Trends in Brazil’s Forestry Education: Overview of the Forest Engineering Programs

Abstract

Our study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of forestry programs in Brazil, including a comparative analysis with other countries while considering geographical factors. Over the past 25 years, the number of forestry programs in Brazil has increased from 43 to 75, leading to a rise in the annual number of graduates from 850 to 1500. Nevertheless, our findings reveal that only 60% of the available vacancies at universities are filled. On average, each institution enrolls 169 students (from 40 to 360 students per program). We also observed that, on average, each program employs 13 professors with a background in forest engineering (from 4 to 33). The results show that, among the professors from the ten oldest programs in the country, 78% had no prior professional experience outside academia, and 48% remained affiliated with the same university where they completed their undergraduate or graduate studies. There is a concerning and significant decline in the number of applicants for forestry programs, representing a strategic risk for the country. We identified a direct relationship between the number of programs, the population size, and the country’s total forest cover area when comparing Brazil with 12 other countries.

1. Introduction

Historically, the forestry profession has never been so relevant to society. However, what was once a field concerned with forest management and wood used for various purposes [1] has evolved to encompass a broader scope of activities, responding to the growing demands and needs of society. Currently, climate change is one of the most relevant topics in science worldwide, [2] and, therefore, the planting, managing, and protecting of trees and forests emerge as crucial solutions to tackle this issue [3,4]. The adoption of renewable energy provides a promising avenue to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while providing multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits [5]. The increased consumption of forest products [6] and the search for clean development mechanisms (REDD+) [7] or ecosystem services [8] also contribute to the forestry profession becoming uniquely important in its history.

Forests cover roughly 4 billion ha worldwide [6], and Brazil has the 2nd largest forest area with approximately 500 million ha, corresponding to about 60% of the country’s territory [9]. In addition, Brazilian forests house between 15 and 20% of the planet’s biodiversity [10], contributing to circa 6% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) [11]. The Amazon Rainforest is at the center of all global debates on forest management and forest conservation [6,10,12]; however, planted forests have been growing in Brazil, doubling the planted area in the last 20 years from 5 to 10 million ha, while also increasing the share in forest production from 50 to 85% of all wood extracted in the country, representing a significant reduction in wood use from native forests [13].

Professions that work in the field of conservation and production of forest resources have undergone a huge transformation. The demand for forestry professionals has reduced worldwide, leading to the closure of many programs in several countries, such as Australia [14], South Africa [15], and England [16]. Moreover, there has been a global decrease of about 30% in recent decades in enrollment in forest courses at universities [17]. Therefore, universities have been seeking alternatives to deal with this trend through broader specialization in other fields, such as the division of the forestry career into specific areas of forest engineering. For instance, North Carolina State University [18] has adopted a division of specialized programs, such as forest management, environmental sciences, and environmental technology and management, increasing proximity to the industry and government in an attempt to attract more students interested in forestry education, while building the course curriculum in line with society’s demands [14,19].

The bachelor’s degree has different denominations and approaches worldwide, such as natural resources and environment, forest sciences, forest management, and forest products, among others [20,21,22]. In Brazil, similar to many other countries [23,24], the bachelor’s degree in forest engineering is the program most directly related to forest sciences. This program has a basic curriculum focused on mathematics, physics, and biology, concentrated in the first two years, and applied forest science from the third year onwards, with a focus on silviculture, forest management, forest products, and environment conservation. In contrast to other countries, in Brazil, every year new programs in forest engineering are implemented [25], and understanding the current scenario of the forestry profession has become crucial. Following the increase in the number of programs, the number of graduates in biology, agronomy, environmental engineering, and environmental management has also risen in the last 20 years [25]. Nevertheless, an increase in the number of forest programs may lead to a lower quality of programs and, consequently, of graduates, as the structure of laboratories or the number of professors may not be sufficient to provide a good education for the students [15]. In addition, an excessive number of programs could lead to an excess of professionals, leading to the deterioration of jobs [26].

