Developing and implementing participatory and ecosystem based multiple use forest management planning approach (ETÇAP): Yalnızçam case study

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Abstract

This paper explains the conceptual framework of ecosystem based multiple use forest management (ETÇAP) approach and its implementation in a case study area. The new management philosophy has four important pillars; integration of biodiversity conservation into forest management process, characterization and accommodation of multiple forest values, effective participation of stakeholders and the use of advanced information technologies and management science techniques. These components comprise a sound framework of a forest management planning system in Turkey as the ownership, land use policy, social structure and forest ecosystems are unique to the country. Among few implementation sites, some experiences from the case study area of Yanlızçam planning unit were documented to realize the performance of the concept. The liaison between the government institutions and major stakeholders is found necessary, and the effective use of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) have been realized critically important to better communicate among stakeholders and generate precise database and the plan. The case study indicated that structured participation is an effective communication tool and has a better possibly to promote multiple use forest management rather than using participation as solo information gathering process. Primary challenges relate to the effectiveness of national conservation program, availability of coherent biodiversity data and adequacy of institutional capacity that involve awareness, training and common understanding of biodiversity and protected area concept; coordination among the related institutions and stakeholders, and willingness and enthusiasm of authorities to accept and implement the concept.

Introduction

Multiple use forest management focusing on biodiversity conservation has been a key issue of contemporary forest management (Probst and Crow, 1991, Noss, 1999, Simberloff, 1999, Bunnell and Huggard, 1999, Lindenmayer, 1999, Baskent et al., 2008). Despite the long-existing principle of holistic sustainability, there is a continued decline of plant species diversity of forests (Grashof-Bokdam and Geertsema, 1998, Fischer et al., 2006, Lindenmayer et al., 2007). The dilemma is that forest and conservation managers need to understand how far society is willing to protect and enhance biodiversity in the context of other investment options (Parviainen and Frank, 2003). They also need to compare the relative benefits of investments on biodiversity conservation with those of other investments in sustainable forest management. Such understanding requires insight into; how biodiversity is characterized, which forest management practices contribute most to its conservation and interactions between the practices and management objectives, how the role of participation and information technologies is realized, and what political responses are most likely to result from specified biodiversity conservation practices. The emergence of the concepts of continuous forest, forest landscape management, naturalistic, near-natural and ecology-based silvicultural forest management since the 1920s have led to an idea of coupling conservation and management of forest ecosystems (Baskent and Yolasigmaz, 1999, Fabbio et al., 2003). Essentially, the ecological, economic and socio-cultural values of forest ecosystems have become the major components of forest management regulations (Bengtsson et al., 2000, Wulf, 2003). Exploring and assembling the components towards a sustainable forest management will provide a basis for developing a workable framework for resource and conservation managers.

Forest management planning in Turkey is based on a neo-classical approach to satisfy the needs of the society for wood production and services (Asan, 1999). Required by law, forest management plans have been prepared periodically with a modified area control method and implemented by the state employed foresters across the country. Influenced by the national forestry program and, to a lesser degree, the international conventions on sustainable forest management, biodiversity protection and desertification control, forest management planning approach has changed towards ecosystem oriented multiple use philosophy. In that respect a number of shortcomings were identified in forest management. First of all, management objectives are set nationwide to produce solo wood production. Second, a comprehensive forest ecosystem inventory including biodiversity, forest health, capacity, site production and socio-cultural resources has not been designed and conducted to characterize forest values and develop a functional relationship between management actions and forest structure. Third, spatial database has not been built and conservation targets have not been established under stakeholders’ participation for effective management of the forest resources. Finally, forest regulations are generally centralized in addition to incomplete cadastral survey which frequently creates ownership conflicts during management planning process (Baskent et al., 2005).

With the support of international projects such as GEF-II (URL-1, 2006) and BTC Co. pipeline (URL-2, 2006), a multiple use forest management planning approach has been developed to overcome most of those shortcomings. The approach is relatively simple focusing on characterizing forest values, stratifying forest areas for various uses based on a number of criteria and indicators (Bücking, 2003, Hagan and Whiteman, 2006), setting up forest management objectives and conservation targets with effective participation and finalizing forest management decisions with modeling approach (Pukkala and Miina, 1997, Bettinger et al., 1998, Davis et al., 2001, Baskent and Jordan, 2002). The process has been favorably accepted by the forest management department in General Directorate of Forestry in Turkey as a next generation planning approach (Baskent et al., 2005).

Biodiversity conservation, participation and multiple uses have become the driving force for the new generation forest planning approach (Bengtsson et al., 2000, Eriksson and Hammer, 2006, Schulte et al., 2006). As such, this paper provides a conceptual framework of ecosystem based multiple use forest management (ETÇAP) approach, focuses on the basic components and documents its practical implementation in a pilot area of Yanlızçam planning unit. The paper further explains the stratification and participation processes and presents the effective incorporation of biodiversity into forest management plans for sustainable use of forest values.

Section snippets

Ecosystem based forest management planning (ETÇAP) process

The concept of ecosystem based forest management planning concept essentially challenges to integrate forest values (goods and services) into the management by characterizing and controlling forest ecosystems to achieve demands on a sustainable basis. Forest values such as wood production, water production, soil prevention, carbon sequestration and recreation potential of ecosystems are inventoried and characterized to associate them with the needs and the expectations of stakeholders. ETÇAP

The case study area: Yanlızçam planning unit

The research was conducted in an area within the very northeast corner of the country, Yalnızçam of Ardahan Province, to implement and evaluate the success of ETÇAP approach (Fig. 1). The area lies in high elevation landscape from 2100 to 2700 m with large pastures in the valleys and forests in the hills and mountains. The total area of Yalnızçam is 44,280 ha, 13% (5885 ha) of the area is forest of primarily Scots pine with varying developmental stages and crown closures. Scots pine (Pinus

Discussions and conclusions

Forest management philosophy has changed to accommodate various forest values such as biodiversity, water production, erosion control, recreation and carbon sequestration under stakeholders’ participation. Ecosystem based multiple use forest management approach utilizes both fine and coarse filter approaches (mesofilter) (Hunter, 2005). Focal species and their habitat requirements provide a clue to the planners. Thus, appropriate set of quantitative measures of biodiversity as proxy is

Acknowledgements

Funding for the development of this research is provided by the BTC Pipeline Co. through ORKOOP and ODOPEM in Turkey. The authors would like to thank the staff at Turkish Forest Service particularly the forest management department, the research associates in the Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University for providing data and all valuable help.

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