Managing Landscapes for Change

Managing Landscapes for Change
Author: Robert M. Scheller
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 111
Release: 2020-11-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030620417

This book discusses how future landscapes will be shaped by pervasive change and where, when, and how society should manage landscapes for change. Readers will learn about the major anthropogenic drivers of landscape change, including climate change and human induced disturbance regimes, and the unique consequences that multiple and simultaneously occurring change agents can have on landscapes. The author uses landscape trajectories as a guide to selecting the appropriate course of action, and considers how landscape position, inertia, and direction will determine landscape futures. The author introduces the concept of landscapes as socio-technical-ecological systems (STES), which combines ecological and technological influences on future landscape change and the need for society to acknowledge both when considering landscape management. Thinking beyond solutions, the author identifies barriers to managing landscapes for change including the cost, cultural identity of local populations, and the fear of taking action under uncertain conditions. Nevertheless, processes, tools, and technologies exist for overcoming social and ecological barriers to managing landscapes for change, and continued investment in social and scientific infrastructure holds out hope for maintaining our landscape values even as we enter an era of unprecedented change and disruption.

Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases

Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases
Author: Mark Liebig
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 602
Release: 2012-10-16
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 012386898X

Global climate change is a natural process that currently appears to be strongly influenced by human activities, which increase atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG). Agriculture contributes about 20% of the world's global radiation forcing from carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and produces 50% of the methane and 70% of the nitrous oxide of the human-induced emission. Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases synthesizes the wealth of information generated from the GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) effort with contributors from a variety of backgrounds, and reports findings with important international applications. - Frames responses to challenges associated with climate change within the geographical domain of the U.S., while providing a useful model for researchers in the many parts of the world that possess similar ecoregions - Covers not only soil C dynamics but also nitrous oxide and methane flux, filling a void in the existing literature - Educates scientists and technical service providers conducting greenhouse gas research, industry, and regulators in their agricultural research by addressing the issues of GHG emissions and ways to reduce these emissions - Synthesizes the data from top experts in the world into clear recommendations and expectations for improvements in the agricultural management of global warming potential as an aggregate of GHG emissions

The Global Forest Products Model

The Global Forest Products Model
Author: Joseph Buongiorno
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2003-02-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0121413624

The Global Forest Products Model (GFPM) book provides a complete introduction to this widely applied computer model. The GFPM is a dynamic economic equilibrium model that is used to predict production, consumption, trade, and prices of 14 major forest products in 180 interacting countries. The book thoroughly documents the methods, data, and computer software of the model, and demonstrates the model's usefulness in addressing international economic and environmental issues. The Global Forest Products Model is written by an international multi-disciplinary team and is ideal for graduate students and professionals in forestry, natural resource economics, and related fields. It explains trends in world forest industries in the simplest terms by explaining the economic theory underlying the model. It describes six applications of the GFPM, three of which were commissioned by the Food Agriculture of the United Nations, the USDA Forest Service, and New Zealand Research. The authors show how to apply the model to real issues such as the effects of the Asian economic crisis on the forest sector, the effects of eliminating tariffs on international trade and production, and the international effects of national environmental policies. They provide complete explanations on how to use the GFPM software, prepare the data, make the forecasts, and summarize the results with tables and graphs. Comprehensive, and rigorous description of the world forestry sector Written by an international multi-disciplinary team Thorough description of data and methods In-depth applications to modern economic and policy issues Detailed documentation of the computer software Suitable for students, researchers, and decision makers

Why Forests? Why Now?

Why Forests? Why Now?
Author: Frances Seymour
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2016-12-27
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1933286865

Tropical forests are an undervalued asset in meeting the greatest global challenges of our time—averting climate change and promoting development. Despite their importance, tropical forests and their ecosystems are being destroyed at a high and even increasing rate in most forest-rich countries. The good news is that the science, economics, and politics are aligned to support a major international effort over the next five years to reverse tropical deforestation. Why Forests? Why Now? synthesizes the latest evidence on the importance of tropical forests in a way that is accessible to anyone interested in climate change and development and to readers already familiar with the problem of deforestation. It makes the case to decisionmakers in rich countries that rewarding developing countries for protecting their forests is urgent, affordable, and achievable.

