ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that an understanding of community enhances the development and implementation of natural resource policy. It describes how communities have been affected by changes in the wood products industries. The book examines the effects of plant closures and sustained unemployment on communities. It focuses on the interaction of forests and communities in an increasingly service-based society. The book discusses research on timber-dependent communities. It suggests how greater attention to spatial and temporal scales can help advance the accumulation of knowledge about the interaction of communities and their biophysical environments. The book concludes with a review of the issues associated with future research on forest-dependent communities. A more complete understanding of the nature and functions of communities is a necessary step toward future policy analysis and prescription.
