Technologies for sustainable forest management in the northern zone, Costa Rica
This paper describes local and introduced technologies for sustainable tropical forests in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. Technologies used include: (1) management plan as a key tool to assure correct management; (2) forest inventory for planning; (3) harvesting of only 60 percent of commercial cubic mater of standing timber; (4) preplanned road and skid-road construction avoiding unnecessary logging damage and its effect on natural regeneration; (5) observing directional tree felling top minimize damage to the remaining stand and vegetation; (6) new techniques for skidding in order to minimize damage to soil and vegetation; (7) protection of seed trees (named "mother trees") to promote the of desirable species regeneration; (8) protection zones along rivers and natural water courses; (9) post-silviculture treatments; and (10) follow-up for second harvest. The Government has used fiscal incentives as a major policy tool in the forestry sector. From 1991 incentives to landowners for sustained yield management of their forest were institutionalized. The forest certificate bond for management ("CAFMA") acts as an incentive to compensate the opportunity cost involved in only extracting 60 percent of the commercial cubic meters of standing timber forest and leaving the remainder for future regeneration and harvest. From this policy technical and positive economic effects are derived. Within the Northern Zone there are more than 5,000 ha under management plans with CAFMA. These are examples to other landowners to follow and adopt similar practices. Also preliminary financial analysis indicates that under management plans with the incentive program it is possible for the forest owners to obtain profits and at the same time maintain the indirect benefits derived from the ecosystem to society as a whole.
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| Format: | biblioteca |
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(Costa Rica)
1995
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| Subjects: | MANEJO FORESTAL, TECNOLOGIA TRADICIONAL, CRECIMIENTO, INCENTIVOS, ANALISIS ECONOMICO, BOSQUE NATURAL, BOSQUE SECUNDARIO, COSTA RICA, |
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