LINKS>INTERESTING LINKS

This list contains miscellaneous links that might be of interest or use to ISTF members--such as data, reports, papers, ongoing projects, requests for information and non-wood forest products, etc. For maps & GIS links click here. This list is neither complete nor exhaustive. Please contact the ISTF Webmaster at ISTF about additions to this list. Submissions made in both the English and Spanish languages are greatly appreciated. We encourage reporting any broken links or suggestions regarding the web site.

LISTED by SUBJECT

AGROFORESTRY

FAUNA

POLICY

AMAZONIA

FLORA

RESEARCH

BAMBOO/RATTAN

FOREST MANAGEMENT

SHIFTING CULTIVATION

CARBON

FORESTERS

STATUS

CERTIFICATION

GENETICS

SUSTAINABILITY

COMMUNITIES

LOGGING

TEAK

CONSERVATION

MAHOGANY

TRADE

DEFORESTATION

MANGROVE

UTILIZATION

ECOSYSTEMS

NUTRIENTS

WATER

EDUCATION, PUBLICATIONS

PESTS/DISEASES/FIRE

WOMEN

ENERGY

PLANTATIONS

AGROFORESTRY

Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands--An user-friendly resource for conserving and expanding the use of trees. PDF files available. <http://www.agroforestry.net/afg/book.html>

Agriculture Network Information Center--AgNic.com.  AgNIC is a guide to quality agricultural information on the Internet as selected by the National Agricultural Library, Land-Grant Universities, and other institutions.  Browse by subject or search by keyword. <http://www.agnic.org/>

Agroforestree Database - http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/Sites/TreeDBS/AFT/AFT.htm

Forestry Compendium. A global compilation of knowledge on forestry for practical decision-making. Including information on trees, seed suppliers, pests and countries, and aids for species selection for planning trials. Available from <http://www.cabi.org/> by internet or on CD ROM.

Glossary for Agroforestry - Includes 1,400 agroforestry terms arranged alphabetically, with extensive cross-referencing. (Compiled and edited by Peter Huxley and Helen van Houten, International Centre for Research in Agroforestry - 1997). <http://www.bugwood.caes.uga.edu/glossary/>

AMAZONIA

LANDSCAPE CHANGE AND LAND-USE/LAND-COVER DYNAMICS IN RONDÔNIA, BRAZILIAN AMAZON. Report. (Mateus Batistella,October 2001).

BAMBOO/RATTAN

International Network of the Bamboo and Rattan--INBAR--publications, databases on forest and endangered species. Cultivation of bamboo and rattan. <http://www.inbar.intl/>

CARBON

Latest IPCC Reports Available - Renate Christ, Secretary of the IPCC, Reported that The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just released two of its latest reports: Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry and Definitions and Methodological Options to Inventory Emissions from Direct Human-induced Degradation of Forests and Devegetation of Other Vegetation Types. "The reports were prepared by IPCC in response to invitations by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The first report has been prepared to ensure that inventories of greenhouse gases from the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector are neither over--nor underestimated as far as can be judged, and uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable, and to facilitate the best use possible of available resources, taking into account national circumstances. The 2nd report has been prepared for providing definitions and methodological options to estimate greenhouse gas emissions for degradation and devegetation activities, and to avoid unbalanced accounting. Copies of the reports can be obtained by completing the order form available at the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme websites respectively: <http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/gpglulucf.htm> and <http://www.ipccnggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/degradation.htm>. For users from industrialized countries, hard copies and CD-ROM copies of the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry can be obtained at the cost of 6,300 JPY and 400 JPY, respectively, plus mailing costs - see: <http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/>. At the moment the reports are available in English only. Translations of the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry into all official UN languages are planned."
May 2004

CARBON ACCOUNTING IN FORESTS – (From: NWFP-Digest-L No. 7/03 <www.fao.org/forestry/FOP/FOPW/NWFP/Digest/digest-e.stm>). A proceedings on "Carbon Accounting in Forests" based on an international workshop held in Canberra in February 2003 has been prepared by CSIRO. The book contains the following papers: International Responses to Threats of Climate Change, The Clean Development Mechanism, The National Carbon Accounting System, Current Methodologies for Assessing Carbon Budgets in China's Forests, Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism in Thailand, Carbon Flows in the Forestry Sector of Thailand, Application of the COMAP model for Developing and Evaluating Forestry Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options in Vietnam, A Toolbox for Carbon Accounting in Plantations, Toolbox Application: Case Studies for Firewood Production, Species-Site Matching for Carbon Sequestration Plantations, Greenhouse Accounting Research in CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products and The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting. Copies of the proceedings are downloadable from: <www.ffp.csiro.au/fap/Carbon%20Accounting%20in%20Forests.htm>.

CASFOR-II <http://www.efi.fi/projects/casfor> -- Modelling Carbon Sequestration in Forested Landscapes. The general objectives of this project consist of developing a general model for estimating carbon balance and carbon sequestration capacity in forested landscapes or regions, and the dissemination of this model amongst the user-community via the Internet.

An overview of guidelines and issues for the monitoring, evaluation, reporting, verification, and certification of forestry projects for climate change mitigation. Vine, Edward L. et al. 2001. Global Environmental Change 11: 203-216. (Article). http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/tib/carbonmon/mervc.pdf

CERTIFICATION

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) held an International workshop on Phased Approaches to Certification in Berne, Switzerland from 19-21 April 2005. The workshop covered several themes related to market requirements of certification and their implications for tropical timber producers. Additional topics included the status of regional initiatives and the public procurement policies on tropical timber. To view the proceedings of this workshop, visit the ITTO  website: http://www.itto.or.jp/live/PageDisplayHandler?pageId=223&id=969.

GROUP CERTIFICATION GUIDE IN PORTUGUESE - Oxford-based NGO ProForest published its Group Certification Guide in January 2002 as an output of DFID's Forestry Research Programme project R7589.  IMAFLORA in Brazil decided to fund a translation. The guide aims to provide practical advice to anyone wanting to set up a group certification scheme. Specific FSC requirements are addressed, but the information can also be used for other standards. ‘Certificação em grupo. Um guia prático.’ has now been published and is available from IMAFLORA: Estrada Chico Mendes, 185, Piracicaba São Paulo, Brasil. For more information, please contact Tasso Azevedo at IMAFLORA <tasso(a)imaflora.org>  or Ruth Nussbaum at ProForest <ruth(a)ProForest.net>.

