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Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Central American Montane Oak Forests
... Quercus castanea Née and Quercus laeta Liebm, which are endemic to México, are frequently used for charcoal production [38]. The management of oak species for traditional charcoal production in the basin is representative for the whole country and for other regions in the world [38][39][40][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]. basin. ...
... Quercus castanea Née and Quercus laeta Liebm, which are endemic to México, are frequently used for charcoal production [38]. The management of oak species for traditional charcoal production in the basin is representative for the whole country and for other regions in the world [38][39][40][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]. ...
... The important role of isolated trees in maintaining the genetic connectivity of oak species has been also studied in the fragmented landscape of the Cuitzeo Lake Basin [52]. Oak forests are an important ecosystem that harbor numerous endemic species and contribute to regulate different ecosystem services for humans which are also a relevant resource for local economies [32][33][34][38][39][40][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]. The methodological approach from our study provide evidence to define actions that could contribute to the preservation of such an ecologically relevant ecosystem. ...
Connectivity is a landscape property that promotes gene flow between organisms located in different patches of habitat and provides a way to reduce habitat loss by maintaining flux of organisms through the landscape; it is an important factor for conservation decisions. In this study, we evaluated the structural and functional connectivity among 510 oak forest remnants in a basin in central Mexico by modeling the potential distribution of seven oak species that inhabit in it. The structural and functional connectivity of oak forest remnants was estimated by graph theory. Distribution models for all the oak species had a good level of predictability, showing that 53.16% of the basin is suitable for oaks. The importance for connectivity varied between the remnant forests. Large forest fragments had the highest values of connectivity, and small forest fragments acted as steppingstones favoring the movement of organisms among fragments. In the southern region of the basin, connected remnant forests had conformed to a large network, but in the northern region, the remnant forests were mostly isolated. Conservation of oak forests in this basin requires protection for remaining patches by preserving both large and small ones and restoring biological corridors to reduce the isolation of forest fragments.
... For centuries trees in the taller types of TMCF have been felled to be used in local construction, whereas fuelwood has been harvested both for subsistence and for commercial purposes (Kappelle and Brown, 2001). However, over the past few decades the concept of forest management has broadened significantly, evolving from the traditional focus on timber harvesting toward more sustainable practices reflecting changes in the societal perception of nature (Sheil and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006). Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). ...
... Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). This new perception is reflected in current definitions of sustainable forest management (Herrera and Chaverri, 2006), which highlight the importance of managing permanent forest land without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity, and without undue undesirable effects on the biophysical and social environment (ITTO, 1992). Given the very slow growth rates of most upper montane and elfin cloud forests (Weaver and Murphy, 1990;Kappelle et al., 1996;Raich et al., 1997;Aiba et al., 2005;Aiba et al., this volume) and the generally excessively wet soil conditions prevailing in these forests (Bruijnzeel and Veneklaas, 1998;Roman et al., this volume;Schawe et al., this Summarizing, whilst the extent of, and impacts on, cloud forest biodiversity, hydrology, and ecology of impending climate change are only poorly documented as yet, they are likely to be highly significant. ...
... Kappelle et al., 2000;Setzer et al., 2003), and ecotourism potential (Honey, 2008). The taller and more productive types of cloud-affected forest (mostly LMCF) also provide timber (Guariguata et al., 2006;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006;Günter et al., 2008), fuelwood (e.g. Rüger et al., 2008), and various non-timber forest products, such as honey, ornamental plants, game, etc. (Doumenge et al., 1995;Kappelle et al., 2000;Bubb et al., 2004;Shiel and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Báez et al., this volume;Wolf, this volume). ...
