Interview with Christoph Hartebrodt and Ryoko Ishizaki, IUFRO Research Group 3.08.00 Small-scale forestry, https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-3/30000/30800/ and
Ikuo Ota, Chair of the Organizing Committee for the "Small-scale Forestry International Conference 2022" in Okinawa, Japan https://www.iufro2022okinawa.org/

Family, community, and other small-scale forests play a crucial role in the wider society. For many forested countries, they significantly contribute to the economy through forest-based businesses, providing rural livelihoods and ecosystem services. IUFRO has a very active Research Group (RG) dedicated to small-scale forestry research.

From 26 to 31 October 2022, the RG hosted the "Small-scale Forestry International Conference 2022" in Okinawa, Japan, together with the University of the Ryukyus, and the Japanese Forest Economic Society, and in cooperation with IUFRO RG 9.06.00 Forest Law and Environmental Legislation https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-9/90000/90600/.

Dr. Christoph Hartebrodt is the Coordinator of IUFRO's Small-scale Forestry RG and works at the Department of Forest Economics and Management, Forest Research Institute Baden-Württemberg (FVA), Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

Dr. Ryoko Ishizaki is a Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO's Small-scale Forestry RG, the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the "Small-scale Forestry International Conference 2022" in Okinawa, and also a member of the Organizing Committee for the conference. She works in the Department of Forest Policy and Economics at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) in Ibaraki, Japan.

Dr. Ikuo Ota is the Chair of the Organizing Committee for the "Small-scale Forestry International Conference 2022" in Okinawa, Japan and works as a professor of forest policy at the University of the Ryukyus, Japan. He is a former Deputy Coordinators of IUFRO's Small-scale Forestry RG.

Click for conference details:  https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-3/30000/30800/activities/

Coordinator: Christoph Hartebrodt, Germany
Deputies: Brett Butler, United States; Teppo Hujala, Finland; Ryoko Ishizaki, Japan; Spela Pezdevsek Malovrh, Slovenia

The purpose of the IUFRO Unit 3.08.00 Small-Scale Forestry is to exchange information on research problems, ongoing research efforts and research results related to the management of small-scale non-industrial private forest woodlots.

Dr. Hartebrodt, you are the Coordinator of IUFRO's Small-scale Forestry RG. What do you think makes this group unique?

Hartebrodt: We share the basic recognition that "if you want to understand forestry, look at people, not at trees." This people-oriented approach is emphasized not only in our research but also in the activities of our group. We believe that bonds based on mutual understanding and trust are crucial to successful group activities. I think this is what makes our group unique. This philosophy is reflected in the fact that we have held research conferences almost every year since our group was founded in 1986. Besides sharing research findings during the scientific sessions, we have also placed emphasis on excursions to see the sites together, understand the context and then discuss the ideas.

Have there been any significant changes in the RG since its founding in 1986?

Hartebrodt: Yes. The group's activities have developed significantly over its thirty-six years of history. The topics have changed substantially over the years. At the beginning issues of forest management and managerial economics were dominant. Over the years the focus has shifted to social and behavioral issues.

In 2002 a scientific journal emerged from our group's discussions and since 2007 "Small-scale Forestry" has been published by Springer. A large number of high-quality peer-reviewed articles on small-scale forestry have been published in this journal.

Since 2008 the Brandl Award, named after Professor Helmut Brandl, founder of the IUFRO Small-scale Forestry Group and a leading scholar of private forest policy in Germany, has been presented occasionally to honor and thank those who have made significant contributions to small-scale forestry research and the group's activities.

More recently, the impact of social distancing required by COVID-19 was particularly significant for your group, wasn't it?

Hartebrodt: Exactly. Unfortunately, our proud tradition had to experience a temporary interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 we had to take the decision to cancel our planned conference in Kilkenny, Ireland. This was a very hard decision. In February 2021 we decided to hold our first online meeting. We believe that this new conference format was a significant challenge for us but has delivered very fruitful outcomes, indeed. Nevertheless, the desire was unquenchable to have an opportunity for researchers from diverse countries to share time and space for face-to-face discussions, so we were truly delighted to be able to hold a fully face-to-face conference again in Okinawa, Japan.

Dr. Ishizaki, you became a Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO's Small-scale Forestry RG in 2019. How do you feel about the activities of your group during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ishizaki: I feel that there were both positive and negative impacts. On the one hand, perhaps the most positive impact has been the widespread use of online meetings, which has made it possible for international meetings to be held without high travel expenses for the participants. On the other hand, it may have also made us realize that online meetings are not quite able to achieve the same quality of interaction as face-to-face communication.

