Unit Code: FOR508
Unit Title: Forest Management & REDD+
The unit introduces students to effective sustainable forest management that foresters needs to measure trees and forests and mainly covers the following instructional areas: be able to assess the resources, provide the trainees with knowledge on forest policy, act and rules on planning, management, utilization and protection of forest produce, the concept of multiple land use and factors influencing the integration of land use; outline the impact of forestry on site hydrology and classification of watershed and control measures for land degradation and watershed management in the country, discuss the present and potential impacts of pollution on forestry, and the economic aspects of forestry as a land use; explain how trees can be used in the management of land; explain biodiversity strategies to enhance habitat for specified animals; explain sustainability and impact on land use; and outline the management of natural production forests, the execution of carrying out a harvesting operation to avoid environmental damage and be able to implement sound timber harvesting practices, and supervise efficient harvesting operations consistent with the Solomon Islands Code of Logging Practice, best practice industry plantation guidelines and sustainable forest management principles prescribed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The second introduces the students to basic knowledge which covers the following instructional areas: importance of climate change and its influence upon man’s activities, particularly forestry, covers weather and mankind, weather and forestry, weather and vegetation, the movements of the earth, the atmosphere, temperature, precipitation, wind, air pressure, meteorological instruments and their applications, how forest affect climate change, carbon sinks, forests’ role in climate change mitigation, the understanding of the underlying driving forces to climate change, carbon forest stock, carbon trading how does it works, offsets and what role do offsets play in carbon markets, adaptation policy in Solomon Islands, community benefits from REDD/REDD+.