scholarly journals Lost in transition: Forest transition and natural forest loss in tropical China

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deli Zhai ◽  
Jianchu Xu ◽  
Zhicong Dai ◽  
Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Natural Forest ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Forest Transition ◽  
Tropical China

scholarly journals Semi-Supervised Classification and Landscape Metrics for Mapping and Spatial Pattern Change Analysis of Tropical Forest Types in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 673
Author(s):  
Tuong ◽  
Tani ◽  
Wang ◽  
Thang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Landscape Metrics ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Forest Transition ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Forest Classification

Research Highlights: In this study, we classified natural forest into four forest types using time-series multi-source remotely sensed data through a proposed semi-supervised model developed and validated for mapping forest types and assessing forest transition in Vietnam. Background and Objectives: Data on current forest state and changes detection are always essential for forest management and planning. There is, therefore, a need for improved tools to classify and evaluate forest dynamics more accurately and effectively. Our objective is to develop such tools using a semi-supervised model and landscape metrics to classify and map changes in natural forest types by using multi-source remotely sensed data. Materials and Methods: A combination of Landsat data with PALSAR and PALSAR-2 was used for forest classification through the proposed semi-supervised model. This model turned a kernel least square into a self-learning algorithm, trained by a small number of samples with given labels, and then used this classifier to assign labels to the unlabeled data. The overall accuracy, kappa, user’s accuracy, and producer’s accuracy were used to evaluate the classification accuracy by comparing the classified image with the results of ground truth interpretation. Based on the classified images, forest transition was evaluated using certain landscape metrics at the class and landscape levels. Results: The multi-source data approach achieved improved discrimination of forest types compared to only using single data (optical or radar data). Good classification accuracies were obtained, with kappas of 0.81, 0.76, and 0.74 for the years 2007, 2010, and 2016, respectively. The analysis of landscape metrics indicated that there were different behaviors in the four forest types, as well as provided much information about the trends in spatial pattern changes. Conclusions: This study highlights the utilization of a semi-supervised model in forest classification, and the analysis of forest transition using landscape metrics. However, future research should include a comparison of different models to estimate the improvement of the proposed model. Another important study that should be conducted is to test the proposed method on larger areas.

Extent and causes of forest cover changes in Vietnam’s provinces 1993–2013: a review and analysis of official data

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Cochard ◽  
Dung Tri Ngo ◽  
Patrick O. Waeber ◽  
Christian A. Kull
Keyword(s):  
Forest Regeneration ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Tree Plantations ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Forest Transition ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Regrowth ◽  
Forest Cover Changes ◽  
Natural Forest Regeneration

Within a region plagued by deforestation, Vietnam has experienced an exceptional turnaround from net forest loss to forest regrowth. This so-called forest transition, starting in the 1990s, resulted from major changes to environmental and economic policy. Investments in agricultural intensification, reforestation programs, and forestland privatization directly or indirectly promoted natural forest regeneration and the setting-up of plantation forests mainly stocked with exotic species. Forest cover changes, however, varied widely among regions due to specific socio-economic and environmental factors. We studied forest cover changes (including natural and planted forests) and associated drivers in Vietnam’s provinces from 1993–2013. An exhaustive literature review was combined with multivariate statistical analyses of official provincial data. Natural forest regrowth was highest in northern mountain provinces, especially in the period 1993–2003, whereas deforestation continued in the Central Highlands and Southeast Region. Forest plantations increased most in mid-elevation provinces. Statistical results largely confirmed case study-based literature, highlighting the importance of forestland allocation policies and agroforestry extension for promoting small-scale tree plantations and allowing natural forest regeneration in previously degraded areas. Results provide evidence for the abandonment of upland swidden agriculture during 1993–2003, and reveal that spatial competition between expanding natural forests, fixed crop fields, and tree plantations increased during 2003–2013. While we identified a literature gap regarding effects of forest management by para-statal forestry organizations, statistical results showed that natural forests increased in areas managed for protection/regeneration. Cover of other natural forests under the organizations’ management, however, tended to decrease or stagnate, especially more recently when the organizations increasingly turned to multi-purpose plantation forestry. Deforestation processes in the Central Highlands and Southeast Region were mainly driven by cash crop expansion (coffee, rubber) and associated immigration and population growth. Recent data trends indicated limits to further forest expansion, and logging within high-quality natural forests reportedly remained a widespread problem. New schemes for payments for forest environmental services should be strengthened to consolidate the gains from the forest transition, whilst improving forest quality (in terms of biodiversity and environmental services) and allowing local people to actively participate in forest management.

scholarly journals Maintaining natural and traditional cultural green infrastructures across Europe: learning from historic and current landscape transformations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Michael Manton ◽  
Taras Yamelynets ◽  
Mariia Fedoriak ◽  
Andra-Cosmina Albulescu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Land Covers

