General

Restoring tropical forests from the bottom up

Background

Written in 2017, this article acknowledges that numerous countries around the world have committed to restoring large areas of forest in the next decade or so. Given these challenging targets, the authors seeks to understand how they can be met given competing land uses. She draws on several case studies to answer this broad question, including ones from Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. 

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Strategic Insights for Capacity Development on Forest Landscape Restoration: Implications for Addressing Global Commitments

Background

Global initiatives, like the Aichi Targets and Bonn Challenge, have recognized capacity development as a key strategy in achieving the large-scale restoration goals, particularly those that utilize the complex forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach. Still though, the concept of capacity development is largely undefined. This article seeks to answer key questions in regards to integrating capacity development strategies into FLR projects. 

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Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests

background

This meta-analysis of 133 studies challenges the widely-held notion that active restoration methods are more effective at ecosystem restoration and hold higher conservation value than natural regeneration. Given the vast commitments for ecosystem restoration across the globe, and the high cost, effort, and resources needed for these commitments, this study proposes that increasing use of natural regeneration and assisted natural regeneration is necessary to achieve these commitments.

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Forest and landscape restoration severely constrained by a lack of attention to the quantity and quality of tree seed: Insights from a global survey

background

This review article focuses on tree seed supply in the context of forest and landscape restoration (FLR). The article asserts that large-scale FLR commitments will require billions of tree seeds and seedlings, and that this supply is extremely inadequate in terms of not only quantity but also genetic diversity and quality. The article reviews 139 FLR projects worldwide and identifies widespread problems in the availability and diversity of tree seed supply. 

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Natural regeneration as a tool for large‐scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges

background

This article is a review of natural regeneration in the context of large-scale forest restoration in the tropics. The article provides case studies of successful natural regeneration, pointing out the side benefits of genetic adaptation, traditionally-used species, and local biodiversity. These features also bring greater ecosystem resilience.

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Restoration of Degraded Tropical Forest Landscapes

Background

Deforestation and the declining extent of tropical forests has negatively impacted ecosystem functions, services, and goods and has disproportionately harmed the rural poor of tropical countries. In the wake of deforestation, agricultural development and traditional methods of reforestation (plantations) have largely failed to provide sustainable livelihoods. This review article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of different tropical restoration methods to combat forest degredation and address rural poverty.

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Manuel de construction d’équations allométriques pour l’estimation du volume et la biomasse des arbres

The authors of this manual provide allometric equations and background information on how to estimate forest biomass at various scales.

 

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Ten Principles for a Landscape Approach to Reconciling Agriculture, Conservation, and Other Competing Land Uses

Introduction

"Landscape approaches" in ecological restoration aim to provide tools and concepts for allocating and managing land that both provide social, economic, and environmental objectives in regions in which land use typically compete with environmental and biodiversity goals. This paper outlines the current consensus on landscape approaches. 

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Contribution des écosystèmes continentaux à la séquestration du carbone (Contribution of continental ecosystems to carbon sequestration)

This article focuses on the contribution of forest ecosystems on biomass and soil carbon stocks. The authors address variability, difficulties with measurement, and anthropogenic land use influences on carbon stocks.

 

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Fonds Environnementaux et Paiement Pour Les Services Ecosystemiques (Environmental Funds and Payments for Ecosystem Services)

The authors discuss environmental funds and the possibility of using payments for ecosystem services towards conservation efforts. They provided several case studies to demonstrate different systems of payments for ecosystem services and gave recommendations.

 

Open access copy available
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