The curriculum and structure of forest engineering programs have not evolved in Brazil over the past five decades, which has raised concerns about their ability to align with global trends and adequately address society’s needs [27]. One way to investigate changes happening in a country is by providing a scenario and a baseline study on some characteristics of programs, such as the enrollment of new students [28], by tracking the evolution of the opening and closure of new programs through historical data [29], or by analyzing a general view of the number of programs and structure of universities that offer forestry training, such as in South Africa [15] and England [30]. All of these approaches are important to capture a general view of the forestry profession; nevertheless, no formal analysis of this scenario has been carried out.

This study conducted a historical analysis of enrollments of new students and characteristics of Brazilian forest engineering programs, comparing the number of forest programs with 12 other countries to understand if the number of programs in Brazil is within a reasonable trend. In this study, we aimed to shed light on potential factors that contribute to widening the gap between the increasing demand for forest engineering professionals and the inadequate supply to meet this demand. The findings of this research have great potential to enhance the fields of education and research related to forests, in addition to providing valuable insights into effective strategies to attract and engage new students in forest engineering programs in Brazil.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Overview of Forestry Programs in Brazil

We applied five steps to provide an overview of forestry programs in Brazil. First, we gathered information about the active number of programs in forest engineering and their locations using the Brazilian Forestry Service website [31]. This website does not provide information about the year of creation of each program; therefore, the website of each university had to be accessed to capture the year of program creation, as all programs in Brazil are required to have a document called “Program Pedagogical Project”, which contains the program history, including the year of creation (see list of universities in [31]). The data of the creation of some important events, forest organizations, or official institutions are presented together with the increase in the number of programs. One example is the creation of a tax incentive law in 1966 when many forest investments started in Brazil [32].

Second, we conducted interviews with program coordinators from 33 institutions, representing 44% of all the forestry programs (Federal University of Uberlandia, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Federal University of Pampa, Federal University of Acre, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Mato Grosso, Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Regional University of Blumenau, State University of Southwest Bahia, University of Sao Paulo, Federal University of Alagoas, Federal University of Santa Maria (2 units), Federal University of Vicosa, Federal University of Campina Grande, Federal University of Mato Grosso (2 units), State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid, Federal University of Piauí, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Federal Rural University of the Amazon (2 units), Federal University of Western Pará, Federal University of Goiás, State University of the Tocantina Region of Maranhão, Federal University of South and Southeast Pará, Federal University of Rondonia, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Federal University of Tocantins, and Federal University of Amazonas). Among other issues, we gathered data on the number of professors and students, as well as on the curriculum structure, meaning the total number of hours in the program and its divisions (required programs, elective programs, extension activities, internships, complementary activities, such as extension and research activities, and time spent on the final thesis). Interviews were conducted online through Google Meet and Microsoft Teams and had a duration of about 40 to 70 min. All the interviews were performed with the program coordinator and/or the members of the Structuring Teaching Core, which is the structure in Brazilian universities responsible for improvements and changes in programs established by the Federal Government [33].

We searched the grades of students in the 33 programs provided by the Brazilian national student performance exam, applied by the Federal Government every five years, to verify the effect of the number of professors graduating in forest engineering, as a proxy of the human resources structure within the programs, on the performance of students [34].

We accessed the curricula vitae of professors of the ten oldest programs in Brazil from the Lattes Platform [35], which is managed by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ), responsible for the management of science countrywide. All university professors are required to keep this platform updated with their main activities, such as scientific articles, types of jobs, research projects, and others. We separated professors into four groups, with or without professional experience before starting their academic career and graduated or not graduated from the same university in which they work. The objective was to understand the number of professors who undertook part or all of their education in the same university where they work (undergraduate course, Master’s, and/or Ph.D.).

The number of applicants for forest engineering courses was obtained from two platforms: one from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), and the other from the federal universities, as most applicants use the same system to access the universities, called the Unified Selection System (SISU) [36]. At USP, we accessed the system called the University Foundation for the Entrance Exam (FUVEST), where all historical data on the entrance processes from 1977 to 2023 are open for consultation [37]. At SISU, information is available for the period between 2018 and 2023.

