Tropical Forestry – serie

This book presents the state-of-the-art knowledge on bamboo.  It starts with an introduction to the plant’s biology, its taxonomy, habitat, morphology and growth. The cultivation of bamboo is discussed in terms of silviculture, pests and diseases, and harvesting techniques. The book is completed by a comprehensive presentation of the properties of bamboo, its utilization and its preservation.Bamboo is the fastest-growing and most versatile plant on Earth. For centuries it has played an indispensible part in the daily life of millions of people in tropical countries. In recent decades it has gained increasing importance as a substitute for timber.The book was developed as a reference text for scientists, professionals, and graduate students with a strong interest in this unique plant.

This book presents the state-of-the-art knowledge on bamboo.  It starts with an introduction to the plant’s biology, its taxonomy, habitat, morphology and growth. The cultivation of bamboo is discussed in terms of silviculture, pests and diseases, and harvesting techniques. The book is completed by a comprehensive presentation of the properties of bamboo, its utilization and its preservation.Bamboo is the fastest-growing and most versatile plant on Earth. For centuries it has played an indispensible part in the daily life of millions of people in tropical countries. In recent decades it has gained increasing importance as a substitute for timber.The book was developed as a reference text for scientists, professionals, and graduate students with a strong interest in this unique plant.

Research in tropical forestry is confronted with the task of finding strategies to alleviate pressure on remaining forests, and techniques to enhance forest regeneration and restore abandoned lands, using productive alternatives that can be attractive to local human populations. In addition, sustainable forestry in tropical countries must be supported by adequate policies to promote and maintain specific activities at local and regional scales.Here, a multi-disciplinary approach is presented, to better the understanding of tropical forest ecology, as a necessary step in developing adequate strategies for conservation and management. The authors have long experience in both academic and practical matters related to tropical forest ecology and management.

When we talk about forests, we talk about 30% of our planet’s land surface 6 area. In 2000 there was an estimated 3 870×10 ha of forest worldwide, of which 1 5% is in forest plantations and 95% in natural forests (FAO 2003). Forests are not only a source for timber; they also generate significant nonwood goods and services, mitigate climate change, conserve biological diversity, provide prot- tion from natural hazards, and not least: provide recreational areas for an increasingly urbanized world population. The availability of timber and n- wood goods and services is waning as deforestation and degradation of tro- cal forests continue. While forest area has stabilized or is slightly increasing in the boreal and temperate regions, the annual loss of forest area in the tropics and subtropics is decreasing. Between 1990 and 2000 the annual rate of defor- 6 estation was estimated to be 14. 6×10 ha (approximately 0. 38%) and took place mainly in tropical and subtropical forests (FAO 2003). The net annual rate of 6 change is about 9. 4×10 ha (0. 2%). Maintaining and enhancing forest areas and the vitality of forest ecosystems is a widely accepted political goal, which is often opposed by conflicting demands of various stakeholders.

This book is intended to provide information on fundamental genetic processes in tropical forests. It is based on lecture notes by the authors prepared for po- graduate students, mainly from tropical countries, of the M.Sc. course “Tropical and International Forestry”at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany. The intended readership is s- dents, researchers and practitioners interested in the genetic variation of species, in particular forest trees, living in complex forest ecosystems in the tropics. Particular emphasis is placed on the human impact on forest genetic resources in the tropics. Readers should be familiar with basics of classical and molecular genetics such as the structure and function of DNA (double-helix structure, repli- tion), polypeptide synthesis (transcription and translation), and the transm- sion of genetic information during sexual reproduction (“Mendel’s rules”). This knowledge is easily available from recently published genetics textbooks; we recommend the book by Griffiths et al. (2000). The development of biochemical and molecular marker techniques and their application to species of tropical forests have greatly improved our kno- edge of genetic variation patterns of “wild”plants in the tropics during the last two decades. Many examples in this book are based on gene marker techniques.

Harvesting includes all the activities to fell trees and remove them from the forest to the roadside for loading and transport from the forest. Harvesting and extraction operations are the activities that generally cause the most significant impacts on forest managed for timber production. Sustainable forest mana- ment is concerned with management of forests in such a way as to control the impacts associated with harvesting and timber extraction. Harvesting and extraction for sustainable timber production in natural forests are not to be confused with logging associated with land conversion activities such as c- version to permanent or temporary agriculture, pasture land, or domesticated trees. Much of the impact of harvesting and extracting can be reduced through proper planning and control of harvesting operations using principles, s- tems, and techniques common to temperate forests. However, many areas of the tropics pose unique operating conditions: heat, high humidity, hi- intensity precipitation, occurrence of certain diseases, and lack of rock for su- able road surfacing. In natural forests, clear felling is rarely practiced, and many species are the rule with few commercial species on any hectare; thus, log removals per unit area are low.

