Open access copy available
Restoration pathways for rain forest in southwest Sri Lanka: A review of concepts and modelsBackgroundIn the last 10 years government policy towards remaining rain forest in Sri Lanka has changed from one that promoted commercial exploitation to one of conservation, recognizing the growing importance of uplands as catchments for water production, biodiversity conservation and other downstream services. This review article discusses recent research on rain forest dynamics of southwest Sri Lanka with the objective of how this knowledge can be used for forest restoration. Open access copy available |
Responses of 20 Native Tree Species to Reforestation Strategies for Abandoned Farmland in PanamaBackgroundIn the tropics, deforestation often leads to unproductive agriculture and results in degraded grasslands. This study seeks to understand why forests fail to regenerate naturally in these ecosystems. Open access copy available |
Daikin Industries Reforestation ProjectBackgroundDaikin Industries Ltd., a Japanese based air-conditioning company, has been partnering with Conservation International (CI) to support the reforestation of a degraded area along the edges of the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park in Indonesia. The national park, which has some of the little remaining forest area on the island of Java, is a source of water for the cities of Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, and Bekasi. Open access copy available |
Semillas que germinan: experiencias comunitarias en la costa (Seeds that germinate: community experiences in the coast)Open access copy available |
An Evaluation of Farmers' Experiences Planting Native Trees in Rural Panama: Implications for Reforestation with Native Species in Agricultural LandscapesbackgroundThe Panamanian government has created reforestation incentive programs to encourage farmers to plant trees in order to restore ecosystem services to degraded lands. However, many farmers and landowners choose not to participate in these programs. Additionally, many such incentive programs result in large plantations of non-native species. In 2001, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute created a native species reforestation project known as PRORENA (Proyecto de Reforestación con Especias Nativas) to study strategies for successful native species reforestation in a social, economic, and scientific context. Open access copy available |
Soil organic matter dynamics during 80 years of reforestation of tropical pasturesBackgroundLand disturbance affects soil physical and chemical properties. Some properties may be recovered over long periods of reforestation. Mosaic-pattern landscapes with shifting usages over time, common in the mountainous tropics, can reveal dynamic soil properties. This study reports on changes in soil carbon over 80 years of secondary forest growth on abandoned pasture over a chronosequence in Puerto Rico. Open access copy available |
Globalization, Forest Resurgence, and Environmental Politics in El SalvadorBackgroundEl Salvador was seen as a classic case study of population growth, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity, yet contemporary studies have not supported these claims. Instead, it has been found that forest cover in El Salvador today is actually greater than previously estimated, including remnant forest, reforested areas, plantations, smallholder and NTFP plantations. This resource explores the potential drivers for this unsuspected reforestation. Open access copy available |
