Community-based forest management (CBFM) is a model of forest management in which a community takes part in decision making and implementation, and monitoring of activities affecting the natural resources around them. CBFM provides a framework for a community members to secure access to the products and services that flow from the landscape in which they live and has become an essential component of any comprehensive approach to forest management. In this volume, Nicholas K. Menzies looks at communities in China, Zanzibar, Brazil, and India where, despite differences in landscape, climate, politics, and culture, common challenges and themes arise in making a transition from forest management by government agencies to CBFM. The stories of these four distinct places highlight the difficulties communities face when trying to manage their forests and negotiate partnerships with others interested in forest management, such as the commercial forest sector or conservation and environmental organizations. These issues are then considered against a growing body of research concerning what constitutes successful CBFM. Drawing on published and unpublished case studies, project reports, and his own rich experience, Menzies analyzes how CBFM fits into the broader picture of the management of natural resources, highlighting the conditions that bring about effective practices and the most just and equitable stewardship of resources. A critical companion for students, researchers, and practitioners, Our Forest, Your Ecosystem, Their Timber provides a singular resource on the emergence and evolution of CBFM.

From the time of hunter-gatherers to the present day, forests have played a vital role in the development of humanity and society. This broad introductory textbook sets world forestry in a social, environmental, historical, and economic context. The development of forests, grassland and humans is described from the Devonian through to the Age of Agriculture, covering the factors determining the distribution of forests, the classification of forest types, the value and benefits of the forest and the products of the forest and their associated trade. The book also explores issues such as sustainable forest management, current patterns of deforestation and reforestation, and future challenges facing our forests. Fully updated throughout and with new contributions from international experts, this second edition includes new chapters on climate change and international forest policy, and expanded coverage of forest products and bioenergy production.

First Published in 2012. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Exploring a topic of vital and ongoing importance, Traditional Forest Knowledge examines the history, current status and trends in the development and application of traditional forest knowledge by local and indigenous communities worldwide. It considers the interplay between traditional beliefs and practices and formal forest science and interrogates the often uneasy relationship between these different knowledge systems. The contents also highlight efforts to conserve and promote traditional forest management practices that balance the environmental, economic and social objectives of forest management. It places these efforts in the context of recent trends towards the devolution of forest management authority in many parts of the world. The book includes regional chapters covering North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Australia-Pacific region. As well as relating the general factors mentioned above to these specific areas, these chapters cover issues of special regional significance, such as the importance of traditional knowledge and practices for food security, economic development and cultural identity. Other chapters examine topics ranging from key policy issues to the significant programs of regional and international organisations, and from research ethics and best practices for scientific study of traditional knowledge to the adaptation of traditional forest knowledge to climate change and globalisation.

What a rare mushroom can teach us about sustaining life on a fragile planet Matsutake is the most valuable mushroom in the world—and a weed that grows in human-disturbed forests across the northern hemisphere. Through its ability to nurture trees, matsutake helps forests to grow in daunting places. It is also an edible delicacy in Japan, where it sometimes commands astronomical prices. In all its contradictions, matsutake offers insights into areas far beyond just mushrooms and addresses a crucial question: what manages to live in the ruins we have made? A tale of diversity within our damaged landscapes, The Mushroom at the End of the World follows one of the strangest commodity chains of our times to explore the unexpected corners of capitalism. Here, we witness the varied and peculiar worlds of matsutake commerce: the worlds of Japanese gourmets, capitalist traders, Hmong jungle fighters, industrial forests, Yi Chinese goat herders, Finnish nature guides, and more. These companions also lead us into fungal ecologies and forest histories to better understand the promise of cohabitation in a time of massive human destruction. By investigating one of the world's most sought-after fungi, The Mushroom at the End of the World presents an original examination into the relation between capitalist destruction and collaborative survival within multispecies landscapes, the prerequisite for continuing life on earth.

A valuable introduction to the issues surrounding forest ecosystems, US Forest Service management practices, logging techniques, the principles of sustainable and restoration forestry, and the economic and political issues underlying today's struggle over forestry practices and preservation efforts. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This fact-filled guide explores forests from the equator to the frozen poles, the depths of the rainforest to the mountain forests at high altitudes. It also demonstrates the many benefits that forests provide us with, discusses the negative impacts that humans unfortunately have on forests and explains how good management can help protect and conserve forests and forest biodiversity. At the end of the guide, inspiring examples of youth-led initiatives and an easy-to-follow action plan will help young people develop their own forest conservation activities and projects.

A marvelously illustrated look at the world’s diverse forests and their ecosystems The earth’s forests are havens of nature supporting a diversity of life. Shaped by climate and geography, these vast and dynamic wooded spaces offer unique ecosystems that shelter complex and interdependent webs of flora, fungi, and animals. The World Atlas of Trees and Forests offers a beautiful introduction to what forests are, how they work, how they grow, and how we map, assess, and conserve them. Provides the most wide-ranging coverage of the world’s forests available Takes readers beneath the breathtaking variety of wooded canopies that span the globe Profiles a wealth of tree species, with enlightening and entertaining natural-history highlights along the way Features stunning color photos, maps, and graphics Draws on the latest cutting-edge research and technology, including satellite imagery