From
Pakistan to Micronesia:
Forestry in the Asia Pacific Region
The
Asia Pacific region encompasses vast diversity--in
forest type, culture and level of economic development--in
addition to critically high population densities.
The region hosts some of the most important
biodiversity as well as some of the most threatened
natural resources in the world. For the United
States, our Pacific neighbors are crucial partners--for
trade, environment and regional stability.
While there is no one strategy to US Forest Service works in Asia Pacific, there
are program areas which are emphasized throughout
the region. In general, our approach is to work
with partners on the ground to achieve sustainable
forest management. As with our other collaborative
work, we provide technical assistance to projects
contributing to the wise management of the region's
important forest resources.
The US Forest Service is involved in the Asia-Pacific
region via a wide variety of projects from technical
assistance to policy development and disaster
preparedness. Some of work is region wide while
other projects are country specific. Following
is the description of our regional work. For
information on our country specific projects,
i.e Fire Management in Indonesia,
please take a look at the menu of program topics
or use the map above to navigate to the specific
country page.
Sustainable
Forestry Practices
Table
of Contents:
Back to top
Reduced
Impact Logging in Asia-Pacific
Sustainable forest management is a goal that
many in the forest community are striving to
achieve. One of the critical aspects of sustainability
is how forests are managed to produce the goods
and services demanded by society yet minimize
the impact to the forest environment. The harvesting
of timber usually has the most significant impact
both in terms of environment and economics.
Reduced impact logging is one tool that can
be used to lessen detrimental impacts due to
timber harvesting. Reduced impact logging is
a set of techniques, which strives to implement
"best practices" that mitigate damage to the
forest environment. There are a number of specific
definitions of reduced impact harvesting, but
according to the Summary Report and Recommendations
of a Study Tour on Reduced Impact Logging Practices
and Potentials, March 16-19, 1999, reduced
impact harvesting is defined as "the implementation
of a collection of harvesting techniques that
result in lower levels of incidental damage
to the residual forest, reduced soil disturbance
and erosion, and improved water quality." It
also states that reduced impact logging techniques
are not new.
The US Forest Service International Programs in
collaboration with the US
Agency for International Development, the
Food
and Agriculture Organization, and others
are facilitating the adoption of reduced impact
harvesting techniques and practices through
the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission. Following
is a description of the major activities designed
to further the adoption of reduced impact harvesting
and ultimately sustainable forest management.
A.
Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific
The
Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific
is a regionally based document, which provides
forest harvesting guidelines that encourage
environmentally sound practices. The Code is
intended to serve as a model for development
of more detailed and site-specific guidelines
at national and local levels. This regional
Code contains many diagrams and sample documents
in addition to providing practical guidance
on important aspects of forest harvesting such
as:
-
-
Harvest exclusion areas (buffer zones)
-
Road
Construction and watercourse crossings
-
Tree
marking and directional felling
-
Construction
and maintenance of log landings and skid trails
-
Log
extraction and transport systems
-
Monitoring and enforcement of harvesting prescriptions
-
-
-
-
B.
Reduced-Impact Logging Simulator (RILSIM):
Software for evaluating RIL costs under local
conditions
Advocates
of sustainable forest management often claim
that if timber operators in developing countries
were to adopt reduced-impact logging (RIL),
a set of harvesting technologies that have been
proven to reduce impacts to the environment
and to residual trees and other vegetation,
they would potentially also see an improvement
in their profits. RIL technologies, the reasoning
goes, not only reduce impacts but are also more
efficient and thus more cost-effective.
A
number of research studies have demonstrated
that, properly implemented, reduced-impact logging
can indeed increase profits. Other studies,
however, have found just the opposite-and because
of this mixed message, loggers are often reluctant
to adopt methodologies that they think might
reduce their profits.
How,
then, can loggers be encouraged to adopt reduced-impact
logging technologies, which are undeniably preferable
from society's perspective?
