Lu Wen Ming delivering welcome remarks at the dryland session. Photo: Gerda Wolfrum, IUFRO Headquarters
Session A-05(108): Conservation, restoration and sustainable use of dryland ecosystems
There is clear evidence of the fact that the growth rate of CO2 concentration has been increasing and, together with other greenhouse gases, this increase is a main driver of global warming. Unfortunately, these gases have a relatively long lifetime – CO2, for example, has a lifetime of 200-400 years – which means that we are putting a heavy burden on future generations.
Desertification is one of the results of rising temperatures. In China there are actually 4.52 million km2 of drylands constituting 47.1% of the total landmass. Parts of these dryland areas are threatened by degradation and desertification. In Mongolia we are witnessing a marked decrease of the number and area of lakes. This is mainly due to human activities such as coal extraction and irrigation. These and other anthropogenic drivers of change in drylands intensify the pressure on land, which leads to land degradation and decreases the ecosystem value, thus affecting people’s livelihoods. Read more…
Session #: F-7
Session Content: The session brings together a rich collection of research-based evidence on ecosystem service management and the emerging interactions between businesses, industrial plantations and local livelihoods. Along this, the session addresses impacts from changing international trade flows and foreign investments on the sustainable future of forest industry. Key examples are drawn from the Asian context with a reference drawn from other parts of the world. An important aspect is to bridge the gap between the future of forest-based industrial business and recent UN Sustainable Development goals and their inferences on human and environmental development perspectives. Read more…
Session title: A-03 (76) Implications of the Paris Climate Change Agreement (CoP21) on Forests, Water and Soils
Moderator: Richard J. Harper, IUFRO Taskforce Coordinator “Forests, Soil and Water interactions”, Murdoch University, Australia
Tuesday, 25th of October 2016, 10:30-12-30 (306B)
Find more information on the IUFRO Task Force of Forests, Soil and Water interactions at: http://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forests-soil-water/
Tree at lake, Laos. Photo: all-free-download
The Paris Agreement established the ambitious goal to limit the global rise in temperature to below 2° C. This session took a look at the impact climate change as well as mitigation measures potentially have on forests, soil conservation and carbon mitigation. Read more…
Panel discussion at the IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania, moderated by Peter Mayer, Austrian Research Center for Forests (BFW) and Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO Directors’ Forum
Panelists:
Panelists at the Directors’ Forum
Haruo Sawada, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Japan
Jung-Hwan Park, National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS), Korea
Gan Kee Seng, Forest Research Institute (FRIM), Malaysia
Jerry Vanclay, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Australia
The IUFRO Directors’ Forum is one of the most important activities within IUFRO and its status of a Special Program reflects this great importance. The forum is a high-level platform for directors of forest research institutions and deans of forest faculties worldwide to debate opportunities and challenges of research management. Read more…
Session D8-03(42)
Moderator: Xiaoquan Zhang
Tuesday, 25 October 2016, 10:30-12:30 (Room 305)
Green hotel. Photo: Vera Kratochvil
During the past 15 years, the rapid expansion of fossil fuels usage has raised global greenhouse gas emissions to the highest levels to date. This has led to a rise in surface temperatures and a significant increase in climate-related risks, including the loss of sea ice in the artic ocean, reduction of mountain glaciers, sea level rise, loss of endangered species, to name but a few.
In urban territories, solar energy and heat are absorbed to a greater extent than in rural areas, thus reducing the evapotranspiration and creating warmer environments. Consequently, the energy demand for cooling is expected to grow strongly with climate change. However, in many cities there is a potential for cooling urban microclimates through adding vegetation and trees and greening roofs and city areas. This will not only help to save energy, it will also be beneficial to the health and quality of life of city dwellers. Read more…
Keynote Presentation by Don Koo Lee, Seoul National University, Korea, Tuesday 25 Oct 2016
This most inspiring talk about the important roles of trees, soil and forests for human life highlighted ways of how to achieve sustainable development and showcased success stories, especially the historic achievement of reforesting Korea.
Professor Don Koo Lee speaking about sustainable forest management in Asia. Photo: Gerda Wolfrum, IUFRO Headquarters.
The goods and services provided by forests are manifold and indispensable for people and the environment. Forests are crucial, among other things, for stabilizing soil, providing water resources, supporting biodiversity, protecting against natural hazards, delivering timber and non-timber products, and, quite importantly, combatting climate change. In order to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the same benefits from forests, sustainability is indispensable in the management and use of natural resources. Read more…
Session title: Invasive Species and Forest Ecosystems under Changing Climate: Ecological, Economical and Social Impacts
Moderators:
Daizy R. Batish, Deputy Coordinator IUFRO Division 8.02.04, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Shibu Jose, Coordinator IUFRO Division 8.02.04, University of Missouri, USA
Monday, 24 October 2016, 16:00-18:00 (305)
Find more information on the IUFRO Working Party 8.02.04 at: http://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-8/80000/80200/80204/
This session took a look at alien species, specifically invasive insects and plants, and their impact on the invaded ecosystems. It particularly addressed the question of how changes within ecosystems associated with climate change affect alien species. Furthermore, presentations shed light on how invasive species can impact the livelihood of people in a social, economic and ecologic level. Read more…
Session title: Sustainable biomass for Asia’s growing bioeconomy: regional initiatives and promising examples
Moderator: Viktor J. Bruckman (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria; coordinator IUFRO TF “SFBN”)
Monday, 24 October 2016, 16:00-180:00 (302 A)
Find more information on the IUFRO Task Force, Sustainable Forest Biomass Network, at:
http://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forest-biomass/
In this session the speakers gave examples of concepts and cases for the sustainable development of biomass in Asia and Oceania. The variety of topics and local conditions highlighted the diversity of research required to provide a sound scientific basis to guide policy that supports innovation and protects forest land from degradation, over-exploitation, and subsequent negative impacts on ecosystem services. Read more…
Moderator: Youn Yeo-Chang
Monday, 24 October 2016, 13:30-15:30 (Room 302B)
Find abstracts on the Congress website http://www.iufro-ao2016.org/en/index.asp?hid= under Congress Program!
In this session, Traditional Forest Knowledge practices were suggested as a collective pathway for sustainable forestry development. However, there are national and international concerns regarding the loss of these traditions and the consequently negative effects for local livelihoods and natural resources protection. China’s economic development, social transformation and governmental intervention have had significant influence in local forest management decisions and culture, moving from the loss of almost all natural forest by 1980, to promoting community-based traditional knowledge building capacity for landscape management by 2010. Read more…
Professor Zhang Shougong, CAF, on screen during the Opening Ceremony
Professor Zhang Shougong, Chinese Academy of Forestry, held the first keynote address at the IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania on Monday, 24 October 2016.
As one of the leading scientists in silviculture and forest management in China, Professor Zhang Shougong, President of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, has long experience in establishment of planted forests and sustainable forest management. His research interests cover quality improvement and breeding of larch species, technologies for larch forest management and their application. Read more…
