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Representing forest management dilemmas in the Ecological Footprint indicator
Journal
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research
ISSN
1589-1623
ISSN-Digital
1785-0037
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2012-01-20
Author(s)
Csutora, Maria
Abstract
Over the last decade the ecological footprint (EF) methodology has become widely used for estimating the biocapacity and the impact of human consumption in terms of global hectares. Although it represents a very impressive method for calculating the EF and biocapacity of an area, problems can arise regarding the incorporation of ecological factors into the calculation process. In this study we point out some problematic issues with use of the current EF methodology from an ecological point of view, taking as our focus forest biocapacity in Hungary. The EF concept ignores the differences in productivity of different species and forest types and their associated ecological values as well. We argue that the ecological ‘quality' of different kinds of forests and tree species should be reflected in EF calculations in order to obtain a more accurate estimation of biocapacity. The presence of invasive and non-local species may reduce biodiversity and crowd out native tree species. As a result we distinguish between three main forest types (natural, cultural and energy forests) and additionally suggest the introduction of an additional parameter which refers to the ‘naturalness' of the specified forest types. Results show a 15% increase in forest biocapacity when incorporating the naturalness factor.
Language
English
Keywords
ecological footprint
biocapacity
forest footprint
yield factor
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Applied Ecological Research and Forensic Institute Ltd.
Publisher place
Budapest
Volume
10
Number
1
Start page
65
End page
73
Pages
9
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
230151