2.2 Management plan

Details of the afforestation plan

• The afforestation design document shall be a management planning documentation for the establishment period, containing:
  • An outline of the necessary inputs and resources including a full financial analysis
  • A summary of operational techniques
  • A chronological plan of key project operations
  • Consideration of species selection for future climate
  • Risk assessment for factors that can damage planted seedlings or the forest (see 3 Risks and permanence)
  • Maps of plots being planted, main species distribution, trails, historic sites and other areas excuded from planting.
  • Tables with information on vegetation type, soil types, steepness, rockiness, site preparation, tree species, their numbers and planting density (see also 3 Carbon sequestration).
• The management plan shall be updated on a regular basis. It shall include an outline of the longer-term management intentions, for the project duration.
• The project manager shall have the management capacity necessary to carry out the planned project activities for the duration of the project.

Skógarkolefni mapping rules

Projects should provide a map of the afforestation area in electronic format that has been prepared in ArcGIS or a similar program. It will be uploaded to the International Carbon Registry and will be a publicly available document enabling potential carbon buyers as well as validating/verifying bodies to locate your project and identify the different elements within it. Maps must be easily understood by all those involved in the preparation and implementation of the project. Maps must show the location of fences, gates, paths and access routes. They must provide an accurate overview of the areas planted and meet the following mapping rules:

• Base map
  The map base should be in the ISN93 coordinate system and accurately show features such as roads, boundaries, forests, watercourses, etc.
• Outer boundary
  The outer boundary of your project should be clearly marked, especially if this is different from planted area. Outline points must be included.
• Outlines of planted areas and excluded areas
  The outlines of planted plots and excluded areas must be shown on the map, along with a list of relevant contour points.
  • • Areas/plots
      Any sections/sub-compartments within the forest should be clearly marked and labelled (for example shaded with different colours). The forest might be subdivided into sections based on planting mix, spacing, establishment year or site type. If each section is dealt with separately in your Skógarkolefni Carbon Calculation Spreadsheet, then use the same names for sections/sub-compartments on the map and in your carbon calculation. The sections/sub-compartments will be helpful later at the monitoring & verification stage when thinking about stratifying your site.
    • Excluded areas
      Any open ground within the outer boundary should be clearly marked, where this is feasible. This should include other excluded areas which are forested or planted and are not part of the project.
    • Vegetation-/landtype
      The type of vegetation in the project area should be mapped at least according to the basic map key classification (Rit-Mógilsá 33-2015). Other accessible information vegetation and natural features of the area should also be examined.
      
      The vegetation usually reflects the soil conditions and tree seedlings potential, the need for site preparation, and possible plant species and communities that need to be taken into account when planning the area.
      
      It should be borne in mind that in some cases, the reviewers of afforestation plans may use the ecotype maps of the Natural Science Institute of Iceland as a source of information on the vegetation of the areas. The ecotype maps for lowland areas, however, are based on remote sensing data, where the errors in the identification of ecotypes are significant. These maps have only been verified in limited cases. In addition, most of the data behind these mapsbis 10 years old or older and therefore does not necessarily reflect the current vegetation state. The Natural Science Institute of Iceland ecotype maps have therefore proven to be unusable as a basis for mapping for afforestation, due to errors in the identification of plant communities and the location of boundaries between them. Hence, vegetation maps that are based on a resent site visit provide a much more accurate information (see also
    • Soils
      The main soil type or types in each map unit should be recorded and the soil depth estimated, up to 1 m. The purpose is to assess soil conditions and rooting potential for tree seedlings and also to provide a rough picture of soil carbon stocks.
  • Legend
    All features (area, line or point) on the map should be clearly identified in the map legend.

Management planning documentation

There should be a process for updating the management plan. The key aims and objectives of your project as well as the type of forest to be created should be summarised in your Project Design Document (and updated in your Project Progress Report if changed).

Projects should make use of ÍST 95: Guidelines for Sustainable Forestry, which are available on the Icelandic Standards website, along with additional materials. They address the sustainable forest management elements of climate change, soil, water, biodiversity, landscape, historic environment and society.

Longer-term management intentions

Project developers need to set out the intended management regime of the forest for the project duration (e.g. regular thinning, clearcut with a given rotation length, continuous cover forestry, or minimum intervention). This should be consistent with the management regime assumed in the Carbon Calculator.