Forest road operations include all the activities to plan, design, construct, and maintain the infrastructure needed to move forest products from the ro- side to the mill or port destination. Poor road management can jeopardize the economics of the forestry enterprise and can impact water quality and wildlife habitat. Sustainable forest management is concerned with management of the tra- portation infrastructure in such a way that efficient transportation is provided while controlling adverse environmental impacts. Much of the direct impact of forest roads can be reduced through proper planning and control of road location, design, construction, and maintenance using principles, systems, and techniques common to temperate forests. However, many areas of the tropics pose unique operating conditions: p- longed wet periods, high-intensity precipitation, swamps, and lack of rock for suitable road surfacing. The purpose of this book is to bring together information on road planning, location, design, construction, and maintenance to support environmentally acceptable operations in tropical forests. It highlights the challenges of road operations in the tropics, includes techniques that have been shown to be successful, and discusses newer technologies. It is intended as a reference book for the forest engineer and others interested in the planning and management of tropical forests. Numerical examples, where appropriate, are included to provide clarity for interpreting graphs, procedures, and formulas. The book is divided into 11 chapters which cover the various facets of road management from design objectives through practices to control environm- tal impacts.

The role and perception of forests in tropical areas has changed drastically during the last half century. Natural forests, as resources for forest products, are dwindling. Sustainable management of natural forests faces many diffic- ties in practice, although progress has been made. However, rural people in tropical countries often experience that the forests, which were previously the buffer for agriculture and an important resource, are becoming more and more inaccessible. Remaining forests are to a large extent protected, degraded or so far away from settlement that in practice they are beyond reach. The majority of the world’s forest products in the future will come from m- made plantations and cultivated trees. The term ‘plantation’, usually referring to traditional block plantings of industrial species, is acquiring a wider me- ing which includes, for example, smaller woodlots, shelterbelts and various types of agroforestry. Forest seeds are in this context of utmost importance. Not only are seeds the most commonly used propagation material, they are also the carriers of the genetic material from one generation to the next. Forest seed handling is thus an integrated part of selection, management, devel- ment and conservation of forest genetic resources in a larger context. With this in mind, and considering how self-evident the matter of seed quality is in agriculture, one can wonder how little attention has been and is given to f- est germplasm in many afforestation and plantation programmes.

Research in tropical forestry is confronted with the task of finding strategies to alleviate pressure on remaining forests, and techniques to enhance forest regeneration and restore abandoned lands, using productive alternatives that can be attractive to local human populations. In addition, sustainable forestry in tropical countries must be supported by adequate policies to promote and maintain specific activities at local and regional scales.Here, a multi-disciplinary approach is presented, to better the understanding of tropical forest ecology, as a necessary step in developing adequate strategies for conservation and management. The authors have long experience in both academic and practical matters related to tropical forest ecology and management.

When we talk about forests, we talk about 30% of our planet’s land surface 6 area. In 2000 there was an estimated 3 870×10 ha of forest worldwide, of which 1 5% is in forest plantations and 95% in natural forests (FAO 2003). Forests are not only a source for timber; they also generate significant nonwood goods and services, mitigate climate change, conserve biological diversity, provide prot- tion from natural hazards, and not least: provide recreational areas for an increasingly urbanized world population. The availability of timber and n- wood goods and services is waning as deforestation and degradation of tro- cal forests continue. While forest area has stabilized or is slightly increasing in the boreal and temperate regions, the annual loss of forest area in the tropics and subtropics is decreasing. Between 1990 and 2000 the annual rate of defor- 6 estation was estimated to be 14. 6×10 ha (approximately 0. 38%) and took place mainly in tropical and subtropical forests (FAO 2003). The net annual rate of 6 change is about 9. 4×10 ha (0. 2%). Maintaining and enhancing forest areas and the vitality of forest ecosystems is a widely accepted political goal, which is often opposed by conflicting demands of various stakeholders.

This book is intended to provide information on fundamental genetic processes in tropical forests. It is based on lecture notes by the authors prepared for po- graduate students, mainly from tropical countries, of the M.Sc. course “Tropical and International Forestry”at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany. The intended readership is s- dents, researchers and practitioners interested in the genetic variation of species, in particular forest trees, living in complex forest ecosystems in the tropics. Particular emphasis is placed on the human impact on forest genetic resources in the tropics. Readers should be familiar with basics of classical and molecular genetics such as the structure and function of DNA (double-helix structure, repli- tion), polypeptide synthesis (transcription and translation), and the transm- sion of genetic information during sexual reproduction (“Mendel’s rules”). This knowledge is easily available from recently published genetics textbooks; we recommend the book by Griffiths et al. (2000). The development of biochemical and molecular marker techniques and their application to species of tropical forests have greatly improved our kno- edge of genetic variation patterns of “wild”plants in the tropics during the last two decades. Many examples in this book are based on gene marker techniques.

