Forest Quality Assessing Forests at a Landscape Scale

Deforestation is frequently a topic of discussion in the environmental arena, but it is not just the number of trees that matters; the quality of the forest is also important. Even where the forest area is stable or increasing, there are often rapid changes in its character. Natural forests are being replaced by plantations or by intensively managed forests. Around the world, forests are becoming younger and less diverse, in both species and structure; this has important impacts for biodiversity and also affects many human values. In this groundbreaking text, forest quality is discussed as a useful new concept in forest conservation and management. Three main assessment criteria are used: authenticity; environmental benefits; and social and economic benefits. The book describes a methodology and protocol for collecting and analysing data, and outlines in detail the approach required with each indicator. The authors advocate a landscape approach to assessment and demonstrate how assessment works through a series of case studies that show how this approach can be used in many ways to help forest conservation management. This hands-on manual is for professionals involved in forestry, conservation and resource management worldwide, and contains case study material from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America that demonstrates practical uses of the new 'landscape' approach to forest conservation. Published with IUCN and WWF

Part 1: Measuring Forest Quality * What is Forest Quality? * Why Assess Forest Quality at a Landscape Scale? * Who Should Assess Forest Quality? * How to Assess Forest Quality at a Landscape Scale * Part 2: Criteria of Forest Quality * Forest Authenticity and Prioritizing Conservation * Environmental Benefits of Forest Quality * Social and Economic Benefits of Forest Quality * Part 3: Case Studies * Part 4: Appendices - Broader Issues and Sources of Information * References * Index

Nigel Dudley is an ecologist and consultant working on issues relating to forest conservation, protected areas and broad scale approaches to conservation, co-editor with Sue Stolton of Partnerships for Protection (1999) and co-author with Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud of Bad Harvest (1995). Rodolphe Schlaepfer is Emeritus Professor for Ecosystem Management, Institute for Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and a consultant and former Director of the Forest and Snow Research Institute, Zurich, Switzerland. William Jackson is a forester and Director, Global Programme at IUCN and former Head of IUCN's Forest Conservation Programme. Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, who has a background in forestry, is Head of Business and Industry Relations at WWF International and a founding director of One Planet Living (OPL), an initiative which is creating a worldwide network of sustainable communities. Sue Stolton works as an environmental consultant specializing in issues relating to protected areas and the assessment of conservation actions.