As a source of alternative fuels, ligneous biomass offers two significant advantages: trees can grow on low-yield land unsuited for food production and supply the energy required for producing derived fuels. Technologies for its conversion into substitutes for gasoline and especially for diesel fuel are complex and expensive. Harnessing and applying them will however be pushed forward by the double challenge of oil resource depletion and global warming. Ample sunlight and high rainfall suggest that the tropics may be the preferred areas where plantation forests dedicated to lignocellulose fuel production (or lignofuels as distinct from agrofuels) could be established. At petroleum prices 10 to 20% above 2007 levels, the authors conclude that a “bioethanol outlet” for tropical forest plantations on deforested idle lands and humid savannahs is viable. To meet the very rapid expected growth in demand for biomass, such projects should thus be initiated now. Key issues to be covered in related feasibility studies are discussed herein.

Although high on the international forest agenda, illegal logging is often ambiguously defined and there is considerable uncertainty about its quantitative and qualitative characteristics. This obscures assessments of its social, economic and environmental impacts and precludes informed policy conclusions. Through timber export statistics, estimates of the domestic timber consumption and official harvesting records, the extent of illegal logging and its breakdown to origin, felling agents and species groups is estimated for Ghana over the period 1996–2005 based on a definition that emphasises the violation of established forest management regulations. Of the total harvest, 70% or 2.3 – 2.7 million m³ annually is estimated to be illegally cut. Chainsaw operators, who supply most of the domestic lumber demand, account for two-thirds and the export oriented timber industry account for one-third of the illegal harvest. The most valuable timber species dominate the illegal harvest and they appear to originate mostly from forest reserves, which as a consequence are seriously threatened. Eliminating illegal logging will require positive economic incentives for rural people to protect and grow timber trees. This, however, calls for fundamental reform of the timber governance system.

Broadleaved trees represent 37 % of the forest resource of Europe; equating to 9 % of the world's forest resource. The high number of broadleaved species (c. 80), many of which are ‘minor’, is reflected in a lack of adequate information on their distribution and state of health. Existing and projected impacts of climate change on the broadleaved resource are reviewed, as are future possible socio-economic drivers for forest management. Assisting the European forest resource and the sector to adapt to change, and to exploit opportunities, may take the form of broader species and provenance choice, new approaches to forest design, and more support for research, particularly tree breeding. Production forestry may benefit in some regions with changes in yield and the development of stronger markets for hardwoods as a substitute for tropical hardwoods or fossil fuel-derived materials in construction, and for bio-energy markets.

This study analyzes profit persistence and scale economies of globalizing forest industry using panel data from 49 companies in the US, Canada, Europe and the group of emerging countries between years 1996–2005. Size and profitability of forest industry companies were found to be only weakly related, and there were clear geographical and period specific differences in the data. Time series-cross section unit root tests indicated that on the global scale there were no persistent firm-specific profits among the largest forest industry companies. However, there was some evidence of geographical differences as for the Canadian companies some indication of profit persistence was found, but this could not be fully confirmed as it could be also derived from this sample. The main policy implication of this study is that in the absence of profit persistence, streamlining of operations and cutting down smaller and less profitable production units will likely continue in the forest industry with investors and stock markets valuing short-term economic performance. As this will inevitably have an adverse impact on job opportunities and local livelihoods of rural communities in forestry dependent areas, examining interaction between corporate social and economic performance will become more important.

China's forestry has been changing drastically since the country was affected by devastating floods in 1998. The government has launched a series of key national programmes and forest policy reforms. The scale and investment of these forestry programmes are already producing some tangible benefits to forest cover, the wood industry and rural livelihoods. Large areas are protected from logging, huge afforestation programmes are underway, and ongoing privatization offers hope of more efficient and effective operations that can create jobs and stimulate economic growth. However, the changes have been associated with many problems, particularly for rural communities that can no longer harvest wood and have now been displaced. This paper examines current patterns in forest development and the impact of this on the environment and economic and rural development.

This paper investigates the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows from two major forest product importing countries: the U.S. and Japan. Exchange rate, per capita income, cost of capital, and cost of labour in host countries have significant impacts on the FDI outflows from these two countries. A complementary relationship is found between forest products exports and FDI outflows for the forest product importing countries. Market-seeking as well as resource-seeking motives for the FDI outflows from these countries are evident.

