STATE OF THE WORLD's FORESTs 2003 Science and technology in the forest sector: widening gaps an narrowing options mprovements in science and technology are communities, environmental groups, the private critical to the sustainable management of capacity to meet growing demand for the range Nations Conference on Environment and o forests, woodlands and trees, and to their international efforts that began with the United of goods and services that they provide, Development(UNCED), has led to better cluding environmental and social benefits recognition of the broader values of forests, with A significant shift in research and development implications for forest research and development is needed to address multiple-use management, as noted in the following with more attention given to ecosystem rocesses and their interaction with social and Environmental concerns economic systems. Yet the resources invested in Environmental concerns are receiving greater forest research are alarmingly inadequate and attention as many former assumptions are ignificant imbalances exist between developed coming into question. For example, a substantial and developing countries, government and body of knowledge has accumulated on the ndustry, and different segments of the forest conservation of biological diversity, climate sector. It is in this context that the present change, hydrological cycles and land chapter examines issues relating to scientific and degradation, all of which have a bearing on land acity in the use, particularly forests focusing on the widening gaps and narrowing Biological diversity. Concern over the conservation of the totality of life, including the CHANGING FOREST SECTOR entire system of natural processes, has PRIORITIES significant implications for forestry, forest The relative importance of the different management practices and forest research(see functions of forests varies depending on the the preceding chapter). Replacing commercially culture. the state of social and economic less valuable vegetation with monoculture plantations has become less acceptable and now aspirations of a given society. Investment in requires consideration of biological diversity research and development reflects the changing issues. Improved methods of assessing current priorities, although the improvement of wood- and changing values of biological diversity will production and wood-processing technologies therefore help to fine-tune required has traditionally attracted the most public and interventions private resources, while research related to other ecosystem functions and social dimensions, such Climate change. Concern about the impact of as poverty alleviation, has largely been human activity on climate change has drawn neglected. However, pressure from le attention to the role of forests in storing and2003 FORESTS S’WORLD THE OF STATE 96 I are technology and science in mprovements of management sustainable the to critical their to and, trees and woodlands, forests range the for demand growing meet to capacity ,provide they that services and goods of .benefits social and environmental including development and research in shift significant A ,management use-multiple address to needed is ecosystem to given attention more with and social with interaction their and processes in invested resources the Yet. systems economic and inadequate alarmingly are research forest developed between exist imbalances significant and government, countries developing and forest the of segments different and, industry present the that context this in is It. sector and scientific to relating issues examines chapter ,sector forest the in capacity technological narrowing and gaps widening the on focusing .options SECTOR FOREST CHANGING PRIORITIES different the of importance relative The the on depending varies forests of functions economic and social of state the, culture and demands specific the and development in Investment. society given a of aspirations changing the reflects development and research technologies processing-wood and production￾wood of improvement the although, priorities and public most the attracted traditionally has other to related research while, resources private such, dimensions social and functions ecosystem been largely has, alleviation poverty as local from pressure, However. neglected private the, groups environmental, communities with coupled, society civil and sector United the with began that efforts international and Environment on Conference Nations better to led has), UNCED (Development with, forests of values broader the of recognition development and research forest for implications .following the in noted as concerns Environmental greater receiving are concerns Environmental are assumptions former many as attention substantial a, example For. question into coming the on accumulated has knowledge of body climate, diversity biological of conservation land and cycles hydrological, change land on bearing a have which of all, degradation .forests particularly, use the over Concern. diversity Biological the including, life of totality the of conservation has, processes natural of system entire forest, forestry for implications significant see (research forest and practices management commercially Replacing). chapter preceding the monoculture with vegetation valuable less now and acceptable less become has plantations diversity biological of consideration requires current assessing of methods Improved. issues will diversity biological of values changing and required tune-fine to help therefore .interventions of impact the about Concern. change Climate drawn has change climate on activity human and storing in forests of role the to attention technology and Science :sector forest the in and gaps widening options narrowing