IUFRO Research Series – serie

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the interactions between environmental change and forests in recent years. Reports have been produced detailing scenarios of forest development associated with particular changes in climate. Similarly, scenarios have been produced looking at likely trends in air quality. However, many studies have failed to recognize that some of the biggest changes for forests are related to the socioeconomicenvironment rather that the physical environment. This book considers the interactions between forestry and environmental (climatic) change, from social and economic perspectives.

Air pollution has been recognised as a potential problem for forests for nearly 150 years. Today, sulphur dioxide, fluorides, heavy metals and ozone are a significant problem, usually from large scale sources in industrial and urban areas. Problems are exacerbated in those regions where there is a poor understanding of the factors involved in forest decline and destruction and no rigorous control over it has been established. This book is the first report from the International Union of Forest Research Organization's (IUFRO) Task Force on Environmental Change and provides an assessment of the extent of air pollution impacts on forests in heavily polluted regions. It includes case studies from Russia, Ontario (Canada), California and the Mediterranean region. It is also the first volume in a new book series covering many areas of forestry research, published by CABI Publishing in association with IUFRO.

There is increasing pressure on the forestry industry to adopt sustainable practices, but a lack of knowledge about how to facilitate this, and how to measure sustainability. This book reviews current thinking about scientifically based indicators, and sustainable management of natural forests and plantations. Information is applicable to boreal, temperate and tropical biomes. The contents have been developed from papers presented at a IUFRO conference held in Australia, in order to develop a state-of the art report on this subject.

A companion to Forest History: International Studies on Socioeconomic and Forest Ecosystem Change which includes over 20 papers from the same conference held in Florence in 1998. This volume focuses on the different approaches and methods adopted in the study of forest history. The interdisciplinary nature of these studies is emphasized, bringing in the different perspectives of anthropologists, botanists, ecologists, foresters, historians, geneticists and geographers. This volume demonstrates the rich diversity of approaches and methods to forest history.

This book examines the importance of air pollution for the forests of rapidly industrialising countries and regions. Its geographical coverage includes South and Central America, Africa, and Asia, including Siberia, China and Korea. The problems presented by air pollution are placed within the more general context of sustainable development within these regions and the historical legacy that they are attempting to deal with. Attention is drawn to the very serious problems associated with poor air quality in cities such as Mexico City and Chongqing, China. Air pollution in these areas is amongst the worst in the world. Several chapters examine the importance of forest fires as a source of air pollution, with particular reference being made to the Southeast Asian fires in recent years. The available information about the effects of this pollution on the surrounding forests is reviewed, and recommendations are made for a better understanding of the impacts. A final chapter reviews the recent developments in air pollution control policies in the different regions covered by the book.

This book focuses on the diverse impact of forest history in general, and of forest continuity, fragmentation and past management in particular, on the diversity and distribution of species. The implications for the conservation of biodiversity in forests are also addressed. Chapters have been developed from papers presented at a conference held in Leuven in January 2003. The emphasis is on temperate forests in Europe and North America, but the information may also be applicable to other regions or biomes. The book will be of significant interest to researchers working within the areas of forestry, ecology, conservation and environmental history.