This book integrates the latest global developments in forestry science and practice and their relevance for the sustainable management of tropical forests. The influence of social dimensions on the development of silvicultural concepts is another spotlight. Ecology and silvicultural options form all tropical continents, and forest formations from dry to moist forests and from lowland to mountain forests are covered. Review chapters which guide readers through this complex subject integrate numerous illustrative and quantitative case studies by experts from all over the world. On the basis of a cross-sectional evaluation of the case studies presented, the authors put forward possible silvicultural contributions towards sustainability in a changing world. The book is addressed to a broad readership from forestry and environmental disciplines.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the forest management situation in all 33 of ITTO's producer member countries. Using information submitted by the countries themselves and supplemented by data from a wide range of other sources, it addresses the policy and institutional settings in each country, the approaches taken to the allocation and management of resources, and the status of management of those resources.--

The specific objective of these Voluntary Guidelines is to promote the sustainable management of public production natural forests in tropical countries through forest concessions, thereby fulfilling their potential contribution to the achievement of Agenda 2030. Forest concession regimes are treated here as forest policy instruments, and should be aligned with the sustainable forest management objectives agreed by countries in the UNFF. The current Guidelines intend to serve as guidance for making forest concessions an effective economic instrument of forest policy in the context of the 2030 Agenda, transforming them into an instrument capable of delivering sustainable forest management in all its dimensions, and generating socio-economic benefits to relevant stakeholders.

To facilitate sustainable management of logged forests in the Caribbean, forest authorities of Belize, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the University of Hamburg as a scientific partner, implemented the regional project “Ensuring Long-Term Productivity of Lowland Tropical Forests in the Caribbean” financed by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The main objective of the project was to support the sustainable management of logged forests to maintain productivity and prevent further degradation. For this purpose, extensive field studies were conducted in the project countries, which resulted in silvicultural recommendations presented in this publication. The project findings revealed that the application of general sustainable forest management protocols for tropical production forests that set limits on harvesting does not necessarily ensure sustained productivity if the composition and management of the residual stand are not considered. The ratio of the number of harvested trees to the remaining future crop trees can provide a simple indicator of the sustainability of harvest. If the current harvest exceeds the number of future crop trees, the harvest is not sustainable. As a rule of thumb, at least one, preferably two future crop trees per harvested tree should be retained for future use. Protection of future crop trees can be a simple and practical approach to prevent high grading and degradation of the forest growing stock. The importance of reduced impact logging to reduce unnecessary damage to the future crop trees and for sustainable forest management, in general, is stressed.

Handbook on Forest Certification, a thorough research work, discusses in detail the concepts and approaches required to meet the desired international standards of forest certification. It covers those aspects of forest certification that are practised globally and need to be applied in the emerging context of forests in India. The book focuses on changing global perspective on forest resources, importance and need for sustainable management of forests, increasing consumer awareness, and dealing with preferences for certified forest products. Drawing on a wealth of information provided by valuable studies across the globe, this book discusses sustainable forest management and forest certification and their impact on conservation and development of biodiversity. It is a comprehensive and detailed guide for forest managers, forest owners, practitioners, forest-based industries, academicians, students and researchers, consultants, and policy makers for the forestry sector in India and South Asia. Key features: • Discusses status of forest resources as well as sustainability and forestry • Explains essentials of forest certification and process and forest certification schemes • Dwells on the extent of forest certification and certified timber market and certification of non-timber forest products • Presents framework for forest certification in India • Assesses challenges and potentials of forest certification Contents: 1. Status of Forest Resources: World and India 2. Sustainability and Forestry 3. Management of Forests in India: A Historical Perspective 4. Essentials of Forest Certification: Concept, Evolution, Elements, and Process 5. Forest Certification Schemes 6. Extent of Forest Certification and Certified Timber Market 7. Certification of Non-timber Forest Products 8. Framework for Forest Certification in India 9. Stakeholder Expectations and Economics of Forest Certification 10. Sustainability and Forest Certification 11. Challenges and Potential of Forest certification References Index About the Author