Aimed at reducing structural homogeneity and symmetrical competition in even-aged forest stands and enhancing stand structure diversity, the present study contributes to the design and implementation of adaptive silvicultural practices with two objectives: (1) preserving high wood production rates under changing environmental conditions and (2) ensuring key ecological services including carbon sequestration and forest health and vitality over extended stand life-spans. Based on a quantitative analysis of selected stand structure indicators, the experimental design was aimed at comparing customary practices of thinning from below over the full standing crop and innovative practices of crown thinning or selective thinning releasing a pre-fixed number of best phenotypes and removing direct crown competitors. Experimental trials were established at four beech forests along a latitudinal gradient in Italy: Cansiglio, Veneto; Vallombrosa, Tuscany; Chiarano, Abruzzo; and Marchesale, Calabria). Empirical results indicate a higher harvesting rate is associated with innovative practices compared with traditional thinning. A multivariate discriminant analysis outlined significant differences in post-treatment stand structure, highlighting the differential role of structural and functional variables across the study sites. These findings clarify the impact of former forest structure in shaping post-treatment stand attributes. Monitoring standing crop variables before and after thinning provides a basic understanding to verify intensity and direction of the applied manipulation, the progress toward the economic and ecological goals, as well as possible failures or need for adjustments within a comprehensive strategy of adaptive forest management.

Here, we introduce the Special Section (SS) on long‐term monitoring and new analytical methods in tropical phenology. The SS puts together nine original papers plus a synthesis, bringing significant advances and new insights into our understanding of tropical phenology across Africa and tropical America. The papers address environmental cues, methodological shortcomings, and provide innovative analytical approaches, opening new pathways, perspective and applications of tropical phenology for forest management and environmental monitoring. The SS is a substantial step toward a more comprehensive overview of trends in tropical phenology, as seven of nine studies evaluate >10‐yr data sets applying new methods of analysis such as hierarchical Bayesian models, generalized additive models, and Fourier analysis. We argue that it is essential to maintain ongoing monitoring programs and build a tropical phenology network at least for long‐term (>10 yr) study sites, providing the means for national and international financial support. Cross‐continental comparisons are now a primary goal, as we work toward a global vision of trends and shifts in tropical phenology in the Anthropocene.

Tropical forests are under pressure from both commercial and smallholder agriculture. Forest frontiers are seeing dynamic land use changes that frequently lead to land system regime shifts, posing challenges for the sustainability of entire local social-ecological systems. Monitoring highly dynamic land use change and detecting land system regime shifts is methodologically challenging due to trade-offs between spatial and temporal data resolution. We propose an innovative approach that combines analysis of very-high-resolution satellite imagery with participatory mapping based on workshops and field walks. Applying it in Laos, Myanmar, and Madagascar, we were able to collect annual land use information over several decades. Unlike conventional land use change mapping approaches, which assess only few points in time, our approach provides information at a temporal resolution that enables detection of gradual and abrupt land system regime shifts.

To protect the value and potential of wood and forests, forest commissions, environmental agencies and scientists are focused on innovative solutions for environmental monitoring and management. To this end, a framework for tree classification that can contribute in the monitoring of wood resources, timber management and environmental protection is proposed in this paper. More specifically, we use LiDAR sensing technology and extract the skeleton of trees using the Fast Marching method. Then, we model them using linear dynamical systems taking advantage of the fact that each one of the tree species has been grown in a specific way and exhibits specific properties in the growing direction of it. This is achieved by dividing the tree skeletons into overlapping segments in the direction of z axes and creating higher-order patches consisting of trees? skeleton branching coordinates of each segment. Finally, due to the fact that the structure of tropical trees is complex, classification is performed introducing descriptors that take into account the combination of dynamic, appearance and noise parameters. For the evaluation of the proposed system, a dataset consisting of fifteen point clouds of common Caatinga tropical trees was created. Experimental results presented in this paper show the great application of the proposed methodology

