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Indicators of sustainable forest management to evaluate the socio-economic functions of coppice in Tuscany, Italy
Abstract
Due to several ecosystem services provided to the community, the multifunctional management of forests has acquired an important role over the years.
The current Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) guidelines are based on planning programmes which are able to achieve targets from socio-economic and environmental points of view.
In this paper, SFM indicators have been studied and compared to estimate the sustainability of three coppice options, from both an economic and a socio-environmental viewpoint. Each indicator was studied in relationship to the treatment and to the considered areas. The results of the statistical analysis show differences among treatments, and the possible correlations between the indicators. Moreover, by using principal component analysis (PCA), the correlations between the indicators were analysed, while the ways in which they influenced the examined sites were also considered. In particular, specific homogeneous clusters separating the observed sites were observed based on treatment and geographical gradient. Overall, the set of indicators used has proven to be effective when carrying out an evaluation of the existing types of forest management based on the analysis of three fundamental aspects of the SFM.
... Some scenario building and decision-making studies have been conducted in coppice forests in Europe and Asia, such as the study on modeling the impact of alternative scenarios on wood production and carbon storage by Bottalico et al. (2016), the study on abandoned coppice forests by Imamura et al. (2017), and the socio-economic assessment by Riccioli et al. (2020). ...
... In this study, conducted in Zagros forests, it can also be concluded that the value of ecosystem services for coppice forests depends on a combination of the options studied and the social and ecological conditions of each management unit. Furthermore, Riccioli et al. (2020) in the Tuscany region, Italy, using a plan with three options, coppice, conversion, and natural development, show the need of communities for multifunctional management of forests. In that research, the results showed that each of the options should be used in its place, depending on the forest activities and integration in the communities. ...
... In that research, the results showed that each of the options should be used in its place, depending on the forest activities and integration in the communities. In this way, the results of this study in Zagros forest, Iran, can confirm the results of previous studies, especially the study by Riccioli et al. (2020) on the value of each option in forest management depending on the situation. This study also had some limitations. ...
In this study, three options for coppice management in Iran were developed. These management options include Traditional Coppicing (TC), modification of TC, and extreme conservation to convert them into high forest. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used for modeling to select the optimal solution for managing these forests. Six different scenarios were simulated in which the importance of the criteria in decision-making process changed. The results show that each of the three management options has its own importance, which depends on the conditions of the region and the different importance of the decision criteria. Therefore, the selection of the management scenario for future forest planning depends on prioritizing the criteria from the perspective of the managers and stakeholders and is dependent on social, economic and ecological conditions in each management unit. The results of this study show that it is not possible to rely solely on the results of the AHP method for forest management decisions, as AHP model does not include constraints. In this context, reverse engineering can be very helpful in the final conclusion of the decision. The results of this study can make a valuable contribution to the global literature and support decision-making, especially in scenarios where stakeholder participation may be limited and modeling stakeholder behavior is essential to the decision-making process.
... To date, Russian and foreign science has accumulated considerable experience in assessing the recreational potential of the territory and spatial planning of recreational facilities [1][2][3][4][5]. ...
... The main elements of the recreational potential of the territory (RPT) are its recreational resources (plant, including forest), natural (soil, terrain, climate); elements of the social complex (number, social characteristics of the population, including health status, indicating the main specializations of health improvement, living standards; characteristics of environmental pollution (atmosphere and hydrosphere), the volume of waste stored on the earth's surface; an infrastructure complex that reflects the characteristics of the development of the territory's forest resources, including investment in the regions [1,2,4,5,6]. ...
... Based on the analysis of research by many scientists in general, the entire procedure for a comprehensive assessment of the recreational potential of the territory can be presented in the following form [1,2,4,5,6]: ...
The purpose of this study is to present our vision of assessing the recreational potential of the territory (RPT) for its effective management. We suggest using this territory assessment method, which consists of two main stages: assessment of the recreational component of the natural environment and assessment of the necessary amount of investment to use the recreational biodiversity of the territories.The article analyzes the approaches and presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the recreational potential of the forest lands of the Sverdlovsk region. Created a map ranking the Sverdlovsk region according to the results of research with application for developing a comprehensive assessment of RPT on the methods, developed on the basis of the theory of “games with nature”: the method of structured comparison of RPT on the Hurwitz criterion, aspiring to the maximum and to identify the factors dominating the impact from the application of the Wald criterion. Based on the conducted research on the analysis of the influence of forests on the formation of recreational characteristics, the authors obtained weighted average generalized coefficients of recreational attractiveness of forests of different types in the forest management areas of the Sverdlovsk region and identified 10 forestcadastre areas in the Sverdlovsk region. This paper also presents a developed and tested method for a comprehensive assessment of the recreational potential of forest lands in the territory of the Sverdlovsk region in order to attract investment. Preliminary investment volumes for the development of the Sverdlovsk region’s RPT (based on the cost of forest biodiversity) are presented. We consider the proposed territory ranking to be a necessary indicator for effective management of the subject’s territories.
... As aforementioned in the introduction section, sustainability has three main pillars, and the current SFM guidelines are based on planning programmes which seek to identify economic, environmental and social consequences (Riccioli et al., 2020). The mentioned condition may cause the social and economic functions of forests to be neglected. ...
... Akyol (2009) distinguished that OGM focuses more on the sustainability of wood and wood products. Similarly, Riccioli et al. (2020) found that the actual SFM policies in Tuscany (which are highly related to the Italy's) aim to support wood production rather than other sustainability indicators. Lindahl et al. (2017) stated that, generally, the production-related criteria have a higher weight in management decisions. ...
Today, resource depletion has become a worldwide issue due to the increasing human population and related consumption. Therefore, the sustainability of renewable natural resources has recently gained great importance. To achieve a more sustainable world, sustainable development is needed. In sustainable development, the sustainable forestry holds an important part because of forests’ great importance among the natural resources. Thus, the sustainable forest management (SFM) practices have been vital at this point. The present paper aims to contribute SFM applications and literature with the evaluation and interpretation of the National SFM of Turkey by calculating the importance levels (weights) of latest criteria and indicators (C&I). For this purpose, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a hybrid approach of fuzzy logic and multi-criteria decision-making, was adopted. This adoption is due to the complex and hierarchical framework of sustainability and the suitability of the method to the subject. The present research is a case study from Kastamonu Regional Directorate of Forestry. Kastamonu holds an important part in Turkish forestry, and it has the potential to represent general condition. This study has shown that the importance attached to environment-related C&I is considerably higher than that of other SFM C&I. Furthermore, Turkey focuses more on the sustainability of wood and wood products rather than other sustainability indicators. The research has also identified that there is a classification problem for SFM indicators. The current C&I should be reviewed and localized.
... We obtained 248 valid questionnaires composed of 54% of females and 46% of males; 66% of respondents have a high level of education (high school degree); 40% of the interviewed were 18-35 years old, and 27% were between 35 and 50 years old; 30% of the sample is composed of employed people and 29% were students. More statistics about respondents are described in previous works [54][55][56]. ...
... The three sections of questionnaires collected (i) information about respondents' socio-demographic characteristics; (ii) the respondents' aesthetic preferences related to landscape types; (iii) the willingness to pay for maintaining forests for recreational use under the management approaches. The third section was used in previous works [54][55][56], while we used the second section for the landscape analysis. The question was: "Can you express a liking rating for the agricultural and forestry landscape?" ...
Using spatial econometric techniques and local spatial statistics, this study explores the relationships between the real estate values in Tuscany with the individual perception of satisfaction by landscape types. The analysis includes the usual territorial variables such as proximity to urban centres and roads. The landscape values are measured through a sample of respondents who expressed their aesthetic-visual perceptions of different types of land use. Results from a multivariate local Geary highlight that house prices are not spatial independent and that between the variables included in the analysis there is mainly a positive correlation. Specifically, the findings demonstrate a significant spatial dependence in real estate prices. The aesthetic values influence the real estate price throughout more a spatial indirect effect rather than the direct effect. Practically, house prices in specific areas are more influenced by aspects such as proximity to essential services. The results seem to show to live close to highly aesthetic environments not in these environments. The results relating to the distance from the main roads, however, seem counterintuitive. This result probably depends on the evidence that these areas suffer from greater traffic jam or pollution or they are preferred for alternative uses such as for locating industrial plants or big shopping centres rather than residential use. Therefore, these effects decrease house prices.
... This scenarios has a high degree of influence on forest management, and even though it has been characterized by long turnovers and income delays over time, it shows positive effects on aspects related to the environment (e.g., species diversity) and socio-economics (e.g., net revenue), particularly on those related to recreation. This scenario also reveals higher values of recreation, that are related, as argued by Riccioli et al. [85], "to the perception that people have of the forest. In this case, conversion is the option that most resembles a high forest, therefore it is pleasing to visitors. ...
... This is probably due to the fact that users tend to interpret the word "natural" as a synonym for wilderness or naturalness, which has been widely documented in the literature [88][89][90][91][92][93]. Despite this, it is important to point out that these scenarios also have advantages because they enhance the contribution to the carbon cycle and the health and vitality of forest ecosystems [8,85]. Natural evolution also allows the restoration of natural ecological dynamics and an increase in biodiversity. ...
