Forests are landscape-embedded complex systems with fates determined by multitudes of changing and interacting factors that are sectoral and extra-sectoral, biophysical and political, predictable and chaotic. The diversity of forest states (e.g. secondary, degraded, fragmented, invaded and managed) and the fact that none of these states is permanent gives reason for hope; even deforestation need not be permanent. With so many forest values recognized to different degrees by different people, the future of tropical production forests is likely to represent an ever-changing mosaic of a gradient of forested-type landscapes. To assure that this future is as environmentally, socioeconomically and politically sound as possible, researchers need to synthesize and evaluate what is known and then build on that knowledge while they continue learning. There is a critical need for interdisciplinary research at appropriate scales with the best designs possible to capture the impacts of relevant silvicultural treatments on the full range of response variables

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.

The nature of forest genetic resources. Impacts of management in production forests. The future of tropical forests. Strategies for in situ conservation in production forests. Case studies: Ghana. Brazil: the Amazon forests. India: the Western Ghat forests, Karnataka.

This is the history of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO); its aims, policies and achievements, through drawing on contemporary records and the author's own wide experience. The book uses examination of past successes and failures to formulate a 21st-century agenda for the most practical ways of improving the management of forests and deciding forest policies.

Bringing together leading scientists and professionals in tropical forest ecology and management, this book examines in detail the interplay between timber harvesting and wildlife, from invertebrates to large mammal species. Its contributors suggest modifications to existing practices that can ensure a better future for the tropics' valuable--and invaluable--resources.

This book provides current knowledge about tropical rain forest genetics and its implications for the profitable and sustainable management of forest resources in Southeast Asia. Each chapter covers a major topic in the evolutionary biology of tropical rain forest trees and how management systems interact with these natural dynamics. Authors provide an up-to-date and insightful review of important scientific findings and conclude with practical recommendations for the modern forester in Southeast Asia. Several chapters provide compelling discussions about commonly neglected aspects of tropical forestry, including the impact of historical dynamics of climate change, anthropogenic threats to genetic viability, and the important role of wildlife in maintaining genetic diversity. These discussions will promote a deeper appreciation of not only the economic value of forests, but also their mystery and intangible values. The silvicultural industry in Southeast Asia is a major contributor to the regional economy but the connection between scientific research and the application and development of policy could be improved upon. This book will help bridge that gap. This book will prove beneficial reading for forestry students, professional forest managers, and policy makers, who do not have technical training in genetics. It is also intended for non-specialists who are involved in the tropical timber industry, from the local forest manager to the international timber purchasing agent.

Much of the world's tropical timber is still supplied from natural forest, but under current systems of management the forests are rapidly becoming exhausted. Unless management practices change to become genuinely sustainable, neither the forests nor the essential contribution of the timber industry to many economies will survive. Duncan Poore reviews the extent to which natural forests are already being sustainably managed for timber production, and looks at how these practices can be enlarged. He places management for timber in the wider context of tropical forest conservation and outlines a strategy for further action. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, this book will be useful for everyone working or interested in the subject of tropical forests. Foreword by Dato Dr B.C.Y. Freezailah Originally published in 1989

Originally published in 1994, The Economics of the Tropical Timber Trade provides a detailed analysis of the economic linkages between the trade and forest degradation. Based on a report prepared for the ITTO, it looks current and future market conditions at the time of publication, and assesses the impacts on current and future market conditions, and assesses the impacts on tropical forests of both the international timber trade and domestic demand. The authors examine the causes of deforestation and compare the environmental impacts of the timber trade with other factors, such as the conversion of the forests to agriculture. Finally, they assess the national and international trade policy options, and discuss the potential role of interventions in the international timber trade in promoting efficient and sustainable use of forest resources. The book will be of interest to those concerned with forest management and policy, trade and environment, and with the economics of conversation and resource use.