This volume represents a uniquely comprehensive overview of our current knowledge on tropical montane cloud forests. 72 chapters cover a wide spectrum of topics including cloud forest distribution, climate, soils, biodiversity, hydrological processes, hydrochemistry and water quality, climate change impacts, and cloud forest conservation, management, and restoration. The final chapter presents a major synthesis by some of the world's leading cloud forest researchers, which summarizes our current knowledge and considers the sustainability of these forests in an ever-changing world. This book presents state-of-the-art knowledge concerning cloud forest occurrence and status, as well as the biological and hydrological value of these unique forests. The presentation is academic but with a firm practical emphasis. It will serve as a core reference for academic researchers and students of environmental science and ecology, as well as practitioners (natural resources management, forest conservation) and decision makers at local, national, and international levels.
... For centuries trees in the taller types of TMCF have been felled to be used in local construction, whereas fuelwood has been harvested both for subsistence and for commercial purposes (Kappelle and Brown, 2001). However, over the past few decades the concept of forest management has broadened signifi- cantly, evolving from the traditional focus on timber harvesting toward more sustainable practices reflecting changes in the soci- etal perception of nature ( Sheil and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006). Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon seques- tration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). ...
... Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon seques- tration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). This new perception is reflected in current definitions of sustain- able forest management ( Herrera and Chaverri, 2006), which highlight the importance of managing permanent forest land with- out undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity, and without undue undesirable effects on the biophysical and social environment (ITTO, 1992). Given the very slow growth rates of most upper montane and elfin cloud forests (Weaver and Murphy, 1990;Kappelle et al., 1996;Raich et al., 1997;Aiba et al., 2005;Aiba et al., this volume) and the generally excessively wet soil conditions prevailing in these forests (Bruijnzeel and Veneklaas, 1998;Roman et al., this volume;Schawe et al., this Summarizing, whilst the extent of, and impacts on, cloud forest biodiversity, hydrology, and ecology of impending climate change are only poorly documented as yet, they are likely to be highly significant. ...
... Kappelle et al., 2000;Setzer et al., 2003), and ecotourism potential (Honey, 2008). The taller and more productive types of cloud-affected forest (mostly LMCF) also provide timber ( Guariguata et al., 2006;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006;Günter et al., 2008), fuelwood (e.g. Rüger et al., 2008), and various non-timber forest products, such as honey, ornamen- tal plants, game, etc. (Doumenge et al., 1995;Kappelle et al., 2000;Bubb et al., 2004;Shiel and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Báez et al., this volume;Wolf, this volume). ...
Arguably, montane “cloud forests” (MCFs) are among the least understood of humid tropical forest ecosystems as far as their water and nutrient dynamics are concerned (Whitmore 1990). This is in spite of the fact that TMCF is often found in important headwater areas that, although scattered, together occupied about 500,000 km2 in the 1970s (Persson 1974). There is a growing recognition of the role of TMCF in supplying water to downstream areas during rainless periods (Zadroga 1981; Hamilton with King 1983; Stadtmüller and Agudelo 1990) and of their high degree of faunal and floristic endemism (La Bastille and Pool 1978; cf. Leo, this volume).
... For centuries trees in the taller types of TMCF have been felled to be used in local construction, whereas fuelwood has been harvested both for subsistence and for commercial purposes (Kappelle and Brown, 2001). However, over the past few decades the concept of forest management has broadened significantly, evolving from the traditional focus on timber harvesting toward more sustainable practices reflecting changes in the societal perception of nature (Sheil and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006). Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). ...
... Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). This new perception is reflected in current definitions of sustainable forest management (Herrera and Chaverri, 2006), which highlight the importance of managing permanent forest land without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity, and without undue undesirable effects on the biophysical and social environment (ITTO, 1992). Given the very slow growth rates of most upper montane and elfin cloud forests (Weaver and Murphy, 1990;Kappelle et al., 1996;Raich et al., 1997;Aiba et al., 2005;Aiba et al., this volume) and the generally excessively wet soil conditions prevailing in these forests (Bruijnzeel and Veneklaas, 1998;Roman et al., this volume;Schawe et al., this Summarizing, whilst the extent of, and impacts on, cloud forest biodiversity, hydrology, and ecology of impending climate change are only poorly documented as yet, they are likely to be highly significant. ...