In recent decades the growing interest in forested areas has led to a higher level of appreciation and consideration regarding the various benefits and services provided by forests. Despite this, when it comes to acknowledging their economic value and their capacity to produce income, the production of timber seems to be the main or even the only function that is considered. However, by adopting a sustainable forest management approach, the value related to non-market forest functions could also be considered. The present paper aims to quantify the potential income related to the recreational value of coppice forest by considering three different management systems: traditional coppice, active conversion to high forest and the natural evolution of forest. In order to do so, a contingent valuation method was used, and 248 forest users were surveyed in the region of Tuscany, Italy. The surveys included a revised price-list method, and the results obtained showed the existence of willingness to pay (WTP) for the maintenance of forests. Users showed a strong preference for conversion to high forest, while natural evolution was the least preferred management option. People’s perception on this matter was also assessed based on their specific location, by georeferencing all of the respondents’ answers: considering this, it was observed that belonging to a municipality located in or close to the mountains (i.e., mountain and natural municipalities) influenced the users’ WTP to maintain natural evolution.
... (2015) tanulmányában PCA-val csökkentette Portugália egyik térségének (Algarve) regionális tervében szereplő mutatószámainak számát, melyek a fenntartható fejlődéshez járulnak hozzá. A többi szerző munkássága felosztható abból a szempontból, hogy módszertani vizsgálatot hajtottak végre (Reisi et al., 2020;Nardo et al., 2005;Filzmoser et al., 2009) vagy kifejezetten a fenntarthatóság mutatóinak elemzése miatt használták a módszert (Zarrabi-Fallahi, 2014;Riccioli et al., 2020;Mainali-Silveira, 2015). ...
A szerző kutatásának alapját az Agenda 2030 a fenntartható fejlődésért keretprogram mutatószámai alkotják, melyek segítségével a 2014 és 2018 közötti időszakra vonatkozóan vizsgálja a fenntartható fejlődés mérési lehetőségeit az Európai Unióban. A kvantitatív kutatás során olyan különböző statisztikai és ökonometriai módszerek kerültek alkalmazásra, mint a faktoranalízis, korreláció analízis, a skálaösszehangoló transzformációs és a klaszteranalízis. A kutatás fő célja, hogy bemutassa mennyire szerteágazó a fenntartható fejlődés mérésének lehetősége és az, hogy az Agenda 2030 adatbázisának mutatószámai milyen mértékben csökkenthetők a kiválasztott módszerek segítségével.
... Socio-economic trade-offs were identified as important additional indicators from managers to help calculate the carbon cost of their actions, taking into account the growing stock as well as the storage timeline as end products (Handavu et al. 2017;Popp et al. 2017). Market forces and the dynamics of the forest sector within specific regions will impact the carbon cost, therefore indicators that can track trends of these supply chains and demands of the forest from both a societal perspective and consumer need could support manager's journey monitoring socio-economic CSF (Riccioli et al. 2019). ...
Climate change impacts are an increasing threat to forests and current approaches to management. In 2020, Climate-smart Forestry (CSF) definition and set of indicators was published. This study further developed this work by testing the definition and indicators through a forest manager survey across fifteen member European countries. The survey covered topic areas of demographics, climate change impacts, definition and indicators assessment, as well as knowledge and communication. Overall, forest managers considered the threat of climate change to their forests as high or critical and 62% found the CSF definition clear and concise; however, the minority suggested greater simplification or nuance. Indicators were viewed as comprehensive but too numerous to integrate into management activities. Two highest ranking indicators were ‘Trees species composition’, and ‘Erosion protection and maintenance of soil condition’. Many managers were aware of suitable alternative species, but also stressed that greater resources should focus on exploring adaptable provenances. Demonstration sites and interactive guides were ranked highest for communication and dissemination; however, online multimedia tools and workshops were also ranked highly. Local perspectives on providing more relevant CSF ranged from silviculture systems, finance and funding, education and training, and social awareness, to tree species mixes and development of protective functions. In summary, forest managers were generally open to CSF, but required greater guidance and proof of application.
... Through the analysis of agricultural economic competitiveness at different levels, the specific problems of each main production area of the apple industry in China were clarified, and reasonable countermeasures and suggestions were developed. Second, we used principal component analysis [37,38] and space exploration analysis [39] as the research methods. Third, we analyzed the changes in the competitiveness of the eight main apple-producing areas and selected the two-year apple-related data in 2004 and 2018 to explore the development and prospects of China's apple industry competitiveness; we analyzed the spatial differentiation characteristics of China's apple industry competitiveness, evaluated the sustainable development potential of the apple industry, which contributes to the development of the apple industry, and provided relevant advice on agricultural progress, with a view to promoting the sustainable development of the apple industry. ...
Agriculture faces a contradiction between sustainable resource utilization and maintaining market competitiveness. As a major agricultural product, the sustainability and competitiveness of the apple industry have become important topics. This study analyzes the competitiveness of China’s apple industry and the factors affecting it. Using 2004 and 2018 data for eight Chinese provinces, principal component analysis and spatial autocorrelation are used to examine competitiveness in terms of five aspects: market, production, technology, organization, and environment. The results indicate that Shandong, Shaanxi, and Gansu were the most competitive during the study period while Hebei, Henan, and Ningxia lagged behind. Regional differences are obvious, with Shandong in particular showing a clear competitive advantage. Although no spatial agglomeration is observed in China’s apple industry, with ongoing industrial development, local spatial correlations in the five aspects of competitiveness in the eight provinces have been increasing and gradually stabilizing. This study’s findings suggest that improved scientific production, reasonable capital investment, and an established industrial chain are needed to promote local agriculture, economic development, and the central role of the apple industry.
... One of the strengths of this work is the analysis of a sector where real data are lacking (in Italy). Many studies analyse the ecosystem services in Italy (Agnoletti et al., 2022;Canedoli et al., 2020;Riccioli et al., 2019Riccioli et al., , 2020Salata and Grillenzoni, 2021). However, national statistics provide silvicultural data that essentially refer to timber harvests. ...
The Basilicata region (South of Italy) is land of truffles where the gastronomic, economic and cultural awareness has developed for this non-timber forest products only in the past decade. Little is known about truffle production and its social, economic and environmental implications. In this article we investigate the Basilicata truffle sector by devoting particular attention to the truffle hunters who gather the truffles from the forests. The data for the analysis were collected through a survey with the aim of describing the gathering activity (people involved, specie and quantities collected, etc.) and assessing its significance as a source of income. Results show that truffles can provide local communities with earning opportunities. However, the truffle sector need to be protected and enhanced.
... coppices vs high forests). In particular, there is a growing interest in redeveloping coppice systems in some communities mainly for economic reasons, in particular a fast production of biomass or firewood products and an easier regeneration, but also sometimes for ecological purposes such as to favor biodiversity linked to a variety of microhabitats due to the multi-stemmed growth form of the trees (Kirby et al. 2017;Yücesan et al., 2019;Riccioli et al., 2020). In this study, we evaluated various aspects such as forest structure, plant species diversity, regeneration and soil attributes in two forest systems: coppicewith-standards stands abandoned after an intense period of exploitation and high forest stands submitted to a low intensity of management. ...
Air pollution from industrial areas is environmental stress on trees that can seriously endanger the future of forests. Ancient Persian oak trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in the semi-arid forests of the Zagros are exposed to various environmental stresses such as air pollution from the Ilam gas refinery, which causes many challenges in forest regeneration and afforestation, thus jeopardizing forest sustainability or restoration. This study aimed to investigate the effect of toxic pollutants emitted from a gas refinery operation on seed germination and morphological characteristics of seedlings from maternal trees that are located at different distances (1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 10000 m) and directions (east and west) from the facility. The results showed that oak seedlings grown from acorns collected at a distance of 10000 m had the highest values in various seed germination and seedling developmental measures and morphological traits such as leaf and root mass, number and length compared to other distances of 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 m from the gas refinery. The highest values in seed germination and seedling emergence and growth occurred at distances furthest from the refineries. Also, direction from the refinery significantly (p <0.05) affected root growth, with larger seedlings occurring from acorns collected west of the refinery. The results of principal component analysis and discriminate analysis showed that various seed germination traits were most sensitive to gaseous toxic pollutants emitted from this source. Based on all studied traits, seedlings from acorns collected at 10,000 m from the facility were easily distinguished from seedlings of acorns collected at closer distances. It can be concluded that refinery toxic pollutants caused significant adverse changes in germination and seedling growth from acorns collected from oak trees located near (less than 10000 m) to the source of air pollution. It is recommended that such pollution sources should be established far away from forest areas, and if constructed, be equipped with appropriate technologies such as flare gas recovery (FGR) to reduce emission of toxic pollutants and other emissions such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from the gas refinery. It is also strongly recommended that acorns collected for restoration measures come from maternal trees growing at a distance >10000 m, and especially to the west of gas refineries.
... coppices vs high forests). In particular, there is a growing interest in redeveloping coppice systems in some communities mainly for economic reasons, in particular a fast production of biomass or firewood products and an easier regeneration, but also sometimes for ecological purposes such as to favor biodiversity linked to a variety of microhabitats due to the multi-stemmed growth form of the trees (Kirby et al. 2017;Yücesan et al., 2019;Riccioli et al., 2020). In this study, we evaluated various aspects such as forest structure, plant species diversity, regeneration and soil attributes in two forest systems: coppicewith-standards stands abandoned after an intense period of exploitation and high forest stands submitted to a low intensity of management. ...
The oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) semiarid forests of western Iran are among the oldest and host a remarkable diversity. However, the originally high forests were largely converted to coppices and submitted to a long history of traditional management and human disturbances. We investigated the effect of past management and forest structure on soil properties and vegetation diversity on two forest systems: coppice‐withstandards stands abandoned after an intense period of exploitation (CWS) and high forest stands (HF) submitted to a low intensity of management. We selected in each system three 1-2 ha stands and sampled 30 plots to measure vegetation diversity, forest structure using structural indices and, main soil factors including bulk density, nutrients, organic carbon and porosity. We found a higher species diversity in HF than in CWS with respectively 7 woody species in the former and only 4 in the latter as well as a higher structural complexity. Plant composition differed also between the two systems and multivariate analyses revealed clear associations between vegetation composition and soil factors in particular soil nutrients, soil porosity for HF and bulk density and texture for CWS. In fact, contents in soil nutrients were higher in HF than in CWS for total nitrogen (0.28 vs 0.15 %), available phosphorus (22.82 vs 15.47 ppm), available nitrogen (0.28 vs 0.15 ppm), and organic matter (2.58 vs 1.61 %) whereas soils of CWS showed a higher bulk density (1.39 vs 1.29) and a lower porosity (47.66 vs 51.50 %). This study thus revealed the legacy of the past forest management actions on the different components of the forest ecosystem. We concluded that the conservative management in high forests was more favourable for the protection of soil and vegetation diversity than in the traditional coppicing system.
... This study represents a first step to support the economic sustainability of fire extinction activities, and offers a useful basis to further improve the choice of correct planning strategies based on sustainable management of natural areas, as argued by and Riccioli et al. (2020). Future improvements of the methodology applied in this study should focus on the accumulation of the annual TEV of forest considering an accurate restoring time, which could be differentiated by the type of function and silvicultural system (coppice or hight forest). ...
The Tuscan Region (Central Italy) spends about 12 million euros every year in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. In this context, this study aims to analyse the economic and environmental benefits derived from fire suppression activities. Starting from a case study of a real fire event in Tuscany, we simulated three hypothetical scenarios (with different fire durations) without fire extinction activities planned by using the open source software FAR-SITE. Benefits derived from fire extinction activities can be quantified as the avoided damage, which has been calculated through the estimation of the total economic value of forests not destroyed by fire thanks to the extinction action. The avoided damage is represented by the difference between values of forest areas burned by the real fire event and those burned by simulated fire. By providing an economic estimation of avoided damages, our results confirm that forest fire services and forest management have a high impact on both the economy and the environment.
... -the best resources have a higher cost; -resource development costs are focused on the average level and are more objective; -for the occurrence of rental payments, it is considered appropriate to separate the owner of the resource and its user; -rental estimations take into account the resource's limitations, which is the initial prerequisite for its economic evaluation in the rental approach [1,2]. ...
Consider in this article, interesting in our opinion, the results of the study and the proposals of scientists in terms of determining the value of land and forest resources using the assessment options for these purposes. When conducting research on the chosen topic, we completely agreed with the opinion of many Russian scientists, said about the need to assess the value of forest lands and forest resources, which is carried out for different purposes. The most relevant for our country are: determination of fees for the use of forest resources; setting fees for obtaining the right to lease or concession of forest fund plots; determination of the effectiveness of forest land use projects and the effectiveness of forest management systems; assessment of environmental damage and the effectiveness of environmental projects, etc. In this article we have shown only part of the proposals, in our opinion, of important assessment factors and their calculations for determining the value of the forest resource in a certain territory of the country’s forest fund. They presented for your consideration a brief algorithm for the integrated assessment of forest resources and sites, compiled from research and analysis of various scientific Russian schools.
... Finer detail of data collection to recognise the importance of local management systems that work within SFM indicators has been highlighted in northern Italy by demonstrating the complex socio-economic dynamics of coppice management systems that support a historic and wider economy (Riccioli et al., 2019). Despite the peripheral location of cultural indicators in this paper the definition reconciles the importance of social dimensions including socio-economics in supporting and promoting CSF. ...
Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) is an emerging branch of sustainable forest management that aims to manage forests in response to climate change. Specific CSF strategies are viewed as a way forward for developing suitable management responses and enhancing the provision of ecosystem services. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive and cohesive assessment to implement CSF. This paper describes the step-by-step process that developed a comprehensive and shared definition of CSF, and the process for selecting indicators that assess the "climate-smartness" of forest management. Adaptation, mitigation and social dimensions are the core focus of the CSF definition, which recognises the need to integrate and avoid development of these aspects in isolation. An iterative participatory process was used with a range of experts in forest-related fields from the CLIMO project, this was subsequently supported by a network analysis to identify sustainable forest management indicators important to CSF. The definition developed here, is an important first step in to promote CSF that will aid practice in the forestry sector. It can be used as a template across Europe, tailored to local contexts. Further work communicating CSF to practitioners and policy-makers will create a CSF practice and culture that will help to safeguard future forest economies and communities.
Citation: Škėma, M.; Doftartė, A.; Perkumienė, D.; Aleinikovas, M.; Perkumas, A.; Sousa, H.F.P.e.; Pimenta Dinis, M.A.; Beriozovas, O. Abstract: The development of a monitoring system for the socioeconomic indicators of private forest owners includes the comprehensive collection of various socioeconomic data. These data encompass general information about private forests owners, the need for monitoring, periodicity, and other relevant factors. This holistic approach allows for a detailed assessment of the social and economic conditions of private forest owners, as well as the economic efficiency of their operations, ultimately aiming to achieve sustainable forest management. This research builds upon previous studies by the authors that investigated the need for monitoring of the socioeconomic indicators of private forests and involved interviews with forest experts. Based on the data obtained from these earlier efforts, this study aims to present a refined methodology for monitoring of the socioeconomic indicators of Lithuanian private forest owners. Based on the findings of this research, it is highly recommended that monitoring be implemented at the state level across the entire territory of the Republic of Lithuania. The results of this research show that the monitoring of the economic and social indicators of private forest owners benefits not only the owners but also the state and society as a whole. Residence size, property size, and association membership emerged as the most significant factors influencing the need for forest monitoring, while knowledge in forestry, distance to the forest, and gender showed weaker but still notable effects. The research results suggest that monitoring can help to ensure the sustainable management of forests and the maintenance of ecosystem services, in addition to contributing to the region's economic development. It is recommended that this monitoring be conducted every five years.
This study investigates cellulose extracted from Tibouchina lepidota , a native forest species of Ecuador. It focuses on its potential for industrial use, highlighting its role in the circular economy and carbon footprint reduction. The research explores the use of forest waste as a cellulose source, proposing sustainable alternatives to traditional tree species. The methodology includes botanical identification, sample pretreatment, and cellulose extraction through an alkaline process. The extracted cellulose was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and optical microscopy, examining its morphology, structure, and solubility to determine its typology. Results revealed that particle size significantly influences cellulose extraction yield, with smaller particles showing higher efficiency, confirming it as beta-type via solubility tests in alkaline solutions. Microscopic observations indicated a high-quality filamentous structure, with thin, long, and non-oriented filaments. This research demonstrates the viability of Tibouchina lepidota as a sustainable cellulose source, highlighting its potential for industry and contribution to more sustainable and balanced forest management practices, providing a solid foundation for future developments in bioeconomy and composite material industry.
A fenntartható fejlődésre vonatkozó új stratégiát az ENSZ 2015-ben fogadta el, melynek neve: Agenda 2030 a fenntartható fejlődésért. Az SDGs rendszer ennek a stratégiának a szerves része, amelyben mintegy 244 indikátor található. A szerző tanulmányában egy korábbi kutatás során létrehozott fenntartható fejlődési indikátorokat tömörítő faktorokat és a Humán Fejlettségi Mutató (HDI) közötti kapcsolat mértékét vizsgálta. A szerző célja, hogy a 2014 és 2018 közötti időszakra vonatkozó, faktoranalízis során létrehozott faktorok és a HDI index összefüggéseit feltárja korreláció analízis segítségével. A HDI index „jósága” abban mérhető, hogy a jólét három dimenzióját ragadja meg, ez különbözteti meg más, hasonló jellegű mutatószámoktól. A faktorok pedig azokat a tulajdonságokat, jellemzőket determinálják, amelyeknek a legnagyobb hatása van a fenntarthatóságra. Korábbi kutatásai során a szerző vizsgálatokat végzett arra vonatkozóan, hogy a stratégiához tartozó indikátorok magas száma redukálható-e faktoranalízis segítségével. Az itt kapott eredményeket használta fel a tanulmány során. A kiválasztott módszer a változók közötti kapcsolat szorosságát és irányát méri, ez alapján meghatározható a HDI index és a faktorok összefüggésének mértéke. A szerző elsődleges feltételezése, hogy az SDGs-ből kialakított faktorok és a HDI között szignifikáns statisztikai kapcsolat mutatható ki.