2.2. Comparison with Other Countries

For a comparison on a regional scale and with other countries, we conducted surveys in person with representatives of Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) and countries with important forestry programs (the United States, Japan, and Sweden). The number of forest engineering programs used for benchmarking was based on the World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research (IUFRO) in Curitiba, Brazil, in October 2019. We also collected these data to relate the number of programs with their respective sources: population, GDP per capita, GDP [38], total area, forest area, planted forest area [39], forestry sector contribution to GDP, forestry sector employees, forestry sector employment as a proportion of the total labor force [40], area/program, forest area/program, population/program, and GDP/program.

2.3. Statistical Analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to describe the number and distribution of programs over the years in Brazil, as well as the distribution of the number of students, professors, and vacancy fulfillment within the programs. A proportion analysis was carried out to understand the percentage of professors with/without experience and working in the same institution where they graduated. The same analysis was done to present the percentage of time occupied by each group of activities in the undergraduate program (required programs, elective programs, internships, complementary activities, such as extension and research activities, and time spent on the final thesis). Linear regressions were applied to obtain equations of students’ grades as a function of the number of professors in forest engineering to understand if the human resources structure affects students’ learning. We also developed equations of the number of applicants at USP and at federal universities throughout the years, as well as equations to relate the country demographics to the number of forest programs. The figures were developed using Microsoft Excel and R software.

3. Results

3.1. Programs Overview

Major actions or programs of important forestry organizations are presented in Figure 1 to show the progress of the number of programs in parallel with some milestones related to the forestry sector in Brazil. The tax incentive law [32] fostered the beginning of commercial plantations in Brazil, and the foundation of the Forest Research and Technology Institute (IPEF) and the Society of Forest Investigation (SIF) allowed for research and development in Brazil [41] and have been the basis of the improvement in the following decades. The first forest engineering program in Brazil was created in 1960; however, there was exponential growth from the 2000s, rising from 20 to 75 programs (Figure 1).

The programs are distributed across all the Brazilian biomes, with a concentration in the Atlantic Rainforest (41% of the programs), where about 60% of the Brazilian population lives [42], followed by the Amazon biome with 32% of the programs, and Cerrado with 20% of the programs (Figure 2). However, only three programs exist in the Caatinga region, which is a dry forest biome, and one program each in the Pantanal and the Pampa biomes.

As expected, the number of graduates has also grown with the increase in the number of programs since official registration with the Brazilian Forestry Service began, with an increase from 250 to 1500 graduates per year between 1995 and 2019, peaking in 2016 with 1850 graduates (Figure 3). There was a decrease between 2020 to 2022, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is still no data available.

There is a huge disparity between the programs in relation to the number of professors who graduated in forest engineering, the number of students, and the vacancy occupancy rate, which is the proportion of occupied positions within the total number of positions offered. The number of professors between the institution with the smallest (4) and largest (33) numbers varies by more than 800%, with an average of 13 professors (Figure 4A). The average number of students enrolled was 169, ranging from 40 to 380 (Figure 4B). The vacancy occupancy rate is also highly variable, with 21 to 100% of vacancies filled, with an average of 61%; that is, 39% of the vacancies are not filled (Figure 4C). The number of professors who graduated in forest engineering shows a weak but relevant correlation with the grades obtained by students in the National Evaluation (ENADE) (Figure 5).

The curricula analyses of professors in the ten oldest programs (n = 228) showed that 60% of the professors were employed by the same university where they pursued their undergraduate, Master’s, or Ph.D. degrees (Figure 6). Remarkably, 46% of them had no professional experience before entering the academic field, while only 14% had previous job engagements. On the other hand, 40% of the professors were working in different institutions from the ones where they completed their educational training. Among this group, 8% had professional experience before entering academia, while the remaining 32% did not have any prior job experience. In total, one in every five professors had previous experience before joining academia.

In this study, we analyzed 33 programs, and we conducted interviews totaling roughly 4100 h, spread across ten semesters. Of this total, 75% consists of required courses, 10% focuses on forest extension, 5% involves internships and optional programs, 3% includes complementary activities, such as participation in events or extracurricular activities, and 2% is dedicated to preparing the thesis (Figure 7).

