Different types of assessment tools have been developed in Europe with the purpose of determining the environmental impact of various livestock production systems at farm level. The assessment tools differ in terms of which environmental objectives are included and how indicators are constructed and interpreted. The paper compares typical tools for environmental assessment of livestock production systems, and recommends selected indicators suitable for benchmarking. The assessment tools used very different types of indicators ranging from descriptions of farm management and quantification of input to estimates of emissions of, e.g., nitrate and ammonia. The indicators should be useful in a benchmarking process where farmers may improve their practices through learning from farms with better agri-environmental performance. An example of this is given using data on P-surplus on pig farms. Some indicators used the area of the farm as the basis of the indicator — e.g. nitrogen surplus per hectare — while others were expressed per unit produced, e.g. emission of greenhouse gasses per kilogram milk. The paper demonstrates that a comparison of organic vs. conventional milk production and comparison of three pig production systems give different results, depending on the basis of the indicators (i.e. per hectare or per kilogram product). Indicators linked to environmental objectives with a local or regional geographical target should be area-based — while indicators with a global focus should be product-based. It is argued that the choice of indicators should be linked with the definition of the system boundaries, in the sense that area-based indicators should include emissions on the farm only, whereas product-based indicators should preferably include emissions from production of farm inputs, as well as the inputs on the actual farm. The paper ends with recommendations for choice of agri-environmental indicators taking into account the geographical scale, system boundary and method of interpretation.

Indicator based information systems for sustainable forest management is emerging as a good alternative to traditional management practice of our forests. However, most of the indicator based management system fail, due to their complexity. This paper on the findings of a study in Kodagu district of Western Ghats aims to answer basic questions which are very important for the successful finding and implementation of indicators for sustainable forest management. The question of indicators for whom? with whom? why? and how? The complexity of forest management in the districts resulted in identification of three clients for the use and implementation of indicators. The study reveled that it was only the sacred forest management committees who were in need of indicator based management tools. The paper discusses the methodology used for the identification of Pre-indicators and the co-construction procedure of developing indicators. The study highlights the relevance of simple co-constructed indicators for effective management of community managed sacred forest. (Résumé d'auteur)

Current awareness of environmental pollution of animal production in Western Europe has triggered research on development of environmental indicators at farm level. Only when the environmental impact of commercial farms can be quantified effectively, important differences in impact can be demonstrated among contrasting systems, which subsequently can contribute to reducing the environmental impact from animal production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental indicators derived from three methods used widely in animal production, i.e., input-output accounting, ecological footprint analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA). Evaluation of the effectiveness of indicators was based on an assessment of their relevance, quality and availability of data. Such a systematic evaluation of these environmental indicators has never been performed yet. To evaluate the effectiveness of the 13 environmental indicators, data from eight organic, commercial dairy farms in the Netherlands were used. Results show that indicators derived from input-output accounting are effective, because of their high relevance, good quality and easy availability of data. These indicators, however, do not include all environmental impact categories (e.g., land use, energy use, global warming potential), and focus on on-farm emission. The environmental indicator derived from ecological footprint analysis is not effective for land and fossil energy use, because of its limited relevance and low quality, whereas LCA resource-based indicators are effective because of their high relevance, good quality and availability of data. LCA indicators for global warming, acidification and eutrophication potential are effective also, because of their good relevance and good quality. Data of these LCA indicators are difficult to collect. To give a good insight into the environmental impact of a dairy production system, besides input-output accounting indicators, LCA indicators are required.

Despite widespread acceptance of sustainability as the ultimate goal of forest management, perspectives about its meaning, significance, and relevant indicators may still differ. This paper examines local perspectives on sustainability, and evaluates their similarities and differences. A systematic procedure based on criteria of proximity, pre-existing rights, dependency, knowledge of forest management, forestry spirit, daily activity, and legal rights was used to identify a small group of relevant stakeholders representing different groups, institutions, and organizations. Using participatory action research (PAR), stakeholders were asked to identify relevant indicators of sustainable forest management. The indicators identified by each stakeholder were then compared to a consolidated list assembled by field facilitators with respect to whether relevant indicators are present or not. Based on the resulting presence/absence matrix, a statistical tool called the simple matching coefficient was used to estimate the similarity measures among the stakeholders' perspectives. In addition, cluster analysis was used to classify groups of stakeholders depending on their similarities to each other. Finally, hypotheses related to the closeness of perspectives among local communities, non-governmental organizations, a timber company, and government organizations, as revealed by their selection of indicators, were tested. Results show that: (a) local communities have different perceptions in terms of what they consider to be important indicators compared to the NGOs, (b) there are significantly different perceptions between the government and the timber companies, and (c) there are also different perceptions between urban and field-based personnel of the same organization.

Despite widespread acceptance of sustainability as the ultimate goal of forest management, perspectives about its meaning, significance, and relevant indicators may still differ. This paper examines local perspectives on sustainability, and evaluates their similarities and differences. A systematic procedure based on criteria of proximity, pre-existing rights, dependency, knowledge of forest management, forestry spirit, daily activity, and legal rights was used to identify a small group of relevant stakeholders representing different groups, institutions, and organizations. Using participatory action research (PAR), stakeholders were asked to identify relevant indicators of sustainable forest management. The indicators identified by each stakeholder were then compared to a consolidated list assembled by field facilitators with respect to whether relevant indicators are present or not. Based on the resulting presence/absence matrix, a statistical tool called the simple matching coefficient was used to estimate the similarity measures among the stakeholders' perspectives. In addition, cluster analysis was used to classify groups of stakeholders depending on their similarities to each other. Finally, hypotheses related to the ‘closeness’ of perspectives among local communities, non-governmental organizations, a timber company, and government organizations, as revealed by their selection of indicators, were tested. Results show that: (a) local communities have different perceptions in terms of what they consider to be important indicators compared to the NGOs, (b) there are significantly different perceptions between the government and the timber companies, and (c) there are also different perceptions between urban and field-based personnel of the same organization.