La gestione dei boschi soggetti a vincolo paesaggistico è particolarmente complessa in quanto è necessario accordare la massimizzazione degli aspetti paesistici con la sostenibilità economica degli interventi di gestione. Ciò implica da una parte massimizzazione del valore di un bene non di mercato, dall’altra necessità di arrivare ad un equilibrio economico finanziario. Il paper partirà dall’analisi dei problemi di natura estimativa e valutativa per poi arrivare a sviluppare considerazioni economiche. L'obiettivo di questo breve scritto è quello di fornire elementi utili alla definizione di future linee guida che possano conciliare gli aspetti della tutela paesaggistica con quelli della gestione forestale.
La gestione dei boschi soggetti a vincolo paesaggistico è particolarmente complessa in quanto è necessario accordare la massimizzazione degli aspetti paesistici con la sostenibilità economica degli interventi di gestione. Ciò implica da una parte massimizzazione del valore di un bene non di mercato, dall’altra necessità di arrivare ad un equilibrio economico finanziario. Il paper partirà dall’analisi dei problemi di natura estimativa e valutativa per poi arrivare a sviluppare considerazioni economiche. L'obiettivo di questo breve scritto è quello di fornire elementi utili alla definizione di future linee guida che possano conciliare gli aspetti della tutela paesaggistica con quelli della gestione forestale.
Forests play a key role in the carbon cycle and the fight against climate change. Long-term monitoring of forest dynamics represents a key element for understanding forests transformations due to forest harvestings and disturbances including fires, wind storms, frost or drought events, and pathogen attacks. This work aims at mapping and evaluating the forest disturbances that have occurred in Italy since 1985, using Landsat satellite imagery and apposite algorithms. We predicted about 1.8 million forest disturbances occurring during the observation period. Disturbances ranged between 27.923 ha in 2014 and 261.733 ha in 1985. Most of the forest disturbances have been identified in Sicilia and Calabria. Commission errors fluctuated between 29% in 2012 and 65% in 2001 while omission errors were between 8% in 2014 and 88% in 2003. The results that we present in this work can increase our understanding of Italian forests, and serve as basis for future research, while the methodology we applied can support the production of official statistics on forest disturbances.
Many South African rural communities depend directly or indirectly on natural forests to meet their livelihoods. Climate change can alter many of the mutual relationships between rural communities and natural resources (forests) by posing a variety of new challenges to these resources, agriculture, biodiversity, rural livelihoods and food (in) security. This study aimed to assess how forest-dependent rural communities perceive climate change and how that perception and other socio-economic factors affect their adaptation. In doing so, it identifies the barriers and enablers to adaptation in response to changes in the community forest status that threaten their livelihoods. The study employed a multinomial logit (MNL) model to analyse how socio-economic and institutional factors influence their choices among the alternative livelihood strategies. The study reveals that factors such as the capacity of community forests to support rural community livelihoods, awareness of community members about the change in temperature and rainfall, and the trend in the availability of natural forest products play important roles in enhancing adaptation capabilities. In addition, households with better knowledge about the trend in temperature and rainfall and also those endowed with human capital are less likely to create pressure on natural forests. Taking forests and their services as impure public goods, the study recommends the need for public-private partnerships (between local municipalities/government and/or non-government entities and the private sector) to invest in building institutions that improve community forest governance, capacity empowerment on collective management of common-pool resources, and creating employment and livelihood opportunities to forest-dependent rural communities.
Although coppice forests represent a significant part of the European forest area, especially across southern Countries, they received little attention within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) processes and scenarios, whose guidelines have been mainly designed to high forests and national scale. In order to obtain “tailored” information on the degree of sustainability of coppices on the scale of the stand, we evaluated (i) whether the main coppice management options result in different responses of the SFM indicators, and (ii) the degree to which the considered SFM indicators were appropriate in their application at stand level. The study considered three different management options (Traditional Coppice TC, coppice under Natural Evolution NE, and coppice under Conversion to high forest by means of periodical thinning CO). In each of the 43 plots considered in the study, which covered three different European Forest Types, we applied a set of eighteen “consolidated” SFM indicators, covering all the six SFM Criteria (FOREST EUROPE, 2020) and, additionally, tested other sixteen novel indicators shaped for agamic forests and/or applicable at stand level. Results confirmed that several consolidated indicators related to resources status (Growing stock and Carbon stock), health (Defoliation and Forest damage), and socio-economic functions (Net revenue, Energy and Accessibility) were highly appropriate for evaluating the sustainability of coppice at stand level. In addition, some novel indicators related to resources status (Total above ground tree biomass), health (Stand growth) and protective functions (Overstorey cover and Understorey cover) proved to be highly appropriate and able to support the information obtained by the consolidated ones. As a consequence, a subset of consolidated SFM indicators, complemented with the most appropriate novel ones, may represent a valid option to support the evaluation of coppice sustainability at stand level. An integrated analysis of the SFM indicators showed that NE and CO display significant higher environmental performances as compared with TC. In addition, CO has positive effects also on socio-economic issues, while TC -which is an important cultural heritage and a silvicultural option that may help to keep local communities engaged in forestry – combines high wood harvesting rates with dense understory cover. Overall, each of the three management options showed specific sustainability values; as a consequence, their coexistence at a local scale and in accordance with the specific environmental conditions and the social-economic context, is greatly recommended since it may fulfill a wider array of sustainability issues.
This open access book offers a selection of research papers and case studies presented at the 3rd international conference “Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions”, held in December 2019 in Bolzano, Italy, and explores the concept of smart and sustainable planning, including top contributions from academics, policy makers, consultants and other professionals.
Innovation processes such as co-design and co-creation help establish collaborations that engage with stakeholders in a trustworthy and transparent environment while answering the need for new value propositions.
The importance of an integrated, holistic approach is widely recognized to break down silos in local government, in particular, when aimed at achieving a better integration of climate-energy planning. Despite the ongoing urbanization and polarization processes, new synergies between urban and rural areas emerge, linking development opportunities to intrinsic cultural, natural and man-made landscape values. The increasing availability of big, real-time urban data and advanced ICT facilitates frequent assessment and continuous monitoring of performances, while allowing fine-tuning as needed. This is valid not only for individual projects but also on a wider scale. In addition, and circling back to the first point, (big) urban data and ICT can be of enormous help in facilitating engagement and co-creation by raising awareness and by providing insight into the local consequences of specific plans. However, this potential is not yet fully exploited in standard processes and procedures, which can therefore lack the agility and flexibility to keep up with the pulse of the city and dynamics of society.
The book provides a multi-disciplinary outlook based on experience to orient the reader in the giant galaxy of smart and sustainable planning, support the transposition of research into practice, scale up visionary approaches and design groundbreaking planning policies and tools.
A solution to cope with chaotic urban settlements and frenetic everyday life is refuging in nature as a way to reduce stress. In general—in recent years—it has been scientifically demonstrated how natural areas are an important environment for psycho-physiological health. As a consequence, it is important to plan dedicated spaces for stress recovery in order to increase the well-being of people. With respect to forests, there is a growing interest in understanding the marketing and tourist potential of forest-therapy activities and policies. This paper develops a decision support system (DSS) for decision makers, based on geographic information system to define the suitability of forest areas to improve psychological and physiological human well-being. Innovative technologies such as electroencephalography (EEG) and virtual reality (VR) are applied to test human status. The DSS combines four sets of indicators in a multi-attribute decision analysis and identifies the areas with the largest stress-recovery potential. Two multi-attribute model—one in summer and one in winter—are elaborated to obtain a dynamic evaluation of suitability. Results show significant differences among forest type, forest management, altitude range, and season in terms of stand suitability. EEG and VR seem to be promising technologies in this research area. Strengths and weaknesses of the approach, as well as potential future improvement and implications for territorial marketing, are suggested.
With its rapid economic development in the last 40 years, China's environmental pollution has begun to seriously affect its citizens' lives as well as domestic business expansion. The problems of water pollution, increasing population, acceleration of urbanization, and strong GDP growth have made this critical issue increasingly more prominent. Recent related literature has mostly focused on economic production development and water pollution separately without systematically considering the relevant links between the former and sewage treatment capacity. Therefore, based on data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2017, this paper uses a modified undesirable dynamic network Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model to look into each province's economic production stage efficiency and sewage treatment stage efficiency. The research findings show big differences in input and output efficiencies for each region from 2011 to 2017 and a distinct mismatch between economic production stage efficiency and sewage treatment stage efficiency, with the former higher and the latter lower. Lastly, sewage treatment stage efficiency is a major drag on overall efficiency. Each province should thus follow the key indicators to improve efficiency according to local conditions.
The article aimed to examine moderating effects of organizational commitment between sustainable human resources practices and the performance of employees. Human resources management (HRM) practices and employees commitment leading to enhance employee performance were fragmented and tangled in resource-based view which needs exploration. This study intends to measure the effect of recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and rewards and performance appraisal on employee performance. The researchers have selected the cross-sectional research design. Instruments were validated over Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis using the average variance extracted and composite reliabilities values. It was found that organizational commitment act as moderator between the human resources practices and employee performance. This study is a valuable extension of the resource-based view theory, HRM practices and performance over commitment as a moderator. This study successfully validated RBV theory in Pakistan’s context by providing significant outcomes.