Key messagesResults-based payment, REDD+s innovative feature, has largely gone untested. International funding (both public and private) remains scarce, and demand through carbon markets is lacking.REDD+ helped forests gain prominence on the international and some national policy agendas. National REDD+ initiatives improved countries monitoring capacities and understanding of drivers, increased stakeholder involvement, and provided a platform to secure indigenous and community land rights. Local REDD+ initiatives have achieved modest but positive outcomes for forests. Well-being impacts have been limited and mixed, but are more likely to be positive when incentive components are included.For REDD+ to be effective, forest-based mitigation needs to be incorporated in national development and climate action plans, and mainstreamed across sectors and levels of government. A strong positive narrative on how forests contribute to economic development and climate goals can support this integration | A. Angelsen et al., 'Conclusions: Lessons for the path to a transformational REDD+', Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia, 2018

[Notes_IRSTEA]S 2.2: Monitoring forest biodiversity using remote sensing [Departement_IRSTEA]Territoires [TR1_IRSTEA]SYNERGIE [Axe_IRSTEA]TETIS-ATTOS [ADD1_IRSTEA]Dynamique et fonctionnement des écosystèmes | International audience | The Mediterranean forests have been used for millennia and are organized according to a heterogeneous and complex landscape particularly beneficial to biological diversity. The forests have been degraded by overgrazing and exploitation for firewood, but also as a result of fires. Such forest areas may become open, secondary forests with several understories, but if not properly managed they may turn into varied types of high or low matorral (dry shrubland) or in some areas to heathlands that could be degraded into sparsely vegetated areas. As a result, there is an urgent need for monitoring tools to inform changes in this valuable ecosystem to support public policies to protect a sustainable management of these biodiversity hotspots. In the framework of the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) developed by the GEO-BON, six classes of variables have been defined to cover different key indicators, including ecosystem structure, which is intimately linked to the fauna and flora richness. Remotely-sensed earth observation (RS) has become essential to provide a rapid, repeated and synoptic access of these EBVs (i.e., RS-enabled EBVs): the increasing availability of open access satellite data provides enhanced possibilities to monitor this natural landscape under increasing anthropic pressures. Mediterranean ecosystem could be monitor with various types of sensors, providing information on key indicators like structure, function and composition at frequent revisit times and high to very high spatial resolution. The support of innovative descriptors involving tools such as light sensors embedded on drones, spectro-radiometers or terrestrial Lidar are also needed.

This study analyzes the willingness of farmers to accept payments for ecosystem services in the Paraíba do Sul River basin applying a contingent valuation methodology. Ecosystem services would be those resulting from forest conservation and regeneration and sustainable and innovative production practices. The results suggest a regressive bias when some variables that capture the income effect positively affect participation in the program and acceptance of the payment offered. There is also evidence of adverse selection when acceptance of the amount offered is more sensitive to the service provision already being suited to the modes of production adopted. The results, on the other hand, indicate that farmers' decisions to join the program depend not only on their opportunity costs, but also on their perceptions about specific issues, such as their environmental knowledge or awareness, inertia to change production modes, fear of additional monitoring, and level of understanding of the program. These results are important to support the program's outreach strategies and the design of mechanisms for the selection of beneficiaries and pricing of payments.

Aims of study: Forestry-related companies require quality monitoring methods capable to pass a large number of samples. This review paper is dealing with the utilization of near infrared (NIR) technique for wood analysis. Area of study: We have a global point of view for NIR applications and characterization of different kind of wood species is considered. Material and methods: NIR spectroscopy is a fast, non-destructive technique, applicable to any biological material, demanding little or no sample preparation. NIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis serve well in laboratories where the conditions are controlled. The main challenges to NIR spectroscopy technique in field conditions are moisture content and portability. Results: In this review, the methods and challenges for successfully applying NIR spectroscopy in the field of wood characterization are presented. Portable equipment need to record NIR spectra with low noise and low sensitivity to temperature and humidity variations of the air in forest environments. Studies concerning the sample preparation effects on the robustness of the calibrations are thus required. Research highlights: This paper examines traditional applications and practical aspects as well as innovative modern adaptations applied, for example, in hyperspectral imaging and genetic studies.