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Overview

If you had the responsibility for bringing your knowledge to bear in deciding the care and stewardship of a forest and surrounding landscape over many future decades what would you do? The responsibility for drawing up a management plan stretching decades into the future, for a single area, can be a great privilege for a forester / land manager. This module provides an opportunity to develop professional and practical skills required to produce a forest management plan (also known as ‘land management plans’) that (a) meets professional standards and (b) will achieve forest / landowners’ stated objectives for a particular area. The module is comprised of blackboard-based resources, lectures, seminars, group work, computer practicals, GIS drop-ins and site visits. Cooperation amongst students is strongly encouraged during the module and active participation will greatly assist understanding of all aspects of management planning.

Outline syllabus topics include:

1. The forest / land management planning process - scoping, survey, analysis, synthesis, implementation, monitoring, and review.

2. Production of a forest / land management plan - general approaches to implementation, five-year work programme, cash flow forecast, including estimation of timber production, income and expenditure.

GIS for Forestry and Land Management is a prerequisite for this module.

Assessment Strategy

Threshold (D) All sections of the plan are present and most material is in the right section(s). There is a basic site description, but some important details and maps are missing. Lists of desired characteristics and limiting factors are provided, but are either incomplete or repetitious. Current levels, target levels and monitoring requirements are confused / inappropriate / missing. General approaches to implementation are mostly sensible but lack detail. A five-year work programme, production forecast and cash flow forecast are included but there is a lack consistency with earlier parts of the plan or with each other. The plan includes sections which contradict other sections. The plan would require substantial revision before it could be put into practice.

Good (B) All sections of the plan are present and all material is in the right section(s). There is a good site description, with only minor omissions of detail. Desired characteristics are sensible and realistic, and most limiting factors are identified. Current levels, target levels and monitoring requirements are given for all desired characteristics, and most are quantified. General approaches to implementation are workable and show understanding. The five-year work programme, production forecast and cash flow forecast are mainly consistent with earlier parts of the plan and with each other. The plan includes some minor inconsistencies. The plan would require minor revision before it could be put into practice.

Excellent (A) All sections of the plan are present and all material is in the right section(s). There is a detailed, comprehensive site description. The vision and long-term policy are original and appropriate. Desired characteristics are both imaginative and realistic, and all limiting factors are identified. Current levels, target levels and monitoring requirements are given for all desired characteristics, and are fully quantified. General approaches to implementation show imagination and detailed understanding. The five-year work programme, production forecast and cash flow forecast are detailed, and completely consistent with earlier parts of the plan and with each other. The plan could be put into practice at once, without revision.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse the ways in which current forestry policies, legislation, standards, and guidelines influence forest management planning and its outcomes and develop appropriate management interventions.

• Develop an integrated forest management plan including a long-term policy, vision, realistic management objectives and strategies and a detailed five-year work programme (production and cash flow forecast) that is robust, coherent and appropriate for a specific site.

• Identify suitable indicators, targets and monitoring procedures which are appropriate and realistic for management objectives.

• Utilise appropriate techniques and datasets in combination with a desktop GIS to construct maps and undertake spatial analyses in order to describe the study site and illustrate key aspects of the management plan, such as a felling plan, regeneration plan and long-term plan.