Development And Testing Of A Criteria And Indicators System For Sustainable Forest Management At The Local Level

The concept of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management (SFM) is suitable for defining, measuring and assessing sustainability in forestry. Within this study, the concept was developed further to a C&I system for application at the local level and tested as a case study at the Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd. in Canada. The research involved: development of a generic set of local level C&I, identification of verifiers and norms, field testing the C&I, development of indicator measurement databases, assessment of the state of the forest and its management, and the application of adaptive management procedures. Based on the generic C&I system for SFM and the comprehensive field test, the study provides a model for evaluating sustainability in the management of temperate forests around the world.

The issue of scale of data must be addressed if forest managers are to minimize errors when data collected at one organizational level are used to estimate parameters at another. This paper discusses the following issues concerning scale: the issues of scale regarding the collection & aggregation of data at the subnational & national levels; the effect of scale on the interpretation of data; and the implications of the periodicity of nationally collected data on subnational application of criteria & indicators of sustainable forest management. The paper also provides examples from several countries on mechanisms for the development, identification, and implementation of subnational indicators of sustainable forest management that can be linked to national indicators.

This book reviews the current state-of-the-art within each of the four major themes: science and policy; inventory and monitoring; statistics and modelling; and information and knowledge management, in the context of sustainable forestry. It fosters dialogue across thematic areas concerning both strategic and operational approaches to integrate research on sustainable forestry. It also enhances and encourages international collaboration towards sustainable forestry practice worldwide.

Preparing for C&I testing. C&I testing procedures. Follow-up analysis. The conceptual basis of C&I development. Three case studies. Literature and further reading.

The concept of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management (SFM) is suitable for defining, measuring and assessing sustainability in forestry. Within this study, the concept was developed further to a C&I system for application at the local level and tested as a case study at the Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd. in Canada. The research involved: development of a generic set of local level C&I, identification of verifiers and norms, field testing the C&I, development of indicator measurement databases, assessment of the state of the forest and its management, and the application of adaptive management procedures. Based on the generic C&I system for SFM and the comprehensive field test, the study provides a model for evaluating sustainability in the management of temperate forests around the world.