If you are
interested in attending the IUFRO Old-Growth and Forest Reserves
working party meeting please indicate it on the registration
form so we can make a list of interested parties.
If you would like to also attend the IUFRO old-growth field trip,
please go to the Field
Trip page for more information and register for the trip when
you register for the meeting.
Background
The Working Party "Old-Growth Forests and Forest Reserves"
(8.01.01) of International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
(http://iufro.boku.ac.at/)
will meet on Friday night during the field trip that begins Friday,
June 20 after the NAFEW workshop concludes. Participation in the
Working Party is free and open to anyone who is interested in
scientific research about old-growth forests and forest reserves.
IUFRO has had a Working Party on old-growth forests and forest
reserves for many years. Previously the Working Party was titled
"Virgin Forests" was under the leadership of H. Meyer
of Austria. In the 1990's the working group was merged with the
Natural Parks and Wilderness Working Group and the name was changed
to its present form. The working group has not been active. We
propose to make it more active.
In the last 20 years old-growth conservation has become a management
issue and goal in many parts of the world. For example, certification
by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is predicated on conserving
remaining areas of old growth. As conservation and restoration
of old-growth forests have become a more widespread goal the need
for research on the structure, dynamics and function of old forests
and forest reserves has increased. Given the diversity of forest
types managers, policy makers and the public are often confused
about the concept and definition of old growth and the best approaches
to attain old-growth goals in the face of natural and human disturbances
and environmental change. Some parts of the world are relatively
rich in forests that are old or have developed with little or
no human alterations. Many other parts of the world lack such
forests but there is interest in restoring them. An international
scientific perspective on old growth and forest reserves is needed
to provide sound information for managers, policy makers, and
the public.
We believe the time is right to develop an active international
scientific research network that focuses on old-growth forests
and forest reserves. The goals of the group will be to provide
a scientific network for exchanging information about the ecology
and management of old-growth forests and forest reserves. This
would be accomplished through development of a mailing list of
potential interested researchers and managers and convening of
small meetings to foster international exchange and collaboration.
There will be a special business meeting for the Old-Growth working
party on Friday night at the Andrews Experimental Forest (see
Field Trips for Details). We will
discuss organization of the group, goals, and future meetings.
Organizers:
Thomas
A. Spies
Coordinator IUFRO 8.01.01
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station
3200 Jefferson Way
Corvallis, Oregon
USA
Fax: 541-7507329
Tel: 541-754-8142
e-mail: tspies@fs.fed.us |
Alex
Mosseler
Deputy IUFRO 8.01.01
Natural Resources Canada
Canadian Forest Service
Atlantic Region
Hugh John Fleming Complex
1350 Regent St. S. / PO Box 4000
Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5P7
Canada
Fax: +1-506-4523140
Tel: +1-506-4522440
e-mail: amossele@NRCan.gc.ca |