In addition, there is the issue of time zones. For me it was very tough to attend the meetings held late at night Japan time. For research gatherings like ours, which share a large number of studies from many countries, I feel that the traditional face-to-face format has definite advantages.

The Small-scale Forestry International Conference 2022 took place in Japan in October. Can you give a brief overview of the main issues discussed at the conference? https://www.iufro2022okinawa.org/

Ishizaki: The theme for this conference was "Progress in Small-scale Forestry beyond the Pandemic and Global Climate Change". In the past three years, preexisting problems such as climate change have become more serious, and the circumstances surrounding small-scale forestry have changed greatly amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent upheavals caused by the wider global situation. The conference featured 55 presentations, including two keynote speeches, discussing these issues.

A public symposium was also held during the conference, which was well attended by the general public. The symposium focused on the Yambaru region of Okinawa, where forests used by people for centuries were designated as a World Natural Heritage site in 2021. During the post-conference excursion that started the next day, participants visited Yambaru and exchanged opinions about forests, people's lives, and forestry. This offered a wide range of discussion points with colleagues from the IUFRO 9.06.00 Forest Law and Environmental Legislation Research Group, who cooperated with our RG for this conference.

Dr. Ota, you are the Chair of the first face-to-face RG conference in three years held in Okinawa, Japan. How do you feel now that the conference is over?

Ota: Organizing this conference was a big challenge for us. There were too many uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time we launched the conference website a year ago. The easing of entry restrictions in Japan proceeded rather slowly. By the end of July 2022, when we made our final decision to hold the event in person, visas and behavior management during the stay were required for every foreigner to enter Japan. These entry restrictions were finally eased in mid-October, just two weeks before the conference started. When I observed the lively atmosphere and saw the happy expression on each participant's face during the conference, I was truly glad that we had taken on this challenge.

Was there any special intention behind the choice of Okinawa, a subtropical island in Japan, as a venue?

Ota: Okinawa is located in the southernmost part of Japan and has a unique culture and history. While it has experienced some difficulties and still faces challenges, the smiles of its people are welcoming and attract visitors to the area. There is an Okinawan saying, "Ichariba chohdeh", which means that once you meet someone, you all are brothers and sisters. I think Okinawa was the perfect place for the restart of a gathering of old and new siblings after three years of absence.

Finally, could you say a few words about the future activities of the Small-scale forestry Research Group?

Hartebrodt: Starting with the success of this conference, we hope to continue to develop the group's activities by hosting further conferences and publishing journals, while carrying on the philosophy that has guided us since our founding. We are always open to new participants with diverse interests. We hope to see you at our next meeting!

Thank you, Dr. Hartebrodt, Dr. Ishizaki and Dr. Ota!

IUFRO held a hybrid session on 11 November 2022 at the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) alongside COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.

Speakers Stephanie Mansourian (IUFRO/Consultant), Pablo Pacheco (WWF/IUFRO-WFSE), Michael Kleine (IUFRO-SPDC) and Nathália Nascimento (University of São Paulo) highlighted linkages between REDD+ and FLR and shared insights on stakeholder views. Discussions were based on the recent publications "Forest, Climate, Biodiversity and People: Assessing a Decade of REDD+" and "A Decade of REDD+: Stakeholder Perceptions of its Implementation". Find these publications at:
https://www.iufro.org/science/gfep/follow-up-studies/biodiversity-forest-management-and-redd-2021/

The session was moderated by Nelson Grima (IUFRO-GFEP) and can be rewatched at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T78Psf_Zy-M

Stephanie Mansourian summarized the relationship between REDD+ and FLR in three key messages: 1) FLR includes all five REDD+ activities (reducing deforestation; reducing forest degradation; forest conservation; sustainable forest management; carbon stock enhancement); 2) Both FLR and REDD+ are much more than just climate change mitigation mechanisms. 3) Understanding and valuing lessons from FLR and REDD+ experiences can help improve both mechanisms.

As Pablo Pacheco emphasized, nature loss contributes to climate change and climate change puts additional pressure on nature. The need to achieve global climate targets has increased the urgency to halt forest loss and scale up forest restoration. Both REDD+ and FLR frameworks offer opportunities and can complement each other in this attempt, but for both to be successful, a strong engagement of local stakeholders in leading the implementation on the ground is important.

To strengthen the engagement of local stakeholders in FLR activities, IUFRO's Special Programme for Development of Capacities (SPDC) piloted a training program for FLR facilitators. Michael Kleine explained that their main task is to assist local communities and stakeholders in their consultations, joint planning and implementation of restoration activities across different land uses. He underlined the importance of having people who are trusted by the local population and stakeholders drive the communication process to co-develop solutions regarding restoration in a particular landscape.

