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Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 23399

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rosa Gallardo-Cobos

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Economics, ETSIAM, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
Interests: agrifood, forestry, and rural policies; rural development; territorial analysis; assessment of ecosystem services provided by agroforestry systems; family farming and food security

Dr. Pedro Sánchez-Zamora

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Economics, ETSIAM, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
Interests: rural development; agricultural, forestry, and rural policies; territorial analysis; assessment of ecosystem services provided by agroforestry systems; family farming and food securityystem services provided by agroforestry systems; family farming and food security

Dr. Pilar Fernandez-Rebollo

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Guest Editor

Department of Forest Engineering, ETSIAM, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
Interests: mediterranean forest systems; agroforestry systems; permanent grasslands; grazing management; ecosystem modelling; ecosystem sensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest areas are currently facing major challenges that must be met in order to ensure that they can continue to provide the different economic, social, environmental, and territorial functions that they perform. In this scenario, interesting innovation strategies are being designed and implemented. Innovations of a technological nature are becoming more prevalent, but innovations of a social, institutional, or governance nature are also emerging.

Forest policies are no stranger to this, and are decisive in promoting and accompanying these innovations. Likewise, the multidimensional nature of the problems described above also requires consideration of the needs and opportunities for the cooperation, complementarity, and coordination of different policies.

These issues related to innovation strategies in forest areas and their relationship with forest policies will be addressed in the Special Issue, to which we encourage you to send your papers.

Dr. Rosa Gallardo-Cobos
Dr. Pedro Sánchez-Zamora
Dr. Pilar Fernandez-Rebollo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

forest systems
agroforestry systems
forest-based bioeconomy
forestry innovation
forest governance
agricultural, rural, and forestry policies

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Locals’ Importance-Performance Perception of Adaptation Behaviour into Invasive Alien Plant Species Management Surrounding Nyika National Park, Malawi

by Blessings-Isaac Kanyangale and Chun-Hung Lee

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091728 - 27 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1151

Abstract

Invasive species are a huge concern to environmental management across the world because they threaten ecosystems, habitats, and species biodiversity, with largely permanent consequences. This study investigates the aspects of community capital and community resilience for the management of Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) under importance-performance analysis in communities surrounding Nyika National Park (Mhuju and Ntchenachena) in Malawi. The study used the binary logistic regression model to determine the locals’ management and adaptation behaviours to IAPS. The findings show that although both IAPS management and adaptation were considered highly important, their performance was only rated at a low level, indicating a significant gap between the importance of eight management and adaptation behaviours for IAPS and their actual performance. The results also show that IAPS management strategies such as ‘’promoting community awareness of common IAPS and their impacts on livelihood” and “incorporating IAPS issues into the school curriculum” are useful in nurturing the locals’ management behaviour. Furthermore, we have identified the following characteristics as having a significant influence on the locals’ participation in IAPS impact reduction and adaptation: (1) age, (2) residential area, (3) understanding the IAPS impacts, (4) membership of farmers’ club or Village Natural Resource Management Committee (VNRMC), and (5) discussion of IAPS in farmer club or VNRMC. These findings provide empirical evidence to policy makers for an effective IAPS management strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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23 pages, 1390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forest Biomass Policies and Regulations in the United States of America

by Deborah S. Page-Dumroese, Carlos Rodriguez Franco, James G. Archuleta, Marcus E. Taylor, Kraig Kidwell, Jeffrey C. High and Kathleen Adam

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091415 - 2 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2308

Abstract

Using woody biomass from public lands could attract private investments, increase carbon dioxide emission reductions from sustainably harvested low-grade wood to mitigate climate change, provide benefits for the environment, and support rural community economies. Available for use are about 210 million oven dry tons (in the western U.S. alone) of small-diameter wood and harvest residues that could be removed through hazard-fuel treatments and used for bioenergy and bioproducts; representing an economic value of approximately USD 5.97 billion (10⁹). Reaching that utilization goal requires an assessment of current U.S. policies, regulations and directives influencing the use of forest biomass and identification of barriers, challenges, and potential opportunities associated with the use of woody biomass from public lands. One objective of this review is to support the implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA-FS) new effort called “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests”, but greater coordination of public policies (regulatory legislation, government subsidies, support programs) at different government levels could increase adoption of forest biomass for bioenergy and bioproducts while also promoting different supply chains for long-term biomass supplies and industry investments. Harmonizing the definition of key biomass terms used by different programs that support using forest biomass for bioenergy and other bioproducts, including the Renewable Fuel Standard, may increase forest biomass use from public lands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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19 pages, 1900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Farmer’s Perspective on the Relevance of Grassland-Related Innovations in Mediterranean Dehesa Systems

by Jesús Fernández-Habas, Pilar Fernández-Rebollo, Rosa Gallardo-Cobos, Tom Vanwalleghem and Pedro Sánchez-Zamora

