Assessing Economic Pressure On The Forest Fund Of Maramure County Romania

ASSESSING ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON THE FOREST FUND OF MARAMUREȘ COUNTY -ROMANIA

Cristian-Constantin Draghici1,2 Daniel Peptenatu*1,2 Adrian-Gabriel Simion1,2, Radu-Daniel Pintilii 1,2 Daniel-Constantin Diaconu1,2 , Camelia Teodorescu 1,2, Razvan-Mihail Papuc3, Ana-Maria Grigore1,3 and Cătălin-Răzvan Dobrea4

1University of Bucharest, Research Center for Integrated Analysis and Territorial Management, Bucharest, 2-14 Regina Elisabeta, Romania

2 University of Bucharest – Faculty of Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu, Bucharest, Romania

3 University of Bucharest – Faculty of Business and Administration, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Blvd., Bucharest, Romania

4 Bucharest University of Economic Studies – 6 Piata Romana, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract: Romania is also included among the European Union countries where deforested areas have radically increased within recent years, with mountain areas being the most affected. The pressure on the forest fund was analysed in Maramureș county, as one of the most deforested counties of Romania. In view of assessing forest area evolution, forested and deforested areas for the interval 2001-2012 have been calculated using the Global Forest Change 2000-2012 database, provided by the Department of Geographical Sciences, Maryland University. The economic pressures quantification was monitored by developing a database on economic activities based upon the loggings carried out in the interval 2001-2012. This database comprises the number of companies, their turnover, profit and the number of employees for the economic sectors causing pressure on the forest fund. The outcomes show a dramatic increase in deforested areas, amounting to over 16,500 ha in Maramureș county. Nearly 5,000 ha have been deforested in Borșa, the commune with the largest deforested areas, in the interval 2000-2012, causing major imbalances to the local ecosystem.

Keywords: deforested areas, forested areas, forestry economics, territorial management, territorial systems

In the last decades, România registered an alarming increase of deforested areas, the scale of this phenomenon generating strong reactions from civil society, who believe that excessive cutting of forests is an issue of the national security.

The forest may bring multiple benefits for society, at economic, social and environmental level, therefore it may have multiple functionality where timber production can be supplemented by environmental protection and recreation. (Turner 1989; Price et al. 2003; Tempesta, Marangon, 2008). Although the benefits of forest areas are obvious from a socio-economic and environmental standpoint, global deforested areas extend from year to year. Hence, the reduction of forest areas has currently become one of the highest challenges for decision-makers, given the enormous pressure exerted by economic sectors which require increasing volumes of timber. The complexity of deforesting effects leads to ever more expensive territorial management strategies.

By the products provided, the forest fulfils multiple functions, such as the economic, environmental, as well as the social function. Said functionality determines the significant role of forest areas, globally, in the fight against pollution, poverty and environmental protection. This role is acknowledged by a series of official documents, at global (UNCED 1992; UNCSD 2012; FAO 2014) and European Union level (EC 2008). According to these documents, the extension of deforested areas is an issue of general interest, requiring strong actions to reduce their effects. However, globally, the ratio between the forested and deforested area remains an on-going concern, with continuous efforts to maintain forested surfaces at the higher value possible (potentially constant) (Chakravarty et al. 2012; Gao et al. 2013; Boucher 2014).

In this context, the study of deforested areas evolution, specifically of the causes determining said evolutions, becomes particularly important for the local communities where the forest is a significant player, from an economic perspective (Turner 1989; Zhang et al. 2005; Gios 2008; Goio et al. 2008; Paletto et al. 2012).

The Romanian forest area is estimated to approximately 29% of the country’s total surface, being well under the European Union average, namely 40% (EC 2008). Nowadays, given the growth of certain economic businesses, Romania faces great pressure on the forest fund, therefore an increasing volume of raw materials is required. Lately, legally and illegally logged areas have extended as a consequence of the exercised pressure, particularly by economic factors (Romanian Court of Accounts 2013). As a direct consequence, forested areas are reduced, and the negative effects on the natural and socio-economic environment are multiplied. Therefore, the forest fund management becomes an increasingly imperative matter of public interest (Juutinen et al. 2014) which may positively affect the environment and local economies, if carried out in a performing manner. (Daniels et al. 1991; Zhang et al. 2005; Bavaghar 2015).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research methodology consisted of two components: the dynamics of forested areas and the dynamics of the relevant indicators for the economic sectors that put pressure on the forest. This approach underlined two main aspects, the evolution of the forest areas and the extent that deforestation wood found in the local economy, in the economic sectors that affect the forest ecosystems.

