Jega Ratnasingam

Chain of custody (COC) certification among Malaysian wooden furniture manufacturers: status and challenges

SUMMARY Malaysia, a major producer and exporter of wood products has been slow to embrace wood products certification. A study was carried out with the intention of assessing the status of chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers. A structured questionnaire was used to interview firms who participated at the annual Malaysian International Furniture Fair in 2007. Results indicate that the readiness to adopt chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers was low. The lack of price premiums, limited market potential and high cost were cited as the primary reasons deterring furniture manufacturers from adopting chain of custody certification. Furthermore, the use of plantation wood resources, such as Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg.), were perceived by many respondents to be certified wood resources, reflecting a lack of understanding among manufacturers. It was concluded that the promotion of chain of custody certification in Malaysia must focus on increasing awareness as well as highlighting the tangible and intangible benefits to be gained from such a scheme.

Comparison of structure, regeneration and dead wood in virgin forest remnant and managed forest on Grmecˇ Mountain in Western Bosnia

This paper compares the forest structure, regeneration and distribution of dead wood in a virgin forest remnant and a close-to-nature managed beech–conifer mixture situated on Grmeč Mountain in Western Bosnia. The investigations were carried out in a 1 ha permanent sample plot and 35 circular plots (20 m radius) in the virgin forest and in 17 circular plots (25 m radius) in managed forests. The number of trees in the managed forest was significantly (p = 0.05) higher than that in virgin forest and the distribution of the number of trees per diameter classes had a decreasing trend, but with a different shape in the virgin forest compared to the managed stands. In the lower diameter classes, the stock volume recorded in virgin forest was half of that in the managed forest, whilst for higher diameter classes the cumulated volume of the growing stock was almost double in virgin forest. The young crops had a significantly lower presence in the virgin forest and a larger volume of dead wood was identified in the virgin forest than in managed stands. The study results are important in assessing the consequences of close-to-nature management on the forest structure and regeneration when compared to the condition in virgin forests.

Chain of custody certification: an assessment of Ghanaian timber sector

Although Europe represents a major market for Ghana, information on how local companies are addressing chain of custody certification is scarce. A survey of 103 timber firms, in particular, was conducted in order to determine the current status of chain of custody certification in Ghana. Results collated indicate that the readiness to adopt chain of custody certification among the sector was low. The lack of stakeholders’ awareness and price premium was cited as the primary reasons deterring the sector from adopting certification. This study analysis suggests that company size is an important variable to be considered when analyzing the adoption of chain of custody certification by timber companies. This study shows that an increasing adoption of chain of custody certification among the sector in Ghana can be realised with good stakeholder consultations and resource rights.ZusammenfassungObwohl Europa für Ghana ein großer Markt ist, gibt es nur wenig Information darüber, wie lokale Unternehmen die Chain-of-Custody-Zertifizierung handhaben. Aus diesem Grund wurde eine Studie unter Einbeziehung von 103 Holzfirmen durchgeführt, die den Stellenwert einer Chain-of-Custody-Zertifizierung in Ghana ermitteln soll. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Bereitschaft zu einer COC-Zertifizierung in dieser Branche gering war. Als Hauptgründe dafür wurden das fehlende Bewusstsein der Firmen sowie fehlende Preisvorteile genannt. Die Studie ergab, dass die Unternehmensgröße eine wichtige Variable ist, die es bei der Analyse der Akzeptanz der Chain-of Custody-Zertifizierung in der Holzbranche zu berücksichtigen gilt. Desweiteren zeigt diese Studie, dass eine stärkere Akzeptanz einer COC-Zertifizierung in dieser Branche in Ghana mit einer guten Beratung der Firmen in Verbindung mit Einschlagsrechten erreichbar wäre.

Climate Change: Wildfire Impact

Every ecosystem is a complex organization of carefully mixed life forms; a dynamic and particularly sensible system. Consequently, their progressive decline may accelerate climate change and vice versa, influencing flora and fauna composition and distribution, resulting in the loss of biodiversity. Climate changes effects are the principal topics of this volume. Written by internationally renowned contributors, Biodiversity loss in a changing planet offers attractive study cases focused on biodiversity evaluations and provisions in several different ecosystems, analysing the current life condition of many life forms, and covering very different biogeographic zones of the planet.

Tool wear characteristics of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) particleboard.

Abstract A series of machining experiments on the oil-palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) particleboard were carried out using a CNC router, to evaluate the tool wearing properties of the composite in comparison with a standard wood-material particleboard. A single-fluted tungsten-carbide router bit (12 mm dia., 18 000 rpm), with a rake angle of 15° was used in this experiment, in which the depth of cut was 1.5 mm and feed speed was 4.5 m/min. The router bit machined the edge of the board, moving along the full length before returning to repeat the cycle. The tool was examined for the extent of wear after complete failure had occurred. The result found that the wear pattern was similar in the oil-palm based particleboard and the wood-based particleboard, but the former is twice more abrasive compared to the latter. Microscopic examination of the cutter edge reveal a greater incidence of micro-fracture when cutting the oil-palm based particleboard, indicating the presence of hard impurities in the composite. From an economic perspective, the tooling cost for machining oil-palm based particleboard is estimated to be twice of the cost for machining wood-based particleboard. This study shows that the machining properties of oil-palm based particleboard will be a primary concern, if it is to find widespread application as a potential substitute for wood-based particleboard.