Page 63 - 4. Pre-Course Reading-Training on Forestry Audit 2019

Appendix 4: Principles and criteria in forestry audits

c) Yield regulation, Annual Allowable Cut (AAC)

The production of forest products is sustainable, while the harvest rate does not exceed the rate of replacement
(natural and/or artificial) of similar forests or forest products in a given area over the long term.

The Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) should be set conservatively on the regeneration and growth dynamics of tree species and changes
of habitats, and if appropriate, especially with regard to diameter increment and response to the effect of logging on trees and soil.
PRINCIPLE 13
This applies both to tree species which, under current market conditions, are desirable or which have the potential to become
commercially attractive in the future, recognizing that domestic and world markets for forest produce are under very dynamic
development. In practice, this will often mean conservative setting of rotation length, felling cycle and firth limits. As and when
permanent sample lots begin to yield more reliable information about dynamics of desirable species, a reassessment of AAC
should be considered.
POSSIBLE CRITERIA:
13.1 A legal/regulatory framework describing methods of calculating Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) should be made compulsory for each
forest management unit.

13.2 In order to ensure a sustained production of timber from each forest management unit, a reliable method for controlling timber yield
must be adopted.
13.3 A national agency or institutional framework with the capacity to carry out supervision of timber yield and to compare it
with timber replacement levels. 63

13.4 The rate of harvest of forest products should not exceed levels which can be permanently sustained. If appropriate, yield and replacement
should be analyzed according to forest types, tree species, ownership, origin of forest etc. There should be balance between growth and
removals of wood and non-wood forest products over appropriate period (for example, 3, 5 or 10 years).
13.5 Regular reviews of AAC occur (5-yearly) in order to take account of replacement of original forests by managed forests and the transfer of
conversion forest to other uses. In the longer term, stand modeling should be introduced to assure efficient and responsible yield regulation.

d) Biodiversity conservation in production forests

Forest management in production forests takes into consideration aspects of biodiversity protection, to make an important contribution to
PRINCIPLE 14
the conservation of biodiversity by contributing to forest quality and making conservation in neighboring protected areas more effective.
POSSIBLE CRITERIA:
14.1 A legal/regulatory framework ensuring that management planning takes into account maintaining or re-establishing biodiversity in production forests.
14.2 A legal/regulatory framework to provide for legal instruments to order appropriate regeneration of managed forests.
14.3 A national agency or institutional framework with the capacity to maintain, conserve and appropriately enhance biological diversity at the
ecosystem and species levels in production forests.

14.4 A national agency or institutional framework with the capacity to conduct inventories on the proportion of land covered by trees significantly
older than the acceptable age of exploitation.
14.5 A national agency or institutional framework with the capacity to conduct inventories and/or assessments on bio-indicators.

14.6 Special inventories to show that legal requirements for protecting biodiversity in production forests are followed and elements important
for biodiversity are maintained.

e) Working plans

Working plans should guarantee the respect of environmental standards in field operations. Working plans should include sequence of
PRINCIPLE 15 annual harvesting areas and allocation of all-weather and dry-weather areas; areas to be excluded from harvesting; road and extraction
track layout, details of marking, harvesting, post-harvesting inventory, silvicultural treatments and a fire management plan.
POSSIBLE CRITERIA:
15.1 A national agency or with the institutional framework with the capacity to supervise preparing and implementing working plans.
15.2 Management inventories needed for preparation of working plans for each forest management unit, supported by detailed maps, are made.
15.3 Working plans are prepared and implemented.