Multiple-Use Zoning Model for Private Forest Owners in Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study

Abstract

Many small-scale private forest owners increasingly focus their management on amenity functions rather than on wood production functions. This paradigm shift is an opportunity to implement novel forestry management approaches, such as forested land zoning. Forest zoning consists in separating the land base in three zones that have different management objectives: (1) conservation zones; (2) ecosystem management zones; and (3) intensive production zones, which locally increase productivity, as a trade off to increase the land area dedicated to conservation and ecosystem management. We evaluate the ecological feasibility of implementing forest zoning on a private property (216 ha) at St-Benoî t-du-Lac, Qué bec (Canada) characterised by agricultural and forest land uses. As a basis for delineating conservation and ecosystem management zones, historical and contemporary data and facts on forest composition and dynamics were reviewed, followed by a detailed forest vegetation analysis of forest communities. Delineating intensive production zones was straightforward, as fertile agricultural field margins located downslope were used to establish multifunctional hybrid poplar buffers. At St-Benoî t-du-Lac, a realistic zoning scenario would consist of (1) conservation zones covering 25% of the forestland (37 ha); (2) ecosystem management zones covering 75% of the forestland (113 ha, including restoration zones on 24 ha); and (3) intensive production zones on 2.8 ha. Based on a yield projection of 13 t/ha/year for hybrid OPEN ACCESSForests 2015, 6 3615 poplars, only 5.6% of agricultural field areas would need to be converted into agroforestry systems to allow for the loss of wood production in a conservation zone of 37 ha of forest. Ecosystem services provision following the implementation of zoning would include increased habitat quality, biodiversity protection and enhancement (by restoration of some tree species), carbon storage, non-point source aquatic pollution control, local biomass production for heating, and increased forest economic value.

Dynamic Patterns of Trees Species in Miombo Forest and Management Perspectives for Sustainable Production—Case Study in Huambo Province, Angola

“…Similar studies that have suggested management zoning as an introductive framework for management come from Sweden [106][107][108], the Czech Republic [109][110][111][112], and Poland [19,[113][114][115]. Forest zoning consists of separating the land base into different management zones to address specific objectives; for example, conservation zones, intensive production zones, or even unmanaged zones (Figure 7).…”

Allometric Equations for Estimating Compartment Biomass and Stem Volume in Mature Hybrid Poplars: General or Site-Specific?

“…Likewise, hybrid poplar wood density is another important quality indicator, as wood of higher density produces more energy output per volume unit, but also a higher pulp yield [38,90]. In the study area, the main biomass feedstock used is firewood (split wood or wood log) for home and building heating [91][92][93]. From that perspective, branch biomass is of little interest for most producers, as it would require chipping and drying facilities while causing the exportation of a nutrient-rich harvesting residue that is of great importance for long-term soil fertility [6].…”

Potential for Hybrid Poplar Riparian Buffers to Provide Ecosystem Services in Three Watersheds with Contrasting Agricultural Land Use

“…Producing fuelwood biomass (wood logs) in hybrid poplar buffers could reduce the need to harvest fuelwood in farm woodlots, which could indirectly create opportunities for forest conservation [38]. Because fuelwood harvest is the dominant form of production activity in private forests of the studied areas [72], such an opportunity for conservation could easily be implemented.…”

“…A major indirect contribution to forest conservation at the watershed scale could also be achieved if fuelwood production in poplar buffers could replace fuelwood harvested in farm woodlots [38]. This is because the stem wood biomass productivity of poplar buffers is about 3 to 12 times greater than natural forest productivity in the studied watersheds (Table 4).…”

“…Poplar buffers would also provide the opportunity to produce wood or biomass for heating and create a new sink for atmospheric CO 2 [32][33][34][35][36]. The production of this new woody biomass on farmland could reduce the harvesting pressure on remaining natural woodlots, thereby providing forest conservation opportunities [37,38]. Additionally, because they are high nutrient demanding trees [39], poplars planted in buffers become fast-growing sinks for N and P at the stream/cultivated field interface, which will contribute to reducing NO 3 and P leaching losses from farm fields to streams [35,40].…”