Harvesting includes all the activities to fell trees and remove them from the forest to the roadside for loading and transport from the forest. Harvesting and extraction operations are the activities that generally cause the most significant impacts on forest managed for timber production. Sustainable forest mana- ment is concerned with management of forests in such a way as to control the impacts associated with harvesting and timber extraction. Harvesting and extraction for sustainable timber production in natural forests are not to be confused with logging associated with land conversion activities such as c- version to permanent or temporary agriculture, pasture land, or domesticated trees. Much of the impact of harvesting and extracting can be reduced through proper planning and control of harvesting operations using principles, s- tems, and techniques common to temperate forests. However, many areas of the tropics pose unique operating conditions: heat, high humidity, hi- intensity precipitation, occurrence of certain diseases, and lack of rock for su- able road surfacing. In natural forests, clear felling is rarely practiced, and many species are the rule with few commercial species on any hectare; thus, log removals per unit area are low.

Forest road operations include all the activities to plan, design, construct, and maintain the infrastructure needed to move forest products from the ro- side to the mill or port destination. Poor road management can jeopardize the economics of the forestry enterprise and can impact water quality and wildlife habitat. Sustainable forest management is concerned with management of the tra- portation infrastructure in such a way that efficient transportation is provided while controlling adverse environmental impacts. Much of the direct impact of forest roads can be reduced through proper planning and control of road location, design, construction, and maintenance using principles, systems, and techniques common to temperate forests. However, many areas of the tropics pose unique operating conditions: p- longed wet periods, high-intensity precipitation, swamps, and lack of rock for suitable road surfacing. The purpose of this book is to bring together information on road planning, location, design, construction, and maintenance to support environmentally acceptable operations in tropical forests. It highlights the challenges of road operations in the tropics, includes techniques that have been shown to be successful, and discusses newer technologies. It is intended as a reference book for the forest engineer and others interested in the planning and management of tropical forests. Numerical examples, where appropriate, are included to provide clarity for interpreting graphs, procedures, and formulas. The book is divided into 11 chapters which cover the various facets of road management from design objectives through practices to control environm- tal impacts.

This book provides a comprehensive, global synthesis of current knowledge on the potential and challenges associated with the multiple roles, use, management and marketing of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).  There has been considerable research and policy effort surrounding NTFPs over the last two and half decades. The book explores the evolution of sentiments regarding the potential of NTFPs in promoting options for sustainable multi-purpose forest management, income generation and poverty alleviation. Based on a critical analysis of the debates and discourses it employs a systematic approach to present a balanced and realistic perspective on the benefits and challenges associated with NTFP use and management within local livelihoods and landscapes, supported with case examples from both the southern and northern hemispheres. This book covers the social, economic and ecological dimensions of NTFPs and closes with an examination of future prospects and research directions.

This book integrates the latest global developments in forestry science and practice and their relevance for the sustainable management of tropical forests. The influence of social dimensions on the development of silvicultural concepts is another spotlight. Ecology and silvicultural options form all tropical continents, and forest formations from dry to moist forests and from lowland to mountain forests are covered. Review chapters which guide readers through this complex subject integrate numerous illustrative and quantitative case studies by experts from all over the world. On the basis of a cross-sectional evaluation of the case studies presented, the authors put forward possible silvicultural contributions towards sustainability in a changing world. The book is addressed to a broad readership from forestry and environmental disciplines.

This book provides a comprehensive, global synthesis of current knowledge on the potential and challenges associated with the multiple roles, use, management and marketing of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).  There has been considerable research and policy effort surrounding NTFPs over the last two and half decades. The book explores the evolution of sentiments regarding the potential of NTFPs in promoting options for sustainable multi-purpose forest management, income generation and poverty alleviation. Based on a critical analysis of the debates and discourses it employs a systematic approach to present a balanced and realistic perspective on the benefits and challenges associated with NTFP use and management within local livelihoods and landscapes, supported with case examples from both the southern and northern hemispheres. This book covers the social, economic and ecological dimensions of NTFPs and closes with an examination of future prospects and research directions.

This book integrates the latest global developments in forestry science and practice and their relevance for the sustainable management of tropical forests. The influence of social dimensions on the development of silvicultural concepts is another spotlight. Ecology and silvicultural options form all tropical continents, and forest formations from dry to moist forests and from lowland to mountain forests are covered. Review chapters which guide readers through this complex subject integrate numerous illustrative and quantitative case studies by experts from all over the world. On the basis of a cross-sectional evaluation of the case studies presented, the authors put forward possible silvicultural contributions towards sustainability in a changing world. The book is addressed to a broad readership from forestry and environmental disciplines.