Sustainable development is a priority in EU rural development strategies. Due to the multidimensionality of the sustainability issue, this paper presents a Spatial Decision Support System to assess territorial sustainability and help decision-makers in rural planning process. Four globally valid sustainability dimensions were considered (long-term ecological sustainability, satisfaction of basic human needs, promotion of intragenerational and intergenerational equity), measured by a set of socio-cultural-political-environmental indicators by using the Mazziotta and Pareto method.
The results of the S-DSS, implemented and verified in Basilicata region (southern Italy), provide the maps of sustainability values for each dimension at municipalities level, showing the usefulness of the tool to identify and monitor rural areas that require priority interventions and resources, in order to foster sustainable rural development.
Epiphytic lichens represent one of the most suitable indicators of forest continuity and management, especially in the context of ancient and old-growth forests. Nevertheless, they have not yet been included among Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) indicators to which Pan-European forest policy and governance refer. In addition, currently adopted SFM indicators are mainly designed for high forests rather than coppice forests, despite the fact that today this management system covers more than 10% of the total European forests. In this study we investigated these two issues by examining epiphytic lichen diversity in three coppice forest stands, located in the two Italian regions of Tuscany and Sardinia. In particular, we addressed: i) the role of lichen diversity as SFM indicator and ii) its relationship with consolidated and new SFM indicators dealing with structural, health, biodiversity, protective and socioeconomic functions. Multivariate Factor Analysis and Generalised Linear Models were adopted for data analysis. We found that lichen diversity and the frequency of single sensitive species were mainly related to the biodiversity of plants and fungi (Criterion 4), the health and vitality of the forests (Criterion 2) and their protective functions (Criterion 5). Furthermore, our results show that the lichen species highlighted by the models may represent suitable indicators in long-term studies, especially in relation to complex and interconnected aspects of sustainable forest management. Although our findings represent a first contribute to this issue, more in-depth researches will be needed to clarify further aspects of the complex interactions among SFM indicators in the context of coppice forests.
Despite the fact that at the global level, half the planet’s wildlife population has declined since 1970, this trend is not homogeneous across species and areas. Indeed, focusing on the ungulates, their increasing population and density has become worrisome in several rural areas. Favoured by economic and social changes often related to human activities, ungulates have conquered areas where coexistence with humans is difficult to maintain as a result of the damage that ungulates cause to agricultural activities and forests. This work aims to analyse the relationship between the number of ungulates and the characteristics of a specific area they inhabit. Applying a Geographically Weighted Regression analysis (GWR), we analysed and tested the spatial non-stationarity of the relationship between ungulates and human activities. Mugello, an area in central Italy, was selected for this study. This area was chosen due to the presence of a high number of ungulates that interact in different territorial scenarios, including urban agglomerations located in the flat zone, agricultural areas in the central-northern part and forested areas in the northern part of Mugello. This article looks at the way the number of ungulates is directly related to human activities in a specific territory. This contributes to the literature by providing useful information to stakeholders for future planning and wildlife management in agricultural areas within the limits of sustainability. Moreover, the social and economic implications are significant, especially considering such agricultural areas are at risk of being damaged by the presence of ungulates. The result of the analysis has validated the use of GWR, highlighting the relationship of selected variables and the number of ungulates.
Forest degradation is a severe threat to the provision of ecosystem services, such as timber production, biodiversity and hydrogeological protection. Forest abandonment is one of the main causes of forest degradation in Mediterranean areas where the low value-added of forest activities affects economic sustainability. This issue requires urgent restoration actions which must be supported by cost–benefit analysis that comprises all forestry activities that generate income, including the recreational ones. In effect, while the impact of forest management systems on timber production is well studied, the impact of recreational values is not. The present article intends to demonstrate that different forms of forest management result in a differing willingness to pay (WTP) for maintaining the recreational use of forests. We collected 248 questionnaires from respondents who confirmed their WTP for the maintenance of the recreational function of forests under three management systems: coppice, active conversion to high forest, and the natural evolution of forests. Moreover, we tested the influence of certain socio-demographic variables on individual WTP. Users elicited a high preference for conversion to high forest, while natural evolution was the least preferred management system. Moreover, males and users with higher levels of education had a greater WTP for conversion to the high forest approach.
State Forest Management Organizations (SFMOs) play a crucial role in the European forest sector, managing almost half of the forests in the region. SFMOs are often only managed for timber production, whereas, being publicly owned, they should play an important role in providing a vast range of public goods (e.g., soil protection, biodiversity conservation). Their management goals depend on the history and current conditions of the forest sector at a national level, as well as different challenges and the potential for development. Although there is a lack of knowledge about the current performance of SFMOs, there have been recent changes to their management goals and practices in response to the new demands expressed by society (e.g., transparency, social inclusion). The main purpose of this study was to analyze the current situation of SFMOs by grouping them with the help of a Cluster Analysis according to indicators that reflect the three pillars of the common understanding of the sustainable forest management (SFM) concept. Additionally, in light of the differences in the forest practices and management priorities in each country, we used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to group countries according to common characteristics of the forest sector at the national level. The results showed three main clusters of SFMOs in Europe. The first cluster had a rather small but commercially-oriented forestry unit together with other business activities and a strong focus on public services. The second focused on public interest, rather than commercially-oriented organizations. The third is mainly profit-seeking. The existence of diverse SFMO clusters shows the possibility of different approaches for SFM with a focus on different goals (e.g., profit gaining, public service delivery).
The increasing interest towards climate change, water and energy saving, and soil protection has led the research community to consider non-conventional water as a sustainable source for irrigation of energy crops. Vegetation filter systems are considered a reliable technique for sustainable biomass cultivation, enabling the use of reclaimed wastewater as water and nutrients sources during irrigation periods. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial model was developed to identify areas potentially suitable for creating vegetation filter systems with poplars to size the plants of energy production. An economic assessment allowed us to identify the cost-effectiveness areas for biomass production that can be fertigated by reclaimed wastewater. Considering the Basilicata region as the test region, a surface area of 258,512 ha was investigated, identifying 73,331 ha of SRF soils sited downstream of 45 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, considering only areas that have positive net present value and are economically attractive, results indicate 1606 ha of SRF falling within the areas of influence of 39 WWTPs. The results show that the sector of dedicated crops, adjacent and linked with WWTPs, expresses a total capacity of 50.56 MW for thermal, 8.25 MW for electricity, and 31 MW for cogeneration (25.07 MWt and 5.94 MWe) plants.
The economical-social change, the competitiveness and “modernity” of fossil fuels, their prompt diffusion are the concurrent factors that heavily reduced the use of coppice firewood and charcoal since the fifties of the last century. Therefore, a shift took place in the last 60 years from the homogeneous area made of intensively managed, young stands to the more and more differentiated standing crops, as for structural features, growing stocks and growth dynamics, even though all of them originated from a common matrix. Nowadays, the former coppice area includes stands managed under lengthened rotations, outgrown coppices, the coppice conversion into high forest. The 2005 National Forest Inventory reported that 87% of standing crops was included in the age-classes 20-40 and over 40 years, with variable percentages according to tree species, from beech up to thermophilous oaks. Here, the basis of historical judgment on the coppice system, the reasons underlying the outgrown coppice establishment, the current standards of cultivation under even doubled rotations, are critically analyzed. The current demand to reduce the use of fossil fuels by renewable bio-energy sources and to face up the effects of climate change (unpredictability, rainfall reduction, higher air temperature, prolonged droughts, water stress, fire risk) give a new boost to the coppice system. Main goals today are to: (i) optimize the capacity of firewood production to reduce the heavy deficit at the country level; (ii) make the best use of the regeneration ability inherent to the system against the more sensitive regeneration from seed in the changing environment. The positive growth trend, the maintenance of resprouting ability as well as of vital stools density in the outgrown coppice area, address to a sustainable increase of rotations up to the age of 50 years, as already highlighted by a few regional regulations. It would allow the recovery of a current volume increment of 1-1.5 M m3 to internal firewood production. Unsuitable stand locations or bio-ecological conditions as well as stands already under conversion into high forest are obviously excluded. The approach to coppice system maintenance within the variable territorial context, the possible innovation and the definition of flexible silvicultural models are then outlined. The useful updating and harmonization of forest regulations are finally recalled.
Effect of standard density release on canopy cover recovery and shoot growth in Turkey oak coppice forests. First results of an experimental trial on the silviculture of a Turkey oak-dominated coppice forest in the area of the “Colline metallifere” (Tuscany), are reported in the paper. The following theses were compared: (i) learcutting (no standard release); (ii) coppicing and release of 50 standards per hectare; (iii) coppicing and release of 140 standards per hectare; (iv) coppicing and release of grouped standards. The stand structure
before coppicing, the stools resprouting following harvesting and the establishment of the regeneration from seed were analyzed over a fi ve-year period. The damage from roe deer browsing on shoot regrowth was also checked. The negative result due to the release of a number of standards both on shoots mortality and on stools resprouting is pointed out. Oak regeneration from seed over the monitored period is related to the number of seed-trees released. Browsing affected heavily the stools mortality and especially Turkey oak stools.