One-way
might be to enable them to easily calculate
their current logging costs and at the same
time, to compare these costs with the estimated
costs of using reduced-impact technologies under
the same local conditions. This would help them
understand how RIL might be able to lower costs
as well as reducing environmental impacts.
A
team of international cooperators has been developing
software to do just that. The software, named
RILSIM is based on a series of "data forms"
that users fill out to describe local operating
conditions, wages, equipment costs, production
rates, and other factors relevant to the analysis.
It is thoroughly documented, with a comprehensive
"context sensitive" help system designed
to guide users through the analysis. The User's
Guide covers the principles of RIL and provides
detailed examples that users can work through
to become acquainted with the software. The
name RILSIM means "RIL SIMulator."
The software and Users Guide is available by
requesting a copy from the US Forest Service,
International Programs, Gary Man (gman@fs.fed.us)
or through a download (http://www.blueoxforestry.com/RILSIM/index.htm).
The
software and users manual are substantial in
size so it will take some time to download.
To
ensure that the software will be accessible
to the widest possible audience, its design
parameters include the following:
-
A
self-contained package that does not require
users to buy any additional software.
-
Compatible
with Windows 95 or any later version of the
Microsoft Windows operating system.
-
Capable
of operating on computers with little memory
and limited disk capacity. Such computers
are common in developing countries.
-
Easy
to install and use by people with little computer
experience.
-
Based
on a series of "data forms" that
will be filled out to describe local conditions,
wages, equipment costs and other factors relevant
to the analysis. Figure 1 shows one of the
RILSIM data forms with information being entered
by a user.
-
Thoroughly
documented, with a "context sensitive"
help system that will guide users through
the analysis and help them avoid mistakes.
-
Transparent,
so that users can easily understand the financial
calculations being carried out.
-
Usable
not only by loggers but also by government
foresters, specialists in development-assistance
organizations, university students, members
of environmental groups, and even the general
public.
-
Available
at no cost if downloaded over the Internet.
Users desiring the software on CD-ROM with
a printed User's Manual may be required to
pay a modest fee to cover distribution costs.
RILSIM's
development has been sponsored primarily by
the US Forest Service's International Programs
Office, the University of Florida, and Blue
Ox Forestry, an international forestry consulting
practice based in Portland, Oregon. The project's
steering committee includes Gary Man and Alex
Moad (US Forest Service), Grahame Applegate
(CIFOR), Jack Putz (University of Florida),
and Dennis Dykstra (Blue Ox Forestry). Dennis
Dykstra is the primary software developer for
the project. RILSIM is written in the programming
language C++, and the fully commented source
code is available.
C.
RILNET
One of the major recommendations of a study
tour to Sabah, East Malaysia from March 16-19,
1999 was a request by participants to the Asia-Pacific
Forestry Commission for an information sharing
mechanism. Such a mechanism would also allow
an easy exchange of experiences on the subject
of reduced impact harvesting. To respond to
the request, the Commission through the support
of the US Forest Service and the Food and
Agriculture Organization developed an electronic
list server called RILNET. The list server has
been active for over four years and has over
400 subscribers. To subscribe to this service,
send an e-mail to tlc@loxinfo.co.th.
D.
Reduced Impact Logging: A Bibliography
Information on what research has been completed
and operational methods tried can be quite useful
in helping managers and researchers learn from
others' experiences and avoid duplication of
efforts. The need for more useful information
on reduced impact harvesting has clearly been
a recommendation by Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission
members.
The Commission has responded to its members
by developing RILNET (described above) and a
bibliography
of reduced impact harvesting literature.
The bibliography is intended to be a working
document that will be periodically updated so
the most recent information is available. Currently
there are over 400 entries. Some specific articles
and reports may be downloaded from the website
if allowed by the publisher and author.
