“We need to increase the interconnection between society’s demands and forest ecosystem services provision”

“We need to increase the interconnection between society’s demands and forest ecosystem services provision”

Mario Torralba, Postdoctoral researcher at The University of Kassel, Germany

In your opinion how can SINCERE project make a difference in forest management?
SINCERE has the potential to contribute in changing the paradigm in the type of management that is promoted through policies by putting emphasis in the forest ecosystem services (FES) that are not commonly accounted for. To this end, SINCERE will contribute to mainstream this new management models that go beyond timber extraction and contribute to boost multiple FES (biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, cultural FES, etc.).

In your opinion which are the paths to improve on forest ecosystem services and what type of impacts should these have on forest management?
We need to increase the interconnection between society’s demands and FES provision. For that we need to develop mechanisms to precisely monetarize both the provision of these FES and its demand by the society; as well as the changing of these supply and demand through time. Next, we need to develop economic and policy mechanism to promote management practices that enhancing the provision of these demanded FES. The development process of these mechanisms should be transdisciplinary, where all the interested parts (producers, consumers, policy makers, etc.) are an active part, which is the only way to achieve stable and transformative changes.

What can be the role of SINCERE project on FES improvement?
In Europe, there are already multiple local and regional initiatives that are or aim to promote the provision of multiple FES. SINCERE’s role is to support and connect them in a phase of co-design and co-development to, in a later phase, assist in the implementation of the innovative mechanisms that come out from these co-learning processes.

Can you describe what is your organization’s role in SINCERE and why did you get involved in the project?
The University of Kassel is one the institutions coordinating the working package “Creating a knowledge map” which aims to provide a robust evidence base, from across Europe and beyond, of innovative mechanisms that support the provision of FES. We are also participating in one of the project cases which explores the design and implementation of management models mainly focused in the promotion of cultural, spiritual and biodiversity values. Examples of these innovative business models with emphasis on cultural FES that we will explore are the funeral forests which specifically promotes spiritual FES, or forest kindergartens that promote educational FES.

2019-07-31T17:30:19+01:00 June 16th, 2018|Tags: , , |0 Comments

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