National Forest Inventories

National Forest Inventories
Author: Claude Vidal
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 847
Release: 2016-11-24
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319440152

The book presents the current state and good practices of national forest inventories in monitoring wood resources and demonstrates pathways for harmonisation and improved common reporting. Beyond a general overview over availability and use of wood resources in different countries, it provides a unique collection of original contributions from national forest inventory experts with in-depth descriptions of current NFI methods in assessing wood availability and wood use in European countries, and selected countries from America and Asia.The main topics are national definitions and improvements in common reporting of forests available for wood supply, stem quality and assortments, estimation of change including growth and drain, and tree resources outside forest land. The book is a must-have for everyone who is contributing to national forest inventories either methodologically or operatively, for people who want or need to understand national forest inventory provided data and information on the availability of wood resources. By providing profound knowledge it is a valuable basis for scientists involved in scenario modelling and analysing effects of climate change, as well as individuals in private organisations and public administrations promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and the potential of green economy.

Carbon Stocks and Flows from Harvest to Disposal in Harvested Wood Products from Ontario and Canada

Carbon Stocks and Flows from Harvest to Disposal in Harvested Wood Products from Ontario and Canada
Author: Jiaxin Chen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2013-03
Genre: Carbon cycle (Biogeochemistry)
ISBN: 9781460614365

In this report, the authors systematically analyze the biomass carbon (C) conversion of harvested wood products (HWPs) produced from forests in Ontario and, more broadly, in Canada. The major categories of HWPs referred to are lumber, structural panel, non-structural panel, market pulp, newsprint, fine paper, and "other" paper products. The analysis tracks C flow for each product type from forest to harvested biomass, re-allocation of biomass C among HWPs, use of wood residue to produce energy, exports of HWPs from Ontario and Canada, and distribution of HWPs among major end uses. As well, service lives of HWPs, end-of-life disposal, and landfill HWP C stock and landfill methane (CH4) emissions for HWPs produced and used in Ontario/Canada and in countries that import HWPs from Ontario/Canada are assessed.--Document.

Verifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Verifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2010-07-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0309152119

The world's nations are moving toward agreements that will bind us together in an effort to limit future greenhouse gas emissions. With such agreements will come the need for all nations to make accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and to monitor changes over time. In this context, the present book focuses on the greenhouse gases that result from human activities, have long lifetimes in the atmosphere and thus will change global climate for decades to millennia or more, and are currently included in international agreements. The book devotes considerably more space to CO2 than to the other gases because CO2 is the largest single contributor to global climate change and is thus the focus of many mitigation efforts. Only data in the public domain were considered because public access and transparency are necessary to build trust in a climate treaty. The book concludes that each country could estimate fossil-fuel CO2 emissions accurately enough to support monitoring of a climate treaty. However, current methods are not sufficiently accurate to check these self-reported estimates against independent data or to estimate other greenhouse gas emissions. Strategic investments would, within 5 years, improve reporting of emissions by countries and yield a useful capability for independent verification of greenhouse gas emissions reported by countries.

Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World

Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World
Author: Dominick A. DellaSala
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2011
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1597266760

Temperate rainforests are biogeographically unique. Compared to their tropical counterparts, temperate rainforests are rarer and are found disproportionately along coastlines. Because most temperate rainforests are marked by the intersection of marine, terrestrial, and freshwater systems, these rich ecotones are among the most productive regions on Earth. Globally, temperate rainforests store vast amounts of carbon, provide habitat for scores of rare and endemic species with ancient affinities, and sustain complex food-web dynamics. In spite of their global significance, however, protection levels for these ecosystems are far too low to sustain temperate rainforests under a rapidly changing global climate and ever expanding human footprint. Therefore, a global synthesis is needed to provide the latest ecological science and call attention to the conservation needs of temperate and boreal rainforests. A concerted effort to internationalize the plight of the world’s temperate and boreal rainforests is underway around the globe; this book offers an essential (and heretofore missing) tool for that effort. DellaSala and his contributors tell a compelling story of the importance of temperate and boreal rainforests that includes some surprises (e.g., South Africa, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Russia). This volume provides a comprehensive reference from which to build a collective vision of their future.