The general trend of development of forest areas has been considered for a long period of time, 2000-2012 to identify some patterns of evolution. After 2000 there is a contradictory situation, on the one hand, official data show an increase in forest areas, and secondly legal and illegal deforestation have gathered pace, and have come to be considered a matter of national security. In order to clarify the situation other data sources of information were used, than those offered by the National Institute of Statistics.

The Global Forest Change 2000-2012 database provided by the Department of Geographical Sciences, Maryland University was used to assess deforested areas. This database illustrates the analysis output of 654,178 Landsat 7ETM+ images, by which the global evolution of forest surfaces was monitored, in the interval 2000-2012 (Hansen et al, 2013).

Starting from this analysis, with the GIS (ArcGIS 9.X) platform, the deforested area and forested land areas have been computed for Romania (including Maramureș county and its corresponding territorial administrative units) for the interval 2001-2012 (figure 1). The economic pressure on the forest fund was quantified via the analysis of economic activities depending on the use of forest resources, within the analysis interval of 2000-2012. The resulting database comprises: the number of companies, their turnover, profit and the number of employees for the following NACE codes–Classification of Activities in the National Economy: 0220- Logging, 0240- Support services to forestry, 1610- Sawmilling and planing of wood, 1621,1622,1623,1624 and 1629-Manufacture of wood products, 4673- Wholesale of wood, construction materials.

In methodology a use of R Software has been applied. With the statistical data, some histograms have been buit for the economic activities, considered to put pressure on forrest ecosystems, and also some plots showing the relation between companies and the profit from the above mentioned activities. By using this methodology it was better underlined the way in which the contribution of the wood exploitation industry could be found in the local economy.

RESULTS

The evolution of the forest area for the period 1800-2012 has a tendency to decrease as a result of pressure from growing economic sectors consuming wood (Figure 2). After 2000, official data show an increase in forest areas, a situation difficult to understand given that deforestation have taken legal and illegal proportions. Analysis of query data from Landsat images 7ETM + explaining this situation. Official information is confined to areas with forest destination, regardless of whether or not the forest. The analyzes of detailed information provided by 7ETM + Landsat images showed a significant increase in deforested areas (Figure 3), many of which are not registered in official data. The detailed research made on Maramures County and Borsa commune have demonstrated this.

At Maramureș county level, the evolution of deforested areas follows the same general upward trend (by 1415 ha/year), however, emphasizing the existence of the two intervals (figure 1) with the same characteristic at general level (prior to the crisis, the annual rate of deforestation was 1264 ha/year and, after the crisis, the annual rate was 1,625 ha/year). The analysis of the deforested areas evolution, within Maramureș county towns illustrates that the commune of Borșa ranks first, as the largest deforested area in the analysed interval, namely 4,930 ha. For the commune of Borșa (figure 4) the evolution of deforested areas follows the same trend as the regional and national pattern.

Analysis of statistical data on the evolution of economic sectors, which put pressure on the forest, show a dramatic increase in the number of companies in the logging of wood in Maramures (Figure 5). The economic crisis affects all economic sectors, especially in services to forestry. Evolution of the number of companies in Borsa commune shows a situation similar to that of Maramures county. All economic sectors registers a significant growth, the economic crisis causing oscillations (figures 6a, 6d, 6e) or decreases (Figure 6b, 6c).

Significant increases are recorded in the wholesale of wood (figure 5e, 6e), and in the cutting of timber, indicates a growing pressure on the forest.

Although the number of companies has increased during the period analyzed in the cutting of timber, the number of employees in the same sector decreased (Figure 7a, 8a), because of the introduction of modern machinery. Thus, production of logging industries of primary wood processing, production of logging used as unprocessed collection and production of wood used for energy production, collection and processing of forestry residues, production of charcoal, are active in growing, but they need fewer employees.