COMMUNITIES

ERADICATING POVERTY OF FOREST PEOPLE. The DFID (Department for International Development) Forestry Research Programme (FRP) is working with country partners towards the eradication of poverty of forest and tree dependent poor people. Their latest survey, in Nepal, has just been concluded and a report published. Copies of the report can be requested from Krishna Paudel at Forest Action in Nepal <forestaction(a)wlink.com.np> or Hannah Jaenicke at DFID's Forestry Research Programme <h.jaenicke(a)nrint.co.uk>.

'Learning from International Community Forestry Networks', a project that reviewed several international networks designed to promote community forestry.

CONSERVATION

Bosque la Primavera. Denominado como el pulmón de la Ciudad de Guadalajara, el Bosque la Primavera aporta beneficios hídrico-ambientales a más de 4 millones de habitantes. Sin llegar a generalizar, podría decirse que la sociedad, como usuaria de las bondades del Bosque La Primavera, exhibe la carencia de valores ecológicos educativos, mientras que las diferentes instituciones gubernamentales no han podido hacer cumplir con los objetivos señalados en el decreto de protección.  Visite: <www.bosquelaprimavera.com>

Wetland Identification and Delineation <http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/wetdelin.htm>

Watershed Window <http://www.watershedwindow.org/> - sponsored by the World Bank’s Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership Program (BNWPP) and constructed and maintained by Michigan State University. The site's purpose is to create a community of scholars and practitioners of watershed development around the world, focusing particularly on watershed issues in developing countries. Information on watershed programs, projects, literature, and providing a forum for sharing information, experiences, and innovations.

DEFORESTATION

Mexico: Critical Analysis of the Current Deforestation Rate Estimates. Results of a study by Associates in Rural Development (ARD) and Grupo Darum on a USAID funded project to develop estimates of deforestation rates for the Government of Mexico.  <http://www.dec.org/pdf_docs/PNACP628.pdf>

January 2002.

ECOSYSTEMS

Bioecología de Arboles Nativos y Exóticos de Puerto Rico y las Indias Occidentales.  John K. Francis and Carol A. Lowe, editors. Salvador Trabanino, translator. <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/native.htm>

Data Sources for Ecosystem Indicators - <http://www.pepps.fsu.edu/segip/catalog/ecosd.pdf>

Wetland Identification and Delineation <http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/wetdelin.htm>

EDUCATION, BOOKS

MULTIPURPOSE INVENTORY BOOK - The book "Multipurpose Inventory for the Aged Artificial Forest" has been published by Japan Society of Forest Planning Press. This book is a proceedings of IUFRO-MIAAF research meeting and excursions in Yamagata Japa, September 2003. This book was edited by Y. Nobori, N. Takahashi and A. Yoshimoto For details see <http://www.tr.yamagata-u.ac.jp/~fi/MIAAF/index.html>.

Kurú: Revista Forestal. Para la Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal del Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica es un gusto invitarlo a visitar el número 5, volumen 2, de la nueva revista periódica forestal en versión digital, cuya dirección es: www.itcr.ac.cr/revistakuru  NOTA: si desea hacer su suscripción, solamente envíe los siguientes datos a la dirección electrónica kuru(a)itcr.ac.cr,  ya que aún hay problemas con la suscripción automática.

Kurú: Revista Forestal. The School of Forestry Engineering of the Costa Rican Technological Institute are happy to invite you to visit a new forestry digital magazine (number five, volume two) at the following web site. www.itcr.ac.cr/revistakuru  Note: we are currently having problems with our automatic subscriptions. Therefore, if you would like to subscribe, please send the following information to our e. mail address kuru(a)itcr.ac.cr.

FAO: INFOSYLVA. FAO has launched a new free electronic information service offering forestry news and information. Infosylva will include news from FAO as well as links to selected forestry-related news clippings from newspapers and journals published around the world and available online in English, French or Spanish. All interested persons can subscribe by sending an e-mail to mailserv(a)mailserv.fao.org, the subject should be left blank, and the message text should read: subscribe INFOSYLVA-L

Participatory Natural Resource Management Resource Center: Website. Visit the Participatory Natural Resource Management (PNRM) Resource Center to view its collection that includes methods and tools, outputs of collaborative activities since 1999, and websites and resources recommended by members. To reach the Resource Center, go to http://www.prgaprogram.org/ and click on PNRM RESOURCE CENTER in the RESOURCES area of the left-hand navigation column. At the moment the PRNM Resource Center contains: Collaborative Products (10), Resources developed by PNRM Members (organised by Author, Purpose and Theme). Recommended tools and methods (47), Recommended websites (82), Recommended journal articles and books (2), and PNRM Reflections (14).

Source: Forest Information Update Vol. 6, No. 22, 30 May 2005

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of all seed plants. Its goal is to eliminate the need for repeated reference to primary sources for basic bibliographic information about plant names. <http://www.ipni.org/index.html> The index is searchable for plant names, authors and publications.

CBD Information Centre. The Information Centre of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  It aims to facilitate the exchange of information on biodiversity-related issues and promote and facilitate cooperation in the programme areas and cross-cutting areas of the Convention. Composed of a unique collection of biodiversity monographs, serials and reports, the Information Centre offers researchers and the Convention’s interested public a wealth of information and knowledge. Its online catalogue offers links to the full-text of a work if it is available electronically in the Secretariat or elsewhere. <http://www.biodiv.org/doc/info-centre.asp>

SilvaVoc. The acronym is a composition of silva = forest, and voc = vocabulary.
It emphasizes the importance of the correct usage of technical terms in forestry, and is the name of IUFRO's clearinghouse for multilingual forest terminology. URL: <http://www.iufro.org/silvavoc/>

Glossarist - forestry glossaries and forestry dictionaries. <http://www.glossarist.com/default.asp>

YOUNG SCIENTIST PUBLICATION AWARDS - The Commonwealth Forestry Association has established a scheme known as the International Forestry Review Young Scientist Publication Awards, or the Young Scientist Awards.

