news european tropical forest research networkfor forest research in the tropics, subtropics and...

No. 37 Winter 2002/03

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Forest Use and SoilQuality

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ETFRN and EC News 1

Organisations - Programmes 3• How f orest plantations af f ect the soil 3• Dung or f orest biomass as f uel - ev en plantation trees

with a bad reputation help conserv e soil f ertility 5• Mixed species plantations of eucaly ptus and acacia:

growth, nutrition and soil changes 8• Inf luence of poplar short-rotation coppice on some• soil properties 11• The ef f ect of exotic tree plantations in northern • Thailand on soil properties 17• The carbon cy cling in the eucaly pt plantations • in Congo 21• The impact of tropical industrial tree plantations on • site nutrient status, site productiv ity and economic

prof itability 23• The long term memory of soils - how Amazonian • dark earths ref lect past land use 25• Mangrov es in the red riv er estuary in Vietnam: a • sink or source of nutrients? 28

Research CooperationSought 33

Internet Features 36

Funding/Opportunities 37

Other News 41

Publications 53

Editorial

ETFRN News 37/02

Dear readers,

As this issue goes to print, the first call for proposals for the EC sixth framework programme for research,technological development and demonstration have been published. These calls include opportunitiesfor forest research in the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean - please see p. 1 - 2 for forest relatedthemes covered by the calls.

The theme of this newsletter - forest use and soil quality - and particularly the effect of forest plantationson the soil - touches on many issues of global concern such as the sustainable use of soil and waterresources, biological diversity, and carbon sources and sinks. Our guest editor, Prof. Gerhard Glatzel, hashighlighted these links in his introductory article. He also points out the danger of approaching thesequestions from a purely technological point of view, stating that the degraded lands which should bereforested according to the forest department may well serve as grazing lands for local people. Theattempt to establish a plantation on such lands without prior consultation and conflict resolution willprobably be a waste of effort and resources. In his article, Zerfu Hailu provides fuel for such negotiations,by comparing the potential effects on soil fertility of the use of firewood from Eucalypt plantations with theuse of dried dung for the same purpose.

But even when all parties agree that a forest plantation should be established, success is not yetguaranteed. As several of the authors point out, trees, like any other plants, extract plant nutrients fromthe soil to grow, and harvesting the trees will remove these nutrients. Because trees are able to extractnutrients from deeper soil levels than most agricultural crops, they can often grow on soils whereagricultural crops would fail, so the need for nutrient management may not be immediately obvious.However, several of the experiments described in the following articles show that it makes good economicsense to pay attention to this.

Hoping you will enjoy reading this issue and that the articles will provide food for thought; pleaseremember that ETFRN CU always welcomes comments, and contributions for future issues.

We are grateful to Gerhard Glatzel for editing this issue of the ETFRN News. Please note the theme anddeadline for the next issues on the back cover.

Willemine BrinkmanETFRN Coordinator

ETFRN Coordination Unitc/o Tropenbos InternationalPO Box 232, 6700 AE WageningenThe NetherlandsTel: +31 317 495516 Fax: +31 317 495521Email: [email protected]://www.etfrn.org/etfrn

Editor: Willemine BrinkmanGuest Editor for this issue: Gerhard GlatzelEditorial assistance: Jacqui McGrath

Cover illustration: Fishery in the mangroves ofthe Red River Estuary in Vietnam

Photograph provided by Henk Wösten

ETFRN and European Commission News

ETFRN News 37/02 1

EC NEWS

6th Framework Programme EC DGRESEARCH 2002-2006

The European Commission launched its 6th

Framework Programme for Research (FP6)in November 2002. The total budget is 17.5billion Euro. The programme is intended tostrengthen larger-scale research integrationand co-operation in Europe, reducefragmentation in research and improve linksbetween science and society. Two newfunding instruments have been included inFP6: Networks of Excellence (NoE) andIntegrated Projects (IP). Information onthese and all other FP6 instruments, such asSpecific Targeted Research Projects(STREPs) can be found at:http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/networks-ip.html

Within the FP6 there are fundingopportunities for forest research in thetropics, subtropics and Mediterranean. Themost relevant areas in FP6 are thematicsub-priority 1.1.6.3 'Global Change andEcosystems' and special programme 1.10‘Specific measures in support ofInternational Cooperation’ (INCO).However, also other thematic priorities,special programmes and structuringactivities provide funding possibilities forforest research.

Please note the following first calls forproposals, published 17 Dec 2002, on http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/calls.htm

1.1.6.3 Global Change and Ecosystems: Closes 8 April 2003, 17:00 hrs (Brusselstime)

The following themes in the call may be ofspecific interest; the funding instrument isgiven between brackets:

6.3.I.6.a Adaptation and mi tigationstrategies (NoE or IP) focus on strategicpolicy options in the context of internationalagreements on global change; IPCCrecommendations; quantitative asessment ofadaptive capacity and vulnerability of naturaland human systems to climate change;effective science - policy linkages

6.3.III.1.1 Developing a network forEuropean long-term terrestrial andfreshwater biodiversity and ecosystemresearch, based on existing facilities (NoE)

6.3.III.1.3 Developing genomic approachesto enable the understanding of biodiversityand ecosystem structures and dynamics(NoE or IP)

6.3.III.2.1 Generating models of socio-economic impacts on biodiversity andecosystems (STREPs and Coordinationactions - CAs)

6.3. III.4 .1 Assess i ng large-scal eenvironmental risks to biodiversity and toterrestrial and freshwater ecosystems,including biological invasions (also bypathogens), climate change, environmentalchemicals, rate and extent of loss ofpollinators (NoE or IP)

6.3.IV.1.a Research on mechanisms ofdesertification and soil quality (STREPsand CAs) includes developing anddemonstrating ecotechnological innovation;methods and tools for landcare

6.3.V.2.2.a Development and application ofintegrated approach and tools for long-termsustainability of forest status andproductivity (NoE or IP) - role and impact ofthe complete forestry-wood chain in thecontext of the EU sustainable developmentstrategy taking into account themultifunctionality aspects, including the

ETFRN and European Commission News

2

regional and international dimensions andthe societal needs

6.3.VIII - Cross cutting issue: Sustainabledevelopment concepts and tools:

6.3.VIII.1.a Harmonising and sharing ofmethods and data in environmental andhealth externalities evaluation; extraction ofoperational estimates from existing studies(on thresholds of sustainability andexternalities) (STREPs and CAs)

6.3.VIII.2.a High level scientific validation ofmethodologies, tools and appraisalsdeveloped for the sustainable developmentassessment and strategy definition(STREPs and CAs)

6.3.VIII.2.b Indicators: sharing andharmonising databases and statistics andbuilding consensus on combined ecological,environmental and social indicators to beused to monitor progress towardssustainable development at differentgeographical levels (STREPs and CAs)

The following topics for Speci fic SupportActions, formerly Accompanying measures,will be considered for funding in 2003:* Actions such as the European Network forResearch in Global Change (ENRICH)* Capitalisation of results from pastresearch on sustainable agriculture andperspectives for future research actions.Comparison of externalities calculation inagricultural and forest production* Lessons from past research onsustainable production and utilisation offorests. Character isat ion of themultifunctionality aspects of forestry/woodchain with regard to natural resourceconservation, landscape creation and landuse according to different types of regions(mountains, coastal zones, cultivated areasand urban forests)

10. Specific measures in support ofinternational cooperationClosure: 11 September 2003 17:00 hrs(Brussels time)

A. Developing CountriesA.2.1 Managing humid and semi-humidEcosystems. - includes research onecosystem dynamics to develop policyoptions and management strategies; focuson: opportunities for enhanced economicproductivity and limits to sustainableproduction; sustainable water managementat river basin scale; forest ecosystemrestoration and reclamation techniques.

A.2.2 Reconciling multiple demands oncoastal zones includes ecosystem research

Call for Independent Experts forEvaluation of Proposals and monitoringand reviewing of projects:http://www.cordis.lu/experts/fp6_candidature.htm

For further information on FP6, including adownloadable guide on participating in thesixth framework programme; the full text ofall five specific programmes in 11languages; and FAQs, please seehttp: //europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/index_en.html

ETFRN NEWS

ETFRN and the UK’s DFID-FRP areorganising an information meeting inBrussels on February 4, 2003 on ECfunding sources for forest research in thetropics, subtropics and Mediterranean,focussing on FP6 in particular.

For information, please contact the ETFRNCoordination Unit.

Organisation - Institutions - Programmes

ETFRN News 37/02 3

HOW FOREST PLANTATIONS AFFECTTHE SOILAn introduction to the theme and why weneed more research on it

By Gerhard Glatzel

Even the casual hiker notices changes in soilproperties when he enters a forest fromgrassland. Usually he sees leaf litter, fallenfrom forest trees on the soil surface and thesoil is likely to be softer to the impact of hisboots. In a forest not much foliage is consumedby herbivores and more or less integer leavesare shed from the canopy, when theirfunctional lifespan is over. These dead ordying leaves are depleted of nutrients due tore-translocation into the tree and areconsumed on the forest floor by a wellstructured community of organisms, which arecapable of utilizing the tree litter. Fallenbranches or dead trees harbour many highlyspecialised consumers as well as theirparasites and predators. The shady and humidinterior of forests allows soil organisms to actat the soil surface much more often than in theharsh climate outside the forest. The humuslayer and topsoil in forest is therefore generallymore porous and open to infiltration of water.Less evident but by no means unimportant arethe effects of tree roots. Frequently more than50 percent of the photosynthetic carbon gain inthe canopy is used for root processes,sustaining not only root growth but a diversemicrobial community deep within the soil. Treeroots of large trees bear a remarkable staticand dynamic load. When trees sway in thewind, the lower parts of the soil profile arecompacted, while the upper layer is lifted andloosened. The border between compactionand loosening depends very much on the rootarchitecture of the tree species in the forest.On slopes tree roots bind the soil and preventerosion. Another feature of forest soils isarborturbation, the turnover of soil by uprootingof trees. It creates inhomogeneity, another

important feature of forest soils in view ofregeneration ecology and biodiversity.

For all these reasons forest soil science is awell recognised, special field and it issufficient to refer to textbooks on forest soilsto answer the question of how forests affectthe soil in general. In the context of forestplantations however, there are gaps inknowledge on various scales.

As a consequence of carbon trading,ecosystem restoration and increased demandfor specific and uniform wood and fibre treeplantations will most likely increasesignificantly world wide during the comingdecades. In order to understand and quantifythe effect of forest plantations, not only theaboveground biomass has to be taken intoaccount, but also how these plantations affectthe soil. With regard to carbon sequestration,there is a lack of information on the dynamicsof carbon incorporation in the soil as well ascarbon saturation and potential carbonrelease from soil, if the plantation is destroyedor if the climate changes. Recent work shows,that soils have a long carbon memory. Theassumption that forest soils store more carbonthan steppe or scrub soils has beenchallenged. The correlation of carbon storagepotential of forest soils with basic soilproperties such as clay content, pH or soilhydrology is by far not as well worked out asin arable land. A much broader spectrum ofsoil properties of soils potentially suitable fortree plantations adds to the problem. Treespecies used in forest plantations arephysiologically much more diverse thanagricultural crops. Rooting depth and rootdistribution in the soil profile determine carboninput, in particular to deeper soil layers, soilwater relations and mineral nutrition. Leavesof evergreen trees are often highly protectedby hard to degrade and toxic substances toensure long functioning in the canopy.Deposited to the forest floor they resist quickdecomposition and become substrate forunique decomposition food webs and


ETFRN News 37/024

humification processes. Herbaceousunderstorey has to be taken into account too.It is controlled by light availability and thestructure and chemical composition of the litterdeposited from the canopy. In terms of itsdirect contribution to carbon sequestration, theunderstoreuzy may not be very significant.Indirectly it may have a large effect because ofits role in nutrient cycling and soil biology.

In the planning of forest plantations manyfactors other than carbon sequestration inplant biomass and soil have to be considered.Soil erosion is not necessarily minimised inforest plantations. Seasonally dense canopiesof deciduous trees may suppress herbaceousforest floor vegetation, making the topsoilsusceptible to erosion in the dry season, inparticular if litter has been reduced byprescribed burning or by collection for fuel bythe local population. Water repellent litterlayers or soil sealing by waxy substances mayincrease runoff. Mechanical site preparation,chemical weed control, nutrient exports fromharvesting and stool renewal in coppicedplantations may significantly impact on soilproperties. Many plantation tree species arecapable of outgrowing the supply of mineralnutrients provided by the soil. Deficiencysymptoms, retarded growth, susceptibility toabiotic and biotic stress and even dieback maysurprise some years after planting, if the soil isunknown and has not been tested.

Land use and conservation deserve specialattention, in particular in subtropical andtropical countries. Degraded land or badlandstargeted for carbon plantation may be soclassified from a forester's perspective or thatof a company in the carbon trade business.From a villager’s viewpoint the same land maybe pasture and source of various plant oranimal resources for household use.Establishing and protecting plantations, usuallyon the more suitable sites, will inevitablyincrease pressure on the remaining land if foodand fuel are scarce. As plantations offer little interms of biodiversity, the over all situation is

likely to deteriorate, if forest remnants aremore heavily exploited. In new plantationsbiomass accumulation on the forest floor mayincrease fire danger both from natural causesand from herders in need of pasture.Prescribed burning may be used to reduce therisk of damaging fires, but it requires skills onthe local level and acceptance by theeducated public because a role of fire incarbon sequestration is difficult to explain.The role of plantations in landscape hydrologyhas many facets. Well established forests areusually considered beneficial because ofbetter infiltration of rain water and more evendischarge. From the perspective of local usersdried up wells as a consequence of increasedwater use by plantations of fast growing treespecies may be a catastrophe, despite allbenefits further downstream. Where highwater tables and salinity are a problem,plantations have been used to controlinterflow and seepage to effectively lowerwater tables at valley bottoms.

Unfortunately a very simple concept of thebenefits of forest plantations has beenfollowed in the carbon trade argumentationand it is to be feared that in reality forestplantations will not always produce thedesired effects. In view of the local, regionaland global importance it would be important toestablish a global database on the effects offorest plantations on soils, landscapes andcommunities and to establish a scientificnetwork to identify and address gaps inknowledge. The following contributionsprovide insight into some ongoing research inthis field.

Something to read:Calder IR 2002. Forests and hydrological services:Reconciling public and science perceptions. LandUse and Water Resources Research 2.2:1-12

Currie WS and Nadelhoffer KJ. 2002. The imprint ofland-use history: Patterns of carbon and nitrogen indowned woody debris at the Harvard forest.Ecosystems 5:446-460


ETFRN News 37/02 5

Koerner W, Dupouey JL, Dambrine E and Benoît M1997. Influence of past land use on the vegetation andsoils of present day forests in the Vosges mountains,France. J of Ecology 85:351-358

Little D, Farrell E and Collins J 1997. Land-uselegacies and soil development in semi-naturalecosystems in the marginal uplands of Ireland. Catena30:83-93

Noble AD and Randall PJ 1998. How trees affectsoils. RIRDC Publication No 98/16, 129 pages, worthto read

Gerhard Glatzel Institute of Forest EcologyUNI BOKU ViennaPeter Jordan-Strasse 82A-1190 Vienna, [email protected]

DUNG OR FOREST BIOMASS AS FUEL- EVEN PLANTATION TREES WITH ABAD REPUTATION HELP CONSERVESOIL FERTILITY

By Zerfu Hailu

IntroductionEthiopian highlands suffer from a severe fuelwood shortage. Despite of a long history ofEucalyptus plantations on the Ethiopianhighlands, the potential of the forest resourcesto supply fuel-wood on a sustainable yieldbasis is 12.5 million m3.year-1, vastlyinsufficient to satisfy the calculated demand offuel-wood of 45 million m3.year-1 (ForestryAction Program, ’94),. The projected demandfor 2014 is about 88.9 million m3.year-1 and theprojected supply on a sustainable yield basiswill be only 8.84 million m3.year-1. This meansthat the demand will be ten times thesustainable supply.

The Ethiopian energy assessment report byUnited Nations Development Program (UNDP)and World Bank (1995), indicates that in theearly 1990s 93% of the total national energy

consumption was supplied by biomass fuelsources. Cow dung is widely used and itsshare is particularly high in the EthiopianHighlands, increasing with increasingelevation. Above 2400 m the share of cowdung of the total biomass fuel consumption, isin the range of 41-65% (Mesfin 1991).

Research RationaleExpansion of forest plantations using fastgrowing, browsing resistant species, such asEucalyptus, would help to alleviate theproblem. Plantations of Eucalyptus species,however, are considered potentially harmful tothe environment, because of excessive wateruse, soil nutrient depletion and adverseeffects on biodiversity. As nutrient depletionand land degradation due to dung collectionand its use as fuel is extremely harmfulbecause of its adverse effects on foodsecurity, a scientific study was conducted tocompare nutrient drain from Eucalyptusglobulus fuel wood plantations and cow dungcollection.

Materials and Methods

Tree biomass sampling Tree biomass sampling was done inDecember 1999 and January 2000 at twodifferent sites. Sample trees were felled at astump height of 10 cm from the ground with abow saw as practiced by the farmingcommunities in the research areas. Afterfelling and removal of branches total treeheight up to the tip of the leading shoot wasmeasured. Discs with a width of 3 cm weretaken from the very bottom of the stem and atevery 1 m interval along the length until thediameter over bark dropped below 2.5 cm.

Cow dungLivestock dung was collected from the villagesnear the research sites. Five dung cakesamples were taken from five differenthouseholds. The cakes were collected fromthe dung-drying yard, as it was ready to beused for fuel or to be marketed. The dung


ETFRN News 37/026

cakes were broken down and mixed and out ofthe mixture a sub-sample of 100 gram wasdrawn for oven dry weight determination andnutrient analysis.

Sample preparation and chemical analysisof biomass samples All biomass samples were oven-dried at 80 0Cto constant weight and dry weight wasdetermined. Samples were homogenized forfurther chemical analysis by milling (mesh =0.5 mm). Chemical parameters weredetermined by standard procedures used inthe analytical laboratory of the Institute ofForest Ecology at Vienna University ofAgricultural Sciences

Biomass energy balanceNewcombe (1989) used a calorific value of14.3 MJ.kg-1 for wood and 13.8 MJ.kg-1 for cowdung in his report of economic justification forrural afforestation in Ethiopia. This means that0.952 kg of wood can substitute 1.0 kg of cowdung. Based on this calorific value equivalencethe nutrient depletion by E. globulus fuel woodplantations could be compared to nutrientlosses caused by the current use of cow dungas biomass fuel.

ResultsTable 1(Pg 7) shows biomass and nutrientcontent of two Eucalyptus plantations in theEthiopian Amhara Region as compared toequivalent amounts of cow dung (based oncaloric equivalents). At Teda Ager researchsite the calculated stem wood biomass in a11.5 years old E. globulus plantation was 46.3t ha-1. This stem wood biomass can substitute48.6 t of cow dung from its present use as afuel with equivalent calorific value. At WeldeabAger research site, calculated stem woodbiomass in 14.5 years old E. globulusplantation was 176.5 t.ha-1, which cansubstitute 185.4 t of cow dung at equivalentcalorific value.