This book provides an overview of the complex challenges and opportunities related to forest-based rural development in the tropics and subtropics. Applying a socio-ecological perspective, the book traces the changing paradigms of forestry in rural development throughout history, summarizes the major aspects of the rural development challenge in forest areas and documents innovative approaches in fields such as land utilization, technology and organizational development, rural advisory services, financing mechanisms, participative planning and forest governance. It brings together scholars and practitioners dealing with the topics from various theoretical and practical angles. Calling for an approach that carefully balances market forces with government intervention, the book shows that forests in rural areas have the potential to provide a solid foundation for a green global economy.

This book provides an overview of the complex challenges and opportunities related to forest-based rural development in the tropics and subtropics. Applying a socio-ecological perspective, the book traces the changing paradigms of forestry in rural development throughout history, summarizes the major aspects of the rural development challenge in forest areas and documents innovative approaches in fields such as land utilization, technology and organizational development, rural advisory services, financing mechanisms, participative planning and forest governance. It brings together scholars and practitioners dealing with the topics from various theoretical and practical angles. Calling for an approach that carefully balances market forces with government intervention, the book shows that forests in rural areas have the potential to provide a solid foundation for a green global economy.

This book presents a synopsis, with an innovative approach, of abundance, types and conditions of work performed in the tropical plantation and natural forests. It covers work of formally and informally employed, and of own-account small-scale forest users, women and children. Activities in tree harvesting are analyzed, also on-site conversion by pitsawing, planting and pruning. The abilities of the workers and their efforts while fulfilling their tasks, resulting in performance and workload, are described with many examples of published studies. Influencing variables from organizational, technical and managerial sides are considered as much as included in the studies.  The detailed descriptions demonstrate the methodical state of ergonomic research. For better understanding of the coverage the background of the development of forest work science is described. The lasting influence of Taylorism and the roles of ILO and FAO as well as NGOs, e.g. in certification, arepointed out.

This monograph aims at bringing out a comprehensive collection of information on bamboo varieties in South Asia. The main focus of this book is to address the ecological and economic significance of bamboos.Bamboo is a versatile group of plants, capable of providing ecological, economic and livelihood security to the people. In the tropics, especially the rural areas in different countries of  South Asia, most of the houses are made of bamboos. In the hilly areas of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India, the tribal people take bamboo shoots as one of their major food items since prehistoric days. With  palatable shoots and grass like leaves bamboo plants have also been liked by  many herbivore animals, such as, elephants, the wild cattle, Indian Bison, and  some species of deer. The red-panda in the Himalayas, and primates, pigs, rats and mice, porcupines, and squirrels are also incidental feeders on southeast Asian bamboos.There has been a growing awareness in recent years about the values of bamboo being an important means of economic growth and for improving the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor.  Bamboo as an industrial material can substitute wood and that to at low cost. Due to increasing demand and squeezing of bamboo area the plants have been overexploited and the quality and quantity of resource alarmingly getting depleted. Besides many new bamboo based industries have come up which also urgently require uninterrupted supply of species wise bamboo resource. The south Asia region has bestowed with  more than 300 bamboo species with enormous diversities at species, ecological and genetical level.  A number of  bamboo species are found common among countries of the region selected for various utilization potentials  having wide range of ability to adjust environmental conditions of these countries and thus prioritized for cultivation.  Both government and private planters inthe  region have started allocating funds, land and other logistics to raise large scale plantation of desired   bamboo species.This book has been drafted to find out answers of the most pertinent queries based on the field observations on each of the bamboo species and knowledge learnt from the indigenous people living with bamboos in different parts of south-east and south Asian countries.  This monograph would be interesting and useful to bamboo professionals, foresters, horticulturists, field level extension workers, nurserymen, planters, industrial entrepreneurs, ecologists, and valuable source of reference to the relevant researchers and students in the region.

This book gives readers new information to understand the mechanism of agarwood induction and therefore eradicate the myths surrounding agarwood formation. One of the challenges in conserving agarwood resources is species identification. In this book, taxonomy and systematics of agarwood-producing trees from historical and recent perspectives is discussed, and tips are given for identifying cultivated species. In addition, color illustrations are given to highlight vegetative and reproductive characteristics as well as anatomical features, for identification purposes of both plant and agarwood sources. Another challenge that planters are facing is in acquiring the correct method for agarwood induction, thus development of agarwood induction technologies will be reviewed. A chapter dedicated to bioinduction is included. The book will comprise a chapter on the use of non-destructive technology as a management tool for cultivating agarwood. The book also discusses issues relating to agarwood grades. The absence of an international standard that is acceptable by producer and consumer countries further complicates the issue. Other useful information includes a systematic revelation of agarwood constituents and their complex chemistry, and highlights on a specific pharmaceutical property.