Nathália Nascimento stressed the need to go beyond carbon with REDD+ and forest landscape restoration and consider their co-benefits such as biodiversity, ecosystem services, food and water security, and also the sacred values of forests in any specific context, taking into account the different history and situation of local people. Furthermore, to ensure that traditional communities and smallholder farmers benefit, it is essential to strengthen governance and increase transparency.

Download the session flyer:  https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/gfep/bfmr-followup/outreach/IUFRO-GLFClimate_SessionFlyer.pdf
About IUFRO-GFEP:  https://www.iufro.org/science/gfep/  
About IUFRO-SPDC:  https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/  
About IUFRO-WFSE:  https://www.iufro.org/science/wfse/

Report by Louis Denaud, Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 5.04.08 Sawing, milling and machining, and Working Party members https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-5/50000/50400/50408/

The continuous production of wood-based panels involves systems that effectively transform tons of raw material into a certified product. This is achieved through the management of feedstock quality, the quick identification and resolution of technical issues, and the continuous monitoring of product characteristics, which ensure the final product meets the product requirements.

For these reasons, a smart panel production plant is fully equipped with non-destructive sensors able to identify problems and measure material properties quickly and effectively. In this IUFRO 5.04.08 seminar on 19 October 2022, the non-destructive sensor network of a wood-based production plant was discussed. The event attracted 61 participants from diverse countries and was kindly supported by the Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, Cluny, France.

Watch the webinar titled "Non-destructive Technologies for the Monitoring of the Wood-based Panel's Industry" at: 
https://youtu.be/gpPNlSnRico

Report by Bianca N.I. Eskelson, Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group (RG) 4.01.00 Forest Mensuration and Modelling https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-4/40000/40100/

This edition of the IUFRO RG 4.01.00 "Forest Mensuration and Modelling Chats" focused on "Effects of multicollinearity in model-based inference". It was presented on 24 October and attracted 20 participants from a wide range of countries and was kindly hosted by the University of British Columbia. The webinar series is meant to highlight forest mensuration and modelling research across a variety of research areas and allow for scientific exchange across the globe.

Dr. Svetlana Saarela, researcher in the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) talked about the effects of multicollinearity on model-based prediction accuracy and precision. She provided a brief overview of the existing literature on this topic and presented the results of a simulation study. The study showed that multicollinearity does not affect the precision of predictors when the mean values of explanatory variables in the datasets used for model estimation and application are the same. However, with large differences between the mean values in the two datasets, the effects of multicollinearity were found to be substantial, especially for negatively correlated explanatory variables.

Find video recordings at:  https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-4/40000/40100/

The study manuscript is currently under review with Silva Fennica:  Saarela, S., Holm, S., Healey, S.P., Patterson, P.L., Yang, Z., Duncanson, L.I., Armston, J.D., Kellner, J.R., Gobakken, T., Næsset, E., Ekström, M., Dubayah, R.O. & Ståhl, G. (in review). Effects of multicollinearity in model-based inference for aboveground biomass using NASA's GEDI and Landsat missions.

Report by Yoshihiko Tsumura, Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 2.02.23 Breeding and genetic resources of Asian conifers https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-2/20000/20200/20223/

This international symposium on 12 November 2022 was held as the 10th Anniversary International Symposium of Japanese Society of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding.
Meeting website:  https://fgtb10th.jp/

In this online meeting 98 participants from 7 countries discussed the past progress and future prospects of forest genetics and tree breeding. The importance and high possibility of genomic data for forest genetics, evolutional study and tree breeding were highlighted in four presentations. For applying such advanced methods, careful preparation of research material is necessary.

Speakers and their presentations:

• Prof. David B Neale:  Forest genetics in the genomics era
• Dr. Shanshan Zhu and Prof. Yingxiong Qiu:  Evolutionary and conservation genomics of tertiary relict tree genus Cercidiphyllum
• Dr. Makoto Takahashi:  Current status and future directions of forest tree breeding in Japan
• Prof. Yoshihisa Suyama:  Forest genetic studies using genome-wide SNP data by MIG-seq analysis

Proceedings of the symposium will be published in the journal of the Japanese Society of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding in the near future.

Report by Santiago Alarcón, Forest Europe

Forest Europe in collaboration with IUFRO, Migrapreneur and 2811 organized a workshop in Berlin on 27 October 2022 that brought together 3 experts on forest employment and education and 11 journalists from Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Sweden. The goal was to identify the challenges faced by seasonal forest migrants, evaluate the communicational and informative impact of the topic for the media in Europe, and build a network of trained journalists on seasonal migration.