The sharp drop in the number of employees after 2007, in services to forestry (Figure 7b, Figure 8b) shows a reduction in expenditure for the inventory of forest advisory services on forest management and evaluation of the wood and extinguishing and fire prevention forests. It should be noted that 2007 is the year in which the exploited and the largest amount of wood from the forests of Romania (Figure 4). In the woodworking field there were increases in the county (Figure 7d) and Borșa (Figure 8d).

In the reviewed period the highest increases were registered in the trade in wood, both at the level of Maramures County and the spectacular increases Borsa (figure 7e, 8e). These increases are explaining the quantities of timber growing entrants onto the market.

Analysis of turnover reveals growing pressure on forests of Maramureș county. Both the county and at the administrative unit level stands cleared spectacular growth of this indicator for logging (Figure 9a, 10a) and timber trade (Figure 10e, 10e).

It can be seen an increase in turnover for economic sectors wood processing (Figure 9 c, d, 10c, d), which is a positive sign for the local economy, knowing that only a small part of revenues from logging remain there.

Evolution of turnover in services for forestry shows a collapse of this sector after 2007 (Figure 9b, 10b) when specific services that have not received the money.

In the figure 11, can be observed the real image of the logging activities, al county level. So, these figures better shows the pressure exerted on forest ecosystems. The distribution of Profit (A) shows the persistance of the smaller profits from logging activities, the same distribution in case of Employees (B) and Turnover (D), excerpt the Companies (C), where the concentration is for medium size enterprizes.

Regarding the relation existing between the Companies and the Profit, from logging activities (figure 12) it can be observed that for the small companies correspond small profits and only for the bigger companies the profits are higher. For the entire period, the 1610 NACE code seemed to the most profitable, excerpt the 2002 (where the 1621) were the most profitable and 2008 and 2009, the years after the Global Economic Crisis where the 4673 NACE code developed a mode adaptive capacity.

Fig.12 Relation Companies v.s. Profit, from logging activities, in Maramureș County (2001-2012)

For Borșa, as a local system, it is characterized by the same bigger concentration (frequency), for the smaller Profit (A), Employees (B), Companies (C) and Turnover (D), in their distribution (figure 13). In the distribution of Profit, can be observed that the frequency is the highest on values above 500000 lei (lei is the plural for leu, the Romanian National Currecncy, 1$ USD = 4,1 lei). For the number of employees the frequency is higher for the NACE Codes with entreprizes of no more than 50 employees and with a turnover above 1000000 lei.

Fig.13 Logging activities in Borșa

A – Distribution of Profit,

B – Distribution of Employees,

C – Distribution of Companies

D – Distribution of Turnover

Fig.14 Relation Companies v.s. Profit, from logging activities, in Borsa (2001-2012)

For Borșa, ther relation between Companies and Profit shows the same distribution, but for the entire period the places are shared between two NACE codes 0220, that keeps the 1st rank in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2011 and the 1610 NACE Code, whose 1st rank, is punctually both in 2003 and 2012, and then for the entire period from 2005 to 2010 (figure 14).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The expansion of deforested areas may determine slightly significant imbalances at territorial system level, particularly in those based on forest resources, from an economic perspective. The consequences of these imbalances may be significant and may negatively impact local communities, from the growth perspective.

Research has revealed alarming increases in deforested areas throughout the whole period examined, grubbed-up areas is much higher than those recorded by state institutions. This shows an increase in illegally harvested forest areas.

Analysis of economic sectors, which put pressure on the local forest, showing an alarming increase that compel decision makers to develop strategic planning documents (Gonzalez, Gonzalez, 2015) strict stop the phenomenon.

Consequently, the identification of fundamental factors in amplifying or stimulating deforestation and their analysis have become very important both for the scientific environment, and particularly for the authorities, given the complexity of relations established between various systemic components where the forest plays an important role (Sedjo et al. 1995; Chomitz, Kumari 1998; Peptenatu et al. 2013; Murărescu et al. 2014; Prăvălie et al. 2014a, b; Thu-Ha et al. 2014). Among the causes that amplify the deforestation phenomenon we note: low revenues of the local communities, excessive growth of economic sectors by logging and timber processing that exceeds the local support capacity, legislative gaps. In this context, the need to develop efficient territorial management strategies to reduce the imbalances generated by the forest mass logging, particularly illegal logging, becomes obvious. Large areas deforestation will generate progressive effects on the local economic system, the most affected being territorial systems where tourism is the preeminent (braghina et.al, 2012, Peptenatu et al. 2012a; 2012b, 2013; petrișor, 2015a, 2015b). They should particularly aim at reducing deforestation by limiting industrial logging (DeFries et al. 2010), by reforesting deforested areas or of inadequate areas for agriculture (Zhang et al. 2000; Sanchez-Cuervo, Aide 2013), drafting more strict legislation on illegal logging, obtaining support from central and local public authorities for sustainable economic activities at local level, as well as by involving authorities in the protection and management of the private forest fund. These strategies comprise a requirement for the territorial systems with functional profile based on the forest resources.

