Resilient Future Forests website and guidebook introduced
In June, IUFRO launched the Resilient Future Forests Laboratory (RFFL) website and guidebook at the World Congress.
The RFFL is establishing a global network of long-term, operational plots in different climatic and socio-economic conditions to demonstrate the benefits of forests managed for resilience and adaptation to change.
The RFFL Guidebook, IUFRO Occasional Paper 37, is a comprehensive manual on establishing and maintaining RFFL field plots, collecting data, and sharing results. Although the booklet is intended for individuals and organisations applying for and establishing an RFFL, the content and checklists are helpful for forestry students and as a refresher.
Compiled by John Stanturf, the publication was prepared by contributors to the RFFL initiative led by the IUFRO Special Programme for Development of Capacities (IUFRO-SPDC). The motivation behind the initiative is climate change.
“Humanity faces triple threats from the loss and degradation of natural systems, declining biodiversity, and a warming climate. The UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity and land degradation highlighted the need for new approaches to managing forested landscapes”, says Stanturf.
“IUFRO has developed the Resilient Future Forests Laboratory (RFFL) as a global network of demonstration, research, and monitoring plots that cover large gradients of climatic and socio-economic conditions. The RFFL network plays an active role in forest science, designing resilient future landscapes by integrating trees for various goals and purposes”.
Scientists, practitioners, consultants/advisors, and landowners (individuals or organisations responsible for the land on which the RFFL is located) will all benefit from this guide.
Describing the RFFL approach as “conceptually simple”, Stanturf says it is premised on comparing current (Do-Nothing and Business-As-Usual) decisions with innovative methods in large, operationally established field plots with an underlying experimental design.
RFFL plots offer a significant opportunity for constructive collaboration with forest landscape restoration (FLR) efforts through piloting innovative treatments for monitoring and upscaling.
It is intended for anyone proposing and establishing an RFFL Location. Scientists, practitioners, consultants/advisors, and landowners will benefit from this guide, particularly in their interaction with staff of agencies, donor organisations, civil society, and nongovernmental organisations.
THE GUIDEBOOK CONTAINS:
- Chapters 1 and 2: Background information and valuable concepts related to RFFL
- Chapter 3: Getting started.
- Chapters 4 and 5: Conceptualising an RFFL field plot, including selection of appropriate locations.
- Chapters 6 and 7: Best practices of RFFL field implementation, including experimental design, various sampling techniques for vegetation assessments, biodiversity surveys, and stand dynamics.
- Chapters 8 and 9: How to measure and analyse data ranging from bio-physical to socio-economic information and associated planning requirements.
- Chapter 10: Good standards for RFFL data management and reporting.
It provides templates for field measurements, budgeting, and references to other related manuals and guidelines.
Written By: Joy Crane
Source: WoodBiz Africa – June 2024 Magazine (Page 39)
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