DiscussionAt Teda Ager research site, nitrogen in stem

wood biomass was 32.9 kg while caloricequivalent amounts of dung contained 858 kg,which is more than 25 times as much. Thismeans that substitution of dung as biomassfuel by Eucalyptus wood depletes the land farless. For one kg of nitrogen exported byburning Eucalyptus wood 26 kg of nitrogen indung could be saved and returned to thefields as organic fertilizer. At the averageconditions of the investigated sites (age andstocking), a hectare of E. globulus plantationrepresents more than 800 kg of net nitrogenrecycling potential in the farming system in theform of organic fertilizer by replacement ofdung from its present use as fuel resource.The recycling potential is even higher inWeldeab Ager (Table 1 Pg 7). Forphosphorus the amount in the stem woodbiomass was 11.9 kg at Teda Ager researchsite, and that of dung was 168.5 kg. Thismeans that 1 kg of phosphorus removed withstem wood harvest for biomass fuel allows forthe return of more than 14 kg of phosphorusfrom cow dung not used as fuel. The trend issimilar with the other macronutrients (Table1Pg 7).

The importance of soil organic matter forsustainability lies predominantly in thosecircumstances where management based onfossil-fuel sources is either impossible orundesirable, which is the case in manytropical farming systems (Swift & Woomer1993). Although application of mineral fertilizerincreases yields in arable farming, mineralfertilizer alone cannot sustain crop yields inthe long run. Addition of organic matter, suchas cow dung, in agricultural fields plays animportant role in nutrient cycling, erosioncontrol and the maintenance of favourable soilchemical and physical properties. However,with the present Ethiopian situation, it isunthinkable to bring cow dung into the farmingsystem without having a substitute for its useas domestic fuel. At present no other species,be it indigenous or exotic, is available, whichcan substitute Eucalyptus in narrowing theever-widening gap between demand and

Organisations - Institutions - Programmes

ETFRN News 37/02 7

Table 1. E.Globulus stem wood and equivalent livestock dung biomass in t andmacronutrients in kg.

Site and Sources Macronutrients

Teda Ager Age Stocking

Biomass N P K Ca Mg S

E.Globulus(Stem wood)

11.5 1044 46.3 32.9 11.9 48.2 33.6 14.2 3.6

Equivalentamount ofdung

48.6 859 169 1091 841 233 124

Proportion(D/W)

1.05 26.1 14.2 22.6 25.0 16.4 34.6

WeldeabAger

E.Globulus(Stem wood)

14.5 1121 176.5 94.8 48.2 203.7 147.2 33.9 17.5

Equivalentamount ofdung

185 3274 547 4527 3410 910 423

Proportion(D/W)

1.05 34.5 11.3 22.2 23.2 26.9 24.2

Source Zerfu 2002


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supply of fuel biomass. This is not onlybecause of its rapid growth, but also its deeprooting and tolerance of drought as well as itsresistance to extreme browsing and ease ofpropagation. Therefore only a step-by-stepstrategy will be able to alleviate the presentbiomass fuel crisis in the Ethiopian Highlandsand to allow for consideration of otherimportant issues such as biodiversityconservation and rebuilding of close to natureforests in the future.

ConclusionThe role of E. globulus plantations inEthiopia’s situation is far reaching when it isevaluated in view of its potential contribution tothe farming system through substitution ofdung. Therefore, E. globulus plantations arerecommended and most likely the only realisticsolution to the crisis, despite many criticalviews on Eucalyptus plantations. Underappropriate management practices dung is arenewable and sustainable organic fertilizerand it should be targeted as a key resourcebecause of its positive effects on the physicaland chemical properties of the soil, andconsequently on the farming system and foodsecurity in the Ethiopian Highlands.

ReferencesEthiopian Forestry action plan 1994, The challenge fordevelopment, volume 2, Ministry of Natural Resourcesdevelopment and Environmental Protection, AddisAbaba, Ethiopia.

Mesfin Wolde-Mariam, 1991. Suffering Under God’sEnvironment: A vertical study of the predicament ofpeasants in North-Central Ethiopia. Institute ofGeography, University of Berne, Switzerland, pp 220.

Newcombe, K. 1989. An economic justification forrural afforestation: The case of Ethiopia. In:Schramm,G. and Warford, J.J. 1989. Environmentalmanagement and ec onom ic development,International bank, Johns Hopkins University press,Baltimore, U.S.A.

Swift, M.J. and Woomer, P., 1993. Organic matter andsustainability of agricultural systems: Definition andmeasurements. PP 3-17. In: Mulongoy, K. and Merckx,R. (eds), Proceeding of an international symposium

held between 4-6 November, Leuven, Belgium.

Zerfu, H., 2002. Ecological impact evaluation ofEucalyptus plantations in comparison with agriculturaland grazing land-use types in the Highlands ofEthiopia. Ph.D. dissertation, Institute of ForestEcology, Vienna University of Agricultural Sciences,Vienna.

Zerfu HailuEnvironmental Protection LandAdministration & Use AuthorityP.O.Box 145, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaTel +251 8 206810, Fax +251 8 202275

MIXED SPECIES PLANTATIONS OFE U C A L Y P T U S AND AC A C IA :GROWTH, NUTRIT ION AND SOILCHANGES

by Partap Khanna, Juergen Bauhus,Wilawan Wichiennopparat and PeterSnowdon

IntroductionEucalypts and acacias are preferredplantation species in the tropics and sub-tropics because of their fast growth which isexpected to meet the extensive demands ofwood for construction, poles, pulp and fuel.Almost all the industrial plantations aremonocultures, and questions are being raisedabout the sustainability of their growth andtheir effects on the site. Repeated harvestingof eucalypt plantations on short rotations maydeplete site nutrients because of export ofnutrients in the harvested wood and other treecomponents, and further losses may occurduring inter-rotation site managementpractices e.g., slash burn, site preparation.Nitrogen (N) losses are likely to be veryimportant for future growth. It is thereforeappropriate to explore new systems ofplantation management in which N may beadded via fixation. As an attractive alternativeto monoculture plantations, Mixed-speciesplantations can include an N-fixing specieswith more valuable tree species (Parrotta


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1999) to improve both plant productivity andsoil nitrogen dynamics (Khanna 1998), toincrease biomass production (Binkley 1992,Montagnini et al. 1995, Binkley 1997) and toincrease soil carbon sequestration (Kaye et al.2000). In addition, a range of additionalpotential advantages may occur. For example,structural and biological diversity is increasedwhile susceptibility to pest and diseaseoutbreaks may be reduced. The faster-growingspecies in the mixture provide improvedmicroclimate for establishment and growth ofcompanion species (i.e., serve as a ‘nursecrop’), and improve stem form. From acommercial viewpoint, mixed-speciesplantations have the advantage of producingmore than one product, giving their managersa better chance of adapting successfully whenmarket demands change.

About 10 years ago we established threeexperiments (two in Thailand and one inAustralia) where Eucalptus (E) and Acacia (A)were mixed in five proportions (100% E,75%E+25%A, E50+A50; E25+A75; 100A) andwere grown under two planting densities. InThailand the trees in denser planting werethinned to remove Acacia at 28 months; andwere harvested at 98 months. Preliminary dataon the growth and biomass of trees andnutrient contents were published byWichiennopparat et al. (1998) and the finaldata will be presented at the ‘InternationalConference on Eucalypt Productivity’ atHobart, Australia (http://www.cdesign.com.au/Eucprod/). Some data on the growth andnutrition of trees were presented by Khanna(1997, 1998) and Bauhus et al. (2000).

Growth and managementMixing Eucalyptus species with N-fixing treesgenerally increases the total production ofwood, and in some cases even the totalproduction of Eucalyptus wood. For example,mixtures of Eucalyptus globulus and Acaciamearnsi i produce 15% more eucalyptusbiomass than pure stands of eucalypts inaddition to the substantial growth of acacias

(Fig.1 Pg 9). This resulted from the additionalN that was made available to eucalypts whengrown in mixtures with acacia and also frombetter utilisation of soil resources.Investigation by Bauhus et al. (2000) of fineroots of mixed-species plantation (at 6.5 yearsof age) suggested that increased productivity(most evident in the 50:50 acacia-eucalyptmixtures) was the result of stratification in thefine-root systems of the two species. A keychallenge in managing mixed-species forestsis establishing the desired competitivebalance between species, so that eachspecies achieve their potential by makingoptimum use of their resource niche. Thischallenge of balancing species may not beeconomically feasible in some temperateforests, but harvesting of small-diametermaterials to remove improper species balancewould have substantial fuelwood value inmany tropical areas.

Fig. 1. Stem basal area of average trees ofEucalyptus globulus (E) and Acacia mearnsii (A)at 5.5 years of age in monoculture (100E and100A) and 50E+50A mixed stands.

Effects on nutrient supply and soilsInputs of carbon to the soil may be greaterwhen N-fixing species are incorporated in theplantation mixture (Paul et al. 2002), which islikely to occur because increased productivitywill cause greater organic matter input to thesoil by high turnover rates of plant litter


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(above-ground residues and below-groundroots). In both temperate and tropical forests,the presence of N fixation trees has beenshown to increase soil pools (Kaye et al. 2000)of both nitrogen and carbon, and to havevariable effects on soil P (reviewed by Binkleyand Giardina 1997). Studies have shown thatthe nitrogen status in mixed-speciesplantations that include an N-fixing species canbe enhanced quickly e.g., one year afterplantation establishment (Khanna, 1998).Bauhus et al. (2000) did not observe anychange in C in the 0-30 cm of soil from mixedspecies when compared with the soil from purestands. However a more differentiated soilsampling in smaller depth increments at 10years after plantation establishment showedthat soil organic carbon was highest in the50:50 mixtures of eucalypts and acacias (Fig 2Pg10), and that the amount of soil carbon wasrelated to above-ground productivity, but not tothe percentage of acacia in mixtures. Nitrogenfertilisation of the pure eucalypt stands,however, did not increase soil organic carbonwhen compared to the unfertilised stands(shown as Efer in Fig 2 Pg 10) and that the soilfrom the surrounding native forest had higherC levels than in either fertilized or unfertilizedeucalypt monocultures.

0

2 0

4 0

6 0

8 0

1 00

1 20

A 10 0 E25 E50 E75 E10 0 Efer NFs tP lantation T reatm ents

a b aa

a bb c

b

Fig 2. Organic carbon in 0-30 cm depth of soilsfrom 10-yr old plantations of Eucalyptus globulus(E) and Acacia mearnsii (A) mixtures (25-100) andeucalypt monoculture receiving inorganicfertilization (Efer), and from the surroundingnative eucalypt forest (NFst). Treatments carryingthe same letter were not significantly different at(P<0.05). (Source: Pares 2002)

FutureIt has been demonstrated that the productivityand vitality of mixed plantations can be higherthan that of mono-specific plantations of eitherspecies used in the mixture. Mixing thespecies is expected to increase the amountand quality of the harvested wood byimproving the form of the tree. Mixed speciesmay return a higher amount and better qualityof leaf and root litter resulting in a higherstorage of organic carbon in the soil.However, very little is known about theenvironmental and economic benefits and theappropriate design and management of mixedplantations. Adequate control of competitionmay be essential to best manage the mixedspecies plantations. We suggest that themixed species will provide : Increased stand productivity, better standhealth, improved site fertility, enhanced soilecological values, and improved carbonsequestration.Higher economic returns and better stability ofplantations.Additional research efforts and socialawareness to develop suitable managementmodels for mixed species plantations.We see an essential and significant role ofinternational organisation such as CIFOR tofacilitate the development and acceptance ofsuch alternative plantation systems.

AcknowledgementsThis project received financial support fromACIAR and the following institutions and manyof their research and technical staff andstudents were involved:CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, P.O.Box E4008, Canberra-Kingston 2606,Australia.,Silvicultural Research Division, Royal ForestDepartment, 61 Paholyothin Rd., Chatuchak,Bangkok, 10900 Thailand. School of Resources, Environment andSociety, The Australian National University,ACT 2002, Australia.

References


ETFRN News 37/02 11

Binkley, D. 1992. Mixtures of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing tree species. In: Cannell, M. G. R., D. C.Malcolm, and P. A. Robertson (ed.) The ecology ofmixed species stands of trees. London, BlackwellScientific. pp. 99-123.

Binkley, D. 1997. Bioassays of the influence ofEucalyptus saligna and Albizia falcataria on soilnutrient supply and limitation. For. Ecol. Manage. 91,229-234.

Binkley, D., C. Giardina and M. A. Bashkin. 2000. Soilphosphorous pools and supply under the influence ofEucalyptus saligna and nitrogen-fixing Albiziafacaltaria. For. Ecol. Manage. 128, 241-247.

Bauhus, J., P.K. Khanna and N. Menden. 2000.Aboveground and belowground interactions in mixedplantations of Eucalyptus globulus and Acaciamearnsii. Can. J. For. Res. 30, 1886-1894.

Kaye, J. P., S. C. Resh, M. W. Kaye and R. A.Chimner. 2000. Nutrient and carbon dynamics in areplacement series of Eucalyptus and Albizia trees.Ecol. 81, 3267-3273.

Khanna, P.K. 1997. Comparison of growth andnutrition of young monocultures and mixed stands ofEucalyptus globulus and Acacia mearnsii. For. Ecol.Manage. 94, 105-113.

Khanna, P.K. 1998. Nutrient cycling under mixed treesystems in south-east Asia. Agrofor. Systems 38, 99-120.

Montagnini, F., E. Gonzalez, C. Porras and R.Rheingans. 1995. Mixed and pure forest plantations inthe humid neotropics: a comparison of early growth,pest damage and establishment costs. Commonw.For. Rev. 74, 306-314.

Pares, A. 2002. Soil organic carbon sequestration inmixed and monospecific plantations of Eucalyptusglobulus ssp. pseudoglobulus and Acacia mearnsii.Thesis B. Sci. (Hon), Forestry Program, School ofResources, Environment and Society, The AustralianNational University.

Parrotta, J. A. 1999. Productivity, nutrient cycling, andsuccession in single- and mixed-species plantationsof Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus robusta, andLeucaena leucocephala in Puerto Rico. For. Ecol.Manage.124, 45-77.

Paul, K. I., P. J. Polglase, J. G. Nyakuengama and P.K. Khanna. 2002. Change in soil carbon following

afforestation. For. Ecol. Manage. 168, 241-257

Wichiennopparat, W., P.K. Khanna and P. Snowdon.1998. Contribution of acacia to the growth andnutrient status of eucalypts in mixed-species standsat Ratchaburi, Thailand. In: Turnbull, J.W. Crompton,H.R. and K. Pinyopusarerk (eds) RecentDevelopments in Acacia Planting. Proc. Intern.Workshop Hanoi, Vietnam 27-30 Oct. 1997, pp281-287.

For further information contact; Dr P.K. Khanna, Institute of Soil Science and Forest Nutrition,Buesgenweg 2, 34077Goettingen, Germany, e-mail : [email protected]

I N F L U E N C E O F P O P L A RSHORT-ROTATION COPPICE ONSOME SOIL PROPERTIES

By A. Berthelot,

IntroductionFast growing plantations are likely to providea huge quantity of raw material quickly and ata relatively low cost. Hybrid poplars, in frenchconditions and suitable soils, offer a highproductivity. Thanks to the use of clonalvarieties it is possible to obtain material withhomogeneous and well-known properties.AFOCEL planted many plots of short-rotationcoppice (SRC) of poplar in France. The standdensity varies from 2,000 to 3,000 stems ha-1and the rotation length is fixed at 7 or 8 years.The objective is to produce 10 to 12 dry tonsha-1 year-1 of total biomass, with a mainproportion (75%) of pulpwood. Between 1991and 1995, the first plots of industrial size wereharvested and the effects of several fellingsystems were studied (Sutter et al., 1995). AEuropean project also aimed to study theimpact of debarking on the harvest cost andsoil fertility (Toval et al., 1995). This paper,based on soil analyses carried out at plantingand at the time of harvest, presents theevolutions of the most common properties of


ETFRN News 37/0212

the soil.

Materials and methodsAFOCEL has soil analyses for 9 sites at thetime of planting and at the time of harvest (age7 or 8). We also have the analyses for 5 plots,each year after felling for 2 methods ofmechanical felling: debarked and pulplogswhich had been debarked and pulplogs withbark. The analyses were carried out byagricultural laboratories, according to themethods usually used. Only the resultsconcerning the upper layers are presentedhere. For the whole of the plots we profit froman estimate of the total above-ground biomass,calculated by AFOCEL mass tables (Bouvetand Berthelot, 1994). We also know thebiomass remaining on the soil after felling(crowns and branches) as well as the quantityand the nutrient content of the bark remainingon the soil for the debarked treatment (Rangeret al., 1988 ; Berthelot et al., 2000). Theprevious crop was primarily made up ofmeadows (6), but also of arable lands (2) anda poplar plantation. Two plots are located onslightly acidic soils, all the others are locatedon alkaline soils.

ResultsThe results of the analyses at the plantationand at felling appear in table 1 (Pg 15 ). ThepH of the upper layer remains stable except forthe two plots located in a slightly acidicgeological context (Ecorches and Gavrus). Inthese two cases we note a light acidificationdue to the humification of the organic matterfalling down on the soil each year (fig.1 Pg13). In half of the plots we observe a lightenrichment of organic matter, even on oldmeadows. Curiously it is not the case on thetwo old arable lands. The particular case of theplot of Tourtenay must be mentioned: it is anold drained peaty swamp. The organic matterrate is very high is dropping regularly due tomineralisation (fig.2 Pg 13 ).

The nitrogen content in the upper layer varies

in the same way as the organic matter. Therate of P2O5 does not change, and it isimpossible to observe a clear tendencybetween the planting and harvest. On theother hand it appears clearly that the two plotsplanted on arable lands are definitely richer inP2O5 than the plots planted on meadows,reflecting the durable influence of the oldfertilizations (fig.3 Pg14). For K2O, weobserve more significant variations but, therestill, without particular tendency.

Table 2 (Pg 16) shows the results for 5 plots,according to 2 methods of harvest (debarkedand with bark). After harvest, an analysis wascarried out every year for both methods. Onlythe most recent data are provided (1 to 3years after harvest, according to the site).The variations are very weak and nodifference is visible between both fellingmethods. The most visible tendencies onceagain relate to the pH of the upper layer (fig.4Pg 14). We observe a slight increase in thepH probably due to the setting in light of thesoil and its action on the organic matter. Thisphenomenon is more pronounced in the plotlocated in an acidic context (Ecorches). ConclusionAll these analyses confirm that only long termevolutions are easily noticeable. Thevariations observed here result from thechange of land use: short-rotation coppiceplanted on former agricultural lands. On theother hand, the nature of the forestryinterventions and their possible impact on thesoil require heavy studies, standardizedprotocols and a long period of observation. Toassess the impact of some practices over aperiod of only a few years appears quitehazardous compared to the precision of theanalyses.

AFOCEL has an important network of trials,on many species: Pinus, Pseudotsuga, Picea,Populus, etc. (Gastine et al., submitted). Wealready perform soil analyses at planting forseveral tens of plots. It would be useful to


ETFRN News 37/02 17

carry out new analyses 5, 10 or 15 years afterplanting in order to characterize the evolutionof soil.