Acknowledgements

The research activities were financed by the projects Spatial projection of the human pressure on forest ecosystems in Romania (UB/1365) and
grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0835.

REFERENCES

Bavaghar P., (2015): Deforestation modelling using logistic regression and GIS, Journal of Forest Science 61, (5): 193–199.

Boucher D. (2014): How Brazil Has Dramatically Reduced Tropical Deforestation. Solutions, 5(2): 66 – 75.

Braghina, C., Merciu, C., Peptenatu, D., Dobre R., Ianos I.L. (2012): Environment management in the mining areas functionally restructured. Case study – the Petrosani Depression, Romania, Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, (13) 4: 2394-2403.

Chakravarty S., Ghosh S.K., Suresh C.P., Dey A.N., Shukla G. (2012): Deforestation: Causes, Effects and Control Strategies. In: Okia C.A.(eds): Global Perspectives on Sustainable Forest Management: 1–28.

Chomitz K.M, Kumari K. (1998): The Domestic Benefits of Tropical Forests. A Critical Review. The World Bank Research Observer, 13(1): 13 – 35.

Daniels S.E., Hyde W.F., Wear D.N. (1991): Distributive effects of forest service attempt to maintain community stability. Forest Science, 37: 245–260.

DeFries R.S., Rudel T.K., Uriarte M., Hansen M.C. (2010): Deforestation driven by urban population growth and agricultural trade in the twenty-first century. Nat Geosci 3: 178–181.

European Commision (2008): The UE Forest Action Plan 2007-2011. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/fore/publi/2007_2011/brochure_en.pdf. (accessed Mar 21, 2015)

FAO (2014): State of the World‘s Forests Enhancing the socioeconomic benefits from forests. Available at http://www.fao.org/3/cf470fab-cc3c-4a50-b124-16a306ee11a6/i3710e.pdf. (accessed Mar 07, 2015).

Gao Z., Cao X., Gao W. (2013): The spatio-temporal responses of the carbon cycle to climate and land use/land cover changes between 1981-2000 in China. Front Earth Sci, 7(1): 92–102.

Gios G. (2008): Multifunctionality and the Management of Alpine Forest. In: Cesaro L, Gatto P, Pettenella D, (eds.): The Multifunctional Role of Forest – Policies, Methods and Case Studies. EFI Proceedings No.55: 47–54.

Goio I., Gios G., Pollini C. (2008): The development of forest accounting in the province of Trento (Italy). Journal of Forest Economics, 14(3): 177–196.

Gonzalez M.J.G., Gonzalez A.L. (2015) Strategic planning and change management. Examples of Barcelona, Seville and Saragossa (Spain), Bulletin of Geography-Socio-Economic Series, 29(29): 47-64, DOI 10.1515/bog-2015-0024.

Hansen M.C., Potapov P.V., Moore R., Hancher M., Turubanova S.A., Tyukavina A., Thau D., Stehman S.V., Goetz S.J., Loveland T.R., Kommareddy A., Egorov A., Chini L., Justice C.O., Townshend J.R.G. (2013): High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change. Science, 342: 850–853. Data available on-line from: http://earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest.

Juutinen A., Kosenius A.K., Ovaskainen V. (2014): Estimating the benefits of recreation-oriented management in state-owned commercial forests in Finland: A choice experiment. Journal of Forest Economics, 20(4): 396–412.

Murărescu O., Murătoreanu G., Frînculeasa M. (2014): Agrometeorological drought in the Romanian plain within the sector delimited by the valleys of the Olt and Buzău Rivers. J Environ Health Sci Eng, 12: 152.

