Managing Forest Functions Ecological Criteria

4.1.2.1. Managing Forest Functions

Sustainable forest management requires enhancing or maintaining forest functions to ensure intergenerational equity. Enhancing the functions of forests involves consideration of two concepts. First, the concept of a trade-off among those functions - enhancing one function can decrease other functions. Secondly, the concept of a synergy among those functions - enhancing one function could enhance other functions. The trade-off concept puts forest decision-makers in a situation where they have to decide which functions are enhanced and which functions are sacrificed. In most cases, the trade-off situation happens more frequently than the synergy situation. The trade-off situation is illustrated in Figure 4.4 and the synergy situation in Figure 4.5. Figure 4.4. Trade-off situation faced by forest managers Ecological Economic Social Which way to go? Figure 4.5. The synergy situation faced by forest managers As illustrated in Figure 4.3, the management of forest production involved performing production functions without sacrificing other functions. To know whether production functions or other functions were treated properly in the process of managing a forest, a set of criteria measuring how these functions performed was developed. This set was then called the criteria of good forest management. This set of criteria derived from the forest functions, could be used to assess the sustainability of forest management.

4.1.2.2. Ecological Criteria

Ecology is defined as the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. Such interactions are understandably varied and complex. To ensure ecological function is maintained, the ecological principle of SFM was determined as ecosystem integrity is maintained. The first criterion was to maintain biodiversity. Biodiversity is defined as the variety and abundance of life forms, processes, functions and structures of plants, animals and other living organisms, including the relative complexity of species, communities, gene pools and ecosystems in spatial landscapes that range from local through to regional and global Helms 1998, p. 16. Good forest Ecological Economic Social Which way to go? management requires maintaining biodiversity in order to continue supporting life on earth. As indicated, the term biodiversity includes the diversity of ecosystems, communities, species and genetic structures. Areas which are identified as functionally sensitive to any disturbance must be protected to ensure the continuity of ecosystem functions. These areas also function as reserved forests - any uniqueness should be as representative as possible to the FMU. This became the second criterion. The ecosystem integrity principle includes maintaining hydrological functions to avoid water erosion and floods, soil quality and food chains - and it became the third criterion. Table 4.1 shows the ecological criteria for SFM. All these criteria are outcome parameters derived from the principle: ecosystem integrity is maintained. This means these criteria are used to judge the impacts of forest management at FMU level. Table 4.1. The generic knowledge of ecological criteria for SFM Category Text Principle 1 Ecosystem integrity is maintained Criterion 1.1 Biodiversity is maintained Criterion 1.2 Maintenance of ecologically sensitive areas Criterion 1.3 Ecosystem function is maintained

4.1.2.3. Economic Criteria