(YSA) that is designed to help promote the careers of young forest scientists and managers through publication in the International Forestry Review. Age of author under 30 years of age at time of submission of entry. Author should not have previously published articles in peer-reviewed international technical journals. The submission should be from one author. Entries should be submitted in English. For more information visit <www.cfa-international.org> or contact the editor of the International Forestry Review at <alan.pottinger(a)cfa-international.org>.

AAAS Project on Traditional Ecological Knowledge. AAAS Handbook on Intellectual Property and  Traditional Knowledge Traditional Knowedge and Intellectual Property: A Handbook on Issues and Options for Traditional Knowledge Holders in Protecting their Intellectual Property and Maintaining Biological Diversity. Realizing that defensive disclosure is not the only option for traditional knowledge holders, AAAS has created a handbook that attempts to make intellectual property protection options more understandable and readily available for traditional knowledge holders. Its goal is to help local communities understand and identify potential protection mechanisms already present in current intellectual property rights (IPRs) regimes and the public domain for traditional knowledge. In addition to introducing some basic intellectual property concepts, this handbook contains a series of exercises to help the reader to identify knowledge and classify types of knowledge, as well as cultural and interest-related aspects of that knowledge. Through a series of exercises, it is possible for traditional knowledge holders to identify whether or not intellectual property options in the current regime are relevant and/or appropriate for their knowledge.

The handbook is available in PDF format, either as one large file or three smaller files. <http://shr.aaas.org/tek/handbook/>. For more information, contact Stephen Hansen at shansen(a)aaas.org or Justin W. VanFleet, Project Coordinator, Science and Intellectual Property in the Public Interest Science and Human Rights Program American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1200 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005 USA, Tel: 1 202 326 6220, Fax: 1 202 289 4950, jvanflee(a)aaas.org , http://shr.aaas.org or http://sippi.aaas.org.

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) <www.ipni.org/> is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of all seed plants. Its goal is to eliminate the need for repeated reference to primary sources for basic bibliographic information about plant names. The data are freely available and are gradually being standardized and checked. IPNI will be a dynamic resource, depending on direct contributions by all members of the botanical community. IPNI is the product of a collaboration between The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew < http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/>, The Harvard University Herbaria, <http://www.huh.harvard.edu/> and the Australian National Herbarium <http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/herbarium/>. 

Rainforestweb.org <http://www.rainforestweb.org/> was created as a tool for concerned citizens, companies and institutions to conveniently access the most complete and current information about rainforests, through one umbrella site. Created by Rainforest Action Network. <http://www.ran.org/>

International Forest List. This is an international discussion list on forestry in the global context. However, special emphasis is given to tropical forestry. Non-commercial, for informational purposes only. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ifl-tech2000/>

Equator Prize. The Equator Prize is a prestigious international award recognizing outstanding local achievement in combining poverty reduction with biodiversity conservation. The Prize is open to community projects in a developing country within the equatorial belt site of the world’ s richest biodiversity and home to many of its poorest people.

Six awardees will each receive a trophy, a cheque for US$30,000 and the global recognition they deserve. The countdown to the Equator Prize begins on World Environment Day (5 June) with an official Call for Nominations.

Visit the Equator Initiative website <www.EquatorInitiative.org> for a complete list of eligibility criteria, for full instructions on how to make a nomination and for deadlines for nomination.  Nominees should demonstrate evidence of the following qualities: impact; partnerships; sustainability; innovation and transferability; leadership and community empowerment; gender equality and social inclusion.

Nominations may be submitted online, by e-mail, post or fax no later than their posted deadline to: The Equator Initiative, UNDP, 405 Lexington Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10174, USA, Tel: +1.212.457.1709, Fax: +1.212.457.1370, Email: <EquatorInitiative(a)undp.org>.

Global Burnt Area 2000 Project.  Over large regions of the globe, fires are known to contribute significantly to the injection of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, and to be a major disturbance to the vegetation cover. Biomass burning contributes up to 50%, 40% and 16% of the total emissions of anthropogenic origin for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane respectively. Both the scientific community and the policy makers are looking for reliable and quantitative information on the magnitude and spatial distribution of biomass burning.

ARKive--Images of Life on Earth. A centralised digital library of films, photographs and associated recordings of species. <http://www.arkive.org/>.

WRI TRANSLATIONS AVAILABLE - The World Resources Institute has recently completed translations for:
Environment, Livelihoods, and Local Institutions: Decentralization in Mainland Southeast Asia (summary) - now available in:
* Chinese - <http://pdf.wri.org/decentralization_chinese.pdf>
* Khmer - <http://pdf.wri.org/decentralization_khmer.pdf>
* Vietnamese - <http://pdf.wri.org/decentralization_vietnamese.pdf>

Transboundary Environmental Governance: Principles and Practice in Mainland Southeast Asia (full report) - now available in:
* Chinese - <http://pdf.wri.org/transboundary_chinese.pdf>
* Japanese - <http://www.mekongwatch.org/publication/index.html#SEC1>
* Lao - <http://pdf.wri.org/transboundary_lao.pdf>
* Vietnamese - http://pdf.wri.org/transboundary_vietnamese.pdf

English summaries of both reports are available at <http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=3160>  and
<http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=3171>.  For hard copies of the translations, please contact Wattana Jaturasitha in Thailand (repsi(a)loxinfo.co.th) or Lindsey Fransen in Washington at (lfransen(a)wri.org).

Agriculture Network Information Center - AgNic.com.  AgNIC is a guide to quality agricultural information on the Internet as selected by the National Agricultural Library, Land-Grant Universities, and other institutions.  Browse by subject or search by keyword. <http://www.agnic.org/>

Bugwood Network -  digital information as resources and as tools to enhance and complement information exchange and educational activities in the fields of entomology, forestry, forest health and natural resources.

