,
but there are not many global initiatives, Hulbert noted. He is hopeful the
Congress session will change that.
"There is exceptional merit in engaging the public in invasive species
monitoring, but citizen science is about more than that," he said.
"Involving the public in the scientific process is a primary objective.
Participating in research teaches us rigor, thoughtfulness, thoroughness,
and care. Engaging the public in research can increase scientific literacy,
foster critical thinking, inform more decisions, and improve citizenship.
"Everyone has a little bit of scientist in them. It is why we are curious.
Citizen science initiatives are opportunities to release that inner
scientist," Hulbert added.
As an example of how citizen science works and its benefits, he points to
the Observatree project in the UK where, in 2016 many volunteers surveyed
and submitted pest and disease reports. Of 800 reports submitted, 300
turned up priority tree pests and diseases.
Models of citizen science, from the UK, Europe, the US, New Zealand and
South Africa will converge and share their experiences and methods of
public engagement using the Congress as a showcase.
Many of the presentations will speak of the different audiences they engage
and will explain how citizens – adults and children – are provided with
basic training enabling them to be effective observers, how they are
equipped with the knowledge to collect data, report issues or take action.
The title of the session is "*Early detection and monitoring of invasive
forest pests and pathogens with citizen science*".
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forest Landowner Research session in Freiburg will be one
of 172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing
with various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #49, published in August 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #48 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 4, 2017 at 2:46 AM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #48: Forest tourism can mean
billions in economic benefits
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #48: Forest tourism can mean
billions in economic benefits
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Forest tourism can mean billions in economic benefits*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/27078/6521/anniversary-congress-spotligh…>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18500&md5=630dceec3d…>
*Tourism and recreation should receive just as much thought, science, and
funding as other forest uses. (Photo Pixabay)*
Dr. Taylor Stein of the University of Florida in Gainesville believes "that
any meeting that addresses the management of the world's forests is
incomplete without a focused discussion on tourism."
While there is limited research on the impact of nature-based tourism, Dr.
Stein pointed to a 2007 report from the Center for Responsible Travel that
said nature-based tourism accounted for 7% of the international tourism
market and had a $77 billion impact on the world's economy.
And, he added, surveys of travelers around the world consistently show that
natural attractions (e.g. wildlife) are important reasons for their visits
and they value conservation and protection of environmental quality.
For those reasons, natural resource managers require systematic research
and up-to-date science to better understand how to best integrate tourism
and recreation management into forest management practices, he said.
(The United Nations would seem to be thinking along the same lines as Dr.
Stein. The UN has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable
Tourism for Development.)
Dr. Stein is coordinator of a session on forest tourism to be held at the
IUFRO 125th anniversary congress in Freiburg, Germany in September
entitled: *Nature-based tourism and recreation's role in sustaining forests
and improving people's quality of life*. He expects it to show that good
science is needed to plan and manage for tourism in natural areas.
The socio-ecological system is extremely complex and sustainably planned
tourism requires a good understanding of that system, he said.
"Forest managers and policy makers must recognize that quality nature-based
tourism planning and management can result in a multitude of benefits. If
managers are not even aware of the benefits of recreation and tourism and
only see recreation and tourism as a cost – as many managers currently do –
then we should not be surprised that managing for tourism and recreation is
consistently considered a "new" idea and/or a distraction from "more
important" forest management goals such as timber or restoration," Dr.
Stein said.
He sees platforms such as the IUFRO Congress acting as a catalyst to bring
about a change in thinking. "Meetings like the upcoming IUFRO one can help
make this change occur.
"As more forest professionals see tourism and recreation presented at
scientific meetings, they will learn that this use of the forest should not
be considered a low priority of forest management, but tourism and
recreation should receive just as much thought, science, and funding as
other forest uses," he said.
"Most natural resource professionals entered their fields to focus on
ecology and were not sufficiently trained in the social sciences," he said.
"I think social science classes should be better integrated into natural
resource managers' educations. Specifically, classes on conflict
management, collaboration, communications, and recreation management should
be required of all natural resource professionals."
He believes the presentations on forest tourism to be made at the IUFRO
Congress, will help those professionals realize that "tourism to natural
areas provides billions of dollars to the world's economies. It also helps
to expand support for forests and the conservation of forest ecosystems and
wildlife. And, not unimportantly, it also can empower communities to
conserve and use natural areas in ways they decide," he said.
"Another benefit of tourism as a theme for the IUFRO meeting is that we can
highlight the diversity of tourism thought throughout the world. Different
cultures manage, plan, and think about tourism differently, and IUFRO gives
us an opportunity to highlight this diversity.
