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

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 book, 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. A methodology and protocol for collecting and analyzing data is described, and the approach needed with each indicator is outlined in detail. The authors advocate a landscape approach to assessment, as meeting conservation goals also means addressing human needs, and balancing the trade-offs involved is only possible at a landscape scale. A series of case studies demonstrates assessment throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, showing how this new method can be used in many ways to help forest conservation management.

Nigel Dudley is an environmental consultant and senior forest advisor to WWF International.

Sue Stolton of Equilbrium Research ,based in Bristol, UK, is an ecologist and consultant working on issues relating to forest conservation, protected areas and broad scale approaches to conservation, co-author with Rodolphe Shlaepfer, William Jackson, Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud and Sue Stolton of Forest Quality (2006) and co-editor with Sue Stolton of Partnerships for Protection (1999.)

Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud is head of the Industry and Environment section at WWF International.

Rodolphe Schlaepfer is Professor of Ecosystems Management at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

William Jackson is Deputy Director General of IUCN and co-author of Forest Quality (2006).