New directions in community and farm reforestation
Increased emphasis on environment, increased faith in private sector forests rather than government‐owned plantations, and improved techniques for tree growing have led to changes in reforestation policies, particularly in timber‐importing countries. Farm and community forestry has become more important, and often involves mixed broadleaved species and selective logging rather than clearfell. Private profitability is often low, but social returns may be considerably greater, warranting government support. While governments have experimented with a variety of instruments to encourage reforestation, policies have not necessarily addressed the main impediments. Measures to increase the share of resource rent gained by tree growers relative to other stakeholders in the timber production pipeline could accelerate plantings.
Restoration of floodplain forests in Britain
Floodplain forests have almost completely disappeared from Britain. Throughout the temperate regions of Europe and North America they have been greatly reduced and many of the remainder are threatened. River control has altered the natural flooding and disturbance regime. However, changes in agricultural requirements and attitudes to river management and the need to water quality have created an opportunity for restoring some more natural river dynamics habitats. This paper presents a case for including managed and natural floodplain forests in river and floodplain restoration projects. Benefits would accrue for timber production, reduction of agricultural surpluses, nature conservation, fishing, water quality, river control and landscape quality. Limited practical experience of floodplain forest restoration in North America and continental Europe suggests that practical problems can be overcome.
On the role of expert systems and numerical taxonomy in soil classification
SUMMARY 
 
Expert systems and numerical classification in general are reviewed and their relative ability to improve soil classification systems are discussed. The inductive and deductive elements of expert systems are seen as corresponding to the class establishment and class assignment phases of classification; computerized expert systems have so far been set up only for very simple assignments. To date, numerical classification has been useful in the analysis and organization of local low-level soil data but has been largely untried at the higher global levels of soil classification because of a lack of suitable data and scientific commitment. It is concluded that numerical classification has a potentially useful part to play in establishing soil classes and generating rules for assignment in expert systems. The inference procedures and user interface of expert systems should allow more integration and realistic assignment of available data and increase the usefulness and predictability of soil information, especially if presented in a user-friendly mode.