General
Advances in remote sensing technology and implications for measuring and monitoring forest carbon stocks and changeBackgroundUsing satelite images to monitor forest cover has advanced significantly in the past few decades but it still requires time to move into operation readiness. This article contributes to this progress through discussing how new technologies (i.e. improved satelite images and Lidar) can be used to improve monitoring of above ground carbon estimates. It specifically focusses on using Lidar technology and how moving Lidar devices from moving planes to satelite equipment could improve Carbon stock estimates. Open access copy available |
Monitoring and estimating tropical forest carbon stocks: making REDD a realityBackgroundAboveground carbon is directly impacted by deforestation and degradation, thus it is often the variable of choice in monitoring activities. It is also used to estimate the amount of carbon in other pools. This article reviews methods available to estimate national-level forest carbon stocks in developing countries. Open access copy available |
An Operational Framework for Defining and Monitoring Forest DegradationBackgroundThe article discusses how the current definitions of forest degradation do not account for certain factors that should be included, and further presents that the monitoring of forests is a much more holistic means of determining the state and the process (as a continuum of space and/or time) of degradation, which in turn can allow for much better restoration treatment options. Open access copy available |
Getting the Right End of the Stick: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in an Organizational ContextBackgroundThis chapter documents the process by which CARE Zambia institutionalized a learning approach to their internal management and a participatory model of monitoring and evaluation as well as the results of this transition, using a food security project as a case study. CARE Zambia used seven principles to turn themselves into a 'learning organization': 1) thrive on change, 2) facilitate learning from the surrounding environment, 3) facilitate learning from staff, 4) encourage experimentation, 5) communicate sucesses and failures, 6) reward learning, and 7) promote a sense of caring. Open access copy available |
Satellite Data-Based Phenological Evaluation of the Nationwide Reforestation of South KoreaBackgroundSouth Korea's reforestation efforts since the 1950s have been evaluated for changes in biomass, area and growing stock; but little has been done to study the phenology changes (seasonal changes) and photosynthetic activity, which will help in the preparation of new forest management in light of climate change. Open access copy available |
Strengthening the national restoration strategyBackgroundIn response to the launch of the Bonn Challenge, El Salvador committed to restoring one million hectares. The country's Ministry of Natural Resources and IUCN applied Restoration Opportunity Assessment Methodology (ROAM) to El Salvador in order to determine and analyze restoration options based on biophysical, social and economic criteria. The paper summarizes the main results generated in the ROAM application. Open access copy available |
Strategies and innovations for capacity building on ecological restorationBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Leaders in Action: Achieving Forest Landscape Restoration Through Online LearningBackgroundBetween May 2016 and March 2017, the Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative and IUCN conducted six online courses titled “Forest Landscape Restoration in the Tropics.” These courses were in response to the emerging trend of countries committed to restoring millions of hectares of land via the forest landscape restoration approach, which aims to achieve ecological, economic, and social benefits simultaneously. This paper highlights numerous success stories of individuals who participated in these courses. Open access copy available |
Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Agricultural LandscapesBackgroundThis paper summarizes the talks of 2013 symposium held in Bogota, Colombia titled Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes. The talks center around the pressing issue of balancing agricultural demands and the need to conserve biodiversity. They discuss current initiatives throughout Latin America that seek to both conserve and restore productive landscapes. Five talks in total are summarized touching on subjects ranging from agroforestry to silvopastoral systems to capacity building. Open access copy available |
Impact of Forest Management on Species Richness: Global Meta-Analysis and Economic Trade-offsBackgroundThis study is a meta-analysis of data from forests managed for timber harvest to assess the conservation value of these forests. From processing data from 287 published studies they rank the following forest management systems from best to worst in terms of conservation value: selection and retention systems, reduced impact logging, conventional selective logging, clear-cutting, agroforestry, timber plantations, fuelwood plantations. They also conducted analysis of net present value in these same systems and found unsurprisingly that the ranking for net present value was different. Open access copy available |