Among other things, the need for forest workers to be equipped with the right skills was stressed. One of the keynote speakers, Mika Rekola, University of Helsinki, Finland, and Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group 6.09.00 – Forest education https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-6/60000/60900/, pointed out that the need for inclusivity in forest education to cater for different groups was one of the recommendations from the recently launched Global
Assessment of Forest Education, of which he was one of the authors: 
https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc2196en/

Find more information about the workshop: 
https://foresteurope.org/seasonal-migration-in-the-forest-sector-what-and-how-much-do-we-know/

The XXVI IUFRO World Congress https://iufro2024.com/ to be held from 23 to 29 June 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden provides another opportunity to honor outstanding scientific achievements and contributions to forestry with a range of IUFRO Awards. Please nominate suitable candidates for the various categories of awards:

• Scientific Achievement Award (SAA)
• Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (ODRA)
• IUFRO Student Award for Excellence in Forest Science (ISA)

In addition, the IUFRO World Congress Host Scientific Award and Best Poster Awards (BPA) will be presented.

The deadline for submission of nominations is 15 May 2023. Find information about the awards at:  https://www.iufro.org/discover/awards/

My name is Magdalena Jovanović. I am a master student in European Forestry at the University of Eastern Finland. I am actively involved in the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA) where I served as the President for the term 2021/22, and I continue my engagement this term as the head of the IUFRO Sub-Commission.

IUFRO and IFSA have developed a very fruitful relationship over the years, filled with collaborative activities such as mentoring programs, traineeships, projects, webinars, networking events and even a joint task force on forest education. I am very happy to continue the work in this direction. Much of my work will focus around the IUFRO World Congress 2024 and leading IFSA's activities and engagement at the Congress. It is an amazing opportunity, both for IFSA and my personal development, to be part of the IUFRO Congress Scientific Committee (COC) and the Honours and Awards Committee (HAC).

Working with IUFRO has and will continue to create opportunities for students to broaden their network, gain new knowledge and skills in various fields of forestry and support them in their future career. I will aim to facilitate as many of these opportunities during my term and am especially excited about IFSA's participation in the IUFRO 2024 Congress. IUFRO has created a space for IFSA to engage, be represented, and even take on a more important role in the COC and HAC, and both IFSA and I are grateful for this opportunity.

My name is Agustín Rosello Hinrichs and I am a recently graduated forest engineer from Chile. For this on-going term 2022/23 I have the honor and responsibility to be the President of the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA). During these first two months in this position, I have had the opportunity to participate in different conferences and events in which we have been able to reconnect with both my former IUFRO HQ colleagues as well as with numerous members of IUFRO's network.

Collaborations such as the annual internship program for IFSA members at the IUFRO Headquarters, the IUFRO-IFSA Summer School 2022 themed "Forest Policy for an EU fit Ukraine", mentorship activities at the All-IUFRO Conference 2022, and even a joint publication on green jobs and related forest education and employment, reflect the incredible partnership we have built.

As IFSA we are hopeful that the near future will keep developing our collaboration to higher places. We look forward to empowering the work done by the Joint IUFRO-IFSA Task Force on Forest Education https://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forest-education/. We look forward to participating in the upcoming IUFRO Board meeting, and most of all, we look forward to the IUFRO World Congress 2024, where IFSA can play an important role and continue to work for a world that appreciates forests.

More about IFSA and their leadership team available at:  https://ifsa.net/team/

The International Mountain Day (IMD) has its roots in 1992, when the adoption of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 "Managing Fragile Ecosystems:  Sustainable Mountain Development" at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development put a milestone in the history of mountain development. "Women move mountains" is the theme of this year's International Mountain Day on 11 December!

Find out more:  https://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/overview/en/
Get to know the International Mountain Partnership:  https://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/en/  

On the occasion of IMD, IUFRO would like to highlight the Resilient Future Forests Lab RFFL, which is being implemented by IUFRO-SPDC together with several IUFRO Member Organizations in the mountainous Kyrgyz Republic and in Uzbekistan. More at:  https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/netw/rffl/

Watch this presentation held by Palle Madsen at the All-IUFRO Conference in September 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZaeMmlk4Y&t=1607s

This survey designed by EFI's Bioregions Facility is an important tool to help European regions learn more about their own bioeconomy ecosystem. It aims to provide insights into how students of higher education perceive the role of entrepreneurship in the field of bioeconomy, as well as related opportunities and challenges.