ReferencesBerthelot A., Ranger J., 2000. Nutrient uptake andimmobilization in a short-rotation coppice stand ofhybrid poplars in north-west France. Forest Ecologyand Management 128 167-179.

Bouvet A., Berthelot A., 1994. Taillis à courtesrotations de peuplier - Tarifs masses et volumes.Annales de recherches sylvicoles AFOCEL, p219-234.

Gastine F., Bouvet A., Deleuze C., Monchaux P.,2002. Le réseau d'essais AFOCEL fête ses 40 ans !Submitted to Rev. For. Fr.

Ranger J., Nys C., Barnéoud C., 1986. Production etexportation d'éléments nutritifs de taillis de peuplier àcourte rotation. Annales de recherches sylvicolesAFOCEL, p 183-225.

Sutter B., Reuling. D., Berthelot A., Bonduelle P.,1995. La récolte du TCR de peuplier. Ficheinformations-forêt AFOCEL, fasc. 508, p 141-152.

Toval G., Soria F., Mansilla P., Bonduelle P., Sutter B.,Petit H., Berthelot A., 1995. Mechanized logging andon-site dedebarking of short rotation coppice(eucalyptus and poplar): impact on silviculture,environment and economy. Eclair project n/0160contract n/ AGRE-CT91-0057 : Final technical report,45 p.For further information please contact:A. Berthelot, AFOCEL Nord-Est, route de Bonnencontre,21170 Charrey-sur-Saône, France. Email: [email protected] THE EFFECT OF EXOTIC TREEPLANTATIONS IN NORTHERN THAILANDON SOIL PROPERTIES

By Roongreang Poolsiri

IntroductionThe forest area in Thailand is decreasingsteadily due to of the demand of land for

agriculture, pasture and living. Most of thedeforestation occurs in the highland on soilswhich are extremely susceptible to soilerosion. The destroyed or threatened forestsare important for the water supply to local anddownstream communities as well as for bothplant and animal biodiversity. For the pastthree decades, the Thai government hasattempted to restore degraded highland areasthrough reforestation carried out by the RoyalForest Department. Exotic tree species werepreferred because they are fast growing andprovide cover rapidly and thus protect the soilfrom ongoing erosion. More recently concernswere aired that exotic plantations use morewater and nutrients for their growth. In orderto obtain data, several exotic tree plantationswere studied with regard to their nutrientuptake, storage and return to forest soils.

Litter fall represents a major biologicalpathway for element transfer from vegetationto soils. Knowledge of seasonality of nutrientand mass return through litter fall to the forestfloor is important for plantation management.The objective of this study was to study soilproperties and rooting as well as to quantifythe litter fall and its nutrient status of fourexotic tree species, i.e. Acacia confusa,Liquidambar formosana, Cinnamomumcamphora and Cunninghamia lanceolata.These species were chosen because they arecommon and allow the comparison ofevergreen vs, deciduous species including anitrogen fixing legume and a conifer.

As the chemical analyses of the soil samplesare not yet finished only the litter fall data arepresented here.

Materials and Methods

Study siteThis study was carried out at The RoyalProject, Doi Angkhang, Chiangmai Province,which is located in the northern part ofThailand. It lies at a latitude of 19º 52′ N andlongitude of 99º 02′ E. Doi Angkhang is


ETFRN News 37/02 13

pH of the upper layer

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

Braye

Contev

ille

Ecorch

es

Gavrus

Menne

ville

Tourte

nay

Violain

e

site name

pH

initial pH

final pH

light acidification

organic matter content of the upper layer

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Braye

Contev

ille

Ecorch

es

Gavrus

Menne

ville

Tourte

nay

Violaine

site name

per c

ent

init ial organicmatterconten t

final organicmatterconten t

old peaty swamp

Figure 1: pH of the upper layer for 9 plots of SRC of poplar

Figure 2: organic matter rate of the upper layer for 9 plots of SRC of poplar


ETFRN News 37/0214

P2O5 content of the upper layer

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45

Braye

Contev

ille

Ecorch

es

Gavrus

Menne

ville

Tourte

nay

Violain

e

site name

per t

hous

and

initial P2O5content

final P2O5content

old arables lands

pH of the upper layer

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

initial harvest harvest+1 harvest+2 harvest+3time

pH

Condé barkedCondé unbarkedEcorches barkedEcorches unbarkedMenneville A barkedMenneville A unbarkedMenneville B barkedMenneville B unbarkedTourtenay barkedTourtenay unbarked

Condé debarked

Condé with bark

Ecorches debarked

Ecorches with bark

Mennev ille A debarked

Mennev ille A with bark

Mennev ille B debarked

Mennev ille B with bark

Tourtenay debarked Tourtenay with bark

Figure 3: P2O5 rate of the upper layer for 9 plots of SRC of poplar

Figure 4: pH of the upper layer for 5 plots of SRC of poplar, according to the age andharvest method


ETFRN News 37/02 15

Plot

Prév

ious

cro

p

Anal

yse

Yiel

d dt

ha-1

Year pH

CaC

O3

orga

nic

mat

ter

%

N

%o

P 2O

5 J-H

*

P 2O

5 Dye

r*

K2O

* %

o

Brave Meadows

InitialFinal

70 0 7

7.67.5

3.01.1

1.72.7

1.101.50

0.110.09

0.130.29

Conde Meadows

InitialFinal

88 07

7.67.7

30.021.8

2.83.9 2.08

0.210.22

0.150.31

Conteville

Meadows

InitialFinal

79 08

7.67.8

1.413.4

4.44.5 3.04

0.060.06

0.220.31

Eccorches

Meadows

InitialFinal

80 08

5.85.1

0.00.0

4.35.7

2.603.45

0.140.22

0.260.31

Gavrus

Meadows

InitialFinal

80 08

6.96.3

0.00.0

4.33.5

2.802.20

0.100.12

0.080.06

Menneville

ArableLand

InitialFinal

95 08

7.67.8

11.011.6

5.23.9

3.002.89

0.360.32

0.360.34

Tourtenav

PoplarStand

InitialFinal

88 07

7.37.6

8.011.5

29.720.5

13.2011.70

0.060.07

0.430.33

Brebieres

ArableLand

InitialFinal

08

7.97.7

0.7 1.5 1.001.93

0.260.30

0.20

Violaine

Meadows

InitialFinal

78 07

7.87.9

3.25.0

3.25.0

2.003.00

0.090.10

0.120.06

* P2O5 : Joret-Hebert méthod for alkaline soils and Dyer method for acidic soils (P =P2O5 / 2.29)* K2O : Acetate d’ammonium method (K = K2O / 1.205)

Table 1 : soil analyses results of upper layer for 9 plots, at the time of the planting(initial) and at the time of harvest (final)


ETFRN News 37/0216

Plot

Anal

yse Fe

lling

Met

hod

Year pH

CaC

O3

orga

nic

mat

ter

%

N

%o

P 2O

5 J-H

*

P 2O

5 Dye

r*

K2O

*

Conde initialharvestharvestharvest + 3harvest + 3

debarkedWith barkdebarkedWith bark

0771010

7.67.87.88.08.0

30.025.024.030.029.0

2.83.43.22.92.9

2.202.101.231.68

0.210.200.250.130.12

0.150.240.280.260.28

Ecorches initialharvestharvestharvest + 1harvest + 1


08899

5.85.05.25.75.8

0.00.00.00.00.0

4.35.95.44.34.2

2.603.573.333.353.06

0.140.280.160.440.26

0.260.370.240.450.21

MennevilleA

initialharvestharvestharvest + 3harvest + 3


0881111

7.67.97.98.18.1

11.012.011.012.011.5

5.24.03.53.63.8

3.02.602.982.802.95

0.360.300.310.270.25

0.360.320.360.330.32

MennevilleP

initialharvestharvestharvest + 3harvest + 3


0881111

7.67.87.78.08.0

11.012.511.012.511.0

5.23.54.44.44.2

3.002.982.982.963.05

0.360.310.350.250.31

0.360.320.360.330.37

Tourtenay initialharvestharvestharvest + 2harvest + 2


07799

7.37.67.67.97.9

8.012.01.08.53.0

29.719.821.018.717.2

13.2011.012.8011.4811.42

0.060.070.080.160.13

0.430.320.540.410.57

* P2O5 : Joret-Hebert méthod for alkaline soils and Dyer method for acidic soils (P =P2O5 / 2.29)* K2O : Acetate d’ammonium method (K = K2O / 1.205)

Table 2 : soil analyses results of upper layer for 5 plots, at the time of the plantation, atthe time of harvest and 1 and 3 years after harvesting, with or without bark


ETFRN News 37/0218

situated on limestone and shale mountains laiddown in a north south direction. On shale andsandstone the land is undulating. Limestoneoutcrops have been weathered by bicarbonatesolving, producing a typical Karst topography(Phupharung, 1979). The study area has analtitude of 1,400 m msl. The experimentalplots, 20 x 25 m in size, were selected inplantations of four exotic tree species, i.e.Acacia confusa, Cinnamomum camphora,Liquidambar formosana and Cunninghamialanceolata which were 28 years old, fullystocked and growing well without visiblenutrient deficiencies or growth defects.

Litter fallLitter fall samples were collected during oneyear starting in March 2000. In each plantationthere were 5 litter traps set up randomly in theplot. The litter trap area was 1x1 m2. Everymonth the litter was sorted and divided into 5fractions for each plantation, i.e., leaves,branches, barks, flowers and fruit, and otherfractions. All the samples were taken for ovendry weight determination and nutrient analysis.

Sample preparation and chemical analysisof litter fall samplesAll the litter fall samples were oven-dried at 80ºC to constant weight and oven-dried masswas determined. Samples were homogenizedfor further chemical analysis by milling(mesh=0.5). Chemical parameters weredetermined by standard procedures used inthe analytical laboratory of the Institute ofForest Ecology at University of AgriculturalSciences, Vienna.

Results and discussions

The mean and fractioned (leaves, branches,fruits, and others) mass of the annual litter fallfor A. confusa, L. formosana, C. camphora andC. lanceolata plantations are given in Table1(Pg 20). In this study litterfall mass wascalculated in g.m-2. The litterfall mass of the C.lanceolata plantation was uncommonly lowdue to tree pruning in the years before study.

In order to allow a rough estimate of nutrientfluxes in the C. lanceolata plantation actuallitter fall was adjusted to equivalent amountsof litterfall in the other plantations. The actuallitter fall mass is given in the parentheses inthe row below the assumed litter fall mass ofthe C. lanceolata plantation in the Table 1(Pg.20)

Litter depositionThe mean mass of the annual litter fall rangedfrom 575 g.m-2 for C. camphora plantation to694 g.m-2 for the L. formosana plantation(Table 1 Pg 20). There were no significantdifferences among species. However themean weight of annual litter of the C.camphora plantation was significantly lowerthan other non conifer plantations. The leavesfraction ranged from 337 g.m-2 for the C.lanceolata plantation to 535 g.m-2 for the L.formosana plantation (Table 1 Pg 20). Theleaves fraction of A. confusa accounted forabout 66% of the mean annual litter fall, whilefor the other plantations, that fractionaccounted for between 75% and 77% of themean annual litter fall.

The branches fraction ranged from 112 g.m-2

for the C. camphora plantation to 166 g.m-2 forthe C. lanceolata plantation. Fruits fraction iscomposed of flower and fruit parts. Theseranged from 3 g.m-2 for L. formosanaplantations to 55 g.m-2 for C. lanceolataplantations. In this fraction the mean massesof L. formosana could not be analyzedbecause there was only one month’s data fora year in this study. In the other parts fractionof L. formosana and C. camphora plantationsthere is no significant difference in values.

Table 1(Pg 20 ). Mean masses of annual litter fluxand masses of litter fall fractioned in to leaves,branches, fruits, and other under 4 exotic treeplantations at Doi Angkhang, ChiangmaiProvince

1 Means in the same column followed by thesame letter are not significantly difference at0.05 level of significance (LSD).


ETFRN News 37/02 19

Values in parentheses are mean actual litter fallmasses of the C. lanceolata plantation in thestudy year.

Nutrient flux in the litter fractionsTable 2 (Pg 20 )shows the nutrient flux in thelitter fractions for 3 of the exotic treeplantations. For this study the litter fractions ofC. lanceolata were not used for calculationand comparison as they were notrepresentative because of the disturbance dueto pruning. The nutrient flux was calculated ing.m-2 and is presented in Table 2 (Pg 20 ).

The nutrient flux generally followed the patternleaves > branches > fruits > others (Table 2pg 20). The nutrient flux of N, P, K, Ca and Mgof leaves varied according to stand. Acaciaconfusa had the highest nutrient flux of Ncompared with L. formosana and C. camphora.Liquidambar formosana had highest values forP, K, Ca and Mg. The nutrient flux frombranches follows the same pattern describedabove, with a few exceptions. Branches of A.confusa were considerably higher in N andMg, while C. camphora was higher in P and K.Branches of L. formosana had intermediatevalues for N, P and K but were higher in Ca.Fruits litter had consistently lower N, P, K, Caand Mg nutrient fluxes than either leaves orbranches litter (Table 2 Pg 20). Fruits litterfrom A. confusa had higher for all nutrientfluxes than the fruits fraction from otherspecies. Nitrogen, P, K, Ca and Mg nutrientfluxes in the others fraction of L. formosanaand C. camphora were always higher than inthe fruits fraction.

Discussions and conclusions

The litter fall study provides an estimate of themagnitude of nutrients returned to the forestsoil each year. It has to be seen in relation toother land use practices where very little isreturned because of biomass harvesting orwhere nutrients are lost due to soil erosion.The contribution of different biomass fractionsto annual litter contributions varies among the

tree species. Typical for forests, thecomponent with the highest share in terms ofmass on an annual basis was leaves(Caldentey et al., 2001, Vogt et al ., 1986)followed by branches, others and fruitsfractions. The monthly litter fall dependsmostly on factors responsible for leafsenescence and abscission. In areas with noprevalent or strongly seasonal waterlimitations, temporal variations of leaf litter onthe forest floor are the combined result of rateof fall and decomposition of falling material,and the diverse responses of species todifferent environment cues (Cuevas and Lugo,1998). In this study, the plantations have thesame climate and environment, and there wasno significant difference between the litter fallfor each tree species; even C. camphora is anevergreen-broadleaf tree species.

As expected, the litter fall in the forestplantations has released the nutrients back tothe forest soils. We could not calculate thenutrient releases from the C. lanceolataplantation because of the sample disturbancedue to pruning. In accordance with theory thelegume tree species A. confusa has thehighest nitrogen levels in all fractions of thelitter fall because it is capable of nitrogenfixation from the air.

These preliminary results show that between60 and 100 kg of nitrogen are returnedannually with a litter fall of between 5.5 to 7tons of biomass. The ongoing soil analyseswill show how this is reflected in soilchemistry. The beneficial effects of litterdecomposition on topsoil porosity ascompared to degraded open or agriculturalland is obvious even to the casual observer.

ReferencesCaldentey, J., M. Ibarra and J. Hernández. 2001.Litter fluxes and decompostion in Nothofaguspumilio stands in the region of Magallanes, Chile.For. Ecol. Manage. 148 : 145-157.

Cuevas, E. and A. E. Lugo. 1998. Dynamic oforganic matter and nutrient return from litterfall in


20

Tree Species Mean annual flux (g.m-2)1

Total Leaves Branches Fruits Others

A. confusa 603a 401a 158a 36a 8a

L. formosana 694a 535a 127a 3 29ab

C. camphora 575a 436a 112a 8a 19ab

C. lanceolata (*estimate) 626* - - - -

(64 34 17 06 07)

Table 1. Mean masses of annual litter flux and masses of litter fall fractioned in to leaves, branches, fruits,and other under 4 exotic tree plantations at Doi Angkhang, Chiangmai Province

Fraction/element A. confusa L. formosana C. camphora

Leaves

N 10.40 7.23 7.83P 0.16 0.88 0.46K 2.85 4.12 2.73Ca 4.91 17.26 17.38Mg 1.02 4,62 1,65

Branches

N 2.44 0,67 0.73P 0.04 0.07 0.33K 0.50 0.31 0.98Ca 2.69 5.08 1.35Mg 0.34 0.21 0.30

Fruits

N 0.68 0.02P 0.07 <0.01 <0.01K 0.23 <0.01 0.01Ca 0.18 <0.01 0.02Mg 0.08 <0.01 <0.01

Others

N 0.12 0.29 18P 0.01 0.03 0.02K 0.06 0.12 0.13Ca 0.15 0.18 0.52Mg 0.04 0.04 0.07

Table 2. Annual litter fall flux N, P, K, Ca and Mg (g.m-2) of the fractions of the total elemental flux in eachpartitioned litter fraction under 3 exotic tree plantations at Doi Angkhang, Chiangmai Province


ETFRN News 37/02 21

stands of ten tropical tree plantation species. For.Ecol. Manage. 112 : 263-279.

Phupharung, B. 1979. Soil classification and landpotential determination at Doi Angkhang, ChiangmaiProvince. M.Sc. Thesis, Kasetsart Univ., Bangkok.

Vogt, K., C. Grier and D. Vogt. 1986. Productionturnover and nutrient dynamic of above- and below-ground detritus of world forest. Adv. Ecol. Res. 15 :303-377.

For further information please contactRoongreang PoolsiriDepartment of Silviculture, Faculty of ForestryKasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.10900E-mail : [email protected]

THE CARBON CYCLING IN THEEUCALYPT PLANTATIONS IN CONGO

By Jean-Pierre Bouillet, Yann Nouvellon,Jean de Dieu Nzila and Olivier Hamel

Since 1978, 42,000 ha of clonal Eucalyptusplantations have been established in thesavannas around Pointe-Noire (Congo), onsandy soils with low nutrient content. Twostudies focusing on carbon cycling have beenconducted. The first one dealt with the effectsof organic matter management on plantationproductivity, and the second one dealt withCO2 fluxes and carbon sequestration withinstands.

Organic matter managementSix treatments simulating different harvestingintensities, were designed to leave six levels oforganic matter or aboveground biomass onsite: 1) Residue removed (R): all abovegroundorganic residues (slash, litter,…) wereremoved from the plot, 2) Whole treeharvest(WTH): all aboveground components ofthe commercial trees were removed, 3)Stemwood and bark harvested (SBH): only thecommercial-sized boles and associated barkwere removed, 4) Stemwood harvested (SH):

only debarked, commercial-sized boles wereremoved, 5) Organic residues were burned,following stemwood harvest, as in treatmentSH, and 6) Double slash retained (DS):commercial trees were harvested as in theSBH treatment ; the residues from the WTHplots were added to the residues from thistreatment.

