Open access copy available
Restoration of degraded forest land in Thailand: the case of Khao KhoBackgroundThis chapter discusses the deforestation of Khao Kho district, situated in Thailand’s central highlands, in the 1970s and restoration efforts in the 1990s. Over 75% of the district was forested until 1968, when as a counterinsurgency strategy the Royal Thai Army began to build roads, deforest the district and encourage agricultural settlement in this heretofore intact forest. Deforestation and maize cultivation on these steep hillsides, often with already-poor soil quality degraded in situ, led to rapid degradation with farming untenable by 1990. A UNDP-funded reforestation project – managed by the Army – was initiated in 1990. Open access copy available |
Reforestation of Mangroves after Severe Impacts of Herbicides during the the Viet Nam War: The Case of Can GiobackgroundThis article describes the detrimental impacts of chemicals used in the Viet Nam war on mangroves with a focus on the reforestation efforts of the mangroves of the Can Gio district. In the 1980s, poor management, combined with stress from fuelwood collection and conversion to shrimp ponds, limited the success of mangrove restoration. Between 1978 and 1989,29,583 ha of Rhizophora apiriculata were planted; however, due to a lack of technical experience and a very high planting density, by 1990 only 18,125 ha remained. 35,000 ha of mangrove were replanted by 1996 and, in 2001, about 20,000 ha still survived. Open access copy available |
Ecology of Tree Seed and Seedlings: Implications for Tropical Forest Conservation and RestorationbackgroundThis article reviews literature concerning germination and seedling growth pertinent to tropical forest conservation and restoration, examining the various processes and factors that seeds are exposed to. Open access copy available |
Rehabilitation and Restoration of Degraded ForestsbackgroundThis book offers a comprehensive overview of rehabilitation and restoration at the landscape and local levels, providing information on the factors which are known to impact succession, as well as different approaches to reforestation. The authors discuss the importance of including human well-being along with ecological well-being into any plan for rehabilitation or restoration. Open access copy available |
Seed development, yield and quality of two palm species growing in different tropical forest types in SE Brazil: implications for ecological restorationBackgroundNatural forest remnants have been set as seed production fields to supply seeds of native tree species for tropical forest restoration, but the effect of different forest types on seed production has not been accessed to date for palm species. This study reports on seed development, yield, and quality of two palm species in different tropical forest types in SE Brazil. Open access copy available |
Institutional Issues and Political Challenges in Scaling Up Agroforestry: The Case of Landcare in the PhilippinesbackgroundThis paper presents the results of case studies of four municipalities in the Philippines participating in the Landcare agroforestry program which benefited from differing levels of institutional, technical, and government support. The paper assesses how effectively the Landcare program was able to scale up based on differing levels of support. Open access copy available |
Growing agroforestry trees: Farmers’ experiences with individual and group nurseries in Claveria, PhilippinesBackgroundIn the 1990s, a Landcare movement formed in Claveria, South Philippines, establishing community nurseries for fruit and timber trees based on a growing interest in promoting agroforestry and soil conservation. Ten years after the formation of these nurseries, the authors interviewed growers about the successes and limitations of that effort. Open access copy available |
Restoration of Degraded Tropical Forest LandscapesBackgroundThe rapid loss and degradation of tropical forests has been one of the defining features of the 20th century, with an estimated 350 million ha deforested and another 500 million ha (primary and secondary forest) in degraded status. There have been three major responses to this process: expanding protected areas; improving agricultural productivity on cultivated and abandoned lands; and plantation-style reforestation using a very limited number of species. These methods have proven unsuccessful in slowing the rate of deforestation or providing adequately for livelihoods. Open access copy available |
Planting Seedlings in Tree Islands Versus Plantations as a Large-Scale Tropical Forest Restoration StrategybackgroundThis research compares the growth and mortality of 4 tree species (2 native to Costa Rica and 2 native to northwestern South America) in the reforestation of abandoned agricultural land in Costa Rica. Open access copy available |
What Role Should Government Regulation Play in Ecological Restoration? Ongoing Debate in São Paulo State, BrazilbackgroundThis article addresses the degree of detail that should be present in legislation dealing with reforestation and restoration, and if there is a relationship between technical content/scope of regulation and success of projects. The relationship between law and reforestation is also discussed. In São Paulo state, legislation establishes precise reforestation requirements, such as the use of a minimum of 80 species of native trees and the presence of specific proportions of functional groups. This is the only existing legislation known by the authors with this degree of technical detail. Open access copy available |
