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Are tropical forest science and policy disconnected? Assessing the common understanding of the concept of “timber species” among different forest stakeholders in the Amazon

Abstract:

Dialogue among forest actors determines the success of sustainable forest management. However, for such dialogue to be fruitful, common concepts must be shared and agreed among different parties. Hence, we aimed to understand how the concept of “tropical timber species” is created and shared among forest actors, using the Amazon region as a study case. A systematic review in Web of Science and Scopus (1980-2023) was carried out to identify different definitions of tropical timber species. In addition, a survey was conducted among forest administrations to elucidate how the concept of timber species is used by each national authority. Results were categorized and compared with definitions of timber species by international forest organizations such as FAO and ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization). The systematic review detected a surprisingly low number of scientific papers (31) mentioning a definition of timber species. Four main thematic categories associated with the timber species concept were identified: economical, ecological, aesthetic and wood properties. Meanwhile, all forest administrations mentioned the lack of official concept or definition on timber species. However, both forest scientists and policymakers associated similar thematic categories to the concept of timber species. In addition, responses from national departments did not align with timber species definitions by international organizations. In all, while common ground was identified among different forest actors, such understanding is not included in official documentations, and the lack of consistent definitions is likely to be a factor inhibiting the effective application of science-based sustainable forest management in the Amazon.