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Tropical Forest Goods and Ecosystem Services: Facing Global ChangeConvincing people of the utility of tropical silviculture
16/12/2011 - Press release
The knowledge of tropical silviculture acquired over the past century and more is not widely taken into account by forest managers. However, it is vital to convince people of its importance. New players and possible compensation for the costs involved in silviculture could have a leveraging effect. This is what emerged from the international conference on "Research priorities in tropical silviculture: towards new paradigms" held in Montpellier from 15 to 18 November.
In tropical forests, does logging necessarily mean degradation? The answer is no. The presentations given at the IUFRO international conference on "Research priorities in tropical silviculture: towards new paradigms" held in Montpellier from 15 to 18 November were a clear demonstration. On the one hand, forests logged according to good management practices retain a high degree of biodiversity, and on the other, silvicultural intervention after logging serves to ensure sustained, sustainable production of forest goods. However, as things stand, the recommendations made by researchers are not being applied by managers. How can managers be encouraged to introduce silviculture? This is the research challenge that was highlighted at the conference.
The cost of tomorrow's silviculture: a constraint to be taken into account
Applying silviculture on a broad scale generates costs that few forest managers are prepared to cover. Researchers have now shown that while silviculture is acknowledged to be a way of preserving tropical forests while still making a profit, it is a costly undertaking. However, funding such practices through payment mechanisms for environmental services may be a possibility. What remains to breathe life into the idea if stakeholders are to be convinced. To this end, forestry scientists will need to test post-logging silvicultural treatments on a large scale in order to assess the cost and benefits, in both economic and environmental terms.
Silviculture: striking a compromise between provision of goods and environmental services
Tropical forests, which were first logged more than 60 years ago, are now seeing significant depletion of their resources. However, in addition to timber, non-wood forest goods (fruits, seeds, resins, bark, bushmeat) and ecotourism are now new sources of income on offer from tropical forests. Rural populations - forest communities or farmers - understand this. These communities are new stakeholders whom silviculture has to take into account with regard to forest management, and could also serve as an effective lever.
The emergence of new markets surrounding payments for environmental services offers opportunities to benefit financially from the services rendered by forests, particularly biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The silviculture of tomorrow will have a strike better compromises between producing goods and preserving services. Moreover, it will inevitably concern disturbed, in some cases degraded forests that will have to be managed rigorously.
- Category: Science