One year after replanting, eucalypts intreatment R exhibited a lower total biomasscompared to other treatments (5.9 t ha-1 vs amean of 7.2 t ha-1 for the remainingtreatments). The lowest values of nutrientcontent aboveground were observed intreatment R. Under the most favourabletreatment (usually DS), plots accumulated 53,63, 45, 145, and 92% more N, P, K, Ca andMg, respectively, compared to treatment R. At24 months, treatment R was significantly lessproductive than other treatments. Thedifferences between the most and leastproductive treatments (DS and R) were 1.7 min height, 7.4 cm in circumference, and 8.3 m3

ha-1 year-1 in total volume. Using the modelproposed by Olson (1963), the coefficient ofdecomposition was found to be about 0.10,irrespective of treatment. It was estimated thata 50% loss in mass occurred within 6-8months after clearcutting. The amount ofnutrients released during slash decompositionvaried considerably among treatments.Maximum values were reached in treatmentDS, 20 months after the initial harvest, with329 kg N ha-1, 41 kg P ha-1, 99 kg K ha-1, 73kg Ca ha-1 and 52 kg Mg ha-1. This rapidrelease of nutrients leads to great risks ofnutrient leaching, especially if there is a longdelay between clearfelling and planting.

It was then shown that the productivity of theeucalypt plantations is largely dependent onconservative management of organic matterand nutrients. From an operational point ofview, it is recommended: (i) to debark stemsin the field; (ii) to retain stem tops on the site;(iii) to avoid slash burning; (iv) to reduce thedelay between stand harvesting and crop


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planting.

CO2 fluxes and carbon sequestrationSince October 2000, CO2 and water fluxeshave been measured within a young eucalyptstand. The main objective is to derive the netcarbon ecosystem exchange (NEE = carbonsequestration) from continuous eddy fluxmeasurements, and to compare theseestimates to those obtained from:1) Measurements of Net Primary Productivity(NPP = carbon stock increment in the aerialand below-ground tree compartments + litterproduction from the aboveground treecompartment + litter production from the fineroot turnover) and soil heterotrophic respiration(Rh = soil CO2 efflux resulting from soil organicmatter and litter decomposition), with NEE =NPP – Rh, and2) Measurements of carbon stocks (soil andbiomass) and their variations over achronosequence.

Carbon stocks and soil respirationmeasurements were obtained over achronosequence that includes 6 stands from 6months up to 10 years. The eddy correlationmeasurements were obtained from the top of atower erected within the 3 year-old stand of thechronosequence.

Soil CO2 efflux exhibited strong seasonalvariations, reflecting the seasonal changes insoil water content. Maximum values wereobtained during the wet season, whileminimum values were obtained at the end ofthe dry season. Annual soil CO2 efflux was11.8 t C ha-1 at eddy correlation site and 16.7t C ha-1 at the 10 year-old stand. At each site,good relationships were obtained betweenvolumetric water content of the surface soiland soil respiration. Rhizospheric andheterotrophic contributions to total soil CO2efflux were estimated from comparison of soilCO2 efflux measured over trenched plots andover non-trenched plots: at the eddycorrelation site, root respiration contributed to25% of total annual CO2 efflux. First results

obtained at other stands indicate that rootcontribution to total soil CO2 efflux increaseswith stand age, probably as a result of rootbiomass increase with stand age.

Similar to soil CO2 efflux, NEE measured byeddy correlation exhibited strong seasonalvariations with lowest values (highest CO2uptake) obtained during the wet season. Atthis time, minimum diurnal peaks of NEE wereabout -25 mmol m-2 s-1. By contrast, minimumpeaks obtained at the end of the dry seasonwere about -12 mmol m-2 s-1. Monthly NEEranged from -85.3 g C m-2 up to 29.8 g C m-2.This positive value (net carbon emission) hasbeen observed at the transition between thedry and the wet season, and resulted from afaster increase of ecosystem respiration thanphotosynthesis, after the first rains.

For the two-year period covered by eddycorrelation measurements, mean annual NEEwas -370 g C m-2 year-1. This corresponds toa net carbon uptake by the stands, butrepresents a small fraction of the grossprimary production (-1990 g C m-2 year-1), dueto high carbon loss by ecosystem respiration(1620 g C m-2 year-1). Abovegroundrespiration, root respiration, and heterotrophicrespiration represented 27%, 19% and 54% ofecosystem respiration, respectively.

Over the same period NPP was -1203 g C m-2

year-1 (-676 g C m-2 year-1 for total treebiomass increment, and -527 g C m-2 year-1

for fine root turnover and litter production).Summing NPP and Rh provides anotherestimate of annual NEE (-330 g C m-2 year-1),slightly lower to the one obtained from eddycorrelation measurements (-370 g C m-2 year-1). Carbon stocks measurementsobtained at the other stands will further beused for estimating carbon sequestration oversuccessive rotations.


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For further information please contact :

Jean-Pierre BouilletCirad-ForêtCampus international de Baillarguet, TA 10C34 Montpellier Cedex 5 FranceTel: + (33) 04 67 59 38 66Fax: + (33) 04 67 59 37 33Email: [email protected]

T HE I M P ACT O F T RO P I C ALINDUSTRIAL TREE PLANTATIONS ONSITE NUTRIENT ST AT US, SITEPRODUCT IVITY AND ECONOMICPROFITABILITY

By Jens Mackensen and Horst Fölster

IntroductionThe establishment of industrial plantations inthe tropics is increasing. International efforts tocredit plantations for carbon sequestration willfurther enhance this development. As the rateof carbon sequestration equals the standproductivity the main question is on howsustainable industrial plantation managementcan be - for both timber production and carbonsequestration? Industrial tree plantations areknown for their nutrient mining impact. Nutrientloss is unavoidable but depends on themanagement intensity. For the generallyweathered tropical soils already a modest soilnutrient loss can result in nutrient deficiency,which in turn has an impact on the standproductivity. The main objective of theresearch conducted was to assessmanagement dependent nutrient losses andthe economic impact of the required nutrientcompensation, which is to be considered foreconomical carbon sequestration schemes.

Site and approachIn this assessment, we draw partly on global orregional data, partly on own data from thePT.IHM plantation concession in East-Kalimantan, Indonesia. Ali- and Acrisols are

found on 80% of the site exhibiting low pH(pH(H2O): 4.5-4.8), high aluminum saturation(56-91%), an effective cation exchangecapacity (ECEC) of 18-26 cmol+ kg-1 clay anda clay content of 20-42%. Eucalyptusdeglupta and Acacia mangium are thedominant species. Investment calculation isbased on mean annual increment (MAI) of25m3 ha-1 for both species during a rotationlength of 8 years resulting in an expectedharvest volume of 200m3 ha-1.

By deriving relative values for nutrient lossesdue to stem harvest, leaching, erosion andslash burning and applying them to relevantsite-specific parameters such as soilparameters, species, and managementintensities, we derived the best estimateavailable for assessment of off-site lossesunder industrial plantation management.Nutrient input through precipitation andweathering was considered. The approach isconsidered a first approximation but nosubstitution for detailed and long-term site-specific nutrient losses. In awareness of themethodological uncertainties we applied aconservative estimate for management-dependent nutrient losses (Mackensen, 1998,1999; Mackensen et al. 2001, in press).

Results Average management induced nutrient losseswithin one rotation ranged from 10 to 50% ofplant available soil nutrients. The calculatednutrient losses for the assumed harvestvolume and according to managementintensity and soil fertility ranged between 14-63% for N, 3-17% for P, 14-53% for K, 5-42%for Ca and 3-33% for Mg. Under high andmedium-impact management scenariosnutrient losses due to leaching, burning anderosion were comparable or even higher thannutrient export caused by stem harvest. Slashburning contributed most to nutrient losses.Erosion caused significant losses of Ca , Mgand P. Ca-losses are especially high forAcacia stands, whereas K- and Mg-losseswere higher in Eucalypt stands. Nutrient


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depletion will first occur on nutrient poor sitessuch as Ferral- and Arenosols or shallow Ali-and Acrisols at the study site, but is alsoexpected to occur after 2-5 rotations onaverage plantation sites.

Compensation for these nutrient losses isessential to avoid distinctive depletion of soilnutrient storage. Without fertilizer applicationintensively managed tree plantations generallyhave a negative nutrient balance: within onerotation more nutrients are lost from the systemthan gained. Fertilizer compensation fornutrient losses incurred due to tree harvestincreased standard plantation establishmentcost by 18 to 33%. As a consequence, theinternal rate of return dropped from 14% to 9-12%. Fertilization costs are species specific. Considering the fertilization costs, which canpotentially make up for any carbon credit gain,strategies to reduce management-dependentnutrient losses are unavoidable. A low-impactmanagement including alternatives to slashburning, soil-conserv ing harvest ingtechniques, and appropriate site selection arerecommended.

DiscussionPlantations established on poor soils in thehumid tropics incur significant nutrient lossesdue to harvesting and site management. Eventhough these losses can be reduced by low-impact management, they are still highcompared to plant available soil nutrientstocks, accumulated losses under intensiveshort-rotation management will result in severesoil nutrient depletion and subsequentlydecrease stand productivity and carbonsequestration rates, if not compensated for.Compensation of nutrient losses will raiseplantation establishment costs significantly,especially on marginal sites. Our results point to the need for developingbetter nutrient management in industrialplantations. Nutrient losses and thusfertilization costs can be reduced byappropriate site management . Theabandonment of slash burning is the single

most important factor for potential nutrientsavings. Between 10 to 50% of total nutrientlosses could be avoided if alternatives toslash burning were adopted. Additionalleaching and erosion losses triggered byslash burning will also be reduced.

ReferencesMackensen J., Fölster H. & Klinge R. (2002).Assessment of management-dependent nutrientfluxes in tropical industrial tree plantations. Ambio, inpress.

Mackensen J., Fölster H. & Ruhiyat D. (2000). Cost-analysis for a sustainable management of fastgrowing tree plantations in East-Kalimantan,Indonesia. Forest Ecology and Management131:239-253.

Mackensen J. (1999) Nutrient management forindustrial tree plantations (HTI) in Indonesia –Practical guideline towards integrated nutrientmanagement. Tropical Forest Research, TÖBFTWF-17e, GTZ, Eschborn, pp. 96.

Mac kensen J. (1998) Unters uc hung z urNährs tof fversorgung in schnellwachsendenPlantagensystemen in Ost-Kalimantan, Indonesien -ökologische und ökonomische Implikationen.Göttinger Beiträge zur Land- und Forstwirtschaft inden Tropen und Subtropen, 127:1-209.Jens MackensenUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeDivision of Policy Development and LawP.O.Box 30551, Nairobi, KENYA

Horst FölsterCorresponding authorInstitute for Forest Nutrition and Soil ScienceUniversity GöttingenBüsgenweg 2D-37077 Göttingen, GERMANYe-mail: [email protected]


ETFRN News 37/02 25

THE LONG TERM MEMORY OFSOILS - HOW AMAZONIAN DARKEARTHS REFLECT PAST LAND USE

By Bruno Glaser

Soils store valuable information on site andclimate conditions under which they wereformed (e.g. Zech et al., 2000). It has alsobeen shown that land-use especiallyinfluences amounts and composition of soilorganic matter (e.g. Srivastava and Singh,1991; Guggenberger et al., 1994; Neufeldt,1998; Glaser et al., 2000a). While classicalresearch on the genesis of soils quantified theamounts of organic matter and nutrients, newanalytical approaches based on sophisticatedchemical biomarker analysis aim to identifytheir sources.

In Amazonia, nutrient poor Oxisols and Ultisolspredominate. These soils can hardly be usedfor agriculture in a sustainable way. It is knownthat Oxisols can not be used for continuouscropping longer than for one or two yearswithout application of high amounts of importedfertilizers such as NPK or super phosphate(Sanchez and Logan, 1992; Steiner, 1996).However, these fertilizers are not affordable forthe poor smallholder farmers. Additionally,according to Tiessen et al. (1994) sustainableagriculture in the humid tropics is hardlypossible even after intensive fertilization due tothe low nutrient retention

capacity of many soils. Within this landscapeof infertile soils anthropogenic dark earthsknown as Terra Preta (do Indio) occur inpatches of up to several hundred hectares,covering in total about 10% of Amazonia(Mann, 2002). These soils are characterizedby high amounts of stable and labile organicmatter and nutrients which enable sustainablecropping. It is obvious that these dark earthsare the product of intensive anthropogenicinfluence by pre-Columbian Indians (Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Typical soil profile of a Terra Preta atthe Hatahara site close to Iranduba nearManaus, Brazil. This is one of the mostimpressing Terra Preta sites comprising about16 hectares which has been continuouslyexcavated by Dr. Neves and his group (Neves,2000; Neves et al., 2001; Petersen et al., 2001).Up to now, a digital topographic map of that site;about 20 m2 of excavations have been realised;and 19 samples were radiocarbon dated (Neves,2000). This site also has an excellentpreservation of organic matter including plantremains, human bones as well as terrestrial andaquatic faunal residues.

Recent investigations have shown that thehigh amounts of stable soil organic matter inTerra Preta soils are mainly due to residues ofincomplete combustion (pyrogenic carbon,black carbon) (Glaser et al., 2000b; Glaser etal., 2001a, b). It is assumed that pyrogeniccarbon persists in this environment overcenturies due to its chemical stability caused


ETFRN News 37/0226

by the aromatic structure making thecompound also resistant to microbialdegradation. This assumption was emphasizedby 14C ages of 1000 to 2000 years of thiscarbon type in Terra Preta soils (Glaser et al.,2001b). Slow oxidation during this timeproduced carboxylic groups on the edges ofthe aromatic backbone, which increased thenutrient retention capacity. It was concludedthat pyrogenic carbon found in theseanthropogenic soils not only acts as asignificant carbon sink, but is also a key factorfor maintaining the sustainable fertility of TerraPreta soils. Nevertheless, high amounts ofpyrogenic carbon do not primarily contribute tohigher nutrient contents. However, pyrogeniccarbon plays an important role for nutrientretention and, thus, for reduction of nutrientleaching (Glaser et al., 2002; Lehmann et al.,2002). Other recalcitrant biomacromoleculessuch as lignin contributed only a minor part tosoil organic matter (SOM).

Further investigations showed that organicmatter is mainly stabilized via chemi-sorption tomineral surfaces whereas physical stabilizationvia entrapment into the interior of aggregatesaccounts for about 20% in Terra Preta soilscompared to 10% in adjacent soils. Therefore,besides the occurrence of recalcitrant soilorganic matter in pyrogenic forms, the stabilityof soil organic matter in Terra Preta can bepartly explained by physical stabilization inaggregates. Additionally, higher amounts ofsoil organic matter in Terra Preta soils favorsoil aggregation (Glaser, 1999).

The higher N contents were also explained bychemical recalcitrance as only 30% of total Nin Terra Preta soils could be chemicallyidentified, amino acid-N contributing 18-25%,amino sugar-N 4-7%, and inorganic N 1-2%(Glaser, 1999). It was speculated that themajor part of the unknown N in Terra Pretasoils consisted of heterocyclic N as it is knownthat charred residues contain such N forms.Finally, it is considered that the high fertility ofanthropogenic dark earths results from a

favorable conjunction of mineral and organiccontributions, making these soils highlyenriched in non-exchangeable forms ofnutrients (Glaser, 1999).

Theoretically, only C and N can be producedin situ via photosynthesis and N fixation,respectively. All other elements such as P, K,Ca, and Mg must be incorporated from thesurroundings for nutrient accumulation. In situweathering can be excluded in Amazonia, atleast on the heavily weathered Oxisols andUltisols. Therefore, for the Terra Pretagenesis, the following primary and secondarynutrient sources are possible:a) Human and animal excrements (rich in Pand N)b) Waste including animal and fish bones (richin P and Ca)c) Ash residues of incomplete combustions(rich in Ca, Mg, K, P, and pyrogenic C)d) Terrestrial plant biomass (e.g. greenmanure, compost)e) Aquatic plant biomass (e.g. algae)

The aim of an ongoing research project is thesmall scale field sampling of archaeologicalremains and soil samples and theinvestigation of artifacts and "land-use"biomarkers in order to reconstruct the genesisof Terra Preta soils with special emphasis ofthe origin of soil nutrients. The occurrence ofarchaeological remains such as human andanimal bones, fish bones and turtle backshelps us to identify major nutrient input pathsespecially of P. By means of lipid biomarkeranalysis which are especially stable in theenvironment, a differentiation between input ofhuman and animal excrements as well asbetween terrestrial and aquatic biomass canbe obtained.

If we look first at the potential to differentiatebetween human and animal excrements asnutrient sources for Terra Preta formation,sterols and bile acids have been proven to beespecially useful. Preliminary results of sterolanalysis of a Terra Preta show that human


ETFRN News 37/02 27

excrements do contribute to the nutrientrichness of Terra Preta soils (Glaser,unpublished data). Such biomarkers are verystable in the environment, even under extremeenvironmental conditions (Evershed andBethell, 1996; Simpson et al., 1998).

If we look further into the potential todifferentiate between the input of terrestrialand aquatic biomass as nutrient sources inTerra Preta soils, the n-alkane pattern looksvery promising. While cuticular waxes ofterrestrial plants contain predominantly longchain n-alkanes (>C20), short chain n-alkanes(<C20) are typical for algae (e.g. Collister etal., 1994; Bourbonniere et al., 1997; Brincat etal., 2000; Filley et al., 2001; Hoefs et al.,2002). Preliminary results of the n-alkanedistribution in a Terra Preta show thepredominance of aquatic biomass. Thus if thisresult can be verified for a bigger samplecollective the following conclusion with respectto the Terra Preta genesis could beenvisioned: Terra Preta is formed via import ofaquatic biomass from the alluvial area toOxisols of the Terra Firme where nutrients arestored, recycled and thus accumulated byadditional input of burning residues. Additionalevidence for this hypothesis can be drawnfrom palynological analysis on ColombianTerra Preta sites (Mora et al., 1991: 50).

If we summarize the current knowledgeobtained by applying sophisticated analyticalchemistry to Amazonian dark earths, thefollowing pattern of past land-use can beidentified: Terra Preta is the product ofintensive human occupation in the course ofwhich tremendous amounts of burningresidues (pyrogenic carbon), humanexcrements, food waste (animal bones, fishbones, turtle backs) and biomass (especiallyaquatic biomass from the alluvial area) isadded to an initially infertile soil. However,much more research is needed to verify theseresults both on a smaller (within site variation)and large(from site to site) scale. The reconstruction of the former land-use

history of a sustainable land-use system mayhelp to produce such soils in the future, thusproviding (i) economic development of poorcountries, (ii) a reduction of the greenhousegas effect by carbon sequestration, and (iii) areduction of the risk of a further destruction ofthe Amazonian rain forest.

ReferencesCollister, J. W., Rieley, G., Stern, B., Eglinton, G., Fry,B. 1994. Compound-specific d13C analyses of leaflipids from plants with differing carbon dioxidemetabolism. Organic Geochemistry 21, 619-627.

Evershed, R. P., Bethell, P. H. 1996. Application ofmultimolecular biomarker techniques to theidentification of fecal material in archaeological soilsand sediments.

In ACS Symposium Series 625: ArchaeologicalChemistry: Organic, Inorganic and BiochemicalAnalysis. M. V. Orna, (Ed.), American ChemicalSociety, Archaeological Chemistry SymposiumSeries, Washington, DC pp. 157-172.

