Open access copy available
Drought, Fire, and Tree Survival in a Borneo Rainforest, East Kalimantan, IndonesiaBackgroundWhile draughts and fires are seen as important components of tropical forests, large-scale assessments of the effects of these events are scarce. This paper compares the forest stand level impact between severe drought and a subsequent extensive fires on forest stand in a lowland rainforest in East Kalimantan. Open access copy available |
Management of the environmental restoration of degraded areasBackgroundThis study shares the results of an experimental method for restoration of degraded forest areas through the construction of small restoration ‘islands’ within a larger site as an impetus for further natural regeneration. The method has previously been used in Namibia and Spain and is trademarked as Revitec. This study tests the method in Brazil in a former rainforest area. Rainforest fragments remain in the area. Open access copy available |
Burning Biodiversity: Fuelwood Harvesting Causes Forest Degradation in Human-Dominated Tropical LandscapesbackgroundOpen access copy available |
Regeneration Status of Mangrove Forests in Mida Creek, Kenya: A Compromised or Secured Future?BackgroundThis study investigates natural regeneration and timber potential of the mangrove forests of Mida Creek for better management through the principle of sustained yields. Research Goals & MethodsA stratified sampling technique was used in two main study areas. Transects and quadrants were used to measure vegetation measurements, species density, and frequency. Open access copy available |
Interactions among Amazon Land Use, Forests and Climate: Prospects for a Near-Term Forest Tipping PointBackgroundThis study concerns the interaction of anthropogenic and natural threats on the Amazon forest and considers the possibility of a tipping point in the near future. The authors argue that the interaction of various factors may lead to a large-scale forest dieback, for example a deforestation of about 31% of the Amazon closed-canopy forest formation. Open access copy available |
Monitoring Forest Degradation in Tropical Regions by Remote Sensing: Some Methodological IssuesBackgroundThis review examines different remote sensing techniques to monitor vegetation cover at a regional scale. The objective was to discuss implications related to monitoring of open forest degradation. Research Goals & MethodsTechniques include methods to track both spatial and temporal changes in structure and function associated with land use change. Open access copy available |
Nurse Plant Theory and its Application in Ecological Restoration in Lower Subtropics of ChinabackgroundThis study examines the mechanisms of the nurse tree effect and ecological factors that influence tree nursing and its relationship to ecological restoration. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors list different pairs of nurse and target tree species, including the broad description of such pairs and research findings of case studies in several locations in lower subtropical China. They also examine the positive and negative feedback loops between nurse trees and target species and explain why the nursing effect occurs. Open access copy available |
Seed rain under tree islands planted to restore degraded lands in a tropical agricultural landscapeBackgroundPlanting native tree seedlings is the predominant restoration strategy for accelerating forest succession on degraded lands. However, planting tree “islands” is less costly and labor intensive than establishing larger plantations and simulates the nucleation process of succession. Tree islands can attract seed dispersers to gradually spread restoration patterns from the islands. Restoration design can be informed by assessing the effect of potential planting arrangements on seed dispersal by birds and bats and determining the influence of surrounding forest cover. Open access copy available |
The Enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis Program—National Sampling Design and Estimation ProceduresbackgroundThis report explains the changes in approach used in the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The FIA Program was designed to standardize national practices among regional FIA programs. Open access copy available |
The Use of Ants and Other Soil and Litter Arthropods as Bio-Indicators of the Impacts of Rainforest Clearing and Subsequent Land UseBackgroundThis study evaluates the impacts of rainforest clearing on soil and litter arthropods with a particular focus on ant species. Open access copy available |