Forests 2022, 13(8), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081182 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1931

Abstract

Grasslands are of key importance for the provision of ecosystem services (ES). Suitable management is essential to guarantee their persistence and functionality. There is a growing interest in innovations such as new technologies aimed at facilitating and improving the management of grasslands while increasing their provision of ES. The uptake of innovations by farmers is a complex process, and relevant socio-economic or technological factors that are crucial to farmers are often overlooked. This information can be useful for increasing the adoption of these innovations through the design of public policies to facilitate them. This paper analyses the relevance of the main innovations that can be applied to the management of the grasslands of Dehesa farms for the farmers and the factors that might affect this relevance. Through questionaries, we gathered information on the relevance that farmers give to the selected innovations and analysed it by cumulative link models. The results show that innovations aimed at increasing the biomass production of grasslands and resilience such as the use of seed mixtures and the use of forage drought-resistant species are considered highly relevant by Dehesa farmers. However, high-tech innovations such as GPS collars were poorly rated which could denote low applicability to the context of Dehesas or the existence of barriers hindering the adoption but also a need for further development and better information on their potential. Characteristics of the farmer and farm such as age, education level, and stocking rate seem to be related to the relevance given to some of the innovations. These results provide insightful information for the implementation and research of relevant grassland-related innovations in the context of Mediterranean Dehesa/Montado systems, as well as for the design of policies supporting them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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22 pages, 11807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Methodology for Automatic Identification of Units with Ecological Significance in Dehesa Ecosystems

by Cristina Martínez-Ruedas, José Emilio Guerrero-Ginel and Elvira Fernández-Ahumada

Forests 2022, 13(4), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040581 - 7 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

The dehesa is an anthropic complex ecosystem typical of some areas of Spain and Portugal, with a key role in soil and biodiversity conservation and in the search for a balance between production, conservation and ecosystem services. For this reason, it is essential to have tools that allow its characterization, as well as to monitor and support decision-making to improve its sustainability. A multipurpose and scalable tool has been developed and validated, which combines several low-cost technologies, computer vision methods and RGB aerial orthophotographs using open data sources and which allows for automated agroforestry inventories, identifying and quantifying units with important ecological significance such as: trees, groups of trees, ecosystem corridors, regenerated areas and sheets of water. The development has been carried out from images of the national aerial photogrammetry plan of Spain belonging to 32 dehesa farms, representative of the existing variability in terms of density of trees, shrub species and the presence of other ecological elements. First, the process of obtaining and identifying areas of interest was automated using WMS services and shapefile metadata. Then, image analysis techniques were used to detect the different ecological units. Finally, a classification was developed according to the OBIA approach, which stores the results in standardized files for Geographic Information Systems. The results show that a stable solution has been achieved for the automatic and accurate identification of ecological units in dehesa territories. The scalability and generalization to all the dehesa territories, as well as the possibility of segmenting the area occupied by trees and other ecological units opens up a great opportunity to improve the construction of models for interpreting satellite images. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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14 pages, 1077 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Resources on the Adaptability of State Forest Companies. Some Evidence from the State Forests National Forest Holding

by Szymon Cyfert, Wojciech Dyduch and Maciej Zastempowski

Forests 2022, 13(2), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020355 - 20 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2297

Abstract

Structural, economic, and climate changes human activity and the growing complexity of the business environment significantly affect the forestry sector, which faces the need to adapt to the dynamically changing environment by strategic development of appropriate resources and skills. In this paper, we attempted to take on the managerial lens of dynamic capabilities, i.e., the abilities to adapt to the changes in the business environment to analyze whether the forestry sector is able to strategically develop resources that influence adaptability. We have attempted to demonstrate how the resources of the forest enterprises affect the adaptability described by the dynamic capabilities construct. Bearing in mind the importance of State Forests, we collected data from 129 forest districts in Poland and applied the ordered logistic regression to identify models that show the impact of specific categories of resources onto the forestry sector adaptability, described by the construct of dynamic capabilities. The results suggest that the forest districts strategically investing in technological, as well as human resources and skills, have higher chances of maintaining and developing the ability to adapt to the constantly changing economic environment. At the same time, our findings show that financial, reputational, and marketable resources and skills have no impact on the adaptability of the State Forests National Forest Holding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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11 pages, 1203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acceptance of New Land-Use Activities by Hmong and Khmu Ethnic Groups: A Case Study in Northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic

by Natsuko Kobayashi, Chaloun Bounithiphonh, Phonevilay Sichanthongthip, Chanhsamone Phongoudome and Motoshi Hiratsuka

