Several forest management and conservation models exist throughout the world and Nepal is one of the pioneering countries to implement a community forestry programme. Studying the relationship between carbon stocks and biodiversity is important in understanding the trade-off between two major benefits of forest ecosystems, and working towards achieving the optimum balance between them. This study aims to: (i) estimate the biomass and total carbon stock in community forests, (ii) explore the relationship between carbon stocks and the diversity and density of trees, and (iii) examine that relationship in relation to the elevation of the community forest. The study covers all the components of forest carbon including above- and below-ground, and soil carbon. The biomass in the forest was found to be 299.20 tons/ha whereas the total carbon stock (including soil carbon) was found to be 162.95 tons/ha. Total carbon and biomass carbon were negatively related to the diversity and the density of trees. However, soil carbon was positively related to these factors. The results of the study can contribute to revising community forest management policies and helping to increase forest carbon and biodiversity.

The success of research for development projects is of interest to project funders and recipients, and underpins project impact. This paper synthesizes results from case studies of collaborative forestry research projects in Vietnam, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, where the relative success of projects was evaluated and the factors affecting project success investigated. Differences were found in the relative success of projects, between and within countries, and between related projects in a long-term program. Only one-quarter of the 30 projects had high achievements and high impacts; none of which occurred in Papua New Guinea. Interviews with 90 project participants identified 37 success factors that can enhance or diminish project success, of which 15 are considered generally applicable to research for development projects. The two most important success factors that could be addressed by research managers and project staff to improve project success were, respectively, collaborative scoping and design, and the scientists' commitment, collaboration and focus. Some relationships are apparent between relative success, the success factors and context at the national, local and project levels, including the importance of linking research to impact pathways.

The multiple use forest management planning (MUFMP) approach was developed to implement the principle of sustainable forest management; in simplest terms, the balance of ecological, economic and socio-cultural values in forestry. This paper has two main objectives. First, it provides a critical review of the scientific papers addressing the fundamental characteristics of multiple use planning, including forest characterization, spatial planning, ecosystem services, forest policies and regulations, and decision-making tools. The second objective is to discuss and evaluate various approaches focusing on MUFMP's inherent strengths and weaknesses, as well as the future challenges in realizing the MUFMP concept. Critical analysis of the limitations of contemporary approaches are made to address the need for managing forest ecosystems for multiple values. The MUFMP approach is still dominated by a primary goal of timber production, as such, it requires more empirical data if it is to be used for holistic planning, more ecosystem services need to be characterized and stochastic elements are missing to address risks and uncertainties. Most Decision Support Systems (DSS) are tailored to local conditions and do not adequately address the trade-offs amongst multiple objectives. Other limitations include a challenge in characterizing and controlling spatial configuration of patches, inadequacy of dynamic models estimating the productivity of forests for various ecosystem services, and the limited institutional capacity for effective enforcement of legal frameworks. Finally, the review indicates a paradigm shift from plain problem solving with a solo timber production, to the development and structuring of a comprehensive approach, and most recently to the sustainable management of forest ecosystems for multiple goods and services with the effective use of DSS and participation.

In early 2014, unprecedentedly heavy rainfall led to a flood in northern lowland Bolivia affecting the livelihoods of thousands of people relying on ecosystem services and climate sensitive sectors for their daily livelihood. Based on a case study of 50 households from indigenous forest communities living in the TCO Tacana I, ex-ante and ex-post household data were collected to obtain insights into the economic performance, livelihood strategy changes and role of forest products in the direct aftermath of the extreme weather event. A negative impact on natural resource dependent livelihood strategies was found as an immediate consequence. However, most households had recovered just one year later. There was no increase in the use of forest products to mitigate immediate income shortages. A typical high contribution of forest products to household income from before the flood continued afterwards. This article contributes to understanding of livelihood-based efforts of people living in tropical lowland forests to adapt to weather extremes.