Glaser, B. 1999. Eigenschaften und Stabilität desHumuskörpers der Ind ianers c hw arzerdenAmazoniens. Bayreuther Bodenkundliche Berichte68, 196 pp.

Glaser, B., Haumaier, L., Guggenberger, G., Zech,W. 2001. The Terra Preta phenomenon: a model forsustainable agriculture in the humid tropics.Naturwissenschaften 88, 37-41.

Glaser, B., Lehmann, J., Zech, W. 2002. Amelioratingphysical and chemical properties of highly weatheredsoils in the tropics with charcoal - a review. Biologyand Fertility of Soils 35, 219-230.

Mann, C. C. 2002. The real dirt on Rainforest fertility.Science 297, 922-923.

Neves, E. G., Bartone, R. N., Petersen, J. B.,Heckenberger, M. J. 2001. The timing of Terra Pretaformation in the central Amazon: New data from threesites in the central Amazon., pp. 10.

A full list of references can be obtained fromthe author at:Institute of Soil Science and Soil Geography,University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.


ETFRN News 37/0228

Email: [email protected]

MANGROVES IN THE RED RIVERESTUARY IN VIETNAM: A SINK ORSOURCE OF NUTRIENTS?

By J.H.M. Wösten

IntroductionMangroves are tidal forest ecosystems insheltered saline to brackish environments.They act as a buffer between land and sea asthey prevent erosion, reduce currents,attenuate waves and encourage sedimentdeposition and accretion (Augustinus, 1995).Moreover they provide food and shelter forbirds, fish, shrimp and crab. At the same timethey support commercial and recreationalfisheries and deliver several direct and indirectservices to the local population such asfirewood. Mangroves are threatened both by oceanicfactors such as erosion caused by strongcurrents and high waves during typhoons, andby terrestrial factors such as intensification ofagriculture and aquaculture. In the Red RiverEstuary communities of Sonneratiacaeseolaris, Bruguiera gymnorhiza andAegiceras corniculatum dominate. As part of a larger study on sustainablemanagement, this study focuses onunderstanding the cycling dynamics of carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus in the estuary.Details of this study are presented in Wöstenet al. (2002). In studying the nutrient dynamicsuse is made of the LOICZ (Land OceanInteractions in the Coastal Zone) – CABARET(Computer Assisted Budget Analysis forResearch, Education, and Training) model(Gordon et al., 1996).

Study area and modelling approachThe estuary of the Red River is located about110 km southeast of Hanoi, the capital ofVietnam, and consists of mudflats, mangroveswamps, salt marshes and sandy beaches.

From the point where the Red River entersthe sea, the area extends approximately 10km to the north, 10 km to the south and 5 kmseaward, covering a total area of 107 km2. The LOICZ approach is a budgetingprocedure describing the rate of materialdelivered to the system ("inputs"), the rate ofmaterial removed from the system ("outputs"),and the rate of change of material within thesystem ("internal sources or sinks"). In thisapproach four sequential budgets areestablished: (i) water budget, (ii) salt budget,(iii) budgets of P, and (iv) C:P and N:P ratiosto calculate C and N sequestration.In this study, measured data for riverdischarge, precipitation, evaporation andgroundwater flow are available. Based onthese data, residual flow is calculated. Toconserve salt in the estuary, the amount ofsalt leaving the estuary with residual flow isbalanced by an amount of salt entering theestuary with mixing flow caused by winds,tides, or estuarine flow.P loss is assumed to represent conversion ofP to mangrove biomass and allows estimationof primary production (p) minus respiration (r).A positive value of the net metabolism (p – r)implies that production of the system is higherthan respiration and therefore that C iscaptured in the system. With respect to thenitrogen budget, nitrogen fixation anddenitrification are important. The expectedamount of N uptake or release is related tothe P uptake or release and to the N:P ratio oforganic matter. Assuming that all P loss issequestered in mangrove biomass ignores theuptake and release of nutrients by theabundant mineral particles in the estuary.Further research is needed to quantify thisprocess of nutrient exchange with mineralparticles.

Data Availability for the Red River EstuaryThe budget model approach requires inputdata on water, salt and nutrients. These datawere collected in Vietnam and are reported byTri et al. (1999). Figure 1(Pg 31) shows thatriver discharge is by far the most important


ETFRN News 37/02 29

component in the water budget, whilegroundwater flow is negligible and precipitationand evaporation are also small. Large monthlydifferences exist in river discharge, withrelatively high values in the wet months May-October and low values in the monthsNovember-April. Measured data for salinity,Dissolved Inorganic N (DIN) and DissolvedInorganic P (DIP) concentrations are shown inFigure 2 (Pg 32).

Water and nutrient balanceFirst, residual and mixing flows are calculatedresulting in values of -108.106 m3 d-1 and119.106 m3 d-1 respectively. The negative signfor residual flow indicates that there is a netwater outflow from the estuary to the sea.Because residual flow carries salt out of theestuary, there is a compensating salt source inthe form of a mixing flow which has a positivesign. Next components of the N and P budgetsare calculated. Table 1 shows the calculatedthree major components of the materialbalance, daily import and daily export, and netbalances. Daily import of N in the estuary isabout 1090 kmol d-1 while daily export of N is268 kmol d-1. This implies that mangroves inthe estuary sequester the difference betweenimport and export, yielding 822 kmol d-1 of Nand thus act as a sink for N. Similar to N, Table 1 (Pg32) shows that dailyimport of P is about 389 kmol d-1 while dailyexport of P is 286 kmol d-1. This means that themangroves in the estuary sequester thedifference, yielding 103 kmol d-1 of P and thusalso act as a sink for P.

Biomass productionWith a calculated P uptake of 100 kmol d-1

which equals 3 100 kg P d-1 and a C:P ratio of300 for mangroves (Tri et al., 1999), netcarbon metabolism amounts to 30 Mmol d-1

which equals 360 000 kg C d-1 for the totalarea of 107 km2. Expressed per unit surfacearea this implies a carbon fixation ofapproximately 33 kg ha-1 d-1. Assuming that40% of the dry matter is carbon, a maximumbiomass growth rate of about 80 kg dry matter

ha-1 d-1 is calculated. This calculated growthrate agrees well with rates measured by Gongand Ong (1990).Biomass growth of a full grown mangrovestand in the Red River Estuary as measuredby Tri et al. (1999) amounts to 31 kg drymatter ha-1d-1. Agreement between calculatedand measured growth rates (80 versus 31 kgha-1d-1 respectively) is considered to beacceptable. These values provide anindependent validation mechanism and thussupport the accuracy of the calculated N andP sequestration data.

ConclusionsMangroves in the Red River Estuary functionas a sink of nutrients. Independent data onmangrove growth rates support the calculatedN and P sequestration data. As a follow up, itwould be attractive to use the describedbudget approach to investigate the effects ofrealistic future scenarios on changes in riverdischarge and river nutrient concentrations.These changes could be caused by changesin the water retention of the Red Rivercatchment or by predictions on the populationgrowth of Hanoi. In such a scenario analysisit should be remembered that calculations arelargely based on average hydrological andnutrient concentration data, whereas in realitythese data vary considerably in time andspace. Nevertheless, this study demonstratesthat the described budget approach iscapable of assessing the nutrient status of theRed River Estuary even if relatively few inputdata are available on hydrology and nutrientconcentrations.

ReferencesAugustinus, P.G.E.F. 1995 Geomorphology andsedimentology of mangroves. In Geomorphologyand sedimentology of estuaries (Perillo, G.M.E. ed).Elsevier Science, Amsterdam. pp. 333-357.

Gong, W.K. & Ong, J.E. 1990 Plant biomass andnutrient flux in a managed mangrove forest inMalaysia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 31,519-530.


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Gordon, D.C., Boudreau, P.R., Mann, K.H., Ong, J.E.,Silvert, W.L., Smith, S.V., Wattayakorn, G., Wulff, F. &Yanagi, T. 1996 LOICZ Biogeochemical modellingguidelines. LOICZ Reports and Studies 5, pp. 96,LOICZ, Texel, Netherlands.

Tri, N.H., Ninh, N.H., Lien, T.V., Trinh, B., Chinh, N.T.,Trong, T.D. & Secretario, F.T. 1999 Economic-Environmental modelling of coastal zones in the RedRiver delta. Final Report. Hanoi, Vietnam, 62 pp.

Wösten, J.H.M., de Willigen, P., Tri, N.H., Lien, T.V.,Smith, S.V. 2003 Nutrient dynamics in mangroveareas of the Red River Estuary in Vietnam. Estuarine,Coastal and Shelf Science (in press).

List of FiguresFigure 1. Measured monthly changes in riverdischarge (VQ), precipitation (VP), evaporation(VE) and groundwater (VG) in 106 m3 d-1.

Figure 2. Estimated monthly changes inconcentrations of DIN and DIP in river water,and salinity in the estuary.

J.H.M. WöstenAlterra Green World Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. [email protected]


31

0,01

0,1

1

10

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j f m a m j j a s o n dMonth

Riv

er d

isch

arge

, Pre

cipi

tatio

n, E

vapo

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nG

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06 m3 d

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Precipitation (V P )

Evaporation (V E )

Groundwater (V G )

0

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Month

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) or S

alin

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Salinity

DIP

Figure 1.Measured monthly changes in river discharge (VQ), precipitation (VP), evaporation(VE) and groundwater (VG) in 106 m3 d-1

Figure 2. Estimated monthly changes in concentrations of DIN and DIP in river water, andsalinity in the estuary


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Table 1.Calculated inorganic N and calculated inorganic P flows, daily import in the estuary system(FQ), daily export from the estuary system , and net balances (import-export) for the estuarysystem in kmol d-1.

Table 1

Nutrient Daily import Daily export Balance

N 1090 268 822

P 389 286 103

Research Cooperation Sought

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DFID-FRP SEEKS SOCIO-ECONOMICEXPERTISE FOR WATER CATCHMENTMANAGEMENT STUDIES

The Forestry Research Programme (FRP) of theBr i tish Department for In ternat ionalDevelopment (DFID) is working in tropical forestareas and is looking for people/institutions towork on socio-economic aspects of projects onwater catchment management. Outputs shouldinclude the following:

a. a guide to which economic and financial toolsand instruments are most appropriate underwhat specific circumstances, taking the FAOForestry Paper number 127 ("Valuing forests:context, issues and guidelines", by HansGregersen, Mike Arnold, Allen Lundgren andArnoldo Contreras Hermosilla, 1995) as astarting point. The development of this guideshould include comparative studies of thedifferent methods at one or more data-rich sites.The data requirements for some methodsdescribed in FAO Forestry Paper 127 are toolarge for most upland communities, so researchon parsimony will be one element of thecomparisons between methods.

b. through participatory consultation, thedevelopment of a "common currency" or the useof multi-criteria analysis to facilitate rationaldebate between stakeholders who only usemonetised values and those who also considersocial and cultural benefits. "Common currency"does not necessarily mean reduction to money.It could mean a common set of understandings,or agreed units for goods against services forbarter trade (as used by self-help groups in thiscountry to reduce trading taxes - for example,one sack of potatoes = 2 hours of housepainting). The common currency or result ofthe multi-criteria analysis should help inreaching a consensus for decisions about forestand land use change intended to produce thegreatest net social benefit.

c. decision support systems (DSS), using theresult of (b) above as one element, to helpparticipatory processes and institutions workthrough arguments about changes in forestand land use. The decision support systemsshould use minimum data sets. The newresearch should build on the FAO AndréMayer Fellowship study by Sebastiao Kengen(1997) "Forest valuation for decision-making:lessons of experience and proposals fori mp r o v e me n t " , a n d the IUFR O1.05.06/4.11.03 conference at BOKU(Institute of Silviculture at the University ofAgricultural Sciences, Vienna) on "Decisionsupport for multiple purpose forestry", 23-25April 2003.

d.compensation mechanisms which havepotential to transfer value captured bydownstream users and consumers of goodsand services, to benefit those forestmanagers who adopt good (conservative orservice-enhancing) land and forestmanagement practices upstream.

e.equitable mechanisms for the capture anddistribution of benefit (values) resulting fromgood forest management. More than adecade of trial implementation of trading incarbon emission reduction certificates hasresulted in a relatively narrow range of pricesfor sequestered carbon. There is much lessexperience in developing countries in marketsfor watershed protection services

f.guidance on trading of forest-basedenvironmental services. The decision supportsystems may be applied to markets for waterquantity and quality, sequestered carbon,conserved biodiversity, and landscapebeauty. It seems likely that trading in bundlesof environmental services may be morebeneficial for upland communities but moredifficult for downstream users and consumerswho may not be interested directly inbiodiversity or carbon benefits. Maximisationof outputs of some services may have

Research Cooperation Sought

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adverse effects on others. For example, highlevels of sequestered carbon may be associatedwith acidified stream flows. So trade-offs willneed to be examined as they affect differentcategories of stakeholder, not just theproducers.

g.a more rational approach to valuation of forestgoods and services should enable greaterconsensus to be obtained on taxation regimesfor forests and lands in marginal areas.

The experts we are looking for should workprimarily on a, b and c and secondarily on e andg.

Contact personKatelijne Rothschild - Van Look, FRP Senior Administrator, Natural Resources International Ltd, Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, Kent ME20 6SN, UK, tel: +44-1732-87.86.92, fax: +44-1732-22.04.97, e-mail: [email protected]: For more information on the DFID ForestResearch Programme also see Pg 38

RESIN MARKETS SOUGHT

Mar Dalmacio writes, "We are helping some 15Peoples' Organizations to acquire permits fortapping almaciga (Agathis dammara) resins(commercially known as Manila copal).

To improve quality, the resins will be refinedusing technology developed by the ForestProducts Development Institute. The refiningtechnology involves the extraction of resin withethyl alcohol at about 95 degrees centigradewith applied pressure and allowing the ethylalcohol to distill and condense through the resinseveral times in a continues operation and thenremoving the ethyl alcohol for futher use insubsequent operation. The extraction vessel isprovided with filtering medium to separate the

ehtyl-soluble portion of the resin from theethyl-insoluble portion and impurities like dirt,pieces of bark, stones and others.

The refined resin will then be of uniformly highquality. The local communities are expected toearn better income from their tappingoperations. This, we hope, would motivatethem to protect existing natural almaciga treesand the associated trees. In the end,biodiversity resources would be conserved.Operation of the refining plant is expected tostart by January, 2003.

Meanwhile, we are looking for possiblemarkets for the refined resin. We thought thatperhaps you may have information on thismat ter . "You may contact Mar [email protected].

Source; Forest Information Update, Vol 3,No.34 26 August 2002

PHD SUPPORT SOUGHT

Ms. Mildred Nafuna, Coordinator, writes,"One of our staff is interested in pursuing aPhD in community forestry for the tropics. Hehas come up with a project targeting theOgiek community in Kenya, living in the MtElgon, and Mau forests. These people havebeen utilizing these forests sustainably, untilrecently when the government startedexcising bits of these forests for settlement.The proposal is titled 'Sustainable forestry useand stewardship- An example of the Ogiekforest community in Kenya'. We are seekinginformation on this area, as pertains fundingand possibly individuals who can assist with agood proposal in the area. Those interestedcould get in touch with the student.Nicholas Kunga,PO Box 2831,Kampala.Tel +256 77 580935Email: [email protected]

Internet Features

ETFRN News 37/02 35

SOURCING IMAGES FOR TREES ANDLEAVES

I am looking for images of the following trees,their leaves and seeds.Could you recommend any books or onlineresources where I might findthis sort of imagery.

Anigre - Aningeria SPPLacewood - Cardwellia sublimisPearwood - Pyrus communisTeak - Tectona grandisSapele - Entandrophrama cylindricumMakore - Tieghemella heckeliiBubinga - Guilbourtia demeusiiMacassar Ebony - diospyros celebicaWenge - Juglans regiaSatinwood - Chloroxylon swietenia

Thank you very much for considering myrequest.

Kristian Bodek900 Broadway, Suite 903New York, NY 10003USAEmail: [email protected]

INFORMATION SOUGHT ON ON HOWFOREST FIRES CHANGE MICROBIALGROWTH

Last summer we had extensive forest fires inthe San Juan Mountain near DurangoColorado. We grew microbes from soilsamples diluted 1:1000, 1:2000 and 1:4000.Soil samples were taken from arid land withan elevation of 6000 ft and from a forestedarea, elevation about 8500 ft. We also hadsamples from the burned area at 8500 ft.There was little rizoid type growth in the burnsoil but abundant bacterial type growth withmuch variety. Why was this so? The samplefrom near the burn area had a variety of bothtypes of growth. If you could send informationon how forest fires change microbial growth itwould be fantastic. Also we are looking for thedifference between microbes in arid climateand high forest (Ponderosa Pines andshrubs.)

Name: Valerie UschukBayfield School SystemE-mail: [email protected]

Internet Features

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By Jelle Maas

The International Soil Reference andInformation Centre (ISRIC) www.isric.org is theWorld Data Centre for Soils of the InternationalCouncil of Sciences (ICSU); and is involved indeveloping the World Overv iew ofConservation Approaches and Technologies(WOCAT) www.wocat.net with the Centre forDevelopment and Environment, University ofBerne, Switzerland.

The Forest Soils homepage of the Soil ScienceSociety of America provides access to onlineglossaries, forest soils related material,databases, electronic journals, tools andorganisations (including universities).http://soilslab.cfr.washington.edu/S-7/

CSIRO Land and Water (Australia) has aprogramme on tropical forests; publications, egtechnical documents on N, P and C balancesc a n b e d o w n l o a d e d . www.clw.csiro.au/research/tropical/

The department of Forest Soils of the Swedishagricultural University in Uppsala has anEnglish website: www.sml.slu.se/indexe.phtml

The International Erosion Control Associationoffers provides education, resource informationand business opportunities for professionals inthe erosion and sediment control industry athttp://www.ieca.org/

The ICG, Netherlands Centre for Geo-ecological Research co-ordinates andorganises research at several Universities inthe Netherlands, and the KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven, Belgium. Some of theirresearch projects deal with forest - soilrelationships. www.frw.uva.nl/icg/index.htm

The forest research office of the Royal ForestDepartment of Thailand www.forest.go.th/default_e.asp has publishedabstracts on their forest soils research at

www.forest.go.th/Research/English/abstracts_silv ic/Soil%20Research.htm; p lantat ionresearch abstracts may be found atwww.forest.go.th/Research/English/abstracts_silvic/Plantation.htm.

