Mainstreaming biodiversity in forestry
27 September 2022
27 September 2022
Forests are host to most of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. The conservation of the world’s biodiversity is thus utterly dependent on the way in which we interact with and use the world’s forests. The role of forests in maintaining biodiversity is also explicitly recognized by the United Nations Strategic Plan for...
In this paper a series of reasons is provided to justify the application of Intensive Forest Management (IFM). A new definition for IFM is proposed, with explanations provided of the components of the definition: advanced planning, intensive silviculture, enhanced protection, and effects and effectiveness monitoring. Also, the following questions are...
Forests and Forestry in Sweden
20 May 2021
20 May 2021
Sweden is well known as a major player in the world forest industry. The history of Swedish forestry is rather less well known. This booklet outlines the recovery of the Swedish forest from a heavily depleted state at the beginning of the 20th century to create a forestry superpower. The...
Precision forestry is the application of advanced technologies to forest management. This paper is a brief review of the many ways in which the application of information technology can be used to improve the results of forest management.
The forest floor and bio-geochemical cycling
15 May 2020
15 May 2020
Description of the bio-geochemical cycle within a typical plantation forest, in the Southern Cape forest region of South Africa. The description includes a detailed look at the LFH horizons and breakdown of organic matter and release of plant-available nutrients from leaf litter down to the soil mineral layer.
Common soil types of South Africa
15 May 2020
15 May 2020
Introduction to the most common soil types in South Africa. The video description provides an overview of soils across the country and discusses their key soil properties and soil formation factors (e.g., climate, parent material, topography, vegetation).
Plantation forest management
15 May 2020
15 May 2020
Description of key technical terms and management operations within a typical plantation forest, in the Southern Cape forest region of South Africa. The description includes a detailed look at site type, soil and vegetation regimes, tree hybrids, forest health and pest management, fertilization, productivity, pruning and thinning.
Introduction to case study focused on Pinus radiata plantation in the Southern Cape forest region of South Africa. The case study evaluates the effects of mechanical and chemical site treatments on soil properties and growth of a Pinus radiata stand. Plantation forests in South Africa are needed to meet the...
An overview of soil conditions needed for optimum tree root growth.
Description of a typical forest soil in the Southern Cape forest region of South Africa. The description includes detailed description of all soil horizons and parent material, emphasizing their key properties and their impacts on tree growth.