The expression Land Degradation (LD) refers to a reduction in the productivity of land and in the provision of ecosystem services. By linking trajectories of Land Use and Land Cover (lulc) and LD processes, the paper evaluates degradation ‘syndromes’ in the past, and develops future scenarios for sustainable land management. Emilia Romagna is a region characterized by major economic transformations reflected in its landscape. By analysing lulc over 54 years, two trajectories were identified and linked to LD ‘syndromes’: (i) urban expansion and (ii) abandonment of farmland. The result is a loss of farmland which has impacted negatively on the primary sector.
Il presente lavoro si propone di fornire un’analisi sulle potenzialità produttive dei boschi cedui di querce in alcune zone del territorio della Regione Toscana. Lo studio si pone inoltre l’obbiettivo di evidenziare le componenti economiche che hanno caratterizzato in passato l utilizzazioni dei cedui quercini, le contrattazioni commerciali tra proprietà ed impresa e le attuali caratteristiche del mercato della legna da ardere. Viene posto l’accento sulla potenzialità di convertire ad alto fusto quelle superfici meno frammentate e facenti parte del cosiddetto demanio pubblico. Un cenno particolare è poi dedicato al meccanismo delle aste pubbliche nel territorio della Comunità Montana delle Colline Metallifere.
Forest landscape planning analyses all forest aspects (economic, ecological and social) and defines long-term forest management guidelines. Various actors are involved in landscape planning; therefore the analysis needs to take into account goals and targets of the different stakeholders. The participatory process can strongly support the development of a bottom-up forest plan definition when stakeholders are involved throughout the decision-making process. In this way, management guidelines are defined by decision makers and local communities through a shared process. With this approach, Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) is a useful tool to support the decision-making process in forest planning. The aim of the paper is to present a method that matches these requirements by exploiting the potential of GIS. The application of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) is a useful support to integrate stakeholders' priorities and expectations into forest planning strategies. Furthermore, it represents the starting point to draw up management scenarios by integrating and comparing both technical and social priorities. This paper presents an application of PPGIS in a forest landscape plan in southern Italy (Alto Agri district, Basilicata region).
Stakeholder participation in decisions related to forest planning is essential to get long- lasting and viable solutions. Nowadays, public participation is necessary to reach consensus in natural resource management and in citizen governance of land. It is a key element in a forest planning on a strategic level. However, only the first steps are being taken to include public participation in forest planning within the forestry sector. This paper proposes a review of public participation processes in forest planning as a reference for the development of new methodologies in areas with no previous experience in participative processes. The assessment of the existing scientific literature and its use in different models and countries show a high diversity of responses to the challenge of including social aspects and integrating them with methodological proposals.
In the forest sector several practical applications need to consider the monetary value of social utility for each specific location and forest function. In this framework the aim of the paper is to implement a spatial analysis model able to link a set of methodologies for the quantification of the total economic value of the forests. The main characteristic of the proposed methodology is the achievement of a geographical dataset with high resolution that can be used for both ex-ante and ex-post Cost-Benefit Analysis and the improvement of spatially explicit forest planning and policy. The results of the application show that spatial analysis
methodologies allow the aggregation of several variables and also facilitate the introduction of natural capital concepts into environmental decision-making processes. The analysis is implemented and verified in Tuscany region (Central Italy).
This paper uses a payment card approach to reveal consumers' willingness to pay for green food in China. We first present a brief introduction of the payment card approach and introduce several methods to estimate the WTP with payment cards, which we subsequently use to estimate WTP values regarding green vegetables, green meat and green eggs in China. Our results indicate that consumers in big cities are willing to pay a higher premium for green food and that WTP values are relatively higher for more expensive food than for cheaper food. In addition, the ratios of premium to price range mainly between 25% and 50% and WTP values obtained from interval midpoint approach are relatively higher than those calculated by other approaches. --
1. Introduction 2. Causal and non-causal models 3. Microeconomic data structures 4. Linear models 5. ML and NLS estimation 6. GMM and systems estimation 7. Hypothesis tests 8. Specification tests and model selection 9. Semiparametric methods 10. Numerical optimization 11. Bootstrap methods 12. Simulation-based methods 13. Bayesian methods 14. Binary outcome models 15. Multinomial models 16. Tobit and selection models 17. Transition data: survival analysis 18. Mixture models and unobserved heterogeneity 19. Models of multiple hazards 20. Models of count data 21. Linear panel models: basics 22. Linear panel models: extensions 23. Nonlinear panel models 24. Stratified and clustered samples 25. Treatment evaluation 26. Measurement error models 27. Missing data and imputation A. Asymptotic theory B. Making pseudo-random draw.
We examine the properties of a popular method for eliciting choices and values from experimental subjects, the multiple price
list format. The main advantage of this format is that it is relatively transparent to subjects and provides simple incentives
for truthful revelation. The main disadvantages are that it only elicits interval responses, and could be susceptible to framing
effects. We consider extensions to address and evaluate these concerns. We conclude that although there are framing effects,
they can be controlled for with a design that allows for them. We also find that the elicitation of risk attitudes is sensitive
to procedures, subject pools, and the format of the multiple price list table, but that the qualitative findings that participants
are generally risk averse is robust. The elicitation of discount rates appear less sensitive to details of the experimental
design.
The concept of naturalness both as a conservation value and as a descriptor of state is discussed. Previously used indexes or criteria for expressing naturalness are summarised, pointing out particular conservation activity fields where a structured index ought to be useful. Strongly focused on its practical application, a qualitative index for expressing naturalness of a given system is developed. The index ranks from a maximum of [10] to a minimum of [0] (artificial systems). Its ecological foundation (system analysis), diagnostic criteria and application procedures (mapping included) are explained. Finally, a set of three examples taken from different working scales is presented: an archipelago (Galapagos), an island (El Hierro) and a map sheet at scale 1:25 000. The latter examples originated in the Canary Islands. The index has been tested on oceanic islands, but it can be applied to any environment.
Different multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) approaches are applied to a fuzzy wildness mapping problem in Scotland. The result of fuzzy weighted linear combination and fuzzy order weighted averaging approaches are compared with the application of a Dempster-Shafer MCE. We discuss the implications of different approaches in light of decision making associated with suitability in a context where (i) suitability (wildness) may not be very well defined, (ii) the decision makers may not fully understand the informatics aspects associated with applying weights, but (iii) require decisions to be accountable and transparent. In such situations we suggest that the outputs of Dempster-Shafer MCE may be more appropriate than a fully fuzzy model of suitability.
Contingent valuation methods (CVM) have been shown to be potentially very useful for eliciting information about demands for non-market goods. We assess the sensitivity of “payment card” CVM results to the researcher's choice of estimation method. Empirical payment card data are used in both (a) a naive ordinary least squares (OLS) procedure employing interval midpoints as proxies for the true dependent variable, and (b) an efficient maximum likelihood (ML) procedure which explicitly accommodates the intervals. Depending upon the design of the payment card, OLS can yield biased parameter estimates, misleading inferences regarding the effects of different variables on resource values, and biased estimates of the overall resource value.
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Iran is among the top ten CO2 emitters in the world and has pledged to reduce such emissions by up to 12 percent by 2030 through various policies and strategies. However, achieving this is somewhat undermined by the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels which contributes to environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. It is therefore important to have an understanding of the economic, social, and environmental subsystems and their interactions in order to formulate a suitable development path or model. Due to the lack of comprehensive studies on the current situation and the dynamics among these variables, this paper provides a multi-stage analysis of the issues based on data from 1992 to 2015 to construct the principal component analysis (PCA) combined index for each subsystem. Then, the interactions among the subsystems are investigated over the short- and long-terms using the vector autoregressive (VAR) model. The results of the PCA show that Iran lacks a balanced sustainable development approach as improvements in environmental indicators do not match those of the society and the economy indices. Further, the associated time path for the economic and societal indices depicts an increasing trend over time, especially in the economy index and that, since 2010, this subsystem has overtaken the societal index. Estimations of the VAR model, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition analysis show that the country’s economic development has seriously undermined the environment even as improving the social indices has strengthened the environmental indicators. The interactions among subsystems show that economic development of the country took little consideration of environmental issues. This is the main reason for the backwardness of the environmental indices and its divergence from economic and societal indices. It is clear that assuming equal rates of growth for all subsystems have not produced a balanced development path. For Iran to achieve her sustainable development goals there should be increased focus on the environmental subsystem with the overall system converging symmetrically when the high growth rate assumption (double) is applied for this index compared with the societal and economical indices.
The agro-environmental policies included in rural development plans are getting increasing importance in European Community strategies. These policies represent the meeting point between demand and supply of positive externalities. The difficulty of assessing real environmental efficiency is one of the elements characterizing agro-environmental measures. This difficulty is related to the identification of suitable parameters for evaluating farms according to their impact on the territory. This impact is mainly related both to chemical inputs and to the territorial characteristics of the farm. Different types of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are currently used in production processes; however, the analysis has focused only on nitrates, as they represent the most critical types of chemicals related to soil pollution. A case study is provided by analysis of agro-environmental measures in Tuscany for the reduction of nitrates in organic and integrated farms. Using spatial multicriteria analysis, integrated and organic farms were classified according to their geographical locations and their release of nitrates into the soil. This classification permits the highlighting of farms that make the greatest economic efforts to reduce pollution and therefore it could determine environmental benefits. Considering that the trend of policy strategies is toward a reduction of monetary resources, the classification could help decision makers choose the right allocation of future resources.