TRACKER - An information sharing tool on environment, natural resource management, and sustainable development in AfricaUpdated frequently with new information, it is available in French and English.  Tracker is a database that allows users to enter their experiences with local resource management and learn from the experiences of others

Winrock Fact Sheets - FACT Sheets (formerly NFT Highlights)
Authors: various, 1987-1999. Publisher: FACT Net, Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas.USA. For a concise summary of information about a multipurpose tree or shrub species, see the appropriate FACT Sheet at
http://www.winrock.org/forestry/factpub/factsh.htm or order hard copies from FACT Net (see Book Sources). Many available in Spanish, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer.

ENERGY

FAO. 2003. Woodfuels integrated supply/demand overview mapping (WISDOM): A methodological approach for assessing woodfuel sustainability and supporting wood energy planning.  <http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/y4719e/y4719e00.htm#TopOfPage>

FAUNA

Fauna Entomologica de Nicaragua - Orden Hymenoptera <http://www.bio-nica.org/Ento/Hymeno/hymenoptera.htm> Por Jean-Michel MAES & Paul HANSON.

The Department of Systematic Biology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers the Mammal Species of the World (MSW) <http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/>, a database of mammalian taxonomy containing the names over 4,000 currently recognized mammal species. This database is intended for use as a "convenient on-line reference for identifying or verifying recognized scientific names and for taxonomic research." The database may be searched using a number of different fields, including scientific and common names, original publication citation, type species or locality, distribution, etc. In addition to serving as an online reference, MSW can be "adapted as an authority file for collections management activities of mammal collections."

FLORA

FOREST MANAGEMENT

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) held an International workshop on Phased Approaches to Certification in Berne, Switzerland from 19-21 April 2005. The workshop covered several themes related to market requirements of certification and their implications for tropical timber producers. Additional topics included the status of regional initiatives and the public procurement policies on tropical timber. To view the proceedings of this workshop, visit the ITTO  website: http://www.itto.or.jp/live/PageDisplayHandler?pageId=223&id=969.

In Search of Excellence: Exemplary Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific. Patrick B. Durst, Chris Brown, Henrylito D. Tacio and Miyuki Ishikawa (eds.). 2005. RAP 2005/02. FAO and RECOFTC, Bangkok. This book shatters the myth that there is no positive forestry being practiced in the region. It celebrates the triumphs of forest managers, farmers and local communities in balancing the range of socio-economic and environmental demands made on forests. In doing so, it reveals monumental accounts of innovation, perseverance and dedication from across the region – stories that should inspire and motivate others to redouble their efforts to protect and manage effectively the region’s spectacular forests.

The book can be downloaded as PDF files from:
<http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/007/ae542e/ae542e00.htm> or <http://www.recoftc.org/03region/materials/new_materials/iseoe/insearch_of_ex.html> 

For more information and to obtain copies, contact: Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok, 10200 Thailand, Tel: (66-2) 697-4139, Fax: (66-2) 697-4445, E-mail: <Patrick.Durst(a)fao.org>.

or Lay Cheng Tan, Manager, Information Management and Communication, RECOFTC, P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand, Tel: (66-2) 940-5700 Ext: 1213, Fax: (66-2) 561 4880, E-mail: <info(a)recoftc.org> or <otan(a)ku.ac.th>.

FAO participatory forestry publications on CD-ROM. FAO, Rome. This CD-ROM contains 15 years of publications produced by FAO and its partners, mainly under the Forests, Trees and People Programme (FTPP). FTPP, which started in 1987 and ended in 2002, was an international community forestry programme designed to increase social and economic equity and improve well-being, especially of the poor, through collaborative and sustainable management of trees, forests and other natural resources. The CD-ROM includes more than 70 publications on participatory forestry and related subjects, organized according to series, theme and alphabetical order. It is hoped that these publications will contribute to strengthening human and institutional capacities that are necessary for the support of locally based sustainable management of forest resources. Available from: <Dominique.Reeb(a)fao.org> or <http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp>.

Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.  SEPASAL is a database and enquiry service about useful "wild" and semi-domesticated plants of tropical and subtropical drylands, developed and maintained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. By "useful" we mean plants which humans eat, use as medicine, feed to animals, make things from, use as fuel, and many other uses. The survey focuses on drier parts of the world because these are home to one sixth of the world's population, in some of the poorest countries. SEPASAL does not contain any information on wet tropical species. <http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/>

Forests, Trees and Livelihoods. This international, peer-reviewed journal focuses on issues related to rural development forestry, e.g. socioeconomics, tree and forest management systems, non-timber products and services, trees in agricultural and land-use systems, and public policy. Originally established as "The International Tree Crops Journal" in 1979, the name was changed in 1996 to reflect the new orientation toward tree-based systems in rural development. Complete information is available at the journal's web site, <www.foreststreesandlivelihoods.co.uk>, or by contacting the Editor, Michael S. Philip, Luton Cottage, Bridgeview Road, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5HB, UK, philipfor(a)aboyne93.fsnet

Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study: Urban Forestry in the Asia-Pacific Region - Situation and Prospects -- Working Paper on urban forestry in Asia and the Pacific, written by Dr. Guido Kuchelmeister of TREE CITY, an Initiative based in Germany ((Working Paper No: APFSOS/WP/44).

WWW Virtual Library: Forestry <http://www.metla.fi/info/vlib/Forestry>

FAO Proceedings of the Second expert meeting on harmonizing forest-related definitions for use by various stakeholders are available at http://www.fao.org/forestry/fop/fopw/Climate/climate-e.asp (in French, Spanish and English).

Global Leaflet--USDA Forest Service International Programs, available online.

Land use classification for agri-environmental statistics/indicators. Working paper No.13. Statistics Division. 1999.  FAO, Rome. 12 p. (Report). http://www.unece.org/stats/documents/1999/10/env/13.e.pdf

FORESTERS

YOUNG SCIENTIST PUBLICATION AWARDS - The Commonwealth Forestry Association has established a scheme known as the International Forestry Review Young Scientist Publication Awards, or the Young Scientist Awards.

(YSA) that is designed to help promote the careers of young forest scientists and managers through publication in the International Forestry Review. Age of author under 30 years of age at time of submission of entry. Author should not have previously published articles in peer-reviewed international technical journals. The submission should be from one author. Entries should be submitted in English. For more information visit <www.cfa-international.org> or contact the editor of the International Forestry Review at <alan.pottinger(a)cfa-international.org>.

