Institute holds first multi-purpose conference

THE first multi-purpose national forest inventory (NFI) conference in the country was staged in Lae at the Forest Research Institute this week.
The two-day conference started on Wednesday and ended yesterday with over 10 presentations from students.
The main objective of the conference was to present and publish the preliminary findings of the PNG multi-purpose NFI, review its protocols, capacity building for PNG researchers and foresters on data analysis, presentation and scientific writing and publish the conference proceedings.
Director Forest Planning and Directorate Dr Ruth Turia said the NFI would not only target trees but also involve all vegetation and soils, animals and insects species.
“Despite PNG being the third largest forested nation in the world, there is still a lot of logging activities here,” she said.
She said the NFI would also identify what PNG forests have and how they could be managed for the timber industry and the wider global climate change issues.
Over 10 research findings into forests in the country were presented to more than 30 participants who included academics, foresters and students.
Turia said some of those presentations would give some policy directions towards managing the forests well.
She noted that PNG has submitted a forest reference level to see it can meet the objectives of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to qualify to apply for results-based payments in relation to REDD+.