Forests and forest-wood system in Italy: towards a new strategy to address local and global challenges Forest cover in Italy has increased threefold in slightly more than a century. In 2018 the area covered by forest will be, for the first time since long, larger than that covered by active cultivation. In the same time, the stewardship of forest ecosystem services such as biodiversity provision, hydrogeological protection , and landscape conservation has increased. More than 27% of Italian forests are included in protected areas; 86% of forests is subject to limitation of use connected to soil protection and water cycle regulation, and 100% is under the landscape conservation law. Italy is also home of one of the largest economies of wood transformation, but 80% of the raw material is imported, which implies several environmental, socioeconomic , and ethical issues, both domestically and abroad. The conditions are ripe to plan for a responsible management of the natural capital in the country's forests. A forest management that is active, shared, and conscious of domestic and global implications will be the best chance to maintain and improve the ecosystem services provided by forests in Italy. In Italia le foreste, la più grande infrastruttura verde del paese, sono in aumento da diversi decenni. Dopo aver raggiunto un minimo storico tra il XIX e il XX secolo (12% circa di coefficiente di boscosità) sono andate gradual-mente aumentando fino a raggiungere quasi il 40% della superficie territoriale, secondo l'aggiornamento al 2017 dell'Inventario dell'Uso delle Terre d'Italia-IUTI (Mar-chetti et al. 2012). Dal 1990 a oggi i boschi hanno guada-gnato oltre un milione di ettari, in media 800 m 2 di nuove foreste al minuto, con un contemporaneo miglioramento strutturale dei boschi esistenti, che hanno visto incremen-tare la loro densità e la loro biomassa (Fig. 1). Nel 2018, per la prima volta dopo secoli, il territorio na-zionale coperto da foreste ha superato quello utilizzato a fini agricoli. L'espansione del bosco è stata principalmen-te provocata dall'abbandono dei territori divenuti margi-nali per l'agricoltura e dalla riduzione dell'utilizzo dei pa-scoli per attività zootecniche, ed è avvenuta in contempo-ranea a una graduale diminuzione delle utilizzazioni fore-stali. Pur tenendo presente l'ampio margine di incertezza che caratterizza le informazioni disponibili sui prelievi nei boschi italiani, si può ipotizzare che attualmente nel no-stro paese si utilizzi circa un quarto dell'incremento an-nuo: su circa 4 metri cubi di legname ad ettaro che si ac-cumulano ogni anno in foresta per i processi di accresci-mento, solo 1 viene utilizzato per la produzione di diversi assortimenti legnosi (ma soprattutto per legna da arde-re). Questo tasso di prelievo è il più basso dell'Europa continentale (e il più basso in assoluto in Europa dopo Ci-pro), dove la media è superiore al 50% (EUROSTAT 2017). La naturale ricostituzione ed espansione del bosco è sta-ta accompagnata negli ultimi decenni da una particolare attenzione alla conservazione e valorizzazione degli as-petti naturalistici. Le foreste migliori sono state oggetto di protezione fin dagli anni '70 e, ad oggi, oltre il 27% delle foreste italiane è soggetto a regimi particolari di tutela: dalle Riserve integrali dei Parchi nazionali e regionali, fino alle aree inserite nella rete europea Natura 2000 (Maesa-no et al. 2014, European Commission 2015). L'Italia è uno dei paesi europei con la più alta incidenza di foreste con vincolo naturalistico (Tab. 1) a fronte di una media euro-pea del 21%. Ma anche nei boschi non compresi in aree protette il regime di tutela è tra i più rigorosi d'Europa: un proprietario forestale (pubblico o privato) non ha mai la piena disponibilità del bene, ma l'utilizzo della foresta è © SISEF http://foresta.sisef.org/ 41 Forest@ (2018) 15: 41-50
Rotation forest (RoF) is an ensemble classifier combining linear analysis theories and decision tree algorithms. In recent existing works, RoF was widely applied to various fields with outstanding performance compared to traditional machine learning techniques, given that a reasonable number of base classifiers is provided. However, the conventional RoF algorithm suffers from classifying linearly inseparable datasets. In this study, a hybrid algorithm integrating kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) and the conventional RoF algorithm is proposed to overcome the classification difficulty for linearly inseparable datasets. The radial basis function (RBF) is selected as the kernel for the KPCA method to establish the nonlinear mapping for linearly inseparable data. Moreover, we evaluate various kernel parameters for better performance. Experimental results show that our algorithm improves the performance of RoF with linearly inseparable datasets, and therefore provides higher classification accuracy rates compared with other ensemble machine learning methods.
Economic values are increasingly used in policy analysis and legal settings. With the growing recognition that many of the things that benefit or harm people are outside the market system, have come increasing efforts to develop nonmarket valuation techniques. One such technique is the contingent valuation method (CVM). CVM seeks to value environmental and other nonmarket goods and services by asking individuals about their values using survey methods. These procedures are different from the `revealed-preference' methods that economists have historically employed to estimate economic values.
Why depart from well-established revealed-preference procedures and apply a `stated-preference' method like CVM? For nonmarket goods and services, revealed-preference methods have two shortcomings that those applying CVM hope to avoid. First, revealed-preference methods involve econometric problems that have yet to be fully overcome. The second shortcoming of revealed-preference methods is that such methods, when applied to environmental amenities, are likely to be only partial measures of value.
Given the tremendous interest that exists in economic values and the limitations of revealed-preference methods, it is not surprising that interest in CVM has grown rapidly. Environmental Resource Valuation reviews the application of CVM and compares American experiences in nonmarket evaluation with those in other countries.
Online measurement of particle size is vital to the development of advanced control systems for comminution processes. Horizontal stirred mills, such as the IsaMill, are designed for more efficient ultrafine grinding and have made significant inroads in the mineral processing industries since their introduction more than a decade ago. Despite their energy efficiency, significant improvement is possible via more efficient control of these mills. Advanced control generally requires online information on the key performance variables of the mill. In this regard, measurement of the particle size in the mill is problematic. However, this problem can be addressed by use of soft sensors, whereby the particle size can be estimated from the measurements of other process variables.
In this investigation, such a soft sensor is developed for online estimation of particle size on an industrial IsaMill in Western Australia. The sensor consists of a random forest model that uses operational variables measured online as predictors to estimate the P80 particle size of the mill. Principal component analysis is used in conjunction with the random forest to enable it to assess the similarity of new process measurements to the data in its training data base. When the new data exceed a Hotelling’s T² or a prediction error or Q-index threshold, recalibration of the model is automatically performed.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) cropping promoted by different researchers, and the subsequent crisis regarding the safety of food derived from them, has resulted in strong public mistrust towards the authorities, both scientific and political. The aim of this work is to investigate the perception of Italian undergraduates and researchers towards the introduction of GMOs in agro-forestry. The factors determining attitudes towards GMOs were examined by means of 66 questions divided into three units: Knowledge, Opinon, Trust. Anagrafic and socio-cultural information were also analyzed. Data was processed through a multivariate analysis approach. The hierarchical clustering on undergraduates and researchers allowed to distinguish clusters of respondents skilled in biotechnology from those skilled in off-topic disciplines. Principal component analysis and K-means demonstrated that the positive or negative opinion toward GMOs, as for undergraduates, does not depend on their knowledge, but it is associated with the level of trust in the institutions. On the contrary, for researchers, it is related to their expertise level, without any linkage to trust in the institutions. This type of study may represent a key step for understanding the social, economic and scientific components underlying the choices of citizens, communities and society about GMOs.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic value of Mediterranean forests, including not only the more obvious benefits (e.g. timber), but also the less commonly-measured public goods (e.g. tourism and conservation) that these forests provide. It brings together forest valuations at the national level from eighteen Mediterranean countries, based on extensive local data collection, and thus allows comprehensive analyses within countries as well as comparative analyses across countries. Forest benefits were classified within the Total Economic Value (TEV) framework. The book describes the valuation techniques used and examines ways to overcome the problems encountered. The book explores the research findings in the context of the institutions and policies that affect Mediterranean forests and proposes new policy approaches for improving forest policies and management at the national, regional and local levels. It is also shown how the methodologies used can be applied to other regions.
An Introduction to Statistical Learning provides an accessible overview of the field of statistical learning, an essential toolset for making sense of the vast and complex data sets that have emerged in fields ranging from biology to finance to marketing to astrophysics in the past twenty years. This book presents some of the most important modeling and prediction techniques, along with relevant applications. Topics include linear regression, classification, resampling methods, shrinkage approaches, tree-based methods, support vector machines, clustering, and more. Color graphics and real-world examples are used to illustrate the methods presented. Since the goal of this textbook is to facilitate the use of these statistical learning techniques by practitioners in science, industry, and other fields, each chapter contains a tutorial on implementing the analyses and methods presented in R, an extremely popular open source statistical software platform. Two of the authors co-wrote The Elements of Statistical Learning (Hastie, Tibshirani and Friedman, 2nd edition 2009), a popular reference book for statistics and machine learning researchers. An Introduction to Statistical Learning covers many of the same topics, but at a level accessible to a much broader audience. This book is targeted at statisticians and non-statisticians alike who wish to use cutting-edge statistical learning techniques to analyze their data. The text assumes only a previous course in linear regression and no knowledge of matrix algebra.