"For example, several presentations will discuss community-based tourism in
Mexico, which often manages its land communally, with the community
deciding how tourism will integrate into land management," Dr. Stein said.
"This will contrast with community-based tourism research from the U.S. and
Europe, which takes a more top-down approach to managing public resources."
The session will highlight research that examines how land management
agencies use innovative techniques to incorporate local community residents
into tourism decision-making and also, presentations related to sustainable
and ethical aspects associated with nature-based tourism and recreation.
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forest Landowner Research session in Freiburg will be one
of 172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing
with various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #48, published in August 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #47 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 2:46 AM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #47: Remote forest-dependent
communities can benefit through social innovation
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #47: Remote forest-dependent
communities can benefit through social innovation
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Remote forest-dependent communities can benefit through social innovation*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/26902/5157/anniversary-congress-spotligh…>
*The village of Iza in Transcarpathian Ukraine is famous far beyond the
region's borders for its wicker products. Most villagers are involved in
the business.
ukurier.gov.ua/uk/articles/selo-iza-na-zakarpatti-postachaye-virobi-z-verbi-d/
<http://ukurier.gov.ua/uk/articles/selo-iza-na-zakarpatti-postachaye-virobi-…>*
Many rural forest-dependent communities face similar challenges – lack of
infrastructure, housing, and transport as well as aging populations.
When global issues such as climate change, sustainability, and energy and
food security are added to the mix, the need for solutions to the
challenges becomes much more pressing.
Prof. Maria Nijnik, coordinator of a session to be held at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg in September, sees social innovation that
enhances the sustainable use of forest ecosystem services as one way to
address those challenges.
Social innovation entails new practices targeting new products, services,
models and social relationships and collaborations, as well as new fields
of activity. It is usually described as focusing attention on ideas and
solutions that create social value, as well as the processes through which
they are generated.
Ms Mariana Melnykovych is co-chair of the session, and a PhD student at the
Ukrainian National Forestry University and at the James Hutton Institute in
Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. She gave an example from the Ukrainian Carpathians,
where local farmers have created an association for local sheep cheese
production, along with ecotourism and the promotion of local culture.
Other examples of social innovation identified by the session organizers
include community-owned renewable energy initiatives, social care farming,
local food production, agroforestry, arts and crafts cooperatives, as well
as emissions trading, fair trade, broadband and microfinance.
*Photo source: www.simra-h2020.eu/index.php/2017/05/
<http://www.simra-h2020.eu/index.php/2017/05/>*
"The ecosystem services of forests are especially important to
forest-dependent communities in marginalized rural areas where local
wellbeing can be lower than elsewhere," said Prof. Nijnik, principal
scientist of the James Hutton Institute. Prof. Nijnik is also an IUFRO
officeholder (Working Party on Managerial Economics
<http://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-4/40000/40500/40502/>) and
coordinator of the Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas (
http://www.simra-h2020.eu) project, funded by the European Union Horizon
2020 Research and Innovation Program.
"Forests provide a long list of benefits to people and are vital to
communities. Sustainable use of forest ecosystem services can provide a
substantial contribution to the wellbeing of those communities," she said.
The IUFRO Congress session being organized by Prof. Nijnik and Ms
Melnykovych is entitled "*Ecosystem services and the wellbeing of forest
dependent communities: enhancing social innovation and building resilience
to global changes in remote rural areas*".
"Attention to social innovation and its role in attaining a more
sustainable use of ecosystem services has been rising," said Prof. Nijnik.
"Social innovation is expected to respond to social demands that are
traditionally not addressed by markets or existing institutions."
She noted that social innovations can include the creation of new
institutions, networks and governance arrangements and, while these
practices may be closely associated with rural policy reforms, they
necessarily rely on the voluntary engagement of civil society.
Expansion of novel local businesses (e.g. bioenergy) and activities (e.g.
mountain biking) in some localities can be seen as a means of economic
advance. However, these can also entail environmental and social
challenges.
To effectively address these challenges at a local level, participatory
governance and implementation of ecosystem based management practices are
becoming increasingly important. A cohesive policy combining top-down and
bottom-up approaches that include local initiatives and social innovations
can be a solution, she added.
The IUFRO session in September will address questions of how to integrate
local and indigenous knowledge in forestry-related decision-making
processes; what are green energy options for forest-dependent communities;
how to assess forest policy options through an improved understanding of
the attitudes prevailing in forest-dependent communities, building
resilience and capacities for sustainability, and how to integrate forest
ecosystem services into climate change adaptation plans.