The International Soil ConservationOrganization (ISCO); links to the meetingsand action agenda are available at:http://topsoil.nserl.purdue.edu/iscohome/index.html

The Kerala Forest Research institute (KFRI)in India has a number of interesting activitiesincluding plantation forestry researchprojects, agroforestry, non wood forestproducts, soil science and the upcominginternational teak conference (December2003). Please see http://www.kfri.org

The Brazilian research institute EMBRAPA, ww w . e mb r a p a . b r / e n g l ish /e mbr apa.htmpresents some papers on forest soils atwww.cpaa.embrapa.br/env52/env52aeng.htm

The Australian Cooperative Research Centrefor Sustainable Production Forestry is acollaborative venture between Australianforestry companies, the CommonwealthGovernment, State Government enterprisesand Universities. The Centre’s sustainablemanagement programme includes researchprojects on Site productivity; Management oftropical soils; Silvicultural systems; andModelling production and wood quality.http://www.forestry.crc.org.au/susman.htm

The South African paper manufacturer Mondi,has large plantations in South Africa. Moreinformation at www.mondiforests.co.za/

Funding/Opportunities

ETFRN News 37/02 37

RGS-IBG FUNDING FOR FIELDRESEARCH

The Royal Geographical Society (with TheInstitute of British Geographers) is animportant source of funding for research andtraining in Geography. The Society’s grantsare wide-ranging and offer support toindividual researchers, expedition teams andschool teachers. Grants are for work in boththe UK and overseas and range in value from££350 to ££15,000. In 2002 the Society hasprovided over ££100,000 in grants, supportingover 70 expeditions and research projects. Fulldetails of all the projects approved andsupported by the RGS-IBG throughout 2002can be found in the Society's 'Researching theWorld 2002' press release.

The Society encourages geographicalresearch and exploration by granting approvaland financial support to expeditions withsignificant scientific content. To be eligible,expeditions should have strong links with hostcountry institutions. Involvement of nationalsfrom the host country in research isencouraged.Teams rather than individuals are supported;solo ventures are not eligible. Studies inhuman and physical geography, and researchin a geographical aspect of discipline wherethe emphasis is on environmental factors,geographical relationships, survey, mapping orexploration are supported.Deadlines for applications are:25 Jan for the following Summer or Autumn25 Aug for the following Winter or Spring

Details and an application form can be down-loaded from the web site at:www.rgs.org/grantsEmail: [email protected]

TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATIONASSISTANCE

Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) is keen tolearn of opportunities to collaborate with localconservation NGOs in tropical forest resourceassessment and conservation.

CCC provides resources to help sustainlivelihoods and alleviate poverty through theprotection, restoration and management oftropical forests. The mechanism throughwhich CCC achieves this is via working inco l laboration with local in-countryconservation organisations and localcommunities, and recruiting volunteers(internationally and locally) who work withqualified staff (recruited and managed byCCC) to undertake forest resource(biodiversity) assessments as dictated bypartner organisations. CCC maintains astrong policy of collaboration by invitation fromappropriate government and non-governmentorganisations within a host country in order toprovide resources to achieve tropical forestconservation management goals.

CCC can provide teams of well-qualifiedtechnical staff (scientific, logistics, andmanagement), research equipment and acontinual stream of staff and volunteers(whom all receive appropriate training) inorder to undertake appropriate data collectionactivities for the development of resourcemanagement tools (e.g. habitat maps,Geographic Information Systems etc). CCCalso provides training opportunities andinformation for education initiatives for widerstakeholders.

All research is undertaken at no cost to hostcountry partners and all research is primarilyself-financed through the volunteerparticipatory scheme. This hopefully enables


ETFRN News 37/0238

local organisations and communities to makeinformed decisions regarding natural resourcemanagement. It should be stressed that CCCis not a funding agency and does not simplyprovide resources or facilitate the acquisitionof equipment since the mode of operation isthrough partnership, collaboration andparticipation.

Such work is exemplified by the NegrosRainforest Conservation Project in the centralPhilippines which is being undertaken with theNegros Forests and Ecological Foundation Inc.Details of this and the numerous reserves,wildlife sanctuaries, and communitymanagement initiatives that CCC has helped toestablish around the world are detailed on theCCC website. Ultimately, CCC prides itself onassisting host country organisations to developsufficient capacity and human resources todeal with natural resource management issuesindependently.

For further details, please contact:

Craig Turner (Terrestrial Science Co-ordinator)Coral Cay Conservation, The Tower, 125 HighStreet, Colliers Wood, London, SW19 2JG, UKT: +44-(0)20-8545-7722, F: +44 (0)870-750-0667E: [email protected], W: www.coralcay.org

THE UK FORESTRY RESEARCHPROGRAMME

What is the FRP ?FRP is one of ten competitive grantsprogrammes of the UK Department forInternational Development (DFID) RenewableNatural Resources Research Strategy(RNRRS). FRP intends to help countrypartners in the eradication of poverty by

supporting research on priority developmentalproblems of the forest-dependent poor. Theseproblems are identified and documented inDFID forestry partner countries throughconsultation with a wide range ofstakeholders, including representatives of thepoor.

FRP has stressed the importance of multi-disciplinarity and multi-institutionality, so thatspecialist research staff do not feel obliged totake on roles for which they may not betrained.

What is DFID’s research strategy ?DFID’s overarching priority in all itsdevelopment assistance is the reduction ofpoverty. DFID funds research with the aim ofhelping to meet the Millennium DevelopmentGoals agreed by the OECD DevelopmentAssistance Committee and adopted by the UKGovernment. Through its Renewable NaturalResources Research Strategy 1995-2005,DFID funds studies which are exclusivelyrelated to developmental problems identifiedas priorities by the poor or theirrepresentatives in DFID partner countries.The mandate of the research programmes islimited to research and the promotion ofresearch outputs.

How does FRP operate ?FRP clearly cannot solve all the problemsraised by DFID forestry partner countries. Forthe moment, FRP is concentrating researcheffort by selecting a small number of majorproblems, and operating through a matrix ofstructural and thematic clusters.

FRP issues calls for concept notes on well-defined themes on average once a year. The2002-03 call with deadline 31 October 2002was within FRP structural cluster 1 (Globalissues and generic tools) and thematic cluster5 (Non-timber forest products):Theme 1: Processing, marketing and market


ETFRN News 37/02 39

intelligence for indigenous tropical tree fruits.Theme 2: Biometrically sound assessmentmethods for productivity and sustainableharvests of non-timber forest products.

Structural cluster

Thematiccluster

Globalissuesand

generictools

Land use /forest

decisionmaking

Institutional

changeand

reform

Sustainablelivelihoodsand incomegeneration

TropicaltimbertreesMulti-purposetrees andshrubsTrees inland usesystems

Forestmanagement

Non-timberforestproducts

Peri-urbanissues

Programmedevelopment anddissemination

Which are DFID’s forestry partnercountries? DFID's bilateral programme in forestryconcentrates on approximately 20 countries.These are currently (October 2002):Africa: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya (CivilSociety only), Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa,Uganda and Zimbabwe.Asia: India, Indonesia (case-by-caseconsideration) and Nepal.Latin America and Caribbean: EasternCaribbean States, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, ElSalvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,Nicaragua.

FRP projects will generally be carried out inthese partner countries. If there are strong

technical reasons for implementation in othercountries, research results should beapplicable to the needs of very poor people inat least two partner countries.

Who can apply ?The FRP welcomes applications frominstitutions, both public and private sector,with a documented record of completed andpublished research related to tropical forestryand land use. Applications are similarlywelcomed from NGOs and CBOs. Foraccountancy reasons, applications are notaccepted from individuals without aninstitutional affiliation. For legal andaccountancy reasons, the lead institutionshould be UK-based. There should be at leasttwo collaborating institutions, one (or more)from each of two (or more) of the DFIDforestry partner countries. Proposals frominstitutions in EU continental countries shouldbe linked to a lead UK-based institution.Institutions in developing countries must beformally associated with a U.K.-basedinstitution. Applications from developingcountries must show how the problem hasbeen identified as a national priority in at leastone other DFID forestry partner countries.

What doesn’t FRP fund ?FRP cannot fund:academic expenses such as tuition fees andacademic residence costs unless these arenecessary and integral with the researchprojectstudy tours or attendance at conferences asstand-alone activitiesdescriptive case studies on their own

Partnerships in Framework 6What we can offerFRP is seeking partnerships with researchersand research management bodies throughoutEurope. Our aim is to improve the livelihoodsof poor forest-dependent people in tropicaland subtropical countries, which has positive


ETFRN News 37/0240

spin-off effects for the people in Europe –imports of ethically traded high-quality tropicaltree fruits, certified tropical timber, reduction ofcarbon emission are few examples of ultimateoutcomes from FRP-funded research.

Our well-established network of contacts ofhighly qualified scientists in the UK andworldwide is a valuable asset in the brokeringof research alliances. Decades of experiencein research management are our backbone tosuccess. Our experience covers themes suchas sustainable livelihoods, tropical and sub-tropical forestry management, watershedmanagement, carbon sequestration and CDMtools, forest product certification andmarketing, ethical trade, biodiversityconservation, non-timber forest products.

We anticipate to operate both at project levelby researchers applying for research fundingthrough the FP6 mechanisms (Networks ofExcellence and Integrated Projects) and atprogramme level through a consortium ofsimilar research management offices, byoffering project management skills for largerforestry networks or projects.

What we seek We are looking to establish Europeanresearch alliances that will be eligible forfunding through FP6. We are particularlyinterested to include into our network ofcontacts scientists with experience in thesocial sciences and economics of forestproduct and services markets to complementour existing skills base in other areas. (Alsosee Research cooperation Sought Pg 33)

Need more information?Please contact:Katelijne Rothschild-Van LookFRP Senior AdministratorPark HouseBradbourne LaneAylesfordKent ME20 6SNU.K.email: [email protected]: www.frp.com.uk

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NEW NAME FOR ICRAF: WORLDAGROFORESTRY CENTRE

Dear Partners, Friends and Colleagues,ICRAF is pleased and excited to announce thatwe are adopting a new brand name –World Agroforestry Centre. We are veryproud of ICRAF’s rich h istory ofaccomplishment, but we are also aware thatour acronym communicates little about ourorganization to those who do not already knowour work. As we look to the future, we need tofoster a more immediate recognition of ourfocus on agroforestry, ultimately allowing us toreach more people, more effectively. Hencethis change. Along with the brand change, wehave adopted a new logo and distilled theintended impact of our work into a simple four-word tagline: Transforming Lives andLandscapes.

Our legal name has not changed. While we are adopting a new brand name, allof our existing and future contracts and otherlegal and governmental documents willcontinue to refer to the Centre as “ICRAF”and/or feature our full name. We will not beusing the acronym WAC for any purpose.

Our mission, vision, values, and corestrategies also remain unchanged. The World Agroforestry Centre is theinternational leader in agroforestry – thescience and practice of integrating “workingtrees” on smallholder farms. Agroforestry is aneffective and innovative means to reducepoverty, create food security, and improve theenvironment. The Centre and its manypartners provide improved, high quality treegermplasm, as well as the knowledge neededto use them effectively.

At the heart of our Centre is our passion forcreating better choices for future generationsand our belief that we have a responsibility to

constantly learn and share relevantinformation to help people improve their livesand their environment. Our approach isdeeply rooted in a dedication to top-qualityresearch that results in innovative science,giving us a rich understanding of needs and ofsolutions, from the village scale to the globallevel.

We look forward to our efforts with you toattack poverty, hunger, and environmentaldegradation through agroforestry.

Sincerely,Dennis P. Garrity, Director General

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 30677-00100 Nairobi, Kenya Ph: 254 2 524000 or 1 650 833 6645Fax: 254 2 524001 or 1 650 833 6646 Email: [email protected] http: www.worldagroforestrycentre.org

CHANGES AT THE CENTER FORI N T E R NAT I O NAL F O R E S T R YRESEARCH (CIFOR)

Extract from special Polex messageSome things are changing at CIFOR; othersremain the same. We are now working harderto show the important role that forests canplay in addressing the challenges of poverty,poor health, violence, corruption, andenvironmental destruction. We are devotingmore attention to communications andbecoming more systematic about achievingimpact.

At the same time, CIFOR remains a "centerwithout walls", which emphasizes networking,capacity building, and strong partnerships.Our vision of multidisciplinary research thatbrings together silviculture, ecology, socialsciences and other disciplines continues toinspire everything we do. We still stand for

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rigorous and objective analysis and forpromoting constructive and informed dialoguebetween industry groups, private companies,government agencies, NGOs, and localcommunities.

Our Board of Trustees recently approved anew program structure whereby we will haveonly three programs instead of six. Theseprograms will be: Forests and Livelihoods,Environmental Services and Sustainable Useof Forests, and Forest Governance. The newstructure will not significantly change thecontent of our research, but it should make ouroperations more efficient and give our partnersa better sense of what we are about.

CIFOR-POLEX messages can be found at theCIFOR website: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/

CIFOR’s FOREST POLICY EXPERTS(POLEX) LISTSERVE

Forest Policy Experts (POLEX) is an electroniclist serve managed by the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR) inBogor, Indonesia. Its objective is to keep keyopinion leaders in the area of forestry policyinformed about recent relevant policy researchresults by CIFOR and others. The list formspart of CIFOR's program on the 'causes ofdeforestation, forest degradation, and changesin human welfare in forested areas'.Although CIFOR sponsors the list, the contentof the messages sent out reflects only theviews of the authors of the original researchand the list manager. They are not the officialviews of CIFOR as an institution.

Because we know you are very busy, we onlysend two messages per month. Each messageincludes a 500 word summary of some recentresearch document with information on how toobtain the document and contact its author.We do not generally post announcements

about events, job opportunities, or institutionalissues. We try to maintain a balance withregard to geographical region and topiccovered. We give particular emphasis to howpolicies and trends outside the forest sectoraffect forests and the people who depend onthem.This is not a discussion list, as such. It is achannel for keeping you informed about policyresearch by CIFOR and others. Ofteninteresting dialogues develop directly betweenlist members and the authors of thedocuments discussed. However, we do notgenerally post those dialogues.

We are very interested in your feedbackregarding the list serve itself and yoursuggestions with regard to what documentswe should promote. Please send them to:David Kaimowitz at [email protected] wanting to subscribe to the list shouldalso contact David Kaimowitz.

Previous CIFOR-POLEX messages can befound at t h e C IF O R w e b s i te :Http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/ If you would like to receive CIFOR-POLEX inEnglish, Spanish, French, Bahasa Indonesia,or Nihon-go (Japanese), send a message toAmbar Liano [email protected]

FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:CAN THEY PAY OUR WAY OUT OFDEFORESTATION?

Polex Message 3 July 2002Forests provide huge benefits. Besidessupplying wood and other products,they storea vast amount of genetic information, regulatethe climate and the flow of water, protect andenrich soils, control pests and diseases,pollinate useful plants and disperse theirseeds, safeguard water quality, offer beautiful

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landscapes, and enrich us spiritually.Forestscan also create significant costs. Each hectareof forest is one less hectare farmers can usefor crops or livestock. Forest animals canbecome pests. Forests compete with otheractivities for water.Many people believe economic techniques cantell us when the benefits of forests outweighthe costs and which forest to clear and whichto protect. These same people also frequentlyassume such studies will prove it is better toprotect most forest and that once policymakersrealize that the forests will be conserved as aresult.

Robert Nasi and Sven Wunder of CIFOR andJose Joaquin Campos from CATIE are not fullyconvinced. In "Forest Ecosystem Services:Can They Pay Our Way Out of Deforestation?"they argue that in many cases we still know solittle about the specific services forests providethat attempting to assess their value in aparticular location would take us into the realmof science fiction. They point out that differenteconomic valuation techniques often generatequite distinct results. They also note that suchtechniques cannot really address the large-scale or long-term consequences of forest lossor the distributional issues concerning wholoses and who gains.

In any case, figuring out how much a forest isworth is not enough. To conserve them,someone has to give the people that want toclear forests a real incentive not to do so. Thatwill often require paying them, either becausethey effectively control the forestland orbecause they have political influence. Creatingprotected areas and eliminating perversepolicies that encourage people to clear forestsare important, but they can only go so far.

Valuation efforts can contribute most bydetermining how much one would have to paydifferent groups to get them to maintain landunder forest. That is more relevant than trying

to come up with some theoretical figure aboutthe forest's "value". Schemes to pay forenvironmental services should focus on thoseforests that are under threat but where smallpayments would be sufficient to keep themfrom being destroyed.

Of course, it is nice for policymakers to seethe value of forests. But for most people whowould like to clear those forests the bottomline is "show me the money". Good researchcan contribute a lot to figuring out how to dothat.

To request free electronic copies of Nasi andWunder's paper you can write toLevania Santoso at: [email protected] To send comments or queries to the authorwrite Robert Nasi at: [email protected]

ECOSECURITIES FINALISES FOURSTUDIES ON CARBON TRADING ANDTHE CDM, FUNDED BY THE UKGOVERNMENT.

EcoSecurities Group, News Release –October 2002

De te rm ination of baselines andmonitoring protocols for non-LUCFprojects - by Pedro Moura Costa, JessicaTroni, Veronique Bovee, and Justin Guest,written for the UK Department forEnvironment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).The study analyses the existing requirementsand guidance provided by the MarrakechAccords, and provides a decision tree to helpguide project developers and regulatoryagencies through the process of developingbaselines for GHG (green house gas)mitigation projects in the energy sector.

Simplified Modalities and Procedures forSmall Scale Projects in the CDM – byPedro Moura Costa, Jessica Troni, Jan-

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Willem Martens and Belinda Kinkead, writtenfor the UK Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), the study summarisesthe official text on small scale projects andanalyses the impact of these policies on a widerange of energy projects.

Laying the Foundations for CleanDevelopment: Preparing the Land UseSector. A quick guide to the CleanDevelopment Mechanism – by Louise Aukland,Pedro Moura Costa, Stephen Bass, SaleemulHuq, Natasha Landell-Mills, Richard Tipper,and Rebecca Carr, written for the UKDepartment for International Development(DFID). This booklet summarises the stepsrequired for the development of sustainableland use CDM projects, as well as the policiesrequired to address the needs of HostCountries. More information can also be foundin the website www.cdmcapacity.org. Versionsin Spanish, French and Portuguese will alsobe available soon in EcoSecurities’ website.This booklet complements a previouspublication by EcoSecurities and partners,called Rural Livelihoods and CarbonManagement (by Stephen Bass, OlivierDubois, Pedro Moura-Costa, Michelle Pinard,Richard Tipper and Charlie Wilson), alsoavailable at EcoSecurities’ website.

Moving towards Emissions NeutralDevelopment (MEND) – by Jessica Troni,Pedro Moura Costa, Nasim Haque, HumbertoRodriguez, Ash Sharma, Martin Hession,Sarah Agbey, Lalith Gunaratne and YoubaSokona, written for the UK Department forInternational Development (DfID). This reportsummarizes the findings of a 2-year longresearch project carried out in collaborationwith partners in four developing countries:Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana and Sri Lanka,as well as with Imperial College of London andESD. The objectives of the project were to:examine the developmental potential of theCDM; to investigate strategies to encourage

CDM investment flows in small to mediumdeveloping countries; and to suggest waysthat donors could get involved in capacitybuilding to facilitate the participation of thesedeveloping countries in the CDM. Find moreinformat ion about the project inwww.ecosecurities.com/mend/index.html.

All these reports can be downloaded free ofcharge from the publications section ofwww.ecosecurities.com.