This paper examines the evolution of forest policy and legislation in Uganda from the colonial times to the present day and its impact and outcomes on the forest sector and livelihoods of local communities. It highlights a trend from highly regulatory colonial forest service (1898–1961) characterised by a centrally controlled and industry biased forest policy with limited local stakeholder participation; followed by the post independence era (1962–1971) that maintained the forest estate in a reasonably good condition through the process of command and control; through a non-directional phase characterised by disruption of economy, insecurity and impaired delivery of goods and services (1972–1986); to a more decentralised, participatory and people oriented approach that has typified the focus of the policy over the last two decades (1987-todate). It also presents the roles that different stakeholders have played in formulating the policy and legislation and analysis of issues pertinent to forest policy and legislation in Uganda, especially those that relate to decentralisation, divestment and participatory forest management. The forest policies were not translated adequately into operational tactics, strategies and programmes at the local and national levels. Despite reforms in the forest sector, new institutions created are not yet in position to effectively enforce forest rules and regulations on forest resource use, particularly private forests. We conclude that a forest policy without effective monitoring and enforcement of rules and regulations cannot maintain the forest estate in a good condition. There is a need for government to operationalise, monitor and evaluate existing forest policies rather than formulate new policies and laws.

International discussions on forest issues emerged in the 1980s, mostly due to the activism of environmental NGOs. Forest negotiations proved particularly contentious in the Rio Summit. The post-Rio period witnessed a gradual dynamism towards the development of consensus. The consensus-building process at the UN led to the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. The process was further pursued through the establishment of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests and the United Nations Forum on Forests. The present paper sheds light on international forest negotiations from 1992 to 2007. The paper, drawing also on the personal experiences and reflections of the author, posits that effective pursual and implementation of international agreements on forests will depend on the continued active engagement of the NGOs and other stakeholders involved. It is further suggested that genuine multilateralism calls for political will, meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, and the provision of requisite resources and means of implementation.

International commitments to reduce poverty and curb deforestation echo many national programmes and policies. But how do you achieve both together? The overlap between areas of persistent poverty and high deforestation often coincides with traditional models of state forest ownership in which large-scale industrial logging concessions or agricultural clearance are superimposed on pre-existing forest and land rights claims of varying validity. Widespread informality, resource conflicts and forest degradation often result. But there are also increasing numbers of more positive stories - sustainable community forest enterprises overcoming multiple dimensions of poverty. Secure forest rights, strong social organisation, appropriate business models and well designed support have enabled many communities to deliver on both social and environmental fronts. This paper highlights lessons learned, policy and institutional gaps that remain, and the formation of a new alliance, Forest Connect, to address those gaps.

Mediterranean forest ecosystems provide multiple goods and services, including an exceptional richness in terms of biodiversity, which are crucial for the socio-economic development of rural areas as well as for the welfare of the urban populations of the Mediterranean region. Mediterranean forests are very vulnerable and fragile to numerous threats such as forest fires, over-exploitation, deforestation, and degradation. These threats are nowadays accentuated in a context of climate and land use changes. This paper presents the main characteristics, threats and values of Mediterranean forests and discusses the main scientific challenges and policy needs required to ensure the sustainable management and provision of Mediterranean forest goods and services.

Valued attributes of forests encourage surveys and inventories of multiple attributes that need quantitative definition and integration followed by comprehensible presentation. The Forest Identity defines the four attributes of expanse, growing stock, biomass and carbon in terms of measurable forest area (A), forest density (D), biomass to growing stock ratio (B), and carbon concentration (C). The Identity connects and integrates them all, logically. Nearly constant C and a B varying fairly regularly with D allow a single synoptic chart to present the four changing attributes in many regions, as examples around the world demonstrate. The Identity simply and transparently audits complex estimates of sequestered carbon. Sensing biomass remotely would transfer the uncertainty of the ratio B from carbon to growing stock inventories. In whatever manner variables are measured, the Identity integrates them into attributes and permits synoptic charts of masses of data.