Open access copy available
Restoration of ecosystem services and biodiversity: conflicts and opportunitiesBackgroundAlthough the science and practice of ecological restoration have developed rapidly, the emerging policy focus on ecosystem services represents a significant shift in the objectives of restoration. This might result in both conflicts and opportunities. This review article explores in detail the implications of this policy shift by examining whether ecological restoration could be effective in reversing the decline of ecosystem services along with biodiversity. Open access copy available |
Restauração florestal: do diagnóstico de degradação ao uso de indicadores ecológicos para o monitoramento das ações (Forest restoration: from the diagnostics of degradation to the use of ecological indicators in the monitoring of actions)Open access copy available |
Indigenous Community-Based Forestry in the Bolivian Lowlands: Some Basic Challenges for CertificationbackgroundOpen access copy available |
Ecological restoration, rehabilitation and recuperation- national plan for ecosystem restoration (Colombia: Restauración ecológica, rehabilitación y recuperación- plan nacional de restauración de ecosistemas)EnglishbackgroundIn recent years, restoration efforts in Colombia have focused mostly on the control of invasive plants such as Ulex europaeus and the restoration of riparian forests. Nevertheless, to tackle biodiversity loss and forest disturbance and attaining the restoration of affected ecosystems, a more integral strategy is required. Open access copy available |
Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto RicoBackgroundTree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. Open access copy available |
Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forestBackgroundForest soil properties are influenced by the complex interactions of vegetation, soil type, geology, management, and climactic patterns. Tree species can differ in their long-term effects on soils. This study resamples one of the earliest replicated experimental sites at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, used to examine the effects of native tropical tree species on soil properties, to examine longer term effects on soil properties. Open access copy available |
Payments for Environmental Services through the Local Lens: Preliminary evidences from the “Bolsa Floresta” Program in the Brazilian AmazonBackgroundThis master's thesis evaluates the differences in perceptions between the local beneficiaries and the proponents of a payment for exosystem services (PES) project in the Brazilian Amazon region. The document discusses the debate about whether Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes improve the livelihood of the poor rural population — a debate which is also critical to current discussions on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Open access copy available |
Soil carbon differences among forest, agriculture, and secondary vegetation in lower montane EcuadorBackgroundChanges in land use and land cover may affect soil properties and processes. Conversion of forest to cultivation is assumed to result in a decrease in soil nutrients. In the lower montane region of Ecuador, shifting cultivation patterns mean that forest clearing is occurring simultaneously with recolonization of secondary vegetation on abandoned agricultural lands. Open access copy available |
Smallholder timber plantation development in Indonesia: what is preventing progress?BackgroundIn the context of a supply-demand problem in Indonesia’s forestry sector in 2006 causing an increase in illegal logging, the government of Indonesia undertook measures to stem illegal logging and incentivize plantations. This paper evaluates a community timber plantation program in Indonesia called HTR (Hutan Tanaman Rakyat, community timber plantation). Open access copy available |
O recobrimento do Brasil (The Recovery of Brazil)Open access copy available |