GENETICS

Fauna Entomologica de Nicaragua - Orden Hymenoptera <http://www.bio-nica.org/Ento/Hymeno/hymenoptera.htm> Por Jean-Michel MAES & Paul HANSON.

Forest Genetics Resources Online News is now available in English, Spanish, and French. Please address all inquiries to : <m.bogga(a)cglar.org>. This informative online news is prepared by IPGRI’s Forest Genetic Resources Strategies Project.

Bioecología de Arboles Nativos y Exóticos de Puerto Rico y las Indias Occidentales.  John K. Francis and Carol A. Lowe, editors. Salvador Trabanino, translator. <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/native.htm>

LOGGING

RILSIM, the "Reduced-Impact Logging SIMulator", is financial modeling software developed as a service to the international forestry community. RILSIM has been designed to permit users to rapidly estimate the cost and net revenue associated with logging operations so that they can compare short-term financial costs and returns expected from reduced-impact logging with those expected from conventional logging under identical local site conditions. The purpose of the software is to help users learn about reduced-impact logging and its potential financial advantages as compared to conventional logging. If you are interested in obtaining the RILSIM distribution packet, including the CD-ROM and the printed User's Guide, please send a request with full mailing address to RILNET at <tlc(a)loxinfo.co.th> or <Thomas.Enters(a)fao.org>. Or for more information about downloading this free program from the web: http://www.blueoxforestry.com/.

MAHOGANY

MANGROVE

NUTRIENTS

PESTS/DISEASES/FIRE

FAO has created a new online database and website about invasive species introduced from foreign ecosystems which can negatively impact forests as a tool to help foresters deal with this growing problem. Website URL: <http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/27082/en> and Database URL: Invasive tree species database: <http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/24110/en>

PLANTATIONS

BRAZILIAN REPORT AVAILABLE - The Brazilian Association of Planted Forest Producers has issued an Annual Statistical Report referring to 2005. This report is available for downwload in the following site: <http://www.abraflor.org.br/estatisticas.asp>.

TREES COMMONLY CULTIVATED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: AN ILLUSTRATED FIELD GUIDE <http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/005/AC775E/AC775E03.htm> A pdf version can be found at: <ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/005/ac775e/AC775E00.pdf>

Bio-Nica  http://www.bio-nica.org/  Esta página, BIO-NICA, es un portal de promoción del conocimiento de la Biodiversidad de Nicaragua.

POLICY

Forests, Trees and Livelihoods. This international, peer-reviewed journal focuses on issues related to rural development forestry, e.g. socioeconomics, tree and forest management systems, non-timber products and services, trees in agricultural and land-use systems, and public policy. Originally established as "The International Tree Crops Journal" in 1979, the name was changed in 1996 to reflect the new orientation toward tree-based systems in rural development. Complete information is available at the journal's web site, <www.foreststreesandlivelihoods.co.uk>, or by contacting the Editor, Michael S. Philip, Luton Cottage, Bridgeview Road, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5HB, UK, philipfor(a)aboyne93.fsnet.

Summary Report of the Interlaken Workshop on Decentralization in Forestry, Interlaken, Switzerland, 27- 30 April 2004 is available at: <http://www.iisd.ca/sd/forest/sdlak/>.  IISD's SUMMARY REPORT is available online in the following formats: | HTML | PDF | TEXT |

Global Burnt Area 2000 Project.  Over large regions of the globe, fires are known to contribute significantly to the injection of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, and to be a major disturbance to the vegetation cover. Biomass burning contributes up to 50%, 40% and 16% of the total emissions of anthropogenic origin for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane respectively. Both the scientific community and the policy makers are looking for reliable and quantitative information on the magnitude and spatial distribution of biomass burning.

“Advancing Environmental Governance: Perspectives from the Regional Environmental Forum for Mainland Southeast Asia.” The report provides a brief look at the emerging systems of environmental governance across the six countries of mainland Southeast Asia, and details challenges in and opportunities for improving environmental governance, both at a local and a regional level. “Advancing Environmental Governance” is a compilation of papers and a consensus statement from the Regional Environmental Forum (REF) for Mainland Southeast Asia, a forum of environmental experts that met in Phnom Penh in November 2002. The report contains:

· An introduction describing the REF and exploring the functions of a regional civil society forum;

· A consensus statement from participants at the REF providing recommendations to national governments and regional institutions for improving environmental management; and

· Perspective country papers written by experts from Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“Advancing Environmental Governance” is available for free download online at <http://www.ref-msea.org/>.  To acquire a hard copy, please contact CICP in Phnom Penh at cicp(a)camnet.com.kh, TEI in Bangkok at <pond(a)tei.or.th>,  or WRI in Washington, DC at <lfransen(a)wri.org>. 

Land Use and Water Resources Research is a web-based journal devoted to the water resource, ecological, economic, climate change, socio-economic, policy and sustainable development issues related to land use. A particular aim of the journal is to connect better science and policy so that management solutions can be found which take into account the competing demands for land uses which are both productive, which sustain peoples livelihoods, which deliver conservation, amenity, recreation and environment/ecology (CARE) products and which also provide water with the quality and quantity we require for sustainable development.<http://www.luwrr.com/>

FRAME is an Internet resource that provides a place for analysts and decision-makers to think strategically about African environmental and natural resource management issues. Available in French and English <http://www.frameweb.org/>

RESEARCH

Air Pollution and Climate Change – Sides of the Same Coin for Forests. Scientific Summary Published in IUFRO News Volume 34, issue 10/2005. <http://www.iufro.org/download/file/627/199/scicsumm14-air-pollution.pdf>

FAO participatory forestry publications on CD-ROM. FAO, Rome. This CD-ROM contains 15 years of publications produced by FAO and its partners, mainly under the Forests, Trees and People Programme (FTPP). FTPP, which started in 1987 and ended in 2002, was an international community forestry programme designed to increase social and economic equity and improve well-being, especially of the poor, through collaborative and sustainable management of trees, forests and other natural resources. The CD-ROM includes more than 70 publications on participatory forestry and related subjects, organized according to series, theme and alphabetical order. It is hoped that these publications will contribute to strengthening human and institutional capacities that are necessary for the support of locally based sustainable management of forest resources. Available from: <Dominique.Reeb(a)fao.org> or <http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp>.

