Latin America and Caribbean
Paying for Biodiversity Conservation Services in Agricultural LandscapesbackgroundThis document describes the genesis for the World Bank GEF project from 2