E. International
Conference on the Application of Reduced-Impact
Logging to Advance Sustainable Forest Management
There has been a lot experience with reduced
impact logging practices but there has not been
a synthesis of much of the recent work in a
forum that would allow for discussion and exchange
of ideas. That is why the US Forest Service,
the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission and its
partners organized an International
Conference on the Application of Reduced Impact
Logging to Advance Sustainable Forest Management:
Constraints, Challenges and Opportunities.
The Conference was held in Kuching, Malaysia
from February 26 to March 1, 2001 with over
260 participants from 36 countries. The Sarawak
Timber Association and the Sarawak Forestry
Department provided local organization. The
Conference included participants from government
agencies, private companies and industry associations,
non-governmental organizations, universities,
and international forestry organizations.
The Conference provided an opportunity to openly
discuss reduced impact logging issues concerning
the technologies being used, training needs
and experiences, economic aspects, safety and
health, policy instruments, and research. Even
with a significant body of experience and tools
available, reduced impact harvesting is not
widely practiced. The challenge is to make reduced
impact harvesting a common practice, which will
then lead to sustainable forest management.
F.
Fire Management Program (MS
Word)
Click
here for the Fire Management Program.
G.
Monitoring the World's Forest Resources CD
This
CD was a joint effort between the US Forest Service International Programs and the Remote
Sensing Applications Center. The purpose of
this CD is to provide a very basic overview
of remote sensing and technologies as they relate
to fire management and illegal logging. The
intent is that this CD will serve as a resource
for professionals interested in learning about
these technologies and the ways in which they
are presently being applied. The content of
this CD is divided into five main parts: Overview;
Image Gallery; Remote Sensing Applications;
Geospatial Mapping Tools; and Cost and Resource
Requirements.
The
Image Gallery section describes satellite imagery,
which has been produced using different types
of technologies. It then discusses the characteristics
and trade-offs between these different technologies.
The Remote Sensing Applications section gives
examples of three areas in which remote sensing
technologies have been applied, namely, illegal
logging, fire detection, and post-fire assessment.
Other applications may be added as interest
and resources become available. The Geospatial
Mapping Tools section concentrates on the concepts
of remote sensing, as well as the integration
of technologies. Finally, different scenarios
in the Cost and Resources Requirements section
illustrate the variance in the quantity of resources
needed when applying these technologies.
If
you would like a copy of this CD, please request
a copy by contacting Gary Man at gman@fs.fed.us.
H.
Invasive Species Network
Invasive species are becoming an increasing
global concern, especially as trade and travel
increase. The impact of these invasions is not
fully known but limited studies have shown that
in can be significant, both ecologically and
economically. Most studies that have been conducted
focus on only one or two species at a time and
mostly in developed countries. One study estimated
the cumulative economic loss caused by selected
non-indigenous species (plant and animal) in
the United States to be nearly $96 trillion
USD from 1906 to 1991 (OTA, 1993). A recent
study estimated the annual loss from selected
introduced invasive species is placed at $137
billion per year in the United States (Pimentel
et. al., 2000). In Australia, six weed species
are estimated to have a $105 million AUD direct
economic impact per year. From an ecological
perspective, alien species invasions are the
second leading cause of species endangerment
and extinction only to habitat loss (Invasive
Species Specialist Group).
To
help fill the knowledge gap and facilitate information
sharing on invasive species, the US Forest Service under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific
Forestry Commission is supporting the formation
an invasive species network for the Asia-Pacific
Region. The Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species
Network (APFISN) will focus on technical and
organizational issues, which address the prevention,
detection, eradication, and control of forest
invasive species in the Asia and the Pacific
Region. The network will accomplish this through
sharing appropriate information; helping to
bring awareness of the economic, social, and
ecological impacts of invasive species; assisting
member countries in the Asia-Pacific Forestry
Commission to build capacity to respond to invasive
species on a regional scale; and engage in other
related activities as deemed appropriate by
the Network and the Commission. Country nominated
focal points will be the primary link with the
Network. Focal points will also be responsible
for implementing Network activities.
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