Open access copy available
Does tree planting change minds? Assessing the use of community participation in reforestation to address illegal logging in West KalimantanBackgroundIn this study, Pohnan et al. evaluated the social impacts of the local NGO Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) restoration program that took place in Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, an area that host numerous endangered species and that has been degraded by illegal logging for the past several decades. Open access copy available |
Social Capital in Biodiversity Conservation and ManagementBackgroundThe article begins with a description of the opposing views of the roles of smallholders in conservation strategies. On the one hand they directly use resources that external agencies attempt to protect, on the other hand these people have intimate knowledge of these systems. Thus leading to the question, “Could local people play a greater role in biodiversity conservation and management?” (Pretty, 2004). Open access copy available |
The role of ecological theory and practice in poverty alleviation and environmental conservationBackgroundThis review emphasized the roles and tools of ecologists that would be helpful in poverty alleviation internationally. Specifically, knowledge of sustainable sources of energy, provision of clean water, functional traits of vegetation, and design of agro-forestry systems were cited as examples of knowledge that would be helpful for cross-disciplinary strategies. Open access copy available |
Biodiversity–productivity relationships in small-scale mixed-species plantations using native species in Leyte province, PhilippinesBackgroundThe authors of this study identified environmental and biodiversity factors to explain variation in productivity at Rainforestation sites across the Philippine islands. Open access copy available |
Opportunities and capacity for community-based forest carbon sequestration and monitoring in GhanaBackgroundThis paper documents the key areas which would need to be addressed in developing a monitoring plan for carbon sequestration in forest plantation in Ghana. These key areas were identified through local community engagement to understand how forest restoration plays a role in their lives and if they were equipped with the technical skills necessary to carry out monitoring work. Open access copy available |
The Future of Plantation Forests and Forest-Based Industry in IndonesiaBackgroundThe author explores the historical development of plantation forests in Indonesia and then concludes that a stable governmental framework is crucial to facilitate sustainable plantation forest development. He also highlights the importance of cooperation with the processing industry and the alignment of the latter to potential markets. Open access copy available |
Burning biodiversity: Fuelwood harvesting causes forest degradation in human-dominated tropical landscapesBackgroundIn the Northeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF), extremely dense populations of poor, rural villages create chronic disturbances within the already heavily fragment Atlantic forest in favor of gathering hardwood fuel supplies. This hardwood is self-gathered without management techniques and burned inefficiently, and is driven by poverty, proximity to forest fragments, human labour availability, and lack of alternative energy sources. One of the most biodiverse, endemic, and endangered regions on the planet, this research seeks to study the impact of rural fuelwood development in the northeastern BAF. Open access copy available |
Socio-Economic Indicators for Forest Restoration ProjectsBackgroundThis study develops model for assessing the socio-economic outcomes of forest restoration projects. The authors first identifies core social and economic indicators being monitored during and after forest restoration activities; devise a robust and agile model for assessing socio-economic outcomes at different levels of restoration project objectives and resource availability; develop practical and scientific approach and model; and to refine the metric and model for use by the New Mexico’s federally-funded Collaborative Forest Restoration Program (CFRP). Open access copy available |
Strategies for empowering the local people to participate in forest restorationBackgroundThis study examined how local people’s involvement in determining and establishing appropriate reforestation techniques and practices can yield positive results. The study also examined the conditions for local people’s willingness to participate in implementing such techniques in their practices. The study was conducted in 10 villages surrounding Mabira Forest Reserve located in Central Uganda. Open access copy available |
A Multicountry Assessment of Tropical Resource Monitoring by Local CommunitiesBackgroundThe study compared data collected on status and trends collected independently by local community members and trained scientists for 63 taxa and five types of resource use in 34 tropical forest sites over 2.5 years so examine the assumption that local people are less objective than external scientists when monitoring natural resources. Open access copy available |