3.2. Historical Data on Applicants for Forest Engineering Programs

The number of applicants decreased at the University of São Paulo from 350 to 70 between 2000 and 2023 (Figure 8a), which is a reduction in applicants per vacancy from 8 to 1.7. The same is happening at federal universities in Brazil, where the number of applicants has decreased from 150 to 70 applicants per program, on average (Figure 8b), which represents approximately 3.3 to 1.6 applicants per vacancy, a value similar to that obtained for the University of São Paulo. This trend is opposite to the growing number of programs created in the country (Figure 1).

3.3. Comparison of the Number of Programs among 12 Countries

The countries evaluated showed between 1 and 75 forest science programs, and we found a direct relationship between the number of programs (dependent variable) and the population of each country (R = 0.76, p < 0.003), the total area of each country (R = 0.77, p < 0.003), and the forest cover area (R = 0.89, p < 0.001). The best relationship was found when the combined population and forest area were correlated with the number of programs (Figure 9). No relationship was found with the other variables in Supplementary Table S1. In this study, we did not have information on the exact number of students per program, but only the number of programs.

4. Discussion

4.1. The Declining Number of Applicants and Low Vacancy Fulfillment Need Urgent Action

The number of students enrolled in forest engineering courses is increasing; however, the clear decline in the number of applicants, who number close to zero in certain years, in all the federal universities, and even one of the most recognized universities in the country (USP), demands urgent action. Moreover, the increasing number of students is masked by the fact that only 60% of the vacancies are filled; that is, there are more vacancies in the forest engineering programs than students. This decline has also been observed since the 1990s in other countries, such as the United States [43,44], Europe [16], Australia [14], and South Africa [15].

One possible cause of this decline in the number of applicants is the increase in the number of graduates in other related programs which deal with nature conservation and forestry production. In the last 20 years, the number of college graduates has grown by 371% in Brazil. The number of graduates in biological sciences has grown, for instance, and the number of graduates in agronomy grew from 3 thousand to more than 12 thousand annually. Environmental engineering programs graduated only 17 professionals in 2000, while, today, 6000 professionals graduate each year. A similar scenario occurs within the environmental management program, which did not exist in 2000 and currently graduates 6000 students every year. Even though forest engineering is one of the oldest programs, the forestry profession is less known than the others [15].

To reverse this situation is a real challenge. The decision of students to enroll in a higher education program is complex and takes into account, among other factors, the quality of the institution, the matching with their skills, and the prospects of entering the labor market [45,46]. Studies have shown that the Internet is one of the main tools in students’ decision-making to select a university program, as well as the geographical aspects, such as the distance from their hometowns [47]. Programs in Brazil are spread across the country and are more concentrated in small- and medium-sized cities (81% of programs), that is, cities with fewer than 100 and 500 thousand inhabitants, respectively. In Brazil, 60% of the population lives in cities with more than 1 million inhabitants [48]; nevertheless, there is a huge population in smaller cities who could be interested in forest programs, since one intrinsic characteristic of the program is to carry out activities near nature [1]. The inclusion and disclosure of some thematic areas of interest to applicants could also be an important action, such as new technologies including remote sensing. For this study, we did not have this data for Brazil, but a survey conducted in South Africa showed many high school students are not aware of forest engineering programs, or they consider them as a secondary option when choosing an undergraduate program [15]. A clear increase in technological programs is occurring parallel to the decrease in forest engineering programs; therefore, attracting students of the native digital generation to the technological side of the program is essential. Furthermore, the forestry sector is currently experiencing significant growth, presenting numerous opportunities for new graduates [11]. Job prospects are often a crucial factor in the decision-making process of individuals when considering the pursuit of a college degree [45,49], which provides a valuable opportunity to show the promising outlook of the sector and attract students to forest engineering programs.