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of all seed plants. Its goal is to eliminate the need for repeated reference to primary sources for basic bibliographic information about plant names. <http://www.ipni.org/index.html> The index is searchable for plant names, authors and publications.

Botanical.Com -- Research Notes - By Pankaj Oudhia, Indian Herbal Research & Methods <http://botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/poudhia_index.html>.

CBD Information Centre. The Information Centre of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  It aims to facilitate the exchange of information on biodiversity-related issues and promote and facilitate cooperation in the programme areas and cross-cutting areas of the Convention.

Composed of a unique collection of biodiversity monographs, serials and reports, the Information Centre offers researchers and the Convention’s interested public a wealth of information and knowledge. Its online catalogue offers links to the full-text of a work if it is available electronically in the Secretariat or elsewhere. <http://www.biodiv.org/doc/info-centre.asp>

Global Environmental Database <http://www-cger.nies.go.jp/cger-e/db/dbhome.html> -- To protect global environments, it is important to accelerate the pace of global environmental research and to allow the output of that research to appropriately influence environmental policy. CGER collects and accumulates global environmental information and makes its global environmental database available to domestic and foreign researchers and policy makers.

13 annual reports from the Forestry Research Programme (FRP) of the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) are now available together in PDF on a single CD. These 13 reports cover the years 1990-1 to 2002-3. The earlier years, up to 1997-8, have been scanned from the original typescripts. They can be extracted from the CD and “saved as”. The more recent annual reports can be both saved and have text selected and extracted. Our current intention is that this CD will be re-issued at the end of the decade 1995-2005, which covers the Renewal Natural Resources Research Strategy of the United Kingdom Department for International Development, some time during 2005. This CD will then include the remaining two years of the RNRRS decade, the annual reports for financial years 2003-4 and 2004-5. If you wish to have a CD of the current 13 annual reports, please contact Ms Jody Sunley email <j.sunley(a)nrint.co.uk>. 

Glossarist - forestry glossaries and forestry dictionaries. <http://www.glossarist.com/default.asp>

International Forest List. This is an international discussion list on forestry in the global context. However, special emphasis is given to tropical forestry. Non-commercial, for informational purposes only. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ifl-tech2000/>

Winrock - forestry and natural resources publications via the web.

SHIFTING CULTIVATION

STATUS

Bosque la Primavera. Denominado como el pulmón de la Ciudad de Guadalajara, el Bosque la Primavera aporta beneficios hídrico-ambientales a más de 4 millones de habitantes. Sin llegar a generalizar, podría decirse que la sociedad, como usuaria de las bondades del Bosque La Primavera, exhibe la carencia de valores ecológicos educativos, mientras que las diferentes instituciones gubernamentales no han podido hacer cumplir con los objetivos señalados en el decreto de protección.  Visite: <www.bosquelaprimavera.com>

STATE OF THE FORESTRY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC - 2003. STATUS, CHANGES AND TRENDS - Brown, C. and Durst, P., 2003. RAP Publication 2003/22. FAO, Bangkok.This publication provides a broad status report and overview of developments in forestry in the Asia-Pacific region during the past several years. It aims to inform and update policy makers, forestry officials and others interested in recent forestry developments. For a copy of the publication, write to Forestry Section, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliawan Mansion, Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, or contact Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer at <Patrick.Durst(a)fao.org>.

State of the World's Forests 2003. FAO Forestry Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.  Rome, 2003.  The State of the World’s Forests reports every two years on the status of forests, recent major policy and institutional developments and key issues concerning the forest sector. This is the fifth edition of the publication, the purpose of which is to provide current and reliable information to policy-makers, foresters and other natural resource managers, academics, forest industry and civil society. Downloadable pdf file can be found at:
<http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y7581E/Y7581E00.HTM>.

Mountains and Mountain Forests--Global Statistical Summary--by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDS)
http://www.wcmc.org.uk/habitats/mountains/statistics.htm

SUSTAINABILITY

Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.  SEPASAL is a database and enquiry service about useful "wild" and semi-domesticated plants of tropical and subtropical drylands, developed and maintained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. By "useful" we mean plants which humans eat, use as medicine, feed to animals, make things from, use as fuel, and many other uses. The survey focuses on drier parts of the world because these are home to one sixth of the world's population, in some of the poorest countries. SEPASAL does not contain any information on wet tropical species. <http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/>

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Renewal. This project creates a set of unique and vital educational resources for sustainable development, providing essential information about the uses, products, and planting of traditional trees. <http://www.traditionaltree.org/>

FAO. 2003. Woodfuels integrated supply/demand overview mapping (WISDOM): A methodological approach for assessing woodfuel sustainability and supporting wood energy planning.  <http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/y4719e/y4719e00.htm#TopOfPage>

THE ETFRN NEWSLETTER ON LINE - The Mountain Forum #38 on 'Sustainable Development of Mountain Forests' is now available online at: http://www.etfrn.org/etfrn/newsletter/news38/index.html. ETFRN Series No. 1: Forestry, forest users and research: new ways of learning, edited by Anna Lawrence, can be downloaded as PDF file (2.6 Mb). The publication is based on the workshop entitled "Learning from Resource Users - a Paradigm Shift in Tropical Forestry" which was held 28-29 April 2000 in Vienna, Austria and organised by the Austrian National Focal Point of ETFRN. (http://www.etfrn.org/etfrn/index.html)

FAO has recently produced two online databases on sources of funding and forest valuation:

SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: FAO has prepared a small database on sources of funding for activities in support of sustainable forest management. In response to the many positive comments they received on their pilot project, they have been working to expand this further and a much fuller version of the database is now available www.fao.org/forestry/finance-sources. The database contains links to the web pages of agencies that present clear guidelines and procedures for applying for their funds. The database can be queried by type of activity, country, type of applicant and the amount of funding required.  In addition, in recognition of the digital divide, they have a facility to print-on-demand a complete database extraction for any country in the World and they will be disseminating some of these hard-copies to their partners in developing countries. 

