Loss
of forest diversity - increase in exotic monoculture
LB-9
Loss
of Biodiversity
Pressure
1 Indicator
definition and unit of measurement
The
direct
conversion
of existing forest land
to plantation monoculture resulting in loss of forest species diversity. Unit
of measurement is change in percentage of managed forest area under exotic
monoculture from appropriate baseline (e.g. current managed forest area).
2 Placement
in the framework
5EAP:
Chapter
4: Selected target sectors, section 4.4: Forestry, applies to afforestation on
agricultural land (increase in forest plantation, including on agricultural
land, p. 38).
Agenda
21:
Chapter
15: Conservation of biological diversity, calls for “the
in
situ
conservation
of
... primitive cultivars and their wild relatives (section 15.5. g).
Chapter
11: Combating deforestation, advocates the maintenance of “existing
forests through conservation and management” (section 11.12 a) and the
implementation of “national forestry action programs and/or plans”
(section 11.12 b).
International
conventions and agreements:
Habitats
Directive 92/43 (May 1992): Requirement for Appendix I habitats to be
designated as Special Areas of Conservation: including Forests.
Convention
on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 22nd June 1992).
Rio
Declaration on Forest Principles 1992.
Ranking:
Core
ranking:
9
(23%)
Policy
Relevance:
12
(2.6)
Analytical
Soundness:
6
(3.0)
Responsiveness:
4
(2.9)
Most
appropriate related state indicators:
Percentage
of forest area under plantation monoculture.
3 Significance
Purpose:
The
indicator represents the loss of biodiversity occurring through the conversion
of natural and semi-natural forests to plantation monoculture for industrial
forestry.
Relevance:
Industrial
forestry objectives have to be reconciled with those of both ecosystem and
landscape conservation, and integrated forest management practices adopted.
Linkages
to other pressure indicators:
LB-5:
Forest clearance; LB-6: Changes in traditional land use practices.
In
Resource Depletion, RD-6: Timber balance (pressure to establish plantations to
maintain balance).
Targets:
5EAP:
reference
to new afforestation to favour “the most adequate means for the
environment (slow growing trees, mixed afforestation”).
4 Methodological
description and underlying definitions
Underlying
definitions and concepts:
There
is an underlying assumption that conversion to monoculture will reduce forest
biodiversity - this will generally hold true, although if the original forest
system is degraded overall biodiversity may (at least in the short term)
increase.
Measurement
methods:
Change
in forest land occupied by exotic monoculture as opposed to mixed native species.
Limitations
of the indicator:
The
indicator does not take into account the potential for changes in biodiversity
of non-forested lands as a result of afforestation and covers only one
component of industrial forestry activity/impacts.
Alternative
definitions:
An
"indicator species" approach could be adopted: indicator as "loss of species
that are core indicators of ecological status of forests.
