The right tree for the job? perceptions of species suitability for the provision of ecosystem services

Proceed with Caution: Social Acceptability of Forestry Practices in Puerto Rico among Members of Local Environmental Organizations, Academia and Professional Associations

Social acceptability of forestry practices plays a key role in defining sustainable forestry policies and strategies. In this study an online survey was distributed among members of environmental, non-governmental, professional, and academic organizations to assess the acceptability of forestry practices in Puerto Rico among members of civic society interested in environmental management issues. Participants were asked about their perception of forest uses, their preference of tree harvesting technologies, methods that may apply in small scale wood production settings, and trust in organizations providing forest information. We also inquired about attitudes towards economic activity in forests and the impact of such activity on recreation and biodiversity. The results show that even though participants do not place a high priority on economic development through forestry activities, acceptance of forest management for wood harvesting will be possible by considering adherence to particular forestry technologies and methods to safeguard current recreation activities and biodiversity conservation. Social acceptability information would be worthwhile when seeking consensus among a broader group of local stakeholders. As a next step we suggest the creation of a council constituted by diverse forestry sector stakeholders that would engage in a strategic planning exercise to delineate a clear road map that can guide short and long-term sustainable forest management, including wood industry development.

Forests under the Southern Cross: The forest environmental frontier in Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand share many historical and contemporary commonalities. These define five contemporary forest environmental frontiers-for First Nations peoples, between agriculture and forestry, in forest management, in urban and peri-urban environments, and in relation to climate change. In both countries, the First Nations frontier is expanding in scale and significance with those peoples' rights to land and forests. Frontiers with agriculture and in forest management are longstanding but dynamic and as yet little realised in relation to the need for forest and landscape restoration. Both countries are highly urbanised, elevating the significance of the urban and peri-urban frontier, particularly in the context of climate change. In both countries, forests will be profoundly impacted by climate change and are central to mitigation and adaptation strategies. Experience within and intersections between the frontiers offer encouraging prospects for synergies and for learning between the two countries and more widely.

Stakeholder valuation of soil ecosystem services from New Zealand's planted forests

The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences among stakeholders in the values they attribute to soil ecosystem services from plantation forests in New Zealand. Groups of forest-associated stakeholders were identified (e.g. land owners, forest owners, wood processors, and recreational forest users) and surveyed to assess their cultural background (indigenous New Zealand Māori or not) and then the relative importance they placed on 10 forest soil ecosystem services. Across all survey respondents, very high importance was placed on the ability of soils to sustain forest growth across multiple plantings/rotations (sustainable production). Interestingly, this was more highly valued than maximising short-term production. Māori placed greater importance on forest ecosystem resilience, provenance and kaitiakitanga (sensu stewardship of resources), water quality, and harvest of food and/or medicines from forests than non-Māori. These results demonstrate inherent cultural differences in valuing the range of forest ecosystem services that soils support. It is important that cultural views are understood and integrated into future soil health testing schemes to reflect the needs of all stakeholders. Ultimately, this work will help increase the sustainability of planted forest ecosystems in New Zealand, ensure the forestry sectors social licence to operate, and add value to forest products by demonstrating environmental and cultural stewardship of forest products.

Using stakeholder preferences to select native tree species for reforestation in Lebanon

Using a diverse assemblage of suitable species for reforestation is necessary to enhance biodiversity and ensure resilient forest ecosystems. However, selection of diverse native species for reforestation is difficult, requiring consideration of the preferences of different stakeholders. In this study we identify species to be included in reforestation of an ecologically important watershed in North Lebanon based on ratings produced by stakeholders from Lebanon's public, private and academic sectors. Twenty-two tree species being produced in Lebanese nurseries were identified as ecologically suitable by experts. Stakeholders (n = 34) were asked to rate these 22 species according to conservation priority and ecological suitability in an online survey. Although there was a high degree of variability in ratings among respondents, those who identified as biodiversity-focused did not differ from those who identified as forestry-focused. Looking within the two foci, we found significant variability among forestry-focused respondents but not among biodiversity-focused respondents. Although there was no significant difference in ratings between biodiversity- and forestry-focussed respondents, the resultant rankings differed considerably. We also found significant variability in preferences within forestry-focussed but not biodiversity-focussed respondents. Weighting by respondents' knowledge of species had little effect on rankings. The variability in preferences between stakeholders, including the considerable within-group variability we found among forestry-focused respondents, highlights the importance of soliciting preferences from multiple stakeholders when selecting species to be used in reforestation efforts.