... Kappelle et al., 2000;Setzer et al., 2003), and ecotourism potential (Honey, 2008). The taller and more productive types of cloud-affected forest (mostly LMCF) also provide timber (Guariguata et al., 2006;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006;Günter et al., 2008), fuelwood (e.g. Rüger et al., 2008), and various non-timber forest products, such as honey, ornamental plants, game, etc. (Doumenge et al., 1995;Kappelle et al., 2000;Bubb et al., 2004;Shiel and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Báez et al., this volume;Wolf, this volume). ...
INTRODUCTION As indicated in the introductory chapter to this book, knowledge of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) occurrence, biodiversity, hydrology, and ecological functioning has increased considerably since the ground-breaking publications of Zadroga (1981), Stadtmüller (1987), and the proceedings of the first international symposium on TMCF held in 1993 in Puerto Rico (Hamilton et al., 1995a). Cloud forests continue to be threatened in several ways, notably by their conversion to pasture and various forms of agriculture, as well as by climatic drying – the numerous hydrological and ecological consequences of which are only poorly understood as yet (Bubb et al., 2004; Mulligan and Burke, 2005a; Pounds et al., 2006; Zotz and Bader, 2009). The collection of chapters in the present volume further advances our knowledge in the three broad and interrelated areas that were defined in the introduction, viz. (i) cloud forest biogeography and biodiversity, (ii) biophysical and ecological processes, and (iii) management and conservation strategies. As the recognition of the value of TMCFs as treasure houses of biodiversity and as providers of high-quality water continues to increase, an array of initiatives aimed at their conservation has emerged in recent years, often within a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) context (Asquith and Wunder, 2008; Muñoz-Piña et al., 2008; Porras et al., 2008; Garriguata and Balvanera, 2009; Tognetti et al., this volume). Such PES schemes, but also land and forest managers and policy-makers in general, need to determine (amongst others) which forests under their jurisdiction are the most diverse and valuable biologically, which ones provide the best water supplies, which forests are the most vulnerable to climate change or most threatened by encroachment, and which degraded TMCFs have the best chances for rehabilitation.
... For centuries trees in the taller types of TMCF have been felled to be used in local construction, whereas fuelwood has been harvested both for subsistence and for commercial purposes (Kappelle and Brown, 2001). However, over the past few decades the concept of forest management has broadened significantly, evolving from the traditional focus on timber harvesting toward more sustainable practices reflecting changes in the societal perception of nature ( Sheil and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006). Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). ...
... Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). This new perception is reflected in current definitions of sustainable forest management ( Herrera and Chaverri, 2006), which highlight the importance of managing permanent forest land without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity, and without undue undesirable effects on the biophysical and social environment (ITTO, 1992). Given the very slow growth rates of most upper montane and elfin cloud forests (Weaver and Murphy, 1990;Kappelle et al., 1996;Raich et al., 1997;Aiba et al., 2005;Aiba et al., this volume) and the generally excessively wet soil conditions prevailing in these forests (Bruijnzeel and Veneklaas, 1998;Roman et al., this volume;Schawe et al., this Summarizing, whilst the extent of, and impacts on, cloud forest biodiversity, hydrology, and ecology of impending climate change are only poorly documented as yet, they are likely to be highly significant. ...
... Kappelle et al., 2000;Setzer et al., 2003), and ecotourism potential (Honey, 2008). The taller and more productive types of cloud-affected forest (mostly LMCF) also provide timber ( Guariguata et al., 2006;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006;Günter et al., 2008), fuelwood (e.g. Rüger et al., 2008), and various non-timber forest products, such as honey, ornamental plants, game, etc. (Doumenge et al., 1995;Kappelle et al., 2000;Bubb et al., 2004;Shiel and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Báez et al., this volume;Wolf, this volume). ...