Wildness maps may provide valuable information for the management of natural and protected areas (e.g. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum). This requires the adoption of mapping methods that can handle the relative nature of wildness, providing consistent evaluations for any context of analysis and supplying outputs that can be directly applied by park managers.
To this purpose, a novel mapping approach is introduced that uses unsupervised classification to automatically cluster land parcels sharing similar wildness characteristics, as described by a set of spatial indicators.
Wildness maps of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site (Italy) were generated by considering seven indicators of remoteness, perception and naturalness, and assigning each pixel of the study area to one of three classes (i.e. wild, semi wild, non wild), based on their values for the above-mentioned indicators.
Results of our application showed a good degree of concordance with wildness maps obtained through Multi Criteria Evaluation (MCE) and emphasized how the class-based output may directly inform zoning activities and the identification of recreational opportunities. While lack of user's control is an obstacle to incorporating the views of multiple groups, as it is allowed by MCE-based methods, the proposed approach supports the idea that land characteristics should define the context of wilderness and drive management decisions. Further applications to a wide set of different contexts can help validate this approach.
This paper undertakes a systematic comparison of the contingent valuation (CV) and contingent ranking (CR) methods, and investigates the extent to which either of them are affected by part-whole bias. This is achieved by undertaking separate CV estimates of willingness to pay for two nested public goods, both of which are explicitly included in a parallel CR survey. The results indicate that CR values exhibit much greater sensitivity to scope than CV values. CR gives significantly larger results than CV for the more inclusive public good and significantly smaller results for the less inclusive public good. Divergences between CR and CV are less substantial when estimates are derived from information on the full ranking of the choice set, as opposed to simply the most preferred alternative. In general, these results are highly robust to the statistical specification chosen to model either the CV or the CR data.
The coppice selection system is a special type of management of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) coppice practiced in mountain regions of Italy until the first half of the 20th century. The improvement of social and economic conditions within mountain communities and the progressive shift from an intensive use of the forests towards a protective policy led to the conversion of many beech coppices into high stands. Among abandoned coppices we can still find some that exhibit the typical features of the coppice selection system. Where the locally predominant forest type is beech coppice in transition to high forest, a widespread and fairly homogeneous ecosystem in the Apennines between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, the restoration of the coppice selection system can have a role in maintaining and improving both landscape and ecological diversity. This work evaluates the possibility of restoring this silvicultural system on selective beech coppices that are in a state of prolonged silvicultural abandonment. The first cutting treatment of the restoration procedure has been tested in permanent sample plots. Dendrometric characteristics of the stands are analysed and results on the silvicultural and production aspects of this first cutting treatment are presented. Due to the increase of standing volume during the period of silvicultural abandonment, firewood production resulting from this first cut is generally high.
There is a long tradition of sustainable forest policy in Finland. Today, forests should be managed on the basis of the principles of sustainable forestry. However, economics have driven such forestry practices, resulting in dramatic changes to the natural structure and dynamics of Finnish forests. Commercial forests should, however, also provide habitats for various organisms, and forestry activities should not reduce forest biodiversity. Indicators can provide useful information on the ecological status and trends in sustainable forestry, such information can then be used by decision-makers. In attempts to develop accurate and reliable indicators, it has been suggested that statistical data, inventory data and data on many taxa may prove useful. The richness of game species and the abundance of the Siberian flying squirrel have been considered as candidate indicators for sustainable forestry. Indicators of sustainable forestry are commonly used separately and the interrelations between the ecological, economic and social dimensions of forestry have rarely been studied. In this paper we examine associations between the abundance of animal species (16 game species and Siberian flying squirrels) and their co-occurrence with forest structural characteristics that are considered to be indicators of sustainable forestry. We were also interested in examining regional patterns of the variables, and determining which socio-economic indicators and land-use factors were associated (positively or negatively) with areas of forest for which there were indicators suggesting a good ecological condition. The study area consisted of 39 observation units. Based on our exploratory and descriptive analyses we suggest that using indices for different wildlife species groups and relative abundances of the Siberian flying squirrel together with forest structural characteristics and adequate socio-cultural variables could provide relevant information about trends in sustainable forestry. The application of indicators always depends on socio-cultural contexts and biogeographical factors, and these must be taken into consideration when making predictions or comparing different regions.
For efficient forest fire management, special precautions are required in dry and strong-wind seasons vulnerable to severe
forest fires. To extract the seasonal characteristics of forest fires in South Korea, the statistics over the past 16years,
1991 through 2005, were investigated. The daily records of the number of fire occurrences, the total area burned and the average
burned area per occurrence were examined to identify the seasonal patterns of forest fires using cluster analysis and principal
component analysis; the risk of daily fires was also assessed using the ordered logit model. As a result, the fire patterns
were classified into five clusters and a general danger index for forest fires was derived from the first principal component,
showing relatively large-scaled fire regimes in spring, and frequent small-scaled fire regimes in autumn and winter. In connection
with the ordered logit model, the probability for the five ranks of forest fire risk was calculated and the threshold for
high-risk fires was detected. As an implementation of the results above, the proper forest fire precautionary period in South
Korea was estimated, and consequently October 21 through May 17 was recognized as a dry season at a high risk of forest fires.
This period began 10days earlier in autumn and extended into midwinter (late December and January) as opposed to the existing
precautionary period, indicating the need of more cautious forest fire management earlier in autumn and continuing through
midwinter.
KeywordsFire statistics–Forest fire precautionary period–Forest fire seasonality–Statistical analysis
Non-market valuation methods and geographic information systems are useful planning and management tools for public land managers. Recent attention has been given to investigation and demonstration of methods for combining these tools to provide spatially-explicit representations of non-market value. Most of these efforts have focused on spatial allocation of ecosystem service values based on land cover types, but recreation value has yet to be considered. This article presents an objective method for spatially allocating forest recreation value that is based on readily available data, demonstrates the method for a Southern California study site, and discusses the policy relevance of the method and how it might be extended to other applications and tested with additional primary survey data.
Converting coppices into high forests with continuous cover has often been established during the last decades as a management goal in hilly and mountainous Mediterranean areas to attenuate the negative effects that frequent clearcutting may have on soil, landscape and biodiversity conservation. The silvicultural tool usually adopted for this purpose is the gradual thinning of sprouts during the long span of time required to complete the conversion, that also allows the owner to keep harvesting some wood. This research compared the effects of various thinning intensities (three treatments plus control) on the stand growth and structure of a beech coppice with standards. The optimal density after thinning was assessed by expressing mean tree spacing as a function of main stand attributes like stand height and stand dbh. This system was preferred to the empirical evaluation of the percentage of basal area to be removed in order to give forest managers general reference guidelines to adapt to the varying environments of the Mediterranean mountains. Results confirmed that the positive effects of thinning on mean stem volume is due more to the higher diameter increment than to different height growth. The acceleration of crown growth in the thinned plots allowed canopy closure to be achieved 13 years after thinning. This reduced the negative effects of the opening of the stand overlayer and the elimination of most suppressed trees on soil protection. Under the conditions examined, the best thinning intensity proved to be a stand density 20% lower than normal prescribed by the yield tables elaborated for beech high forests in Central and Southern Italy.
This paper presents a meta-analysis of forest recreation in Europe based on studies that have applied the travel cost method covering 26 studies in nine countries since 1979. We conduct the meta-regression with an increasing number of variables where level I includes only data available from the studies, level II aggregate socio-economic variables and level III site-specific characteristics such as diversity, fraction of open land and location. Data shows that consumer surplus varies between €0.66 per trip to €112 with a median of €4.52 per trip.Results of the model with the best overall summary indicate that the application of the individual travel cost method, inclusion of opportunity cost of time and average distance travelled lead to increasing benefits whereas the year of the study and estimations from theses and dissertations reduce welfare estimates. Including exogenous variables shows that site attributes, GDP per capita and population density play a significant role.
This study reports an application of the contingent valuation method (CV) to estimate the environmental costs and benefits of hydro-scheme developments in an Icelandic wilderness area. Property rights for wilderness are ambiguous in Icelandic law and society. Preliminary research suggested a general view that there was no right to develop the wilderness hence it was necessary to estimate WTA compensation for people wishing to preserve the wilderness and WTP for those in favour of hydro-scheme development. A new deliberative group-based approach to contingent valuation, called the market stall (MS) approach, is applied to achieve this as it provides members of the public the opportunity to discuss and learn about the environmental change, to consult with family and friends, and to reconsider their WTP or WTA. Mean WTA was 780,107 Kr (Krona), and mean WTP for the scheme was 21,326 Kr.1 Based on a range of validity tests MS performed well: non-response rate was low, strategic bidding was almost absent, information was found to suit individual needs, and both WTP and WTA could be explained by relevant socio-economic variables.
To assess the relative importance of current costs and future benefits of nuclear waste storage, we develop a simple model of bequest value. The basic model of nonparternalistic altruism is extended to account for the uncertain nature of the externality. ...