Underlining the importance of the topic, Prof. Nijnik noted that she had
been pleasantly surprised to receive 21 abstracts on the subject from all
around the world.
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forest Landowner Research session in Freiburg will be one
of 172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing
with various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #47, published in July 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #46 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 21, 2017 at 6:16 PM
Subject: IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #46: Getting a handle on
future needs of forestland owners
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Anniversary Congress Spotlight #46: Getting a handle on future
needs of forestland owners
*The 125th Anniversary Congress on 18-22 September 2017 in Freiburg,
Germany, will offer a wide selection of scientific sessions highlighting
innovative research and interdisciplinary research approaches of relevance
to forests, and focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge on critical
global forest-related challenges to national and international political
agendas. In a series of "Congress Spotlight" articles individual sessions
shall be showcased to give a foretaste of the richness and scope of
research findings that will be presented at the Congress. Keep updated at:
http://iufro2017.com/ <http://iufro2017.com/>*
*Getting a handle on future needs of forestland owners*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/26904/6513/anniversary-congress-spotligh…>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=18399&md5=5001920047…>
*What does the future hold for owners of forestland? (Photo Pixabay)*
Private owners control nearly 70 million hectares of forestland around the
globe and account for well over 50% of the forestland in many countries in
Europe and North and South America.
These owners – many of them families, individuals and other small holders –
operating within social, financial and political constraints, will largely
dictate the future of the forests.
That is the underlying reason for a session at the upcoming IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany in September entitled: *History,
Findings and Future Directions of Forest Landowner Research*.
Dr. Brett Butler, of the U.S. Forest Service, is coordinating the session
and says: "There are numerous individual researchers and institutions that
study these private owners, but the opportunities to directly compare
findings and methods across countries are limited.
"The IUFRO Congress provides a venue in which we can facilitate a dialogue
among those who research private forest owners. It will give us a chance to
ask what common trends we are seeing and what are the differences.
"We can use this session to discuss the history of the research, synthesize
the current state and chart a path forward for forestland owner research,"
he said.
Looking to the future – though pointing out that it is difficult to
generalize on how forestland owners around the globe will manage their land
– he foresees developed countries increasing emphasis on service-oriented
management and also better incorporating the value of ecosystem services
into future management efforts.
In the developing world, he sees a need for continuing efforts to improve
livelihoods through practices such as agroforestry and emphasis on gender
issues.
He also expects that new technologies will be providing new ways for owners
to interact with their land and new ways for researchers to interact with
owners.
Going forward he expects to see greater changes for foresters rather than
forestland owners. "We need a paradigm shift, so that we look at trees
through the eyes of the owners. Foresters, and more broadly forestry, must
do a better job of meeting the needs of owners," said Dr. Butler.
"To do that, we have to overcome the inertia of forestry – we tend to do
what we've always done – and we have to do a better job of working across
disciplines; getting out of our silos," he added.
In his opinion there is also a need for more holistic studies – studying
more than just the treed part of an owner's property.
One way to move forward is to look at, and learn from, health-care
research, he said.
"The gold standard for research is the medical field. Two of their stronger
methods are longitudinal studies – tracking a group of people over an
extended period of time – and evidence-based practices, which means basing
treatments and other recommendations on science that measures actual
outcomes," Dr. Butler said.
"We have much we can learn from health care research. I think that
long-term, longitudinal studies and more reliance on evidenced-based
practices will help move us forward.
"These are the types of tools we need to use to answer some of the 'wicked'
problems we are trying to address – such as what influences landowner
decisions and what are the impacts of policies and programs," he added.
Dr. Butler believes the Congress, in addition to facilitating a dialogue
among the various researchers, will also provide an opportunity to
encourage new partnerships for facilitating future comparisons and can
potentially lead to harmonization across research efforts.
*________________________________*
*The September 18-22 Congress in Freiburg will celebrate IUFRO's 125th
anniversary. Founded in 1892 in Eberswalde Germany, IUFRO has grown to
unite more than 15,000 scientists (who cooperate in IUFRO on a voluntary
basis) in almost 700 member organizations in more than 120 countries.IUFRO
promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the
understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and
trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and
decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest
management.About 2000 scientists from 89 countries are expected to attend
the Congress. The Forest Landowner Research session in Freiburg will be one
of 172 scientific sessions that will cover a wide array of topics dealing
with various aspects of forest research.See you at the IUFRO 125th
Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany!Look out for #IUFRO2017
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/iufro2017?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash>
on Twitter and @iufro2017 <https://www.facebook.com/iufro2017> on Facebook!*
*________________________________*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress Spotlight #46, published in July 2017by
IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
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