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) differ from lowland moist forests in structure (low stature, small and tough leaves, low diversity) and functioning (low productivity, low nutrient-cycling rates). To explain these differences, a variety of hypotheses have been proposed, most of which are related directly or indirectly to climate, but none of these provides a satisfactory explanation for all typical TMCF traits. The single climatic factor shared by all TMCF, the frequent occurrence of low cloud, has multiple effects, but not all are well understood, In this paper we describe and analyze the climatic and soil-moisture conditions prevailing in TMCF as reported in the literature. TMCF evapotranspiration is limited by both climatic conditions and canopy conductance. TMCF productivity is low, but our understanding of these forest's carbon balance is incomplete. Leaf photosynthetic capacity is not particularly low, but canopy photosynthesis probably is, due to persistent cloudiness (low radiation) and a low leaf-area index (LAI). We suggest that the low LAI of TMCF is controlled by light climate and by leaf structure and longevity. TMCF productivity is probably further limited by a substantial investment of carbon in the growth and functioning of a relatively large root system, which is itself a consequence of unfavorable soil conditions.
... For centuries trees in the taller types of TMCF have been felled to be used in local construction, whereas fuelwood has been harvested both for subsistence and for commercial purposes (Kappelle and Brown, 2001). However, over the past few decades the concept of forest management has broadened significantly, evolving from the traditional focus on timber harvesting toward more sustainable practices reflecting changes in the societal perception of nature (Sheil and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006). Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). ...
... Indeed, modern society has come to recognize that tropical highland forests are not just a source of timber, but are also important, multifunctional ecosystems offering an array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs; Kappelle et al., 2000;Wolf, 2005) as well as a variety of ecosystem services including high-quality water, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and scenic beauty (Scatena, 1995;Calvo, 2000;Pagiola, 2002;Aylward, 2005;Barrantes Moreno, 2006). This new perception is reflected in current definitions of sustainable forest management (Herrera and Chaverri, 2006), which highlight the importance of managing permanent forest land without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity, and without undue undesirable effects on the biophysical and social environment (ITTO, 1992). Given the very slow growth rates of most upper montane and elfin cloud forests (Weaver and Murphy, 1990;Kappelle et al., 1996;Raich et al., 1997;Aiba et al., 2005;Aiba et al., this volume) and the generally excessively wet soil conditions prevailing in these forests (Bruijnzeel and Veneklaas, 1998;Roman et al., this volume;Schawe et al., this Summarizing, whilst the extent of, and impacts on, cloud forest biodiversity, hydrology, and ecology of impending climate change are only poorly documented as yet, they are likely to be highly significant. ...
... Kappelle et al., 2000;Setzer et al., 2003), and ecotourism potential (Honey, 2008). The taller and more productive types of cloud-affected forest (mostly LMCF) also provide timber (Guariguata et al., 2006;Herrera and Chaverri, 2006;Günter et al., 2008), fuelwood (e.g. Rüger et al., 2008), and various non-timber forest products, such as honey, ornamental plants, game, etc. (Doumenge et al., 1995;Kappelle et al., 2000;Bubb et al., 2004;Shiel and Lawrence, 2004;Wolf, 2005;Báez et al., this volume;Wolf, this volume). ...
