Matti Palo

Sustainable forestry challenges for developing countries.

Preface. Part I: Global Prospects. Transition from Deforestation to Sustainable Forestry - a Distant Dream? M. Palo, G. Mery. Geography of Tropical Deforestation E. Viitanen. Modeling Underlying Causes of Pantropical Deforestation M. Palo, E. Lehto. Pine Plantations of the South P. Hakkila. North Queenslands Tropical Rainforests: the World Heritage Controversy E. Redfield. Part II: Tropical Asia. Tropical Asian Deforestation and Sustainability Prospects M. Palo, E. Lehto. Change and Continuity in the Philippine Forest Policy O. Saastamoinen. Land Use History of the Philippines E. Uitamo. Deforestation as an Environmental-Economic Problem in the Philippines P. Horne. Forest Degradation and Rehabilitation Prospects in Indonesia J. Kuusipalo. Environmental-Economic Evaluation of Forest Plantations A. Niskanen. Part III: Latin America. Latin American Deforestation and Sustainability Prospects M. Palo, et al. The Roasted Forests: Coffee and the History of Deforestation in Brazil S. Laakkonen. Sustainable Management of Forest Plantations and Natural Forests in Chile G. Mery. Deforestation in the Chaquena Region in Argentina M. Aguerre, G. Denegri. Part IV: Tropical Africa. Deforestation in Tropical Africa E. Yirdaw. Man and Forest in African History A. Siiriainen. Deforestation and Forest Plantations in Ethiopia E. Yirdaw. Deforestation and Sustainable Forestry Challenge in Ghana M. Palo, E. Yirdaw. Kenya Forestry Master Plan O. Luukkanen. List of Authors. Index.

World forests, markets and policies.

This article examines the roles of markets and policies in addressing the challenges the worlds forests are facing today and in the foreseeable future. The threats and opportunities of increased government control versus more liberalized markets are discussed . In many instances markets and policies can be viewed as complements rather than substitutes to each other. Perhaps the biggest th reat of the globalization of the world economy is that local and national institutions,especially in the develop ing countries,become marginalized.Governments could,worldwide,work against th is possibility by suppo rting local structures that help the lesser-equipped nations and the forest people to reap the benefits, rather than suffer the damage, of the globalization process.Corruption and government failures should be reduced, e.g. through increased transparency, publicity and capacity building. Only then, and at a sufficiently high level of economic development, is it poss ible to reduce the transaction costs related to forest ownership and marketing . Defined ownership of forests and working marketing mechanisms of wood are preconditions for closing open access to forests. In turn, competitive stumpage markets can be created only when access to forests is closed .These, as well as new market-based instruments for various forest services, are among the fundamental preconditions towards sustainable forest management. In short, a balanced mix of government policies and markets is recommended.The involvement of all the players, including the marginalized poor, is a prerequisite for approaching the optimum mix of markets and policies. On this front, the keys are in the hands of national governments.

Timber plantations, timber supply and forest conservation.

Already supplying an estimated 27% of the world’s industrial roundwood,timber plantations have the potential to produce much more over the coming decades.This article explores the role of timber plantations in timber supply and forest conservationthrough 2010. Harvest projections from a forest sector model are comparedto a recent estimate of plantation timber production to assess plantations’ likelycontribution to timber supply in major timber-producing countries. Results suggestthat, in most countries, plantation production is unlikely to increase enough to reduceharvest pressure on natural forests.

Global Prospects on Deforestation and Forest Transition

This book introduces new research results in ten articles by fourteen scientists from nine countries in five continents. A multilevel and multidisciplinary research approach was adopted in analyzing forest transition and deforestation issues. The purpose of this article is first to give an overview of the contents of this book, and secondly to identify global prospects on effective policy instruments in deforestation control as well as to support transition towards post-industrial sustainable forest management. Until the beginning of the 20th century, deforestation was common in the North. During the industrialization period about a century ago, the interactions of the markets, forest policies and other sectoral policies as well as their effective implementation have transformed deforestation into sustained yield forestry. In most countries of the North, the forestry has gradually been transformed into multiple use and in a few cases towards sustainable forestecosystem management. In the South degradation and deforestation are still expanding. This has appeared most difficult to stop with forestry legislation only. Other preconditions, such as appropriate political, juridical and institutional infrastructures and an efficient market mechanism, are needed. Strengthening of property rights, firm establishment of user rights, land tenure and privatization of forests do play key roles in this process. Multisectoral market and public policy instruments are recommended.