"The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program's annual national report uses FHM data, as well as data from a variety of other programs, to provide an overview of forest health based on the criteria and indicators of sustainable forestry framework of the Santiago Declaration. It presents information about the status of and trends in various forest health indicators nationwide and uses statistically valid analysis methods applicable to large-scale ecological assessments. Five main sections correspond to the Santiago criteria: Biological Diversity, Productive Capacity, Health and Vitality, Conservation of Soil, and Carbon Cycling. A variety of indicators contribute information about the status of each forest ecosystem considered. Many indicators use data collected from ground plots. Such indicators include species diversity (tree and lichens), bioindicator species (lichens and vascular plants sensitive to ozone), changes in trees (crown condition, damage, and mortality), physical and chemical soil characteristics, and aboveground and belowground carbon pools. Additional information about forest health status and change is derived from data that are used to measure forest extent; data about insects and pathogens; and remotely sensed and/or ground-based data about forest fragmentation, fire, and air pollution. A sixth section presents and discusses a multivariate analysis of the indicators. The technique provides a composite picture of forest health, based on statistically significant principal components."--Page ii

This paper extends a previous study in South Africa aimed at developing methodology for assessing the performance of equity-share schemes. The previous study proposed four broad criteria to measure performance: poverty alleviation; empowerment and participation; institutional arrangements and governance; and financial performance. This paper does not aim to assess the performance of existing equity-share schemes but to develop a methodology for the first three criteria based on empirical analysis of data gathered in 2004 from a land reform project in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal and seven established equity-share schemes in the Western Cape. Poverty alleviation is measured using a transition matrix of households grouped by four different symptoms of poverty: current income, wealth, health and a principal component index of housing quality. Eight categories of indicators are recommended for empowerment and participation: control and ownership; skills transfer; understanding; information; outcomes; trust; outreach; and participation. A scorecard applying norms based on empirical evidence gathered at the equity-share schemes in the Western Cape is used to test the indicators. A scorecard approach is also applied to institutional arrangements and governance, which are measured using three categories of indicators: accountability, transparency and property rights. The proposed performance measures are relevant, manageable in number and have feasible norms based on empirical evidence. These indicators and their norms need to be tested on a wider scale and monitored over time. Future research should be undertaken to determine weights for the empowerment and institutional indicators.

[Departement_IRSTEA]GT [TR1_IRSTEA]SET / BIOFOR | Biodiversity is a complex matter related to a developing scientific field. In these conditions, we think both simple and more complex, research related indicators should be tested. We propose that both sets of indicators be dynamically related, and especially insist here on the way complicated indicators, found to be more accurate than currently preferred simple indicators, could be incorporated to a list of simple indicators. We apply the method to a case study. We find that models of species abundance of the herbaceous layer vegetation based on ecological gradients of tree species richness and tree species evenness behave poorer than models based on gradients of tree abundance. We propose two ways to implement these more complicated models into new lists of simple indicators. | Dans le cadre de la stratégie pour diminuer l'érosion de biodiversité d'ici 2010, des approches sectorielles sont mises en oeuvre. L'un des outils de ces approches sont des indicateurs de biodiversité, assez souvent basés sur des concepts scientifiques ou des idées généraux. Nous proposons de soumettre ces indicateurs de biodiversité sectoriels à des tests de qualité sur des données réelles. Nous présentons un tel test sur des indicateurs de richesse et de mélange d'essences en milieu forestier pour la biodiversité floristique. Nous trouvons que ces indicateurs expliquent moins bien la biodiversité floristique que des indicateurs d'abondance des essences. Nous discutons comment de telles approches peuvent être intégrées dans les dispositifs d'indicateurs sectoriels.

The goal of the investigation was to analyze parameters and indicators of modern combine harvester performance in grain harvesting, as a basis for reviewing the possibility for improved performance, capacity, as well as decrease of fuel consumption per product unite. Relevant parameters and indicators were calculated based on test results. The results achieved in maize harvesting were: fuel consumption was 14 l/ha, and 58.9 l/ha for efficiency of 24.2 ha/h and average working speed 8 km/h. Based on investigations in wheat harvesting, values of relevant parameters and indicators of fuel consumption were up to 13.6 l/ha, i.e. 38.1 l/ha for performance of 2.8 ha/h and 5.5. km/h average speed. The efficiency range of harvesters was 70%, with a considerable potential for improvement through better harmonizing of the working regime and the working conditions.

Based on a combined internet and mail survey in Germany the independence of indica-tors of trust in public authorities from indicators of attitudes toward genetically modified food is tested. Despite evidence of a link between trust indicators on the one hand and evaluation of benefits and perceived likelihoods of risks, correlation with other factors is found to be moderate on average. But the trust indicators exhibit only a moderate relation with the re-spondents’ preference for either sole public control or a cooperation of public and private bodies in the monitoring of GM food distribution. Instead, age and location in either the New or the Old Lander are found to be significantly related with such preferences.