The objectives of Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD ) can be achieved if communities are actively involved in and benefit from forest resource management. The study examined factors affecting justice in REDD benefit sharing in community forestry in Nepal's Terai region. The most influential factors identified were the economic status of forest users, the decision-making process, conflicting issues within the community and the accountability of local leaders. Poor people are highly dependent on forest resources, while the rich benefit comparatively more from their control over decision-making structures. Rich people participate less in community development work but more in the decision-making mechanism in community forestry. The poorer representation of disadvantaged forest users in decision-making limits their influence on the accountability of the authorities to local needs. Democratically elected and accountable leadership creates opportunity for justice in REDD benefit sharing among users. Accountability towards poor and disadvantaged people could be improved by developing the leadership skills of the poor and disadvantaged forest users at local level. The factors described in the study affect justice in benefit sharing, and have policy implication for the success of REDD both at the local and regional level.

Indonesia is undergoing major policy changes, seeking to expand social forestry designations from less than 1% (1.1 million hectares) to over 10% (12.7 million hectares) of the Forest Estate. Expanding designations is at once a landmark reform and a call for caution, raising questions about policy intentions, and practical concerns about legal, technical, and implementation mechanisms. Social forestry literature highlights three key tenets, namely efforts that: confer rights to local communities, support livelihoods, and achieve conservation outcomes. This paper examines social forestry implementation from a cross-section of sites in South Sulawesi by reflecting on sustained action research between 2012–2016. The approach critically juxtaposes social forestry policy intent with implementation at three different sites. Findings indicate social forestry implementation suffers from historically problematic state enclosures and flawed land administration processes, entrenched politicaleconomic interests among local actors, and lack of institutional engagement beyond the permitting process. Shortcuts to addressing entrenched conflict will only heighten tensions or further marginalize the most vulnerable, without guarantees to conservation outcomes.

Fung Shui forests, also called Fengshui forests, manifest community-based forestry and are forest patches cultivated by Chinese Hakka villages based on traditional geomancy. Local communities have formulated collective rules for protecting such forests, which were considered to represent informal institutions at the local level. Their roles were contrasted with those of the government, which were considered to represent formal institutions at the societal level. Case studies were conducted on Tai Om and She Shan Tsuen in Hong Kong, with the objective of revealing the roles of formal and informal institutions in forest resource governance in Hong Kong. As revealed by the findings, (1) the roles of communities have declined, (2) the government's management mechanism is fragmented, and (3) a mismatch in expectations exists between communities and the government due to differences in management philosophy. Findings can serve as insights for studies on community-based natural resource management in a metropolitan context.

REDD activities in Tanzania have been financially supported mainly by Norway. Approxi mately 40% of the funds have been allocated to pilot projects in nine districts, which were implemented not by government, but by NGOs. This decision by the Norwegian Embassy was taken partly in the interest of speedy implementation, but also because of recent problems of government corruption. This paper—based on case studies from Kilosa, Kilwa and Kondoa—assesses the implications of allocating local government only a minimal role. The focus is on the building of REDD governance structures; more specifically their input legitimacy (parti cip ation, transparency and accountability) and output legitimacy (effectiveness, efficiency and equity). The conclusion is that the NGOs generally implemented the pilot projects as contracted, but that local government has lost the opportunity to gain experience and develop the compe tence needed to implement REDD in the future and ensure its longer-term sustainability.

This paper investigates the introduction of REDD in two pilot sites in the Équateur province of the DRC, focusing on the issues of community participation. Using information collected through household questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions, the paper shows that community participation at both sites was characterized as ‘tokenism’ whereby the communities were consulted and informed, but never achieved managerial power or influence over the REDD pilot project. The decision for the communities to join REDD was not democratic and the information provided during the process of introducing REDD was not sufficient for the communities to make an informed decision to join or not. The project organizer had full control over the dissemination of information. Community participation in the REDD project did not extend beyond labour supply in activities and attending meetings for per diems. The institutional basis for enabling ‘full and effective community participation’ is weak and excludes women. The paper argues that ensuring meaningful participation as defined by the REDD social safeguard guidelines might be difficult to achieve if social inequalities and local power relations are not acknowledged and addressed in the implementation of REDD .