title: Evidence-based knowledge versus negotiated indicators for assessment of ecological sustainability: the Swedish Forest Stewardship Council standard as a case study.
abstract: Assessing ecological sustainability involves monitoring of indicators and comparison of their states with performance targets that are deemed sustainable. First, a normative model was developed centered on evidence-based knowledge about (a) forest composition, structure, and function at multiple scales, and (b) performance targets derived by quantifying the habitat amount in naturally dynamic forests, and as required for presence of populations of specialized focal species. Second, we compared the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards' ecological indicators from 1998 and 2010 in Sweden to the normative model using a Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, and Timebound (SMART) indicator approach. Indicator variables and targets for riparian and aquatic ecosystems were clearly under-represented compared to terrestrial ones. FSC's ecological indicators expanded over time from composition and structure towards function, and from finer to coarser spatial scales. However, SMART indicators were few. Moreover, they poorly reflected quantitative evidence-based knowledge, a consequence of the fact that forest certification mirrors the outcome of a complex social negotiation process.
authors.affiliation: School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skinnskatteberg, Sweden. per.angelstam@slu.se
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelstam
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Roberge
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Axelsson
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elbakidze
authors.forename: Karl-Olof
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahlberg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Degerman
authors.forename: Sönke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: Per-Anders
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Esseen
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hjältén
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paltto
authors.forename: Tord
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Snäll
authors.forename: Ihor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soloviy
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Törnblom
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D016468:Forestry / Q000592:standards*; D013548:Sweden