FOREST VALUATION DATABASE: Another area where FAO is frequently asked for advice is the subject of forest valuation. In response to this, they have created a small database of forest valuation studies, with about 30 examples each from Africa, Asia and Latin America: www.fao.org/forestry/valuation.  The database contains short summaries of each study and information such as the location of each study, the forest outputs valued, the valuation methodologies used and the value estimates produced in each study. The database is currently restricted to studies that can be obtained on-line in full and they have focused on developing countries. The database can be queried by country, type of output and valuation methodology used. REVISION AND UPDATING: These databases will be updated periodically and FAO would be happy to receive comments on the databases, new information or updates to existing information on the databases. Any such information can be sent to Adrian Whiteman at: adrian.whiteman(a)fao.org.

Maximising the Role of Planted Forests in Sustainable Forest Management--report from the meeting held March 2003 in New Zealand. URL: <http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/unff-planted-forestry-meeting/>.

TEAK

TRADE

A explotar el bosque para conservarlo. Un nuevo sitio Web de BID muestra que buscar el máximo lucro es el mejor modo de promover la conservación. <http://www.iadb.org/pforestal/>  La preservación forestal está en el tope de la lista de muchos ecologistas, pero pocos reconocen que en el mundo real, los bosques deben pagar por su existencia. Un bosque debe dar a sus dueños mejores ingresos que los que tendrían usando la misma tierra para criar ganado o plantar.

Los economistas ambientales señalan -- correctamente - que los bosques dejados completamente solos proveen de servicios cruciales: protección de recursos de agua, conservando la biodiversidad, previniendo erosión, y muchos otros. Pero en el mundo real, la llave a la conservación forestal es el lucro..

Como convertir un bosque en un negocio es el sujeto de una nueva sección en el sitio Web de Internet del BID Negocios Forestales Sostenibles (http://www.iadb.org/pforestal). Dirigido a terratenientes, inversionistas, empresarios, funcionarios de gobierno, investigadores y ecologistas, la sección tanto proporciona directrices por medio de instrumentos valiosos que facilitan el desarrollo de estos negocios como señala como el propio BID puede proporcionar apoyo.

Harvest the forest and profit forever. Recently launched IDB website shows how making landowners think about doing business is the best way to promote conservation. In Spanish only at this time. <http://www.iadb.org/NEWS/Display/WSView.cfm?WS_Num=ws11005&Language=English>

Technologies for Wood Tracking: verifying and monitoring the chain of custody and legal compliance in the timber industry. The WWF/World Bank Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use has produced a report that examines a range of wood tracking technologies, with particular emphasis on tracking logs from their points of origin in the forest to the facilities where they are processed into primary wood products. The aim of the report is to provide information useful to individuals and organizations responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining chain of custody systems for wood products. The report is titled  Download the report here <http://www.forestandtradeasia.org/files/Wood_Tracking_Report.pdf>.

Agrarias <http://agrarias.tripod.com> Index with information on biology, botany, biotechnology, aromatic and medicinal plants, rural development, and training guidelines on forestry marketing.

SilvaVoc. The acronym is a composition of silva = forest, and voc = vocabulary.
It emphasizes the importance of the correct usage of technical terms in forestry, and is the name of IUFRO's clearinghouse for multilingual forest terminology. URL: <http://www.iufro.org/silvavoc/>

The International Wood Products Association has just released the 2002/2003 edition of its Directory of Members aimed at promoting and supporting trade in wood products from well-managed forests. Order forms may be printed out on-line at: www.iwpawood.org/woodref.html

UTILIZATION

A World Beneath the Trees: Non Timber Forest Resources. <http://www.aftaweb.org/readcurrent.php#2>. A summary of the International Symposium “A Future Beneath the Trees”.

Fair Trade in Wild Natural Resources - Source: UN News Centre, 28 February 2006. Report: Commercialization of non-timber forest products: factors influencing success (CEPFOR). With half the world’s 1.2 billion poor depending for their livelihoods on harvesting wild natural resources, ranging from cocoa and rubber to oils and spices, in a trade valued at $4.7 billion annually, the United Nations environmental agency today released a blueprint for a fair deal to lift them out of poverty. Many communities are entirely dependent on one or a few entrepreneurs for bringing their products to market, which can result in exploitation and unfair trade. Hence the need to develop the business skills of these communities as well as to support socially-minded entrepreneurs and create producer organizations providing opportunities to share information and contacts. This can greatly strengthen the ability to negotiate favourable deals and command a higher price for products. CEPFOR also calls for training and education to prevent the widespread scourge of over-harvesting. NTFPs include a wide range of commercial products traded internationally, including nuts, seeds, fibres, resins, fruits, oils and spices, used for foods, crafts and medicines, among many other uses.For full story, please see: <www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=17645&Cr=&Cr1=> to download all project outputs, free of charge, please go to: <http://www.unep-wcmc.org/> or <www.unep-wcmc.org/forest/ntfp>

Commercialization of Non-Timber Forest Products – Factors Influencing Success - One of the DFID’s Forestry Research Programme projects has come to a successful conclusion with the publication of one of the most comprehensive studies undertaken on the commercialization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Mexico and Bolivia. The book will be of interest to those supporting community-based NTFP commercialization in Latin America. The report, available in both Spanish and English, can be viewed at the UNEP-WCMC website (www.unep-wcmc.org/forest/ntfp) as well as ODI’s website (http://www.odifpep.org.uk/activities/forests_and_the_poor/s73/index.html).

Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Renewal. This project creates a set of unique and vital educational resources for sustainable development, providing essential information about the uses, products, and planting of traditional trees. <http://www.traditionaltree.org/>

Technologies for Wood Tracking: verifying and monitoring the chain of custody and legal compliance in the timber industry. The WWF/World Bank Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use has produced a report that examines a range of wood tracking technologies, with particular emphasis on tracking logs from their points of origin in the forest to the facilities where they are processed into primary wood products. The aim of the report is to provide information useful to individuals and organizations responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining chain of custody systems for wood products. The report is titled  Download the report here <http://www.forestandtradeasia.org/files/Wood_Tracking_Report.pdf>.