Modeling Underlying Causes of Pantropical Deforestation

The purpose of this paper is to find out whether universal causal factors exist in pantropical deforestation processes. Causal models to explain deforestation are specified for two alternative dependent variables: deforestation rate and forest cover. According to our theoretical specification deforestation rate is expected to be correlated positively with population pressure and income (at low levels), as well as negatively with logging and forest clearing costs and increasing risk. Forest cover is interpreted as a negative proxy of deforestation proper and is assumed to have diametrically opposite signs in correlations with the specified factors. The two specifications are estimated with ordinary least square techniques based on the cross-sectional data primarily from the years 1980 and 1990, based on FAO FORIS database. Our model estimations show empirical support for the fact that the specified causal factors are universal underlying causes of pantropical deforestation. This is contrary to the prevailing understanding. We assume that our novel findings are primarily due to the high degrees of freedom of our analysis at the level of the 578 subnational geographical units and the improved quality of tropical deforestation data.

Latin American Deforestation and Sustainability Prospects

The purpose of this paper is to review Latin American forest resources, to find out the underlying causes of deforestation in the tropical zone of this continent and to analyze the prospects for deforestation and sustainable forest management. In the forest resources description, Latin America is clustered in three regions, but frequently Brazil is analyzed as a separate entity due to its vast extension and prominent position in the continent. The natural forests of Latin America covered an area of approximately 960 million hectares in 1990. This vast area represents the largest closed broadleaved forest reserve of the world. The characteristics and approximate location of five major types of forests are presented. In 1981–1990 the annual average tropical deforestation area in the continent was 7.7 million hectares, the largest in the developing world. Eight models for explaining deforestation were estimated. Evidences were found for determining that growing population pressure is increasing deforestation. In addition, increasing incomes, deforestation costs and deforestation risks lead to decreasing deforestation. We made three simple scenario models. According to these scenarios a reduction of 21–28% of the total forest area of 1990 could be expected until the year 2020.

Consideration of country and forestry/ land‐use characteristics in choosing forestry instruments to achieve climate mitigation goals

Abstract To implement effective carbon sequestration policies policymakers must analyze key characteristics of the country (geographic, institutional, economic, and infrastructural factors) and forestry and land‐use practices (the degree of risk associated with investment, the relative difficulty in measuring sequestration, and the degree of discretion allowed). Without careful analysis of this type, policies may have unintended negative effects.

Tropical Asian Deforestation and Sustainability Prospects

The purpose of this paper is to review tropical Asian forest resources, to find out the underlying causes of deforestation in the region and to analyze prospects for deforestation and sustainable forest management. Asia has 48% of all tropical rainforests, but also other moist closed forests, such as teak and sal forests, open forests and some mangrove and bamboo forests. In 1981–1990 the annual average tropical deforestation rate in Asia was 3.9 million hectares. We estimated eight models in order to explain deforestation. We found empirical evidence that increasing population pressure and income are expanding deforestation, and that increasing deforestation costs and risks are decreasing deforestation. We made three simple scenario models. According to our scenario prospect deforestation will reduce the total tropical Asian forest area by about 38% until 2020.

Forest-based Development in Finland — a Unique Success?

Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and Finland are unique among the industrialized countries in the sense that, in these countries, economically sustainable forest management has been achieved at a high level of forest cover. In fact, 59-77% of their land areas are forest covered, while the world average is 27% (FAO 1997).

Deforestation and Sustainable Forestry Challenge in Ghana

The West African state of Ghana has a forest cover of 9.6 million hectares or 42% of the land area. The latter is comparatively high in tropical Africa. The forests belong to the Guineo-Conglean phytogeographical region and contain numerous valuable timber species. Forest products rank third among commodity exports and are a prominent part of the Ghanaian economy. However, there has been a considerable loss of forests in the last 100 years and the rate of deforestation at present is among the highest in Africa. The rapid pace of clearance of forests is due to such direct agents as conversion to agriculture, shifting cultivation, and fuelwood cutting, while population pressure, unclear forest property rights, commercial logging, as well as market and government failures are the major indirect factors. In order to check deforestation, Ghana is expected to generate political will to implement forest policies which support the sustainable forest management. Intersectoral socio-economic factors have a strong bearing on deforestation and therefore addressing them is recommended in order to assure the long-term survival and utilization of Ghanaian forests.