Paletto A., Ferretti F., Cantiani P., De Meo I. (2012): Multi-functional approach in forest landscape management planning: an application in Southern Italy. Forest Systems, 21(1): 68–80.

Peptenatu, D., Pintilii, R.. D., Draghici, C., Merciu, C., Mateescu, R.D. (2012a): Management of environment risk within emergency territorial systems. Case study-the influence area of the Bucharest city. Journal of Environmental Protection And Ecology, 13( 4 ): 2360-2370.

Peptenatu, D., Sirodoev I., Pravalie R. (2013): Quantification of the aridity process in South-Western Romania, Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 11: 3.

Peptenatu D., Draghici C.,Merciu C.(2012b), Characteristics of entrepreneurial profile in some emergent territorial structures in Romania, Actual Problems Of Economics,  138: 448-458.

Petrișor A.I.(2015a): Assessment of the green infrastructure of Bucharest using Corine and urban atlas data. URBANISM.ARCHITECTURE.CONSTRUCTIONS, 6(2): 19-24.

Petrișor A.I.(2015b): Using Corine Data to look at deforestation in Romania: distribution & possible consequences, URBANISM.ARCHITECTURE.CONSTRUCTIONS, 6(1): 83-90

Pravalie R., Sîrdoev I., Peptenatu D. (2014a): Changes in the forest ecosystems in areas impacted by aridization in south-western Romania. Iran J Environ Health Sci Eng, 11(1): 5.

Pravalie R., Sîrdoev I., Peptenatu D. (2014b): Detecting climate change effects on forest ecosystems in Southwestern Romania using Landsat TM NDVI data. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 24(5): 815–832.

Price C., Rametsteiner E., Guldin R. (2003): Substantive element “economic aspects of forests”, including “trade”. Science and Technology – Building the Future of the World’s Forests. Contribution to the third Session of the United Nation Forum on Forests in Geneva, 26 May – 6 June 2003, IUFRO Occasional Paper 15, 5–8.

Romanian Court of Accounts (2013): Summary Audit Report on „Patrimonial situation of forests fund in Romania during 1990-2012”, (in romanian). Available at: http://www.curteadeconturi.ro/Publicatii/economie7.pdf. (accessed Apr 08, 2015).

Sanchez-Cuervo A.M., Aide T.M. (2013): Identifying hotspots of deforestation and reforestation in Colombia (2001–2010): implications for protected areas. Ecosphere, 4:11 art143. 

Sedjo R.A., Wisniewski J., Sample A.V., Kinsman J.D. (1995): The economics of managing carbon via forestry: Assessment of existing studies. Environmental and Resource Economics, 6(2): 139–165.

Tempesta T., Marangon F. (2008). The total economic value of Italian Forest Landscapes. In: Cesaro L, Gatto P, Pettenella D, (eds.): The Multifunctional Role of Forest – Policies, Methods and Case Studies. EFI Proceedings No.55: 319 – 326.

Thu-Ha Dang Phan, Brouwer R., Davidson M. (2014): The economic costs of avoided deforestation in the developing world: A meta-analysis. Journal of Forest Economics, 20(1): 1–16.

Turner M.G. (1989): Landscape Ecology: The Effect of Pattern on Process. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 20: 171–197.

UNCED (1992): United Nations Conference on Environment & Development Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992, chapter 11. Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf. (accessed Mar 26, 2015).

UNCSD (2012): Report of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20–22 June 2012, pp.37. Available at: http://www.uncsd2012.org/content/documents/814UNCSD%20REPORT%20final%20revs.pdf. (accessed Apr 03, 2015).

Zhang J., Alavalapati J.R.R., Shrestha R.K., Hodges A.W. (2005): Economic impacts of closing national forests for commercial timber production in Florida and Liberty County. Journal of Forest Economics, 10(4): 207–223.

Zhang P., Shao G., Zhao G., Le Master D.C., Parker G.R., Dunning Jr.J.B., Li Q. (2000): China's Forest Policy for the 21st Century. Science 23,  288 (5474): 2135 – 2136.

Corresponding author:

Associate Prof. Daniel Peptenatu, University of Bucharest – Faculty of Geography, Nicolae Bălcescu 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania; e-mail: [anonimizat]