Forests 2022, 13(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010008 - 21 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) to address climate change has historically included little evaluation of how heterogeneous local communities respond to REDD+ interventions and new land-use activities. We assessed differences in the acceptance of new land-use activities as a function of livelihoods of the Hmong and Khmu ethnic groups in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where REDD+ was implemented between 2011 and 2018. Our socioeconomic data, collected by a questionnaire-based survey and focal group discussions, showed that the Hmong more effectively incorporated support from REDD+ than the Khmu because the Hmong owned grazing land. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the capabilities and characteristics of each ethnic group when implementing new land-use activities (i.e., designing and implementing alternative livelihoods) within a target area to ensure distributional equity in heterogeneous communities. Such a consideration should be included in land-use policy and also be a part of the social safeguards in the land-use sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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12 pages, 745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Much Is the Abandonment of Forest Management in Private Forests Worth? A Case of Poland

by Piotr Tadeusz Gołos, Joanna Ukalska, Emilia Wysocka-Fijorek and Wojciech Gil

Forests 2021, 12(9), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12091138 - 24 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2416

Abstract

The provision of forest ecosystem services (such as biodiversity, water and soil protection, and recreation) is often associated with a reduction in timber harvesting. In the case of private forests, such a situation requires institutional solutions that allow the economic balance of forest management to be maintained. The aim of the study was to find out the average value of monetary compensation private forest owners would expect in case of timber harvesting restrictions. The study was conducted with a random sample of 1003 forest landowners. The average value of expected compensation ranged from PLN 2300/year/ha (which corresponds to the price of about 12 m³ of wood in Poland) under the condition of no restrictions on timber harvesting but the need to apply indicated of forest management methods, to PLN 4900/year/ha in the model assuming a total ban on harvesting. In general, higher compensation was expected by farmers who stated that they sold timber and those whose agricultural area was larger than the average in Poland. When harvesting restrictions are low, the expected compensation is influenced by the age and gender of the respondent, or the number of people in the household. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

15 pages, 2362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing the Assessment and Indicators for Local Institutions in Dealing with Forest Fire Dilemmas

by Eko Priyo Purnomo, Agustiyara Agustiyara, Rijal Ramdani, Dina Wahyu Trisnawati, P.B. Anand and Aqil Teguh Fathani

Forests 2021, 12(6), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12060704 - 29 May 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4229

Abstract

This study is an analysis of the main criteria and indicators utilised in strengthening local institutions in charge of forest management towards dealing with forest fire incidents in Riau Province, Indonesia. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and observation. Out of the 120 questionnaires distributed to stakeholders, 81 responses were received and analysed using Microsoft Excel and with structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques using SPSS and SmartPLS. Four dimensions, including organization, capacity, authority, and governance, were respectively measured using ten indicators. The results showed a significant correlation between local institutions and these dimension variables in highlighting forest management issues. The results suggest a need to strengthen local institutions’ institutional arrangements and their capacities in order to ensure the effective management of natural resources, which may be achievable through the support and co-operation of government institutions and communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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18 pages, 4389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forest Surface Changes and Cultural Values: The Forests of Tuscany (Italy) in the Last Century

by Francesco Piras, Martina Venturi, Federica Corrieri, Antonio Santoro and Mauro Agnoletti

Forests 2021, 12(5), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12050531 - 25 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2612

Abstract

Despite the definition of social and cultural values as the third pillar of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in 2003 and the guidelines for their implementation in SFM in 2007 issued by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forest in Europe (MCPFE), the importance of cultural values is not sufficiently transferred into forest planning and conservation. Tuscany is widely known for the quality of its cultural landscape, however, the abandonment of agro-pastoral surfaces as a consequence of rural areas depopulation, has led to widespread reforestation and to the abandonment of forest management. In addition, due to the interruption of a regular forest management and to the fact that most of the population lives in cities, forests are no more perceived as part of the cultural heritage, but mainly as a natural landscape. Due to this trend traditional forest management techniques, such as coppicing, have also been considered as a factor of degradation and not even a historical management form. The aim of the study is therefore to analyze forest surface changes in Tuscany in the last century to assess the importance of cultural values. Results highlighted that already in 1881 most of forests were regularly managed and that in 1936 more than 76% of broadleaved forests were managed as coppice. Between 1936 and 2016 forests increased their surface from 876,518 to 1,161,383 hectares due to the abandonment of the countryside, and 30% of the forests currently included in protected areas are the result of secondary successions. The findings of this study suggest the revision of national forest policies and, more in general, the adaptation of forest strategies to local conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Strategies and Their Impact on Forest Policy)

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