For more information on EcoSecurities, pleasecontact:Louise Aukland/Belinda KinkeadEDGE Forestry [email protected]@ecosecurities.com Tel. +44 (0)1865 202635Fax. +44 (0)1865 251438

F UE L WO O D I S SUES PAPERSAVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADINGFROM ODI FOREST POLICY ANDENVIRONMENT GROUP WEBSITE

We are very pleased to announce that wehave now put the next collection of fuelwoodpapers from our (unpublished) Grey Literatureon to the website. This batch of papers isavailable NOW for downloading in pdf formatat:http://www.odifpeg.org.uk/publications/greyliterature/fuelwood/index.html

Should you encounter any technicaldifficulties downloading these papers, pleasecontact us at: [email protected]

We very much hope that you enjoy readingthese papers – your comments are alwayswelcome.

Vicky Pett, RDFN Administrator

S Y M F O R : S O F T W A R E F O R

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SUST AINABLE T I M B E R YIELDRE G UL AT I O N FOR T ROP I C ALFORESTS

SYMFOR is a software tool developed by theUniversity of Edinburgh, supported by theForestry Research Programme (FRP) of theUnited Kingdom's Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID). It is designed to be usedfor the sustainable timber yield regulation fortropical forests and is currently being appliedin Indonesia, Brazil, Guyana and Ecuador.

The latest issue of the SYMFOR newsletter isnow available from http://www.symfor.org/newsletter/issue6.pdf (240KB), or may berequested by email to [email protected].

The newsletter covers project activities fromJanuary to July 2002 including

• SYMFOR training at the University ofEdinburgh for overseas researchers;

• Multi-stakeholder workshops in partnercountries;

• The release of the latest version ofSYMFOR.

Stefanie HalfmannProject AdministratorFRP-DFID Project R6915Email:[email protected]

FERN REPORT CONCLUDES: EC AIDMISSES FOREST LINK

Research published by FERN last monthreveals that EC aid programming is failing tohelp people in developing countries whodepend on forests for their survival. Thefindings undermine the claim that the ECDevelopment Policy, revised in 2000,integrates the environment into all focal areasas promised by the European Commission.

The research, published in Forests at theEdge: A review of EC aid spending, is basedon investigations into 16 Country StrategyPapers and two Regional Strategy Papers, the official documents that say how EC aid willbe spent. The report is the first result of theEC Forest Platform, a FERN initiative thatlinks peoples in the South and the EU on aidand forest issues.All of the 16 countries investigated includelarge areas of forest, yet none of the CountryStrategy Papers offers a thorough analysis ofhow poor people depend on forests for food,fuel, materials and medicines. Almost nomoney is allocated to forests or forestpeoples.

FERN also found that:• Out of E1.66 billion allocated to 16

countries, only E63.6 million (3.8%) is forforests or forest-dependent peoples. Thisis allocated in only three countries, E51min Indonesia.

• The connection between poverty andnatural-resource management is oftencompletely overlooked or given onlysuperficial attention.

• In Africa nearly 50% of aid will be spenton roads that in many cases will facilitateforest degradation and aggravateconditions for forest-dependent people.

• Participation with civil society andindigenous peoples is non-existent orinadequate.

"If what is happening in these countries istypical of the wider picture then EC aid isprobably making conditions worse for peoplewho depend on forests," said BéréniceMuraille, FERN’s aid programme campaigner."We were told that the environment was goingto be prioritised across the whole of the aidprogramme. It’ s now clear that it has fallen offthe agenda almost completely. The EuropeanCommission needs make urgent changes tothe way that aid is allocated and needs to

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grasp the idea that millions of people rely onforests for their most basic needs."Forests at the Edge includes a series ofdetailed recommendations for the EuropeanCommission. A summary of the report and themain report itself are available as PDFs atwww.fern.org.

Berenice MurailleForest Policy Officer, FERNAvenue des Celtes, 201040 Bruxelles, BelgiumTel: +32 2 7333653 - Fax:+ 32 2 [email protected] - www.fern.org FERN jointly with the Forest PeoplesProgramme, acts as the Northern Office of theWorld Rainforest Movement www.wrm.org.uy

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONRURAL LIVELIHOODS, FORESTS ANDBIODIVERSITY 26-30 MAY 2003, BONN,GERMANY

An international conference on the role offorests in supporting rural livelihoods indeveloping countries and on the maintenanceof biodiversity. Key objectives are to surveycurrent knowledge and identify policy lessonsand a future research strategy.

OrganizersThe Center for International Forestry Research(CIFOR), in collaboration withGermany’s Ministry of Economic Cooperationand Development (BMZ),the German Foundation for InternationalDevelopment (DSE) andDeutsche Gesellschaft für TechnischeZusammenarbeit (GTZ).

The problemHundreds of millions of rural people depend onforests. Forests provide a wide variety ofgoods for use in the household or to sell forcash income. Examples are timber, fuelwood,

charcoal, rattan, game, fruit, medicinal herbsand many other products. Forests are oftenparticularly important to the poor, providingthem with a “safety net”, which is to say, asource of emergency sustenance during timesof hardship, when crops have failed, when aneconomic crisis has hit, when war or conflicthave broken out, or when floods have washedaway homes. Yet forests are under greatthreat, especially in developing countries.Clearing forests, either to make way forfarmland or to exploit timber, may providesome economic benefits, but deforestationand forest degradation frequently underminethe ability of rural people to make a living andto subsist during hard times. At the same time,forest loss threatens biodiversity and theenvironmental services which forests provide.

ObjectivesThe objectives of the conference are:• to survey the current state of knowledge on

the role forests play in sustaining andimproving rural livelihoods;

• to identify national and international policylessons with the aim of enhancingawareness about the significance of forestsfor rural livelihoods; and

• to define an overall research strategy onrural livelihoods, forests and biodiversity.

Key questionsThis conference will address four fundamentalquestions:• How can the ‘safety net’ functions of

forests be preserved so that rural peopledo not fall deeper into poverty?

• How can forest resources be used as ameans to lift rural people out of poverty?

• How can forest-based poverty alleviationstrategies be made compatible with thepreservation of biodiversity and otherecological functions of natural forests?

• How can the owners and managers offorests be encouraged to accommodateand protect the various social and

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ecological roles which forest play?

In assessing whether forests can prevent oralleviate poverty, there are grounds for bothoptimism and pessimism. Take, first, thegrounds for optimism. Many countries areundergoing profound political changes, withgovernments ceding power and responsibilityto local and district authorities. In somecountries decentralization is giving local peoplegreater access to forests and a greater say inhow they are used.

The trend towards greater democracy in manydeveloping countries may well increase thebargaining power of communities and localorganisations. In the past, power has oftenbeen firmly vested with large enterprises andstate-owned companies. This may now bechanging, to the benefit of both forests andlocal communities.

There has been a massive redistribution offorest resources in recent years. Ruralcommunities and small holders now ownapproximately a fifth of the world's forests. Thisis obviously a good thing: rural people shouldreceive a larger share of forest resources. Andsecurity of tenure, if it is obtained, improvesthe chances of good forest management.

The abuse of natural resources is oftenexacerbated by corruption. Furthermore, thepoor are especially vulnerable to exploitationby corrupt forces. Fortunately, campaignsagainst corruption are calling to accountgovernments, businesses and internationalinstitutions. This should be to the benefit of thepoor and to the forest resources on which theydepend.

In many countries logging companies over-harvest the resource to such an extent thatthey do not bother to renew their concessions.This can provide an opportunity for forestcommunities, providing they gain access to the

abandoned resources and the rights to exploitthem in a sustainable manner.

The growing threat posed by global warmingmay work in favour of poor people living inforest areas. The Clean DevelopmentMechanism of the Kyoto Protocol mayeventually provide means through whichcommunities in developing countries can bepaid to conserve their forests and 'lock up'carbon. The carbon trade between pollutingbusinesses in the North and forestcommunities in the South will becomeincreasingly important in the future.

There are, however, grounds for pessimismtoo. Timber harvesting and commercializationmay often require amounts of capital thatexclude the poorest from participation. Timberalso requires a long time to mature and thismitigates against the involvement of the poor,who need to generate income in theimmediate, not the distant, future.

In most developing countries it is clear thatpeople in positions of power and thoseblessed with great wealth and good contacts,tend to appropriate high value resources suchas precious timbers. Inevitably, the poor loseout.

The process of decentralization is helpingsome communities gain access to the forests,but in some countries it has also had anegative impact on the forests and on thepoorer members of rural communities. InIndonesia, for example, decentralization hastended to speed up forest destruction and ithas done little to increase the bargainingpower of local people.

Forests provide many important environmentalservices whose value is hard to measure ineconomic terms. For this and other reasons,forest-dwellers are rarely compensated forensuring that the forests provide

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environmental services which benefit societyas a whole.

OutputA book will be published including selectedpapers and synthesis chapters. A web site willbe established to post all papers and toencourage dialogue before and after theconference.

ParticipationApproximately 120 participants are expected.Limited funds are available to support theparticipation of developing country presenters.

FormatThe conference will consist of keynotespeeches on the opening day, two and a halfdays of presentations and discussions inparallel sessions and a one-day field trip.

ContactIf you have questions or comments, pleasecontact:William SunderlinCenter for International Forestry ResearchP.O. Box 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, IndonesiaTel.: 251-622-622, Fax: 251-622-100, Email: [email protected]

1 S T WO RL D CONG RE S S O FAGROFORESTRYWorking Together for SustainableLand-use Systems

27 June - 02 July 2004 Orlando, Florida,USA

BackgroundAgroforestry began to attain prominence in thelate 1970s, when the international scientificcommunity realized its potentials in the tropicsand recognized it as a practice in search ofscience. During the 1990s, the relevance of

agroforestry for solving problems related todeterioration of family farms, increased soilerosion, surface and ground water pollution,and decreased biodiversity was recognized inthe industrialized nations too. Thus,agroforestry is now receiving increasingattention as a sustainable land-managementoption the world over because of itsecological, economic, and social attributes.

Agroforestry research and development are,however, at a crossroads today. The potentialof the practices has been amply illustrated,but the investment in a science base has notreached a level that can meet the demand fortechnology delivery. It is time, therefore, toevaluate progress, assess available options,and design strategies for the future. ProgramThe overall Congress theme is “WorkingTogether for Sustainable Land-use Systems.”Plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions willbe organized around five major topics:• Improvement of Rural Livelihoods • Enhancement of the Environment and

Landscape • Agroforestry Science and Education • Policy, Social, and Institutional Issues • Agroforestry: The Next 25 Years Who Should Attend• Academicians • Development Professionals • Environmental Consultants • Extension Specialists • Farmers/Land Owners • Government Officials • Land Managers/Consultants • Natural Resource and Forestry

Professionals • Non-Government and Private-Voluntary

Organizations • Policy Makers • Private Sector Representatives • Scientists

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• Students Congress Objectives• To provide a global forum for agroforestry

professionals to share knowledge,experiences, and ideas.

• To plan future strategies in agroforestryresearch, education & training, anddevelopment.

Expected OutputsPlanned publications include a state-of-the-artcompendium, a summary document, a book ofabstracts, and refereed journal articles. Adeclaration that embodies the essence ofCongress deliberations will be developed as atool for discussions with policy makers anddonor agencies to advance the cause ofagroforestry worldwide.

SponsorshipThe Congress is being organized ascollaborative effort by a diverse groupinstitutions worldwide. Current sponsors theInter-American Institute for CooperationAgriculture (IICA); Mars, Inc.; University ofFlorida/IFAS; and the World AgroforestryCentre/ICRAF. If you are interested inbecoming involved in this effort providing finanIf you are interested in becoming involved inthis effort providing financial assistance insupport of Congress, please contact P.K. Nair.

Global Organizing Committee Chairs:Chair:• P. K. Nair, University of Florida/IFAS,

Gainesville, FL, USA

Co-Chairs:• Dennis Garrity , World Agroforestry

Centre/ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya• Gregory Ruark, USDA/Forest Service,

National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, NE,USA

• Howard-Yana Shapiro, Mars, Inc.,Hackettstown, NJ, USA

Contact Information:Technical Program and SponsorshipP. K. Nair, Distinguished ProfessorDirector, Center for Subtropical AgroforestrySFRC, University of Florida/IFAS,PO Box 110410 Gainesville, FL 32611-0410,USATel: 1-352-846-0880 Fax: 1-352-846-1277E-mail: [email protected] Site: www.sfrc.ufl.edu/pknair

Congress LogisticsMandy Padgett, Conference CoordinatorOffice of Conferences & Institutes,University of Florida/IFAS,PO Box 110750, Gainesville, FL 32611-0750,USATel: 1-352-392-5930 FAX: 1-352-392-9734E-mail: [email protected] site: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONHIMALAYAN BIODIVERSITY

In commemoration of The International Year ofMountains (IYM) 2002 and The InternationalYear of Eco-tourism, 2002, the HimalayanResources Institute (HIRI) Nepal incollaboration with Biodiversity ResearchGroup (BRG), Central Department of Zoology,Tribhuvan University, Nepal, EcologicalAssociation of Nepal and Nepal BiotechnologyAssociation (NBA), are organising anInternational Conference on HimalayanBiodiversity, from February 26-28, 2003 inKathmandu, Nepal.

Theme:The theme of the conference is "Conservationof Himalayan Biodiversity for Human Welfare"with the following the major topics of theconference:• Himalayan Flora and Fauna,• Biodiversity Conservation,• Indigenous Knowledge on Biodiversity

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Conservation,• Trade Related Property Rights (TRIPs),• Eco- tourism.

Objectives:The specific objectives of the conference areto:1. Identify the major issues and options onbiodiversity conservation in the Himalayanregion.2. Share ideas on recent biodiversityconservation and management approaches.3. Review the existing government policies andextension programmes of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) countries.4. Explore mutual regional cooperation foreffective implementation of biodiversity actionplans.5. Develop an international network ofHimalayan biodiversity conservation toexchange information and technologies atlocal, national, regional and internationallevels.

Registration:Registration fee for participantsfrom Nepal Nrs.1,000/- Local / national NGOsNRs.2, 000/-Registration fee from participants from India ICRs.1,000/-Registration fee for INGO located in Nepal US$ 50/-Registration fee for participants from HinduKush- Himalayan (HKH) countries US $ 50/-Participants other than the HKH countries US$ 100/-All interested in attending the conference andsubmitting an abstract are encouraged to pre-register electronically from the conferencehomepage at http://www.hirinepal.com.Alternatively, you may request a pre-registration form from the conferenceorganisers. This ensures that you will receivethe Final announcement containing detailedconference information. Registration feeshould be sent in favour of Himalayan

Resources Institute (HIRI) as a demand draft.Provide following information in the pre-registration form:Name, Designation, Full Mailing Address,Phone Number, Fax, E-mail, along with Titleof the Lecture and Abstract addressed to:Himalayan Resources Institute (HIRI), GPOBox : 13880, New Baneshwor,Kathmandu, Nepal.

6. Programmes:There will be four categories of presentations:1. Plenary Lecture - 30 minutes2. Invited Lecture - 25 minutes3. General oral presentations - 15 minutes4. Poster session - as per schedulePlenary and invited lectures will be distributedin all the sub-themes, and the selectedspeakers will be invited for the presentation.The poster session will be reviewed andpresented by the conveners in the lastsession in a summarized form.

For details please contact:Mr. Ram BhandariHimalayan Resources Institute (HIRI),P.O. Box 13880, New Baneshwor,Kathmandu, NepalTel.: +977-1-490399Fax : +977-1-332636, 331964E-mail: [email protected]@yahoo.comWebsite: www.hirinepal.com

COURSE ON PLANT FAMILIES OFSOUTHEAST ASIA

From May 6 to May 23 2003, the NationaalHerbarium Nederland, Leiden UniversityBranch, Leiden, The Netherlands, isorganising its two yearly course "PlantFamilies of Southeast Asia". This course ismeant for everyone interested in the plantsfrom this region. The main aim of this courseis to treat several important plant families in

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such a way that the participants of the coursewill get a good basis for plant recognition.Additionally lectures will be given on how tocollect plants in the field (both for herbarium aswell as molecular purposes), evolution of theplant families, wood, seed and pollen anatomy,tropical vegetations in general, plantmorphology, the use of interactive keys, etc.There will also be two excursions to thegreenhouses of the Hortus Botanicus inLeiden, which harbours living plants of most ofthe treated species. Participation fee for thiscourse is 500 Euro. Participants have to payfor accommodation and travel expensesthemselves. Please react quickly since there isonly place for 20 participants!!

For more information contact Ferry Slik Email:[email protected] Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Plantdiversityof the Indopacific and Tropical AsiaEinsteinweg 2 room B101PO-Box 95142300 RA Leiden, The Netherlandshttp://website.leidenuniv.nl/~slikjwf/http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/taskforcebiodi/index.htmtel: +31-71-5273529fax: +31-71-5273511

TROPICAL SAVANNAS & SEASONALLYDRY FORESTS

Edinburgh 14 - 20 September 2003The aim of the meeting is to collate theendeavours of widely disparate researchgroups and focus attention on the keyecological, environmental and developmentalissues. Five principal themes will beaddressed:-

Plant Biodiversity: covers studies of the exceptionally rich plantbiodiversity of savannas and dry forests andtheir biogeography, including historic aspects

of distribution, intra- and inter-continentalpatterns, ecological issues relevant toconservation and maintenance of vegetationdiversity. Animal Biodiversity: examines the relationship between faunal andfloral diversity, the role of vertebrate andinvertebrate fauna as producers andexploiters of floral diversity and the connectionbetween animal species richness andecosystem processes such as carbon andnutrient cycling. Palaeoecology and EnvironmentalChange: examines records of environmental changefrom past and present areas of savanna anddry forest. Considers the significance of theserecords for our understanding of climatechange, particularly over the late Quaternaryand Holocene and the impact of humandisturbance.Environme nt and Env ironmentalProcesses: encompasses interactions between theatmosphere and the biosphere and assesseslinks between geology, relief, soils, waterresources and ecology. Human Ecology and Development:examines the interaction between humansand their environments. Considers landdevelopment, land use change, issues of rurallivelihoods, conflicts between conservationand development, and managementstrategies, both traditional and contemporary.

The lecture programme will be held at theRBGE while the accommodation will be at theUniversity of Edinburgh Halls of Residence.

Enquiries and abstract submission through: Edinburgh Centre for Tropical TreesPentlands Science ParkBush Loan, Penicuik,Edinburgh EH26 0PH, ScotlandTel: +44 (0) 131 440 0400Fax:+44 (0) 131 440 4141

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Email: [email protected]: Http://www.ectf.co.uk

SOIL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTTHROUGH FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS

The Land and Water Development Divisionhas launched a web Portal on Soil ProductivityImprovement through Farmer Field Schoolshttp://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/farmspi/default.stm.

This site provides information on FAO's pilotprogramme on Soil Productivity Improvementthrough Farmer Field Schools. Specifically, itaims at promoting the exchange of informationand experiences on the development andimplementation of FFS for enhancing andsustaining soil productivity. The site istargeting those involved in developingparticipatory or FFS land management andconservation programmes, resource personsand senior extension officers as well asagricultural development specialists.

Your comments ,suggestions and contributionfrom relevant work for further improvement andupdating of the site would be highlyappreciated .With kind regards, Parviz Koohafkan, Chief AGLL FAO

THE WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS

Under the auspices of the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations,the XII World Forestry Congress will be held inQuebec City, Canada in September 2003.

