Harvest appears to have a positive influence on the diameter distribution of the most preferred timber trees. However, harvesting at Yakpugang appears to have a negative impact on the diameter distribution of Quercus species, which may affect long-term productivity.
1 Introduction
Rational for Study
The second issue, the ecological sustainability of forest grazing in CFs, has also not been the focus of much research so far, despite the importance of forest grazing to the livelihoods of many farmers around the world (RODER et al. 2002). KRZIC et al. 2001; VAN IJSSEL 1990), but a literature search did not locate a single study that investigated the impact of forest grazing in conjunction with logging in a broadleaf CF.
Research Objective
- Impact of Selection cutting in Broadleaved Community Forests
- Impact of Forest Grazing in Broadleaved Community Forests
- Equity in Community Forests
How the condition of the forests has changed after five years of community management in terms of the number and composition of trees and saplings. Studies on the impact of harvesting and grazing in deciduous forests were conducted in the only CF of deciduous forest that had experience with harvesting at the time of the study.
2 Context
- Bhutan Country Overview
- Department of Forests
- Development of the Community Forestry Program
- Management of CFs
- Study Area
- Yakpugang Community Forest
- Shambayung Community Forest
The development of Bhutan's community forestry program began in 1979 with the initiation of the national social forestry program. MM was the most influential actor in the development of community forest policy.
3 Literature Review
Introduction
Common Property Regimes and Community Forestry
- International Experience
- Bhutan Experience
Ostrom (1999) drew up a more detailed list of characteristics that distinguish between characteristics of the users and characteristics of the forest. Reliable and valid information about the general condition of the resource must be available at reasonable cost.
Selection Cutting in Broadleaved Forests
- International Experience
- Bhutan Experience
- International Experience
- Bhutan Experience
- International Experience
- Bhutan Experience
In the Swiss Alps, 15% of mountain forests are grazed during the summer, mainly by cattle (MAYER et al. 2006). However, positive effects of forest grazing in Bhutan have also been documented (RODER et al. 2002; WANGCHUK 2002).
4 Materials and Methods
- Forest Inventory of Yakpugang Community Forest
- Inventory Design
- Species Identification
- Categorization of 2005 Inventory Plots by Harvesting Intensity
- Comparison with 2000 Inventory
- Hemispherical Photography
- Household Survey of Three Community Forests
- Introduction
- Equity Indicators
- Livestock Holdings and Grazing Patterns
- Focus Group Discussions in Adjacent Villages
- Statistical Analysis
There were no significant differences between blocks in terms of number, volume (V) and BA of trees. Four of the 39 species (representing 4% of the forest's BA) could only be positively identified to genus level. Taking diameter readings below 1.3 m meant that the volume and BA of harvested trees were overestimated.
Therefore, this study used volume and BA data based on actual stump diameters instead of using a diameter correction. This made it possible to compare the extent and BA stocks from 2000 and 2005 using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z test. There were no significant differences between the two groups of plots, which means that 23 plots were representative of the study area.
If the actual CF member was not available, another household member was interviewed. Individual issues, such as knowledge about the CF fund, were analyzed by gender of the respondent. Household matters, such as licensing, were analyzed based on the sex of the actual member.
5 Results
Forest Inventory of Yakpugang Community Forest
- Introduction
- Harvesting Levels and Annual Allowable Cut
- Harvesting Intensity and Diversity of Tree Genera
- Shannon-Wiener Index
- Diversity and Logging Intensity
- Diversity and Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
- Harvesting Intensity and Natural Regeneration
- Harvesting Intensity and Number of Seedlings/Saplings
- Harvesting Intensity and Seedling/Sapling Composition
- Timing of Harvesting and Number/Composition of Seedling/Saplings
- Light Intensity and Sapling Composition
- Harvesting Intensity and Bole Shape and Form
- Harvesting Intensity and Diameter Distribution
- Individual Species
For diameters greater than 49 cm, the distributions of the four forests were not significantly different, as can be seen in Figure 8. 2nd class wood” and “Quercus” were generally only felled in the large dbh classes, as shown is in Figure 11 The number of harvested trees per year was compared to the current AAC (rotational period of 100 years) to assess the environmental sustainability of the felling, as shown in Table 9.
There were no cases of a use category being overharvested in an individual block, as can be seen in Table 12. Seedling density distributed by use category was analyzed to assess changes in forest quality over the five-year period, which i.a. seen in table 14. Seedling diversity followed a significant decreasing trend with time since harvest, as can be seen in table 17.
However, there was no significant correlation between total number of saplings and harvest intensity. A stronger relationship was observed between harvesting intensity and seedling/sapling composition (defined as the percentage of seedlings and saplings of each use category). The diameter distribution of the 2nd class wood species was similar to the 1st class wood species, but with a less clear i-J pattern, as shown in Figure 19.
Household Survey of Three Community Forests
- Socio-Economic Groups
- Indicators of Political Equity
- Indicators of Economic Equity
- Access to Timber Permits
- Location and Timing of Permits
- Access to Forest Grazing
- Access to NWFP Collection
- Perception of Personal Benefits from the CF
- Equity of Members vs. Non Members
- Community Forestry Policy
There were no significant differences between the turnout of socioeconomic groups or male versus. No socioeconomic group was more likely than other members to collect dry firewood in any of the CFs. Nearly all members of the three CFs owned livestock and practiced forest grazing in the CF or other national forests.