Latest IPCC Reports Available - Renate Christ, Secretary of the IPCC, Reported that The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just released two of its latest reports: Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry and Definitions and Methodological Options to Inventory Emissions from Direct Human-induced Degradation of Forests and Devegetation of Other Vegetation Types. "The reports were prepared by IPCC in response to invitations by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The first report has been prepared to ensure that inventories of greenhouse gases from the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector are neither over--nor underestimated as far as can be judged, and uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable, and to facilitate the best use possible of available resources, taking into account national circumstances. The 2nd report has been prepared for providing definitions and methodological options to estimate greenhouse gas emissions for degradation and devegetation activities, and to avoid unbalanced accounting. Copies of the reports can be obtained by completing the order form available at the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme websites respectively: <http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/gpglulucf.htm> and <http://www.ipccnggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/degradation.htm>. For users from industrialized countries, hard copies and CD-ROM copies of the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry can be obtained at the cost of 6,300 JPY and 400 JPY, respectively, plus mailing costs - see: <http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/>. At the moment the reports are available in English only. Translations of the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry into all official UN languages are planned."
May 2004

Global Leaflet--USDA Forest Service International Programs, available online. <http://www.fs.fed.us/global/news/>

Non-wood News is an annual newsletter produced by FAO's Wood and Non-wood Products Utilization Branch (Forest Products Division, Forestry Department). The aim is to provide readers with information on the potential of "non-wood forest products" and their contribution to the sustainable development of the world's forest resources. "Non-wood forest products" (NWFPs) comprise a multiplicity of goods (other than wood) provided by forests, other wooded lands and trees outside forests (such as foods, medicinal plants, spices, resins, gums, latexes, etc). This bulletin also includes articles on important forest-related services such as hunting, grazing, ecotourism, bioprospecting. Non-wood News is open to contributions on NWFPs from anyone. <http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/forestry2/index.jsp?siteId=2301&sitetreeId=12980&langId=1&geoId=0>

Non-Timber Forest Products--Your place to learn more about the use and markets for non-timber forest products. <http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/special_fp.htm>.   

Directory of Information Resources for Non-Timber Forest Products -- pdf file which lists many useful publications on non-timber forest products. Conservation International. <http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/publications/books_papers/books/index.xml> 

Non Wood Forest Products (NWFP) or Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) If you are interested in Non Wood Forest Products or Non-Timber Forest Products, which include medicinal, edible (plant and animal), floral, and craft products, then this e-consultation is for you. This e-consultation is part of the preparatory process towards a side event on Non-Wood Forest Products to be held at the XII World Forestry Congress (www.wfc2003.org) in Quebec on 20 September 2003, and is jointly organized and facilitated by IUFRO, CIFOR and FAO. The side event will be a full day meeting which offers excellent opportunities to discuss and take stock of lessons learned in the field of NWFP and to prepare a set of policy recommendations on improving research and development programs related to NWFP for submission to the WFC itself that is from 21 till 28 September 2003. More information on the NWFP side event is available at: http://www.fao.org/forestry/FOP/FOPW/NWFP/new/nwfp.htm. In case you may not be able to join the WFC or the NWFP side event, then this e-consultation is your opportunity to ‘participate virtually’ and contribute by sharing your views and inputs. To ‘kick-off’ the consultation, please go the website URL:  http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/ and click on the scroll down window on the left-hand-side of the screen. This will take you to the e-discussion web-page. Once there, make sure to read the introduction and instructions. Then, you are ready to participate. To participate all you need to do is to submit and interject your ideas, concerns and other thoughts. We are hoping for a free flow of ideas, suggestions and recommendations that crosses geographic and political boundaries. The process is intended to be transparent so you will be able to monitor past inputs. Feel free to participate in all of the discussion groups, but be careful about the information in the subject line. Messages are threaded and sorted by subject line. We believe that you have tremendous experience and knowledge that can prove invaluable in developing these themes. All participants will be recognized for their contributions, and please email your messages in English, French or Spanish. We will do our best to have messages translated for all to read.

WATER

Watershed Window - sponsored by the World Bank’s Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership Program (BNWPP) and constructed and maintained by Michigan State University. The site's purpose is to create a community of scholars and practitioners of watershed development around the world, focusing particularly on watershed issues in developing countries. <http://www.watershedwindow.org/> Information on watershed programs, projects, literature, and providing a forum for sharing information, experiences, and innovations. <http://www.watershedwindow.org/>

Watershed Technical Assistance, Education and Training. Anacortes, Washington, USA. Watershed technical assistance, education and training might be helpful to your objectives. Workshops can be tailored to your needs and interests. Contact: Susan Toch, Ph.D., M.P.H.,"Water to Drink", PO BOX 1261,Anacortes, WA 98221, U.S.A.  E-mail: WatertoDrink(a)mac.com URL: <http://www.anaturalresource.com/>

WOMEN

Integrating Indigenous and Gender Aspects in Natural Resource Management - Guidelines for Practitioners.
Authors: Elisabeth Kiørboe, Diana Vinding, Martha Salazar, Vibeke Tuxen and Helle Munk-Ravnborg
Publisher: Network on Indigenous peoples, Gender and Natural Resource Management

Developed by the Network on Indigenous peoples, Gender and Natural Resource Management (IGNARM), the aim of these guidelines is to offer some conceptual and practical tools for improving natural resource management activities and to open a dialogue among practitioners as to how gender and indigenous concerns can best become an integrated part of any natural resource management process anywhere in the world. The guidelines are not intended to be comprehensive in all aspects and for all areas, but rather to raise questions, as well as to present some answers and examples of why, how, when and where indigenous and gender issues are crucial to consider in order to achieve positive results, impact and sustainability within natural resource management interventions.

For more information, see http://www.comminit.com/materials/ma2006/materials-2847.html
To download a copy, go to http://www.ignarm.dk/resources/Guidelines_for_Practitioners.pdf