FORESTRY

What is Forestry?

Forestry was for several centuries a general approach to managing forests for timber and hunting and has developed into a diverse art and science whereby several disciplines can be defined. Forestry may be conservation forestry, analogue forestry, agro-forestry or industrial forestry. Such forestry types are defined variously in texts but the common thread is that they are generally stem from an economic or ecological goals.

Definition of Analogue Forestry

Analogue Forestry mimics the indigenous climax ecosystem and recreates the structural and functional interactions of the natural forest using both indigenous and exotic plants. It balances conservation, cultural and economic concerns within a holistic approach.

Principles of Analogue Forestry

	The climax ecosystem is the most stable and productive for the particular landscape.
	Convergent evolution has provided morphological and functional analogues that can be incorporated into ecosystems throughout the globe.
	Keystone species can provide the necessary foundation upon which the entire ecosystem can be supported.
	Humans are an integral part of the landscape and must be considered as important in the design.
	Commodity outcomes must be market driven.
	Biodiversity is vital for the sustainability of the production system.

Application of Analogue Forestry

Analogue Forestry is also known as Analog Forestry but its application has the following common elements:   A SEEn Analysis is used to carefully evaluate the Social, Economic and Environmental aspects of the landscape. The sustainability of the design is then determined by applying the Analogue Forestry Decision Model. Uniform, Centred or Linear designs are appropriate for most types of applications throughout the globe.

Key Benefits of Analogue Forestry

Early returns can offset capital expenditure and enhance sustainable investment.

The edge effects of Analogue Forestry (e.g. local climate amelioration and insect population balance) benefit adjacent single crop regimes.

Products attract the higher premiums associated with Level A Forest Garden Product status.

Multiple crops with different growth optima lead to more productive outcomes (than single crops) under the variance of natural climatic conditions.

High biological diversity adds stability to the production system and a green image to investors.

	please click the picture to enlarge
Overlooking the Analogue Forestry demonstration site at Neosynthesis Research Centre in Uva Valley, Sri Lanka in 1994. The erosion caused by inappropriate land use is clearly present opposite the analogue forestry site.		Overlooking the Analogue Forestry demonstration site at Neosynthesis Research Centre in Uva Valley, Sri Lanka in 1998. Note how the canopy of the analogue forest has joined over much of the site.

Where is Analogue Forestry practised?

Sri Lanka.

North, Central and South America.

Australia.

	Southeast Asia.

Regional contacts for Analogue Forestry International Analog Forestry Network (IAFN). NeoSynthesis Research Centre, Sri Lanka. Environmental Management Unit, Monash University, Australia. Falls Brooks Centre, Canada. Environmental Liaison Centre Internationale, Kenya.