Research Areas
The School of Forestry is committed to advancing knowledge in forestry, environmental management, and sustainable natural resource use. Our research focuses on innovative solutions to challenges in forest conservation, ecosystem management, and sustainable development, contributing to the growth of Papua New Guinea’s forestry sector and regional environmental stewardship.
The School of Forestry main research focus areas are:
- Forest Management and Planning
- Forest Policy and Legislation
- Projects and Human Resources
- Natural Forest Dynamics
- Forest Carbon Inventory and Assessment
- Community Forestry
- Botanical Assessments
- Plant Taxonomy
- Ethnobotany
- Ecology and Tropical Forest Assessments
- Entomology
- Ant Ecology
- Macroecology
- GIS/SRS and Data Science
- Wood Science
- Forest Products
- Forest Industries
- Timber Engineering
- Forest Economics and Trade
- Forest Products Marketing
- Silviculture
- Wood Science and Technology
- Natural Forest Inventory and Climate Change
- Forest Engineering
- Forest Surveying and GIS/Remote Sensing
- Environmental Biotechnology
- Environmental Virology
- Ecological Agriculture
- Forest Soil Assessments
Research Publications
The table below shows some of the recent publications by the academic staff of the school.
| Staff Name | Title | Status | Summary | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Jimmy Moses | Nutrient use by tropical ant communities varies among three extensive elevational gradients: A cross-continental comparison | Published in 2023 | The study examined the relationships between ant community structure, nutrient use, and seasonality along three elevational gradients in different continents. The researchers found that the structure of ant communities changed similarly with elevation, but the seasonal and elevational effects on nutrient use by ants differed between continents. Regional differences in climate and nutrient availability, rather than ant functional composition, shape nutrient use by ants. | Moses, J., Peters, M. K., Tiede, Y., Mottl, O., Donoso, D. A., Farwig, N., Fayle, T. M., Novotny, V., Sanders, N. J., & Klimes, P. (2023). Nutrient use by tropical ant communities varies among three extensive elevational gradients: A cross-continental comparison. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 32, 2212–2229. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13757. Additional Info: Media coverage of the research was also published in an international scientific news agency: https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ants-hungry-sugar-oil-team.html |
Mr. Diati Zure | Occurrences of similar viral diversity in campus wastewater and reclaimed water of a university dormitory. | Published in 2023 | The study found novel viral genomic information in campus wastewater and reclaimed water samples, with bacteriophages being the predominant hits. Pathogenic viruses related to human skin infections, the digestion system, and the gastrointestinal tract were also found, raising safety concerns about reusing reclaimed waters. Revolutionary disinfection approaches and new regulations are needed to secure pathogen-correlated water quality for safer reuse of reclaimed waters. | W. D., Zure, D., & Lin, C. R. (2023). Occurrences of similar viral diversity in campus wastewater and reclaimed water of a university dormitory. Chemosphere, 330, 138713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138713 |
Mr. Gibson Sosanika | Hunting skills and ethnobiological knowledge among the young, educated Papua New Guineans: Implications for conservation. | Published in 2023 | This article analyzes the hunting abilities of young individuals in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The study indicates that their hunting expertise is currently low and may further decrease due to socio-cultural factors such as education and transportation accessibility. The loss of hunting skills in PNG's indigenous communities may lead to a decline in ethnobiological knowledge and the removal of traditional motivations for conservation. | Kik, A., Duda, P., Bajzekova, J., Baro, N., Opasa, R., Sosanika, G., ... & Novotny, V. (2023). Hunting skills and ethnobiological knowledge among the young, educated Papua New Guineans: Implications for conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation, 43, e02435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02435 |
Professor Yusuf S. Hadi | Physicomechanical Properties Enhancement of Fast-Growing Wood Impregnated with Wood Vinegar Animal Adhesive. | Published in 2023 | The study aims to investigate the physicomechanical properties of fast-growing jabon wood impregnated with kak at two concentrations (8% and 10%) in wood vinegar or water as a solvent with and without 4% borax. The wood impregnated using a mixture of kak in wood vinegar presented better physical and mechanical properties than wood impregnated with a water solvent or untreated wood. Wood density increased, and the anti-swelling efficiency and mechanical properties improved significantly. | Basri, E., Mubarok, M., Darmawan, W., Balfas, J., Adalina, Y., & Hadi, Y. S. (2023). Physicomechanical Properties Enhancement of Fast-Growing Wood Impregnated with Wood Vinegar Animal Adhesive. Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology, 51(6), 542-554. https://doi.org/10.5658/WOOD.2023.51.6.542 |