In the provisioning forest ecosystem services the classifications used such as Timber and NTFPs, Woody and non woody products, Direct use values and indirect use values etc. For example; I have market values for the Timber (construction wood), house use furniture (chairs, tables, cupboards etc), fire/fuel wood, medicinal plants, thatching materials, and packing materials. How I should classify these forest products as Timber and NTFPs to avoid double counting? Which classification method for the provisioning services of forest is valid and updated ?
Take a look at a ecosystem services and disservices concepts.
You will found nice explanations in Ecological economics papers.
Hope to be usefull,
Tiago
The term 'Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) encompasses all biological materials other than timber which are extracted from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests that include products used as food and food additives (edible nuts, mushrooms, fruits, herbs, spices and condiments, aromatic plants, game), fibers (used in construction, furniture, clothing or utensils), resins, gums, and plant and animal products used for medicinal, cosmetic or cultural purpose for human use (FAO,1982; Khanal 2006) .
Timber is generally considered upto the height of first branching (20 cm diameter). Beyond this point and into the crown upto 5 cm diameter is considered as small wood. From this point to the tip of the tree, branches and twigs are considered as slash wood.
A tree may have high utilization potential i.e. the main stem may be used as timber, small wood for agricultural implements, leaves and seeds may have medicinal values and flowers and fruits of the same tree may be edible for the rural community. In such cases, the same tree may be counted as number of times as its uses.
As for classifying an NTFPs, you can refer my poster paper presented in 13th World Forestry Congress, Argentina, 2009.
I totally agree with Dr Srivastava regarding the distinction of of timber on the basis of diameter i.upto20cm dia, Woody stems with less than 20cm diameter are known as small wood (
It depends on what do you looking for with this type of classification. I suppose you are talking about timber and non-timber forest products with market value. I suggest not include services or products without market value or put them in other section. Market value could be the best criteria for classification
Timber products are generally wood with specified height dimension of up to 20cm. Timber products generally results in the production of by-products like chairs, poles, and other sets of wooden furniture. On the other hand, non-timber products would include medicinal leaves and even the existence of other biodiversity existing in the forest environment.
Timber is any of the wood component of the tree that has been sawn to the dimensions of a market. Non-timber forest products are all tangible products that one can get from the forest which do not qualify to be sawn wood e.g. twigs, branches, barks, fruits, vegetables
, medicine etc.
Whether something qualifies as timber also depends on the utilization standard (minimum and maximum diameter at breast height and as far up the tree as mill technology can handle). "Timber" is usually considered that part of a tree that can be used for construction and furniture and, at least in the United States, for pulp and paper. Non-timber products are everything else that comes from a forest, much as others have said. That category may also include the patrs of trees not used for sawlogs or pulp/paper such firewood/fuel wood, boughs, and Christmas trees.
I suggest this classification for Products and services (independent of functions like protection against erosion, regulating climate and hydrological cycle, conservation of biodiversity, carbon sinks, source of employment, etc…), that is values associated with some kind of use
1) Market value products
a) Tree products (forests as FAO definition)
a1) Timber products, independent on size and final use (including biomass): construction wood, house use furniture, packing materials
a2) Non timber products: fruits, bark/cork, resin, …
b) Trees, scrubs and grassland (forests and other wooded land as FAO definition): medicinal, aromatic, gardening, grazing, …: medicinal plants, thatching materials, packing materials (it depends on the raw material used)
2) Non market value products (forest and other wooded land)
a)Pleasure
b) Landscape
c) Leisure
d) Tourism
e) Environmental education
...
If you need a classification related to forest functions maybe you will found useful to distinguish between economic, social and environmental functions or to use the ecosystem function assessment promoted by Millennium Ecosystem Assessment initiative.
@ Inés Gónzalez-Doncel, How packing materials can be timber ?. As most of the packing materials in forest are outer bark of the trees (for example the bark of Birch) and small thin Branches of trees ( for example branches of Willow tree and many others etc) .
In Spain, and generally in Europe, most of the board production for packaging material (folding, consumer & industrial boards, etc) is recycled; nevertheless an important percentage of pulp producers using both coniferous and deciduous species exists. A good example in Spain can be seen at Smurfit Nervion pulp factory web page: www.smurfitkappa.com/vHome/es
However, when I said timber products I mean products obtained from wood as raw material, independent on size and industrial process. Probably is a very personal classification but it works for me and my purposes linked to forest management.
Dear Arshad
You raised an important and pertinent issue.
I feel if you are obtaining both timber and Non timber products from the same tree/ individual you have to consider both. Because if you are obtaining both the products from the sameindividual. For example, rubber latex is obtained till the tree is capable of producing latex and once the latex production is reduced the tree is harvested. Here both need to be considered.
Best wishes
Your classification depends of the country, some countries have an "official classification" is this is something new I suggest to take into consideration the use, scale of harvesting, economic importance. In general NTFP are of the community importance. Look for works by Mary Stockdale .
Timber is a very clear type of product, anything that is a part of a tree or shrub is recognized as NTFP, but the classification is just a way to organize information, that is the reason is useful to consider other attributes to do your classification.
Best regards
Patricia
Your classification depends of the country, some countries have an "official classification" is this is something new I suggest to take into consideration the use, scale of harvesting, economic importance. In general NTFP are of the community importance. Look for works by Mary Stockdale .
Timber is a very clear type of product, anything that is a part of a tree or shrub is recognized as NTFP, but the classification is just a way to organize information, that is the reason is useful to consider other attributes to do your classification.
Best regards
Patricia
Your classification depends of the country, some countries have an "official classification" is this is something new I suggest to take into consideration the use, scale of harvesting, economic importance. In general NTFP are of the community importance. Look for works by Mary Stockdale .
Timber is a very clear type of product, anything that is a part of a tree or shrub is recognized as NTFP, but the classification is just a way to organize information, that is the reason is useful to consider other attributes to do your classification.
Best regards
Patricia
In my mind, typically non-timber products are derived from forests, but not directly from the woody part (xylem) of the tree.
If it is easy to agree on what timber means it may be challenging to agree on what NTFPs are. Actually the definition of NTFP is sometime vague because in reality those products are not necessarily generated from forests but sometime from other land use systems, including fallows and plantations and so on. It may sound good to have classes like NTFPs for services (Rotin, latex, resin, forage lianas and vines, etc.), NTFPs for food (Fruits, insects, vegetables, mushroom, nuts, honey, etc), medicinal plants (barks, leaves, etc.), wildlife (bushmeat, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.) and Fuelwood/charcoal. Now some actors have restricted their understanding on one or more than one of the classes listed.
hi
Just read below research papers
De Beer, J. H., & McDermott, M. J. (1989). The economic value of non-timber forest products in Southeast Asia: with emphasis on Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The economic value of non-timber forest products in Southeast Asia: with emphasis on Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Arnold, J. M., & Pérez, M. R. (2001). Can non-timber forest products match tropical forest conservation and development objectives?. Ecological economics, 39(3), 437-447.
Ticktin, T. (2004). The ecological implications of harvesting non‐timber forest products. Journal of Applied Ecology, 41(1), 11-21.
Shackleton, C., & Shackleton, S. (2004). The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: a review of evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 100(11-12), 658-664.
Ndoye, O., Pérez, M. R., & Eyebe, A. (2016). The markets of non-timber forest products in the humid forest zone of Cameroon. London, UK: Overseas Development Institute.
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