General
A Place for Alien Species in Ecosystem RestorationBackgroundThis article makes the case that non-native, or "alien," species may be useful in some restoration efforts, and should not be overlooked or completely condemned because they are non-native. Such species can provide ecological and socioeconomic services and in some cases speed up successional processes. Available with subscription or purchase |
The Role of Seed Banks in Vegetation Dynamics and Restoration of Dry Tropical EcosystemsBackgroundThis paper reviews studies on seed banks in tropical dry forests, comparing them with wet tropical and subtropical vegetation. Research Goals & MethodsSeed banks in dry tropical forests tend to be low and they are density dependant on moisture levels of the area in question. Subtropical seed banks had similar values to dry tropical forests. Majority of the seeds are from pioneer forests. Available with subscription or purchase |
Seeding ecological restoration of tropical forests: Priority setting under REDD+BackgroundTropical deforestation continues to be the major driver of biodiversity loss and a considerable contributor to climate change. Increasing numbers of forest-dependent rural poor rely on degraded forest for their livelihoods. Ecological restoration of tropical forests has the potential to not only contribute to biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation, but also poverty alleviation. REDD+ provides a potentially powerful mechanism for supporting ecological restoration of tropical forests in developing countries. Available with subscription or purchase |
Edge-Effects Drive Tropical Forest Fragments Towards an Early-Successional SystemBackgroundThis paper argues that edge effects trigger a rapid and inevitable successional process that drives most remaining neotropical forest fragments towards a persistent early-successional system. Open access copy available |
Ecological Implications of Harvesting Non-Timber Forest ProductsBackgroundThis article examines 70 case studies on the ecological effects of harvesting plant-species NTFPs in an attempt to draw broader conclusions for both forest resource management and future research. Open access copy available |
Microbiological Indicators of Soil Quality and Degradation Following Conversion of Native Forests to Continuous CroplandsBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Self-restoration of post-agrogenic soils of Calcisol-Solonetz complex: Soil development, carbon stock dynamics of carbon poolsBackgroundAbandoned land may move towards self-restoration without human intervention. In the European part of Russia, over half a million km2 was abandoned between 1987 and 2007; another 200,000 km2 was abandoned in Eastern Russia. The majority of abandonments occurred in unirrigated dry steppe, land that is arable but less favorable for agriculture. This study compares differences in self-restoration based on underlying soil types, climate, and land-use history across a chronosequence of abandoned land in the dry steppe zone of Russia in a Calcisol–Solonetz complex, reporting on vegetation and soil characteristics. Available with subscription or purchase |
Assessing and Monitoring Forest Biodiversity: A Suggested Framework and IndicatorsbackgroundThis study looks at afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects that are part of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. The study seeks to determine whether large-scale A/R projects meet the twin goals of carbon sequestration and sustainable development, using projects in India's Karnataka State as case studies. Available with subscription or purchase |
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 |
Carbon Sequestration Potential of Indian Forestry Land Use SystemsbackgroundThe paper presents an overview of studies done on the carbon sequestration potential of varied forestry land use systems in India at regional, country, and site-specific levels. Open access copy available |