4.2. The Growing Number of Graduates Is Not Connected with the Demands of Society

Another survey conducted in collaboration with organizations within the forestry sector showed that 100% of respondents indicated a lack of professionals with the skills required to deal with real-world challenges [45]. This finding highlights a clear mismatch between the supply of professionals in the country’s history and the actual demands of the forestry sector, which lacks professionals with soft skills, which refer to the person’s ability to interact effectively with others, communicate, and work well in a team [50]. Our study reveals several potential factors contributing to this issue. Notably, the discrepancy in the number of professors (Figure 4), reflecting variations in university structures, may be one of the underlying causes. Additionally, the number of professors lacking experience outside academia and remaining employed at the same institution where they graduated (Figure 6) could also contribute to the lack of connection between students and the professional job market.

Comparisons with other countries show that the number of programs in Brazil should be around 41, based on the current population and forest area, which, roughly speaking, would be the same as occupying 100% of the open places in 41 programs (rather than 60% in 75 programs). However, despite the apparent excess of programs, Brazil is experiencing a high supply of job offers due to the huge amounts of investments in forestry [11].

Therefore, the creation of new forest engineering programs should be widely discussed. A higher education degree usually means better opportunities in the labor market and a significant wage increase [51]; however, an excess of professionals can lead to the deterioration of jobs, as observed by numerous studies in various countries [26,52,53,54]. In addition, the lack of a professional perspective can lead to negative personal issues, such as job satisfaction, and even salaries that are not consistent with the educational level [55,56,57]. Finally, specific skills protect graduates from unemployment when the market is weak, but the degree alone does not [58].

Buckley et al. (2015) identified that students most value the ability of professors to connect with the professional world [59]. A study carried out in the United Kingdom evaluating 200 vacancies for university professors [60] showed that the term “Ph.D.” was considered required, while “professional experience” was desirable, similar to the current situation of recruiting professors for university positions in Brazil. Pilcher et al. (2017) question the requirement of a Ph.D. title to the detriment of professional experience [61], since students value professors with practical experience more than purely academic experience, since only a small part of graduates may pursue an academic career [62].

A thorough discussion of the curriculum structure must be initiated by all stakeholders involved in the forestry sector. It is crucial to reevaluate the allocation of time to required activities, which currently represent 75% of the curriculum. Brazilian regulations stipulate that engineering programs must adhere to a minimum curriculum requirement [63], and the field of forest engineering must comply with both general and specific regulations [64]. However, the viability and effectiveness of such regulations should be subject to discussion, considering research results that advocate for a more regionally adapted curriculum, tailored to meet local demands. This regional curriculum would emphasize practical activities and foster proximity to real-world forest-related challenges and scenarios [65,66].

The current distribution of only 5% of the program dedicated to internships raises concerns from a practical standpoint. This allocation equates to a mere half-semester spent engaging in direct collaboration with forest professionals and participating in related activities. Considering the existing gap between the actual skills of foresters in Brazil and other parts of the world [15,67,68], and the demand of the forestry sector for professionals connected with the professional environment, this issue should be addressed as a priority as a key area for transformation. The literature provides examples of participatory approaches and the societal involvement of professionals directly involved in distinct areas of knowledge in the forestry sector to suggest changes in the curriculum [14,69]. These examples can inspire constructive changes and facilitate the integration of practical experience, enhancing the education of forestry professionals to meet present and future challenges. Another possibility is to increase the thesis proportion, which represents only 2% of the curriculum, providing an opportunity for students to interact with professionals and with themes connected with current problems. This would be another way of improving soft skills, as they are more effectively trained through solving problems in the real world [70].

5. Conclusions

The findings of this study offer a unique example for other countries seeking to gain insights into the landscape of forest engineering programs. The outcomes of this research should serve as a fundamental reference for entities involved in the formulation of public policies that align with the expected performance of professionals in this field. Moreover, the results can provide valuable suggestions to enhance the curricula of forest engineering programs at universities. Future investigations should prioritize an in-depth examination of the skills and competencies of forest engineers demanded by society. The focus on the specific abilities sought by stakeholders enables a more targeted and effective curriculum redesign. Regional differences should be considered, as Brazil has contrasting focuses; for instance, the Amazon and the southern regions are highly focused on forest plantations, while the northeastern region has the management of natural dry forests as the main economic activity. Universities can ensure a better alignment of their programs with the needs and expectations of the forestry profession by addressing these requirements comprehensively.