Conservation and Management of Tropical Rainforests

Eberhard F. Bruenig is Chair of World Forestry, University of Hamburg, Germany

I: Contents II: Preface III: Acknowledgments IV: Acronyms, Abbreviations and Symbols 1: Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem, Land Cover, Habitat, Resource 1.1: Tropical Rainforest: Myths, Delusions and Reality 1.2: Rainforest Macro- and Mesoclimate 1.3: Rainforest Soils, Soil Types and Vegetation Types, Mosaics and Catenas 1.4: Large- and Medium- Scale Dynamic Changes of MDF at Large and Medium Spatial Scales 1.5: Rooting Sphere 1.6: Tree Crowns and Canopy: Physiognomy/ Structure and Functions 1.7: Hydrology, Nutrients and Pollutants 1.8: Tree Species Richness and Diversity 1.9: Floristic Changes and Distribution Patterns 1.10: Pristine and Manipulated Forest and Animal Life 1.11: Small-scale Dynamics, Regeneration, Sub-Formations and Early Growth 1.12: Forest Biomass, Stocks and Accretion 1.13: Forest Growth, Productivity and Production, Above-Ground and Soil Organic Matter (SOM) 1.14: The Worrying Global to Local Significance of Uncertainties, Risks and Constant Changes 1.15: Forest Diversity and Functions 1.16: Some Afterthoughts: How Much Science, How Much Ecological Insight Do We Still Need to Act and Why is There so Much Talk and Little Action? 2: Rainforest Use: Necessity, Wisdom, Greed, Folly 2.1: Original Inhabitants and Secondary Refugees: Forest-dwellers and the Rainforest 2.2: Shifting Cultivators, Cultural Transition, Agroforestry and NWFP 2.3: Native Customary Rights and Forestry 2.4: The Nightmares of Customary Logging, Illegal Landuse and Timber Mining 2.5: Customary and Conventional Selective Logging and the Community 2.6: Timber Production, Trade and Demands 2.7: Rainforest Abuse or Use: Exploitation or Integrated Harvesting? 2.8: Low-impact Harvesting Systems in the TRF 2.9: Tropical Rainforest and Global Climate Oscillations and Change 2.10: Environmental Change and Forestry 3: Sustainable Forestry in Rainforests: Reality or Dream, Hope or Chimaera? 3.1: The Concept of Sustainable Forestry: Origin and Post-Modern Relevance 3.2: The Holistic Nature of Sustainability in Forestry 3.3: Unpredictability and Uncertainties 3.4: History of Sustainable Forestry in Tropical Rainforests 3.5: Short History of Rainforest Silviculture and Management 3.6: Principles of Silvicultural Management 3.7: Conclusion: Hope or Chimera? 3.8: The “World Forestry” Concept: Glimmer of Hope or just another Dreamy Buzz? 4: Principles and Strategies of Sustainability 4.1: Time Scale and Hierarchy of Sustainability Principles and Strategies 4.2: Principles at National Level 4.3: Principles at Regional and Forest Management Unit Level 4.4: Principles at Forest-stand Level 4.5: Timber Management and Conservation/Preservation: Segregation or Integration? 4.6: Sustainable Alternative: Non-timber or Non-wood Forest Products? 5: The Tortuous Road Towards Forest Sustainability in the TRF: cases from which to learn 5.1: Example: The State of Sarawak 5.2: Africa: Paradigm Change in the Congo Basin blocks satisfactory Progress 5.3: Tropical America: Few could cope with Social Distortions and Political Miscasts 5.4: Conclusion 6: Naturalistic Close-to-Nature-Forestry Management in TRF 6.1: Origin, Goals, Targets and Principles of Close to Nature Forestry (CNF) 6.2: Potential and Actual Economic Production in CNF-TRF 6.3: Growth and Sustained Yield Potential of CNF in MDF 6.4: Systems unsuitable for Perhumid/ Humid Evergreen Tropical Forest (TRF) 6.5: Techniques, Standards and Problems of CNF in TRF 6.6: SMS for Fragile Oligotrophic Upland Soils in Kerangas and Caatinga Forests 6.7: SMS for Fragile Oligotrophic Peatswamp Soils in APR 6.8: Overcoming the Enigma of Uncertainty 6.9: Prospects for CNF in APR, Congo Basin and Amazon Basin-Yukatan 7: How to Avoid Forest Degradation or Upgrade Degraded Forest Ecosystems: a classic World Forestry Problem 7.1: When did the Problems Evolve and what Attempts were Made at Mitigation? 7.2: Restoration or Rehabilitation of Over-logged and timber-mined Upland Rainforests 7.3: Restoration in Secondary Forests on Zonal TRF Sites 7.4: Example: Multiple-purpose Plantations in Semengoh Forest Reserve 7.5: Restoration of Biodiversity in Plots RP 76 and TP 4B , Semengoh Forest Reserve 7.6: The Deramakot Model R&D Project, Role Model of an Integrated Approach 7.7: Silvicultural Conclusions on Restoration on Oxi-and Ultisols and on Podsols 7.8: Conclusion 8: Short-rotation Tree Plantations 8.1: Motivation and Objectives 8.2: Rationale and Risks 8.3: Selection System CNF versus Customary Logging and Conversion to Plantation 9: Forest Management: Doctrine, Muddle or Goal-Orientated System 9.1: What went wrong? 9.2: Do we still Need New Guidelines for Forestry in the Tropics? 9.3: Example: the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Guidelines 9.4: The ITTO Guidelines for Planted Tropical Forests and Recreating Tropical Forests 9.5: Planning Sustainable Forest Utilisation: Information Needs 10: Certification of Forest Management and Timber Origin 10.1: Roots: Forest Resource Rape ; Offshoots: Boycott of Tropical Forestry and Timber 10.2: Principles, Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability 10.3: Objective Certification in TRF: Practicable or Virtually Impossible 10.4: Trade Policies and Tree-species Conservation 10.5: Why so far so little success and effect for so much fuss? 11: Where are We and the TRF in 2013? 11.1: Some Fundamentals 11.2: Management and Conservation 11.3: Economics 11.4: Information 11.5: Politics 12: Quo Vadis Silva Tropikos? 12.1: Classic Rome and Athens Teach a Lesson on the Roots of the Dilemma 12.2: Action Priorities 12.3: Where Should the TRF Go, where Can it Go Appendix 1: Glossary Appendix 2: Biocybernetic Principles of System Design V: References and Further Reading VI: Index of Species and Major Non- timber Forest Products VII: Subject Index