Persons interested in forests and forestry areinvited to this important international meeting.During this open forum, the participants willhave the opportunity to freely exchangeknowledge, experience, and views on theCongress theme Forests, source of life with

nearly 5,000 attendees from some 160countries. Ideas and projects discussed willhave a direct impact on forest management,conservation, and development. Discussionsare intended to bring together a wealth ofknowledge, experience and views that willhelp guide the development of forestrypolicies, practices, research, and internationalcooperation. The Congress will also be aworld stage for the latest innovations in thefield.

Based on the theme Forests, source of life,deliberations will explore the following areas:(A) Forests for People, (B) Forests for the Planet, and (C) People and Forests in Harmony.

Discussions will also be led on issues andsituations specific to individual ecological andmajor sociocultural units. Their variousprocesses for establishing sustainable forestmanagement criteria and indicators will betaken into account in forming the discussiongroups.

The Congress will offer different outings,visits, and study tours throughout Canada andthe United States, combining technical andscientific dimensions with the culturalattraction of a beautiful land. Also featured willbe an exhibition where some hundredorganizations will showcase their products,services, and achievements. Attendees will beable to participate in many side events andseminars related to the main theme. More details about the Congress are availableon the Web site at www.wfc2003.org

For more information:Secretariat, XII World Forestry Congress800 Place D’Youville, 18th floorQuébec City, Québec; Canada G1R 3P4Telephone: (418) 694-2424 Fax: (418) 694-9922, Email: [email protected]

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By Bert van der Linden

F I V E T HO US AND Y EARS O FSUSTAINABILITY? A CASE STUDY ONGEDEO LAND USE (SOUTHERNETHIOPIA)

T K. Kanshie (2002)

This publication is the fifth in a series ofTreebooks, published by Treemail according tothe criteria of free, independent, originalthinking and high quality warranted by thescientific performance of its authors.

The present volume is a study of an ancientway of land use, over five thousand years old,by the Gedeo in Ethiopia. Gedeo land useemphasises perennial cropping. Emphasis ontrees lends the “agroforests” a forest-likeappearance. The central theme of theecological study is to understand holistic landuse better, and to contribute to the designcapability of the farmers, so as to cope betterwith the problems of rural development. Thebook contains nine chapters. In the firstchapter the agricultural background in Ethiopiais presented. Chapter two addresses thecontext and the scope of the study. Chapterthree builds on the methodological frameworkand the research questions raised. In chapterfour an architectural analysis of the agroforestsis presented. Chapter five discusses the role ofa certain plant species in the agroforests.Chapter six concerns principle and practice ofnatural resource management by farmers.Chapter seven deals with their soilmanagement. Chapter eight reviews thecarrying capacity of Gedeo “agroforests”.Finally, chapter nine presents a synthesis ofthe different findings and their implications.

Treemail Publishers, 295 p. For furtherinformation on this and other Treemailpubl ications visit the websi te a twww.treemail.nl/books/index.htm.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONTIMBER PLANTATION DEVELOPMENTPROCEEDINGS

The conference was organised in November2000 by the Forest Management Bureau ofthe Philippines’ Department of Environmentand Natural Resources with the assistancefrom the International Tropical TimberOrganisation (ITTO) and in cooperation withFood and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ofthe United Nations.

The Conference was composed of fivesess ions. Session 1 focused ondevelopments in plantation forestry from aglobal and regional (Asia-Pacific) perspective.These included current timber supply anddemand scenario and trends in governmentinterventions/policies. Session 2 provideddiscussions on the economics of plantationforestry including opportunities andconstraints for investment. Session 3 tackledtechnological breakthroughs in plantationforestry and latest developments in thedifferent aspects of timber plantationmanagement. Session 4 focused on countryspecific experiences on plantation forestry.Session 5 discussed the contribution ofvarious key elements towards the attainmentof a successful timber plantation program.The proceedings also contain generalstatements and recommendations, closingmessages and appendices.

ISBN 971-8986-39-1, 392 p. For furtherinformation contact the Forest managementBureau of the Department of Environment andnatural ResourcesVisayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, 1100 Philippines. Tel.: (632)-926-2141. Fax: (632)-920-8650.Email: [email protected]://www.fmb.denr.gov.ph/.

GUIDE TO TREE PLANTING IN GHANA

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J.P. Cobbinah, D.E.K.A Siaw & A. Gyimah(2001)

This manual is intended to provide step-by-step guidance to those people who have takenup the challenge to plant trees. The contentshould be considered and adapted to the localcontext in which it is used. Written in clearwords and accompanied by simple drawingsalong with other graphic representations it isexplained how to establish a tree plantation.From growing tree seedlings in a nursery, totree planting and maintenance of theplantation guidance is given and points ofattention are highlighted. Finally someguidelines are given for successfulmanagement of a tree plantation.

ISBN: 9988-582-13-7, 36p. FORIG. Publishedby Forestry research Institute of Ghana (CSIR)University, P.O.Box 63. Kumasi, Ghana. Printed by The Advent Press, P.O.Box 0102,Osu, Accra, Ghana. Tel.: +233 21 777861.Email: [email protected].

NAT I O NAL T RE E G RO W E R S ’COOPERATIVE FEDERATIONAnnual Report 2000-2001

The National Tree Growers' Co-operativeFederation (NTGCF) is a national level multi-state co-operative society in India, registeredin 1988. It was promoted by the Village-levelTree Growers' Co-operatives. It is responsiblefor providing financial and technical assistanceto the Tree Growers' Co-operative Societies(TGCS). Apart from regenerating the villagecommons and private marginal lands throughplantations, NTGCF has also beenimplement ing energy conservationprogrammes, viz., smokeless chulhas andfamily biogas plants funded by the Ministry ofNon-conventional Energy Sources (MNES),Government of India through its member

TGCS. The annual report contains information on theorganisation, the participants and projects thatare carried out in different states of India.

For further information contact: Jagdeesh Rao, Foundation for EcologicalSecurity, PB no. 29, NDDB Campus, Anand 388 001, India. Tel.: 02692-61402,61238 and 239. Fax: 02692-62087 and 62196. Or contact:Managing Director, National Tree Growers CooperativeFederation Limited, PB 156, NDDB Campus. Anand 388 001, Gujarat, INDIA. Telephone:++91-2692-41303, 21402. Telefax: ++91-2692-40173, 40213.Website:://www.irma.ac.in/about/ntgcf.html.

GLOBAL REVIEW OF FOREST FIRES

Prepared by A. Rowell and Dr. P. F. Moone

This report is a follow-up to the WWFInternational Discussion Paper “The Year theWorld caught Fire” which was published inDecember 1997. Although action may behappening on a local, regional, national oreven international level, this report shows thatit is too slow and, in many cases misdirected.WWF and IUCN believe it is time toprofoundly rethink the approach to forestmanagement, with much greater emphasis oncommunity involvement in fire managementand use of fire. The aim of the report is toshow that the ecological, cultural, social andeconomic cost of fires is so immense that itneeds strategic thinking backed up by firmpractical action now.

For further information contactWWF, Forest for Life Programme Unit, WWF International,

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Avenue du Mont-Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland; Tel: +41 22 364 9019; Fax: +41 22 364 0640;www.panda.org/forests4life,

or IUCN, World Headquarters, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland; Tel.: +41 22 999 0001; Fax: +41 22 999 0002;website: www.iucn.org.

TRIAL BY FIREPostfire Development of a tropicaldipterocarp forest PhD thesis

M.G.L. van Nieuwstadt (2002)

This study focuses on a comparison of thecentral part of Sungai Wain dipterocarp forestin East Kalimantan that dried out in twoextreme droughts in 1997-1998, but remainedunburned, with the surrounding forest thatburned once at low density. Tree mortality,resprouting, plant succession dynamics, seedviability were studied in both forest types. In asynthesis an assessment is made of theconsequences of drought and fire in a lowlanddipterocarp rain forest.

ISBN: 90-393-3002-6. 142 p. Mark van Nieuwstadt can be contacted at: Tel: +31 (0)30 253 6699/670; Fax: +31 (0)30 251 8366; Email: [email protected].

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FORCLEAN DEVELOPMENT: PREPARINGTHE LAND USE SECTORA quick guide to the Clean DevelopmentMechanism

This publication is the result of a researchproject funded by the United KingdomDepartment for International Development

(DFID) for the benefit of developing countries.This booklet provides information to forestryand land use audiences, principally indeveloping countries, who want to find outmore about the Clean DevelopmentMechanism (CDM) and how it affects theiractivities. CDM was developed within theframework of the Kyoto Protocol in order toenable developing countries to reach thetargets drawn up in the Protocol throughflexible mechanisms, including projects inwhich developed countries take part in orderto reach their own targets as well. The bookletdescribes the potential for land-use projectswithin the CDM.

For further information contact IIED, Endsleigh Street, Endsleigh StreetLondon WC1H 0DD,Tel (+44) 20 7388-2117, Fax (+44) 020 [email protected], Website: www.cdmcapacity.org.

"CARBON, FORESTS AND PEOPLE:T OWARD S T HE I NT EGRAT EDM ANAG E M E N T O F C ARB O NSEQUESTRATION, ENVIRONMENTAND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS"

This is a jointly produced publication by IUCN-The World Conservation Union and the UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) incollaboration with the Institute for EuropeanEnvironmental Policy (IEEP) and SwissOrganization for Development andCooperation (Intercooperation).

The publication discusses the opportunitiesand challenges of carbon sequestrationactivities in the forestry and agriculturalsectors of both industrialized and developingcountries. It outlines a set of strategies andapproaches for ensuring that forest and otherland-use climate change mitigation measures

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deliver sustainable development benefits in anequitable and cost-effective manner. It alsoreviews the environmental and social impactsof forestry and land-use activities for thepurposes of carbon sequestration, anddescribes approaches to address theseimpacts within the context of sustainabledevelopment. The emergence of markets forcarbon credits creates new opportunities togenerate value from ecosystem services. Theperception is addressed that includingenvironmental and social considerations incarbon sequestration activities will raisetransaction costs. While this might be true insome cases, fully addressing these issues inproject design and implementation canminimize risks through higher project quality.

For copies please contact: Mr. Brett Orlando, IUCNEmail: [email protected] or Dr. Jens Mackensen, UNEPEmail: [email protected]

F O R E S T M A N A G E M E N TCERTIFICATION AND THE DESIGN OFL O C A L AUD I T I NG S Y S T E M SProceedings of A Regional Workshopfor Indochina (2002)

Although forest certification has existed forover a decade, few countries in theIndochinese region (Cambodia, China, LaoPDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) haveany experience in its application. Recognisingthe need in Indochina for further learning andexchange of information on certification, theForestry Research Support Programme forAsia and the Pacific (FORSPA) held a regionalworkshop on forest management certificationand the design of local auditing systems.

The proceedings contain 12 chaptersaddressing a number of issues concerningcertification of forest management. Severalongoing certification programmes in different

countries are presented. Challenges andopportunities for sustainable forestmanagement in different countries arediscussed. One chapter presents theproducers’ perspective of forest managementcertification in Indochina, another focuses onthe adaptation of certification approaches ininitiatives promoting community-based forestmanagement regimes. Also the developmentof the contents of a criteria and indicatorbased auditing system is discussed.

For copies and further information contact S. Appanah, FORSPA, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the pacific,39 Phra Atit Road,Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Tel.: (662) 697 4136. Fax: (662) 697 4411.Email: [email protected].

" T O W A R D S P O L I C I E S O FCOMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENTAND CERTIFICATION IN LAT INAMERICA"

"Hacia Políticas de Manejo ForestalComunitario y la Certifficación en AméricaLatina"

The policy brief contains a brief assessmentof the current situation of community forestryand the role of certification in Latin Americaand summarizes the main findings andproposals for future action. The document isthe result of an international workshop thatwas held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia from 22 - 26January 2001. The workshop was organizedjointly by WWF Bolivia and GTF (Grupo deTrabajo Forestal con Pueblos Indigenas) incooperation with GTZ, Germany and EC LNV,the Netherlands.

The policy brief (available in English andSpanish) and the proceedings can bedownloaded from:http://bolfor.chemonics.net/novedads/INDEX

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Further information can be obtained from:Nils S. HägerRegional Community Forest CertificationProjectWWF BoliviaCasilla 1633, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.Tel/Fax: (+ 591 (0)3 343 06 09/ 343 04 06/ 34306 41/342 97 14E-mail: [email protected]

ASSESSMENT, CONSERVATION ANDSUSTAINABLE USE OF FORESTBIODIVERSITY CBD Technical Series No. 3 2001

The goal of the CBD Technical PublicationsSeries is to contribute to the dissemination ofup-to-date and accurate information onselected topics that are important for theconservation of biological diversity, thesustainable use of its components and theequitable sharing of its benefits. Thispublication comprises 40 contributions dividedinto 4 sections: Keynote Addresses,Assessment and Monitoring, Conservation andSustainable Use, and Institutional and Socio-economic Aspects. The contributions addressa wide variety of topics on biological diversityof forests, ranging from a general assessmentof possibilities and restrictions of forestmanagement, to very specific topics like theinfluence of chemical tree injection onpopulations of bark beetles in young spruceand pine stands in a region of Russia. Thearticles are short, mostly 3 to 4 pages.Contributions are related to research on forestecosystems all over the world, ranging fromthe Brazilian Amazon to the forests in northernRussia.

ISBN 92-807-2110-0, 130p. For furtherinformation please contactThe Secretariat of the Convention on

Biological Diversity, World Trade Centre, 393 St. Jacques Street, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9. Tel.: 1 (514) 2882220. Fax: 1 (514) 288 6588.Email: [email protected]. Website: http://www.biodiv.org.

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OFFOREST-RELATED CLAUSES IN THECBD; AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW ANDRECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

Global Forest Coalition (2002)

The purpose of this report is to take stock ofthe current status of implementation of forest-related clauses in the Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD) which has been inexistence since 1992 and to research theimplementation of commitments under theCBD that are most relevant to forests.

The report presents the results of research in21 countries on those CBD commitments, 14in the South, 2 with economies in transitionand 2 in the North. The heart of the reportscomprises a synthesis of the 21 countryreports, which are all available atwww.fern.org and on www.wrm.org.uy.The country reports are all based on aquestionnaire that was first sent togovernments (and governments’ commentswere peer-viewed by civil society)investigating whether and how governmentshave implemented the most relevantcommitments, contained in the Convention.

In an attempt to make the report as readableas possible, many answers have beenreported in tables and graphs, specificpositive and negative notes have beenindicated, and explanatory boxes withsupplementary information have been addedwhere needed. The conclusion section at theend of the report provides a summary of the

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outcome and is followed by a section withrecommendations.

For further information contact Fern in United Kingdom 1c Fosseway Business Park, Stratford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ, UKTel.: +44 1608 652895, Fax: +44 1608652878. Email: [email protected], Http://www.fern.org

or Fern Belgium20 Avenue des Celtes, 1040 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 27333653. Fax: +32 27368054.

NATURAL RESOURCE PERSPECTIVES

Natural Resource Perspectives presentaccessible information on current developmentissues. This series is published by ODI, anindependent non-profit policy researchinstitute, with financial support from theDepartment for International development(DFID).Issue 73 of January 2002 deals withbiodiversity management and local livelihoods.It argues that rural development problems areclosely related to those of the environment andthe other way around. The paper provides aconceptual framework understanding theissues and ways of dealing with them.Issue 74 of the same month deals with CITESin the context of the relationship betweeninternational conservation treaties, poverty anddevelopment.

For further information contact ODI , 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD, UK. Tel.: +44 (0)20 7922 0399. Email [email protected],See http://www.odi.org.uk/nrp/ for papers inthis series.

WILDLIFE TRADE IN LAOS The end of the Game

H. Nooren & G. Claridge (2001)

The material presented in this booksummarises the information available onwildlife trade in Laos. Laos is a country richin wildlife. Some species were discoveredonly a decade ago. Wildlife trade in Laos isseriously endangering the country’s stillconsiderable biodiversity values. In tenchapters the book tries to provide insightinto the demand for wildlife and the natureof this demand in Laos and in neighbouringcountries, especially Vietnam, China,Thailand, Japan and Korea. It also providesinformation on the people involved in wildlifetrade in terms of ethnic groups andaffiliations. The book describes legislationrelevant to wildlife trade and to what extentlaws are enforced to regulate wildlife trade.One chapter is dedicated to conservationaid projects which were started to conservebiodiversity in Laos. In the final chapterconclusions are drawn andrecommendations for further action aregiven.

ISBN: 90-75909-07-1, 304p. NetherlandsCommittee for IUCN. For further informationcontact IUCN Publication Services Unit, 219c Huntingdon Road,Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK. Tel.: +44 1223 277 894. Fax: +44 1223 277 175. Email: [email protected]:www.iucn.org/bookstore.

ECONOMIC VALUATION OFFORESTS AND NATUREA support tool for effective decision-making

H. Lette & H. de Boo (2002)

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This document reviews the major issues andmethodologies and the latest developmentsin the field of the valuation of forests andnature. It tries to explain the need foreconomic valuation in decision-making andtouches on the causes and effects of theundervaluation of forests and nature. Itemphasises the importance of thoroughanalysis of the various different functions of aforest or nature area and their relationship toall the relevant stakeholders that contributein any way to maintaining those functions orwho benefit from them.

Copies can be downloaded from the internet,or ordered by telephone, email or by writingto the Expertise Centre for Agriculture,Nature Management and Fisheries, givingthe code “2002/083” and the number ofcopies. National Reference Centre for Agriculture,Nature Management and Fisheries, P.O.Box 482, 6710 BL Ede, the Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)318 671 400. Fax: +31 (0)318 624 737. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.minlnv.nl/inm.

TAMARIND, TAMARINDUS INDICA L.Fruits for the Future 1

H.P.M. Gunasena & A. Hughes (2000)

Tamarind is the first in a series of 5monographs and extension manuals,published within the framework of the project“Fruits for the Future”, a cooperation of theBritish Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), the InternationalCentre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)and the International Plant GeneticResources Institute (IPGRI). The purpose of

this book is to gather information onproduction, marketing and utilisation oftamarind, to highlight the importance of thespecies for nutrition and poverty alleviation.The book contains 12 chapters, addressingtaxonomy, origin and natural distribution,production areas, properties of the species,uses, genetic resources, breeding,agronomy, harvest and processing andeconomics of production and marketing.

ISBN: 0854327274, 170 p. For furtherinformation on the series visit the website:http://www.civil.soton.ac.uk/icuc/

NATIONAL HERBARIUM OF THENETHERLANDS – CATALOGUESCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

The National Herbarium has published acatalogue that provides an overview ofscientific publications produced at theherbarium that can be ordered at thePublications Department. Examples areFlora Malesiana, an systematic account ofthe Flora of Malesiana; Blumea, aninternational journal containing papers ondescriptive botany; and Orchid Monographs,a periodical offering systematic monographsand revisions of groups of Orchidaceae.The catalogue contains a form for orderingpublications listed in the catalogue.

For orders and further information contactPublications Department,National Herbarium of the Netherlands,P.O.Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 (0)71 5273570. Fax: +31 (0)71 5273511. Email: [email protected]. Website: http://nhncml.leidenuniv.nl

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