Five themes are identified for social, economic and policy research relating to miombo woodland management in southern Africa. They are: (1) patterns of local institutional change; (2) household use of woodland products; (3) markets for woodland products; (4) longer term dimensions to woodland use and exploitation and (5) policy and legislation. These themes are by no means definitive or exhaustive, but are described here as a means of focusing on the scope of future research, and as a basis for identifying priorities.

This report presents an analysis of the nature of both indigenous and professionally sponsored community forest management systems in two districts in Tanzania. It describes various types of internally generated forest and tree management systems. It demonstrates that a gap exists between indigenous and externally sponsored management systems. In the externally sponsored projects, the concept of participation implies that rural people should participate in professionals' projects, rather than that professionals should participate in the livelihood projects of rural people.

The forestry and forest industries sectors have been borne on the tide of this wider reform. This issue of Unasylva offers an analysis of experiences with regard to forestry in transitional economies, with the aim of facilitating an understanding of the important issues involved in the process.

El sector forestal en general, y el de la industria forestal en particular, no ha quedado al margen de este amplio proceso de reformas. En el presente nmero de Unasylva se analizan las vicisitudes del sector forestal en determinados pases en transicin hacia la economa de mercado.

This issue of Unasylva examines a number of facets of forestry research, emphasizing needs for and efforts made towards strengthening national capability in the developing countries.