General

Leveraging the Landscape: State of the Forest Carbon Markets 2012

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This report reviews the state of the international forest carbon market, including the finance and development of reforestation projects.

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Mixed-Species Plantings in Regreening the Bare Hills: Tropical Reforestation in the Asia-Pacific Region

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This chapter reviews the use of mixed plantations for the goal of reforestation. Mixed plantantions are a more efficient use of resources, pest resistance, and economic and ecological resilience. When establishing a new tropical reforestation program, if unaware of site conditions (and what species to choose), mixed plantations can provide greater insurance. Mixed plantations are more expensive to establish but may provide insurance against volatile markets.

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Effects of Afforestation on Water Yield: A Global Synthesis with Implications for Policy

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This study synthesizes data  from global studies on reforested and afforested areas and compares these to grassland and shrubland areas. In particular, the authors measure response to water runoff.

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Management of sedimentation in tropical watersheds

Background

The sedimentation of reservoirs is a serious problem throughout the tropics, yet most attempts to control sedimentation in large river basins have not been very successful. Reliable information on erosion rates and sources of sediments has been lacking. This paper discusses some of the limitations in estimating erosion and sedimentation and encourages development of specific sediment budgets in order to extrapolate equations and generate management procedures.

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Hydrological Functions of Tropical Forests: Not Seeing the Soil for the trees?

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This literature review provides a summary of hydrological functions in tropical forests and includes differences in the hydrology of disturbed areas, secondary forests, and mature forests.

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Exploiting the Potential of Indigenous Agroforestry Trees: Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa in Sub-Saharan Africa

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This article reviews the agroforestry potential of two native African savanna trees, Parkia biglobosa (locust bean) and Vitellaria paradoxa (shea).

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Deforestation and Reforestation of Latin America and the Caribbean (2001–2010)

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This study examines contrasting forest cover change dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean using MODIS satellite imagery. Many studies have documented deforestation, while others report forest recovery. This study seeks to analyze these trends on a large scale and connect them to environmental and population variables.

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Restoration of ecosystem services and biodiversity: conflicts and opportunities

Background

Although 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.

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Faustian Bargains? Restoration Realities in the Context of Biodiversity Offset Policies

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This article presents an analysis of the effectiveness of forest restoration as a mechanism to offset biodiversity loss.

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Patterns of Seed Longevity and Germination in the Tropical Rainforest

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This article reviews the factors that affect seed longevity and germination in tropical trees by providing an introduction to literature on the subject.

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