Decreasing the number of livestock reduced grazing pressure both inside and outside CFs, as can be seen in Figure 35. The majority of respondents (69%) reported that their household had already directly benefited from CFs. Almost all respondents (96%) could explain how they expected to benefit from CF in the future.
The latter was a general trend unrelated to the creation of the CF. When assessed against Ostrom's attributes of successful user groups (Ostrom 1999), the policy did not address all of the attributes, yet the three CFs possessed most of the attributes, as can be seen in Table 47. Awareness of changes in the CFs condition was generally high, with the exception of Yakpugang.
6 Discussion
Impact of Selection cutting in Broadleaved Community Forests
- Introduction
- Harvesting Levels and Annual Allowable Cut
- Forest Development 2000 - 2005
- Harvesting Intensity and Diversity
- Harvesting Intensity and Natural Regeneration
- Harvesting Intensity and Bole Shape and Form
- Harvesting Intensity and Diameter Distribution
The stump study has proven to be a useful methodology for analyzing logging history in CF. These findings contrasted with those in the neighboring Korilla FMU, where the percentage of woody species seedlings decreased after harvest, while the percentage of non-woody species increased (DAVIDSON 2000). The total number of seedlings in the plots was positively correlated with indicators of felling intensity (N/V/BA of felled trees), which was expected, as the release of growing space generally enables the germination of new plants (OLIVER and LARSON 1996).
Seedlings of species in the low preference category showed correlations with the same time periods, but. Symplocos appeared to have established permanent seedling banks which could produce large numbers of seedlings even in unharvested plots. These findings contrast with findings at the adjacent Korila FMU where the proportion of woody species seedlings decreased following cable crane cutting operations, and.
This deviation explains why Simplocos saplings dominated in the unharvested plots, while saplings of the woody species dominated in the harvested plots. Interestingly, the differences between the diameter distributions of the three harvest categories were largely in the lower size classes, with more small trees in the heavily harvested plots. However, the number of large trees in the logged plots in Yakpugang was not significantly lower than in the uncut plots, and the same was true for the BA and V of trees.
Impact of Forest Grazing in Broadleaved Community Forests
- Political Equity
- Economic Equity
- Factors Supporting Equity in Bhutan
There were no indications that the establishment of the studied CFs influenced members to reduce their livestock holdings. The grazing intensity of 0.4 LU*ha-1 appeared to be below the seedling recruitment threshold of preferred species in the broadleaf forest of Yakpugang CF. The level of participation of user groups, when assessed according to the four categories of participation described by Lawrence (2006) ranged from the lowest level of "consultation".
The participation of the user group vis-à-vis the DOF seemed to be gradually moving from "functional" to "collaborative". During the initial management planning process, user group participation was limited to the first level of "consultation": user groups simply contributed information and DOF made all policy decisions. All three CFs studied were well equipped and regularly used by members who were concerned about possible future degradation.
Bhutan's community forestry policy also addressed most of the characteristics of successful user groups listed by McKean (2000) and Ostrom (1999). Each of the three user groups studied was ethnically homogeneous, shared a common language and did not adhere to the caste system. The three forest extension officers responsible for the CFs studied lived within a few kilometers of the sites and were in regular contact with the user groups.
7 Summary and Conclusions
- Sustainability of Harvesting in CFs
- Equity of Community Forestry
- Policy Implications
- Effectiveness of Research Methodology
The ecological sustainability of forest grazing in CFs has not been the focus of much. VANDENBERGHE et al. 2007), and several studies investigated the impact of forest grazing after logging in commercially managed forests (DARABANT et al. In Press; KRZIC et al. 2001; TSHERING 2005; VAN IJSSEL 1990), but the literature search did not locate any studies. investigate the impact of forest grazing and logging in a CF.
Lawrence (2007) also noted the lack of silvicultural guidelines for community-managed forests for forest grazing and other non-timber forest products. This research component concluded that grazing intensity of 0.4 cattle*ha-1 was below the threshold for seedling production in Yakpugang and that cool broadleaf CFs in Bhutan can be managed sustainably for timber and non-timber forest products in combination with moderate levels of forest management. graze. The findings agreed with other studies that concluded that forest grazing can be ecologically sustainable if grazing intensity is controlled (ADAMS 1975; PATRIC and HELVEY 1986; RODER et al. 2002).
Existing policies to allow forest grazing in community forests in Bhutan seem appropriate: the findings of this study suggest that moderate levels of forest grazing and timber harvesting can be combined on an environmentally sustainable basis. While forest management and forest product distribution activities in the three CFs were satisfactory, the standard of record keeping was unacceptable and could lead to equity issues in the future. In addition to ecological research, the research into selection capsule required social research and research into forest grazing.
8 References
Participatory Forest Management Project, Helvetas/SDC/Department of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Lingmethang: UNDP/FAO Forest Resource Management and Institutional Development Project, Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Khangma: Third Forestry Development Project, Department of Forestry Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Thimphu: Forest Resource Management and Institutional Development Project - UNDP/FAO/Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Forest Resource Management and Institutional Development Project, UNDP/FAO/Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Lobesa: RNR Bhutan-Germany Sustainable Development Project, GTZ/Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Thimphu: Forest Resources Management and Institutional Development Project, UNDP/FAO/Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Khangma: Third Forestry Development Project, SDC/World Bank/Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan. Resources Management and Institutional Development Project, Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan.
9 Appendix
Diameter Distributions of Selected Species
