Non-Timber Forest Products Integrated with Natural Forest Management, Rio San Juan, Nicaragua

1995 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 878-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Salick ◽  
Alejandro Mejia ◽  
Todd Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
San Juan ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products ◽  
Natural Forest Management

Is market-oriented forest conservation a contradiction in terms?

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROLYN CROOK ◽  
ROGER ALEX CLAPP
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Land Use Decisions ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products ◽  
Natural Forest Management

The destruction of forest ecosystems appears economically rational because many of the values of intact ecosystems are not recognized in land-use decisions. Many authors have suggested that the conservation of intact ecosystems requires that markets be extended to increase economic benefits derived from the standing forest to the point where they out-compete alternative, destructive land-uses. Three such strategies for market-oriented forest conservation are natural forest management for high-value timber, the collection of non-timber forest products, and biodiversity prospecting. In each case the proposed use of the ecosystem is likely to prove socially and economically unsustainable, or to generate significant alterations in ecosystem structure which endanger its diversity, or both. The success of market-oriented conservation requires that sustainable extraction of useful organisms over the long term yields more profit than destructive activities. The market-oriented conservation strategies examined, however, appear to yield too little profit to out-perform alternatives such as agricultural production or the replacement of forests by pastures or plantations. In each case, key factors limit profits. The slow growth rates of natural forests combined with discounting hinders natural forest management. In the case of non-timber forest products, the typically low density of resources in tropical forests creates disincentives for sustainable commercial production. The profitability of biodiversity prospecting is undermined by the low probability of discovering species with medicinal properties and developing countries' inability to capture the information value of the genetic content of species. Furthermore, each of the three strategies also has potentially negative ecological impacts. In the drive to increase profits, each is likely to degrade ecosystems through over-exploitation of the resource, and prompt simplification of the ecosystem through forest management designed to increase the density of profitable species. Ultimately, such activities are likely to lead to the loss of biodiversity.Several conditions must be met for market-oriented conservation to be effective. Scientific understanding of forest ecosystems, and the ecological knowledge of both users and regulators must be sufficiently advanced to allow appropriate management regimes to be designed to assure maintenance of the forest ecosystem despite alterations caused by resource harvesting. The natural reproduction rate of the harvested resource must also be sufficiently rapid to justify leaving most of the resource undisturbed to guarantee its reproduction. Furthermore, the resource must be more cheaply and reliably produced in a natural forest than in a plantation, than by a synthetic substitute, or replacement through domestication. Finally, even where ecological and economic conditions support market-oriented conservation, those making land-use decisions must be in a position to benefit from the sustainable harvest of forest resources. If they are unable to enforce exclusive rights to the forests, the conservation effect of market-oriented strategies is likely to prove elusive.Nevertheless, strategies for market-oriented forest conservation are a vital component of efforts to conserve biodiversity, and they must be improved to harness their full conservation potential. Resource management regulations, strong enforcement, and stable and secure property rights are essential preconditions. In addition, land-use planning should identify ecosystems with lower biological diversity where marketable products are concentrated at economic densities. Areas of high biological diversity will require non-market mechanisms to ensure their protection. In this context, there is no substitute for fully protected areas, and their expansion is vital.

Amazonian Forest: The Products of Agroecological Systems: Considerations about the Natural Forest and Economic Exploitation for its Conservation and How to Develop Sustainable Agroforestry Systems that Induce the Reduction of Deforestation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Nobre ◽  
Julia Arieira ◽  
Nathália Nascimento
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Economic Exploitation ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products

This study demonstrates that the economic activity of the Amazon's natural forest has great potential yet to be developed when considering Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and those coming from agro-ecosystems (SAFs). Preliminary financial analyzes, in systems that are still incipient, point to a great potential for profitability of these alternative systems compared to traditional activities such as soybean and livestock farming, with the advantage of being conducted without degradation and deforestation, allowing the continuation with the support of the Amazonian ecological system. More research is needed to scale successful cases and more “dialogue” between the models of modern agriculture and the traditional knowledge to reach an integrated natural forest management system.

scholarly journals Opportunity cost of natural forest management in the Arenal-Huetar Norte Conservation Area, Costa Rica

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Zúñiga-Méndez ◽  
Victor Meza-Picado ◽  
Sebastian Ugalde-Alfaro ◽  
Jhonny Méndez-Gamboa
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Landscape Matrix ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Natural Forest Management

Abstract Background: Part of the success of forest conservation programs is due to the economic sustainability they can provide to owners of forest resources, and how these management mechanisms can be used within an increasingly aggressive productive landscape matrix. However, there are currently no precise or up-to-date data on the economic relationships between land uses and their respective productive activities. This study designed a model to evaluate the opportunity cost of natural forest management, taking as a reference the primary productive activities that take place within the Arenal-Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in Costa Rica. Methods: Profitability data from 24 sites in natural forests with a forest management plan approved by the State Forest Administration was used, as well as geographic and productive information on alternative land uses. Results: Based on these data, an opportunity cost map was generated which shows a marked segregation of the forests into two main areas: a) a high-opportunity cost area, located south of the study area; and b) a medium-low opportunity cost area, to the center-north of the study area. Conclusions: It is concluded that ideal areas for timber harvesting are currently restricted to places far from the market, and with low opportunity costs (ranging between ≤ $0 ha -1 year -1 and $500 ha -1 year -1 ).

scholarly journals Modelling Non-timber Forest Products for Forest Management Planning in Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-322
Author(s):  
Jari Miina ◽  
Mikko Kurttila ◽  
Rafael Calama ◽  
Sergio de-Miguel ◽  
Timo Pukkala
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Joint Production ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Practices ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products

Abstract Purpose of Review The increased popularity and commercial use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) calls for the development of models for NTFPs to include their predicted yields in forest management planning and to evaluate the potential of multi-functional forest management. This study assesses and discusses the current state of the art and trends in NTFP yield modelling in Europe and the integration of the models in multi-functional forest management planning at different spatial scales. Recent Findings Climate-sensitive empirical yield models already exist not only for a variety of NTFPs that are economically important to forest owners (e.g. cork and pine nuts) but also for wild-gathered berries and mushrooms, the harvesting of which cannot be controlled by the forest landowner in all European countries. Several studies on multi-functional forest management planning consider the economic profitability of the joint production of timber and NTFP. Harvesting NTFPs can create significant additional incomes for forest owners, compared with timber production only. However, maximizing the economic returns from the joint production of timber and NTFPs often calls for changes in forest management practices. Summary Continued efforts in modelling and predicting the yields of NTFPs have enabled forest managers to further expand the analyses of multi-functional forest planning and management in Europe. Climate-sensitive models also allow analyses on the potential effects of climate change on NTFP yields. New models and forest management practices are still needed for tree fruits, birch sap, a wider variety of wild edible mushrooms, specialty mushrooms cultivated on live trees as well as medicinal and edible forest herbs harvested for commercial value in Europe.

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