This paper contains discussions on: (1) the background to the development of criteria and indicators (C&I); (2) sustainable forest management; (3) the benefits that could be derived from the application of C&I; (4) scale issues and the application of C&I at the lowest management unit...

The book contains the peer-reviewed, revised and edited invited keynote, overview and review papers presented at a IUFRO/CIFOR/FAO conference for each of the seven generic sustainability criteria for forest management. The sustainability criteria covered are: (i) social and economic functions and...

This chapter discusses the context for the further development of criteria and indicators (C&I) and proposes how to maximize their use. This chapter also proposes a shift in emphasis from setting goals in terms of forest area or forestry practice, towards goal setting in terms of the security...

In this chapter, it is argued that indicators need not be reductionist, indeed they can be holistic and pluralistic and a whole system of indicators can be greater than the sum of its parts. The role of indicators as communication devices, arranged in a network involving complex interactions and...

The debate about sustainability of forest land management, coalesced by the Brundtland Commission report in 1987 but triggered by growing concerns about the impact of human activity on the environment, serves the important functions of requiring society to think about the future, consider its...

The situation of society and of forests has considerably changed within recent decades and these changes have some major implications for information requirements. The concept of sustainable forest management (SFM) has gained global political attention as the key to balance preservation and...

Currently, over 100 countries are involved in developing national-level criteria and indicators (C&I). C&I are also used for certification purposes. The concept of legal framework varies in different C&I approaches, but is usually addressed in relatively broad terms. Legal frameworks...

Interest in the development and use of criteria and indicators as essential tools for sustainable forest management has grown rapidly. At present, some 150 countries have or are developing and implementing their own set of such tools, at regional, national and/or forest unit levels, within the...

The productive capacity of natural forests can be monitored against three common indicators: area of forest available for timber production; extent to which harvested areas are regenerated; and level of harvesting for wood and non-wood products compared with the sustainable level. These indicators...

Within the lifetime of the latest generation of trees, important changes have occurred in the utilization of many forests, as well as in their physical and chemical environment - especially if they are growing in polluted areas. Current management for forest production and nature conservation often ...