Abstract Context Maintaining functional green infrastructures (GIs) require evidence-based knowledge about historic and current states and trends of representative land cover types. Objectives We address: (1) the long-term loss and transformation of potential natural forest vegetation; (2) the effects of site productivity on permanent forest loss and emergence of traditional cultural landscapes; (3) the current management intensity; and (4) the social-ecological contexts conducive to GI maintenance . Methods We selected 16 case study regions, each with a local hotspot landscape, ranging from intact forest landscapes, via contiguous and fragmented forest covers, to severe forest loss. Quantitative open access data were used to estimate (i) the historic change and (ii) transformation of land covers, and (iii) compare the forest canopy loss from 2000 to 2018. Qualitative narratives about each hotspot landscape were analysed for similarities (iv). Results While the potential natural forest vegetation cover in the 16 case study regions had a mean of 86%, historically it has been reduced to 34%. Higher site productivity coincided with transformation to non-forest land covers. The mean annual forest canopy loss for 2000–2018 ranged from 0.01 to 1.08%. The 16 case studies represented five distinct social-ecological contexts (1) radical transformation of landscapes, (2) abuse of protected area concepts, (3) ancient cultural landscapes (4) multi-functional forests, and (5) intensive even-aged forest management, of which 1 and 4 was most common. Conclusions GIs encompass both forest naturalness and traditional cultural landscapes. Our review of Pan-European regions and landscapes revealed similarities in seemingly different contexts, which can support knowledge production and learning about how to sustain GIs.

Effects of forest transition on litterfall, standing litter and related nutrient returns: Implications for forest management in tropical China

Geoderma ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 333 ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiai Zhu ◽  
Wenjie Liu ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Yun Deng ◽  
Chunfeng Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Transition ◽  
Tropical China ◽  
Standing Litter

scholarly journals Land Use Change in the Major Bays Along the Coast of the South China Sea in Southeast Asia from 1988 to 2018

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjue Zhang ◽  
Fenzhen Su
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
South China Sea ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
South China ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
The South ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Agriculture Land

Bays are some of the core areas for marine economic development. The South China Sea coast is one of the most developed and dynamic places in the Asia-Pacific. In this study, we focused on the large bays surrounding the South China Sea. The techniques of image segmentation and supervised classification as well as image interpretation were used to acquire land-use data of 41 bays from 1988 to 2018. Then, we quantified the intensity and pattern of land-use and land-cover change during the two periods. Plantation land was the dominant agriculture land type as well as the second land use type after natural forest. Agriculture land cover increased from 29.8% to 40.9% and the growth was driven by plantation expansion. Deforestation was serious, including both natural forests and mangroves. Natural forest cover decreased by 31.6% and mangrove cover decreased by 16.2%. The vast majority of forest loss occurred in Sumatra and western Kalimantan. Commodity-driven deforestation for plantations was the major reason for forest loss.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Fire and Forest Cover Loss in Riau Province, Indonesia Between 2001 and 2012

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianto ◽  
Spracklen ◽  
Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Wood Fiber ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Forest Logging

Forest and peatland fires occur regularly across Indonesia, resulting in large greenhouse gas emissions and causing major air quality issues. Over the last few decades, Indonesia has also experienced extensive forest loss and conversion of natural forest to oil palm and timber plantations. Here we used data on fire hotspots and tree-cover loss, as well as information on the extent of peat land, protected areas, and concessions to explore spatial and temporal relationships among forest, forest loss, and fire frequency. We focus on the Riau Province in Central Sumatra, one of the most active regions of fire in Indonesia. We find strong relationships between forest loss and fire at the local scale. Regions with forest loss experienced six times as many fire hotspots compared to regions with no forest loss. Forest loss and maximum fire frequency occurred within the same year, or one year apart, in 70% of the 1 km2 cells experiencing both forest loss and fire. Frequency of fire was lower both before and after forest loss, suggesting that most fire is associated with the forest loss process. On peat soils, fire frequency was a factor 10 to 100 lower in protected areas and natural forest logging concessions compared to oil palm and wood fiber (timber) concessions. Efforts to reduce fire need to address the underlying role of land-use and land-cover change in the occurrence of fire. Increased support for protected areas and natural forest logging concessions and restoration of degraded peatlands may reduce future fire risk. During times of high fire risk, fire suppression resources should be targeted to regions that are experiencing recent forest loss, as these regions are most likely to experience fire.

Potential Forest Loss and Biodiversity Risks from Road Improvement in Lao PDR

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Danyo ◽  
Susmita Dasgupta ◽  
David Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Forest Loss

Vom Forst zum Wald. Entwicklungstendenzen im naturnahen Waldbau | From a Production-Oriented Forest to a Multipurpose Forest. New Trends in Near-Natural Silviculture

1999 ◽  
Vol 150 (12) ◽  
pp. 484-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf Hockenjos
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
The Other ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Great Demand ◽  
The Past ◽  
Forest Enterprises

Concepts of near-natural forestry are in great demand these days. Most German forest administrations and private forest enterprises attach great importance to being as «near-natural» as possible. This should allow them to make the most of biological rationalisation. The concept of near-natural forestry is widely accepted, especially by conservationists. However, it is much too early to analyse how successful near-natural forestry has been to date, and therefore to decide whether an era of genuine near-natural forest management has really begun. Despite wide-spread recognition, near-natural forestry is jeopardised by mechanised timber harvesting, and particularly by the large-timber harvester. The risk is that machines, which are currently just one element of the timber harvest will gain in importance and gradually become the decisive element. The forest would then be forced to meet the needs of machinery, not the other way round. Forests would consequently become so inhospitable that they would bear no resemblance to the sylvan image conjured up by potential visitors. This could mean taking a huge step backwards: from a near-natural forest to a forest dominated by machinery. The model of multipurpose forest management would become less viable, and the forest would become divided into areas for production, and separate areas for recreation and ecology. The consequences of technical intervention need to be carefully considered, if near-natural forestry is not to become a thing of the past.

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