Westoby Lecture

The 2023 Jack Westoby Lecture will feature will this year feature two ecologists, Dr. Claudia Romero and Prof. F.E. 'Jack' Putz, from the Tropical Forests and People Programme in the Forest Research Institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast

About the seminar:

Although efforts to reform tropical forestry have mostly failed, we refuse to abandon the cause because so much is at stake and timber mining will continue regardless. Furthermore, we learned so much from previous mistakes that success is now almost attainable. To realize this success it would help if questers after sustainable forest management convinced society that well-managed natural forests provide many benefits. That said, one bitter pill for us to swallow was recognition that after the windfall profits from timber mining from primary forest, profits from subsequent harvests are unlikely to match the opportunity costs of forest conversion to oil palm plantations, soybean fields, or even cattle pastures.  With some misgivings, in our efforts to promote environmentally responsible and financially viable forestry we continue to rely on market tools to correct policy and market failures, particularly certification and carbon offsets. To that end, we are promoting a series of options to realise desired carbon outcomes from well-managed forests, one of which is a cost-effective, carbon-enhancing silvicultural treatment that is leakage free and totally additional.