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) typically experience conditions of frequent to persistent fog. On the basis of the altitudinal limits between which TMCF generally occur (800–3500 m.a.s.l. depending on mountain size and distance to coast) their current areal extent is estimated at ∼215 000 km2 or 6·6% of all montane tropical forests. Alternatively, on the basis of remotely sensed frequencies of cloud occurrence, fog-affected forest may occupy as much as 2·21 Mkm2. Four hydrologically distinct montane forest types may be distinguished, viz. lower montane rain forest below the cloud belt (LMRF), tall lower montane cloud forest (LMCF), upper montane cloud forest (UMCF) of intermediate stature and a group that combines stunted sub-alpine cloud forest (SACF) and ‘elfin’ cloud forest (ECF). Average throughfall to precipitation ratios increase from 0·72 ± 0·07 in LMRF (n = 15) to 0·81 ± 0·11 in LMCF (n = 23), to 1·0 ± 0·27 (n = 18) and 1·04 ± 0·25 (n = 8) in UMCF and SACF–ECF, respectively. Average stemflow fractions increase from LMRF to UMCF and ECF, whereas leaf area index (LAI) and annual evapotranspiration (ET) decrease along the same sequence. Although the data sets for UMCF (n = 3) and ECF (n = 2) are very limited, the ET from UMCF (783 ± 112 mm) and ECF (547 ± 25 mm) is distinctly lower than that from LMCF (1188 ± 239 mm, n = 9) and LMRF (1280 ± 72 mm; n = 7). Field-measured annual ‘cloud-water’ interception (CWI) totals determined with the wet-canopy water budget method (WCWB) vary widely between locations and range between 22 and 1990 mm (n = 15). Field measured values also tend to be much larger than modelled amounts of fog interception, particularly at exposed sites. This is thought to reflect a combination of potential model limitations, a mismatch between the scale at which the model was applied (1 × 1 km) and the scale of the measurements (small plots), as well as the inclusion of near-horizontal wind-driven precipitation in the WCWB-based estimate of CWI. Regional maps of modelled amounts of fog interception across the tropics are presented, showing major spatial variability. Modelled contributions by CWI make up less than 5% of total precipitation in wet areas to more than 75% in low-rainfall areas. Catchment water yields typically increase from LMRF to UMCF and SACF–ECF reflecting concurrent increases in incident precipitation and decreases in evaporative losses. The conversion of LMCF (or LMRF) to pasture likely results in substantial increases in water yield. Changes in water yield after UMCF conversion are probably modest due to trade-offs between concurrent changes in ET and CWI. General circulation model (GCM)-projected rates of climatic drying under SRES greenhouse gas scenarios to the year 2050 are considered to have a profound effect on TMCF hydrological functioning and ecology, although different GCMs produce different and sometimes opposing results. Whilst there have been substantial increases in our understanding of the hydrological processes operating in TMCF, additional research is needed to improve the quantification of occult precipitation inputs (CWI and wind-driven precipitation), and to better understand the hydrological impacts of climate- and land-use change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mexican oak forests (genus Quercus ) are frequently used
for traditional charcoal production. Appropriate management programs are needed to
ensure their long-term use, while conserving the biodiversity and ecosystem services,
and associated benefits. A key variable needed to design these programs is the
spatial distribution of standing woody biomass. A state-of-the-art methodology using
small format aerial photographs was developed to estimate the total aboveground
biomass (AGB) and aboveground woody biomass suitable for charcoal making (WSC) in
intensively managed oak forests. We used tree crown area (CA _ap )
measurements from very high-resolution (30 cm) orthorectified small format digital
aerial photographs as the predictive variable. The CA _ap accuracy was
validated using field measurements of the crown area (CA _f ). Allometric
relationships between: (a) CA _ap versus AGB, and (b) CA _ap versus
WSC had a high significance level ( R ^2 > 0.91, p
Sustainable production systems for woodfuels in developing countries require basic information on tree productivity, and particularly on their coppicing productivity under current forms of management. We report biomass equations and sprouting productivity of two oak species (Quercus castanea and Q. laeta) subject to traditional forms of woodfuel harvesting at Cuitzeo basin in central Mexico. Biomass components analyzed were total aboveground biomass (AGB), woody biomass suitable for charcoal making (WSC) and residues (foliage and small branches). The estimation of total aboveground biomass (AGB) and woody biomass suitable for charcoal making (WSC) of individual trees, when expressed as a function of DBH in the form y=a(DBH)b, resulted in values of pseudo-R2 higher than 92%. The Mean Annual Increment (MAI) of both species increased with site age. Significant differences were found in re-growth rates of these species. Maximum charcoal potential productivity in kgha−1 year−1 is achieved between 30 to 50 years depending on the decay rate of coppicing-shoot density over time. This roughly doubles current harvest cycles of 10-15 years followed by charcoalers. Oaks in developing countries have the potential to be used as a mid-term rotation coppice species for energy purposes. We argue that the results shown in this study are an important input for designing appropriate management strategies for traditional oak-charcoal production in developing countries.
In the quest for global standards, “Criteria and Indicators” (C&I) are among the foremost mechanisms for defining and promoting sustainable tropical forest management. Here we examine some challenges posed by this approach, focusing on examples that reflect the ecological aspects of tropical forests at a management-unit level and assessments such as those required in timber certification. C&I can foster better forest management. However, there are confusions and tensions to reconcile between general and local applications, between the ideal and the pragmatic, and between the scientific and the democratic. To overcome this requires a sober appraisal of what can realistically be achieved in each location and how this can best be promoted. Good judgment remains the foundation of competent management. Data can inform this judgment, but an over-reliance on data collection and top-down bureaucratic interventions can add to problems rather than solving them. Our arguments stress compromise, planning, guided implementation, and threat preparedness. Importance is also placed on skills and institutions: the building blocks of effective forest management. We suggest some options for improving forest management. Although a wider discussion of these issues is necessary, procrastination is harmful. Action is needed
The oak forest areas surrounding the national parks and nature reserves in the Talamanca mountain range, Costa Rica, where topographic and edaphic conditions permit, may be managed sustainably. This paper deals mostly with timber management. Four forest communities are described, and sustainable forest management strategies for each differ from strategies for the others. The La Esperanza de El Guarco oak forest in Costa Rica meets many requirements for sustainable forest management. Quercus copeyensis represents on average 37% of the trees and 75-85% of the basal area of the forest. -from Authors
To ensure the continued availability of goods and environmental services that forests and forest ecosystems provide, based on the implementation of the principles agreed upon at UNCED, countries have acknowledged the need to arrive at a common definition of sustainable forest management and to develop and implement tools by which the sustainability of forest management, in the broad sense, could be assessed, monitored and reported. Within the framework of a number of international processes, initiated following UNCED, participating countries have defined criteria against which sustainability can be judged, and have specified corresponding indicators which help in monitoring the effects of forest management interventions over time. Criteria and indicators are today commonly recognized as appropriate tools for defining, assessing and monitoring progress towards sustainable forest management.
From a conceptual point of view, national forest management standards in Latin American countries have progressed significantly in recent years. Examples include the Costa Rican Standards and Procedures for Sustainable Forest Management and Certification, developed by the National Commission for Forest Certification and in Nicaragua, the National Institute of Forestry proposal of principles, criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. In line with general approaches worldwide, these national standards primarily focus on the fulfillment of sound forest practice. There is comparatively little emphasis on the assessment of management outcomes or changes in key components of the eco- and social-systems that result from management impacts. Essentially, there is little emphasis on adaptive management, though arguments that management cannot be sustainable if it is not adaptive are persuasive. This study sought to contribute to the development of standards that include elements for adaptive management that define, communicate and evaluate sustainable forest management in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Elements from the national standards and the CIFOR generic C&I template (predominantly focused on forest management outcomes) were used as a starting point. The basic research process consisted of three phases of evaluation (in-office, desk and field). The evaluations were carried out by multidisciplinary, international groups of experts in forest ecology, management and policy. This study demonstrated the value of forums and workshops that facilitate exchange between forest scientists and policymakers; the innovation and application of a practical, applicable and scientifically based methodology for developing national level C&I; and acceptance of this methodology by key players in the fields of forest management and policy. These experiences and the resulting proposals of C&I for the evaluation of ecologically sustainable forest management are expected to be used as points of reference for future development of forest policy in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and to contribute to the overall understanding of C&I development processes in the region.