About the survey:  https://bioregions.efi.int/survey-on-students-perceptions-of-bioeconomy-entrepreneurship/  

If you are a student at a higher education institution with an interest in bioeconomy, please fill in the survey by 16 December 2022:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZBQFYK6

One hundred years ago the Royal Experimental Forestry Station of Italy was founded in Florence by the master of Italian forest researchers, Prof. Aldo Pavari, IUFRO President from 1954 to 1956.

In these hundred years the forestry sector has undergone a profound transformation. Yet, forests continue to be an irreplaceable heritage of the country, a common good linked to history and culture, a source of countless natural products including wood, essential for the socio-economic development particularly of inland and mountain areas.

They also are the main tool on a territorial scale for the containment of hydrogeological risks, the fight against climate change, the protection of biodiversity and the landscape, as well as the purification and regulation of water and air. Our future depends on how we perceive and manage this heritage, and here research and experimentation play a decisive role.

To celebrate the foundation of the oldest Italian research body dedicated to forestry, which today actively operates as Research Centre of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), a public event was held on 30th September, that retraced the main historical moments, themes, methods and tools of forestry research and experimentation in Italy, with an eye to the future.

By Piermaria Corona (Director of the Research Centre for Forestry and Wood - CREA, Italy)

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Embrapa  presents the video "Children, Forests and Poetry", which highlights the importance of the integrated approach between science, culture, community and ecosystem.

The video, produced under the Bom Manejo 2 Project, coordinated by Embrapa Eastern Amazon and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), shows the workshop held with children from the Green Forever Extractive Reserve, in Port of Moz, Pará State, to mark the Amazon Day (September 5th) and the World's One Health Day (November 3rd). Watch at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaU9LIvZZpc

Earlier this year members of the Latin American Network of Environmental Forestry Law (RELADEFA) presented a publication about forests and forest legislation in 15 Latin American countries:  "Economía y legislación forestal ambiental en países de América Latina" / "Economics and Environmental Forestry Legislation in Latin American Countries". Read at:
https://www.iufro.org/news/article/2022/01/24/occasional-paper-no-35-economia-y-legislacion-forestal-ambiental-en-paises-de-america-latina-1/

Now IUFRO Working Party 9.06.01 https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-9/90000/90600/90601/ Coordinator Gloria Sanclemente (RELADEFA) has prepared a complementary paper entitled "Comparative Law Analysis of Environmental Forestry Law and Economics in Latin America", which is also available in Spanish and German for download at:  https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-9/90000/90600/90601/publications/op35-download-by-paper/#c33606

Employment in the pan-European forest sector has been decreasing since 2010 and the forest sector workforce is aging rapidly. A recent report by FOREST EUROPE and the Thünen Institute of Forestry, a Member Organization of IUFRO, provides latest facts and figures about employment in the pan-European forest sector, gives recommendations on how to reverse these trends and informs about green forest jobs.

More at:  https://www.iufro.org/discover/noticeboard/non-iufro-publications/
Preferred citation:  da Silva, Emilin Joma; Schweinle, Jörg. (2022):  Green Forest Jobs in the pan-European region. FOREST EUROPE, Bonn. 49 p.

While the benefits and especially the need of urban forests are being increasingly recognized, the road to the realization of such projects is often full of bumps and obstacles. The "Blueprint for Innovation in Urban Forestry" produced by Uforest provides a comprehensive overview of the main challenges faced by the European urban forestry sector. Uforest is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission: 
https://www.uforest.eu/

Through literature review and case studies analyses, the "Blueprint for Innovation in Urban Forestry" identifies 7 main challenges. Download the full "Blueprint for Innovation in Urban Forestry" and learn more:  https://www.uforest.eu/news/project-updates/innovation-report/

The authors of the publication are Joan Pino (UAB), Florencia Florido (CREAF), Colm O'Driscoll and Ilaria Doimo (Etifor), Cecil Konijnendijk (NBSI). Cecil Konijnendijk currently chairs the IUFRO-led Global Forest Expert Panel on Forests and Human Health:  https://www.iufro.org/science/gfep/gfep-initiative/panel-on-forests-and-human-health/

The twenty-fifth session of the Committee on Forestry (CPF) requested FAO to analyze - in collaboration with members of the CPF - the uptake of the Global Core Set of Forest-related Indicators (GCS) by other reporting processes and the extent to which they decrease reporting burden on countries. The resulting assessment was published by FAO in 2022 and can be downloaded at:  https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2223en

Stefanie Linser, Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 9.01.05 - Research and development of indicators for sustainable forest management https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-9/90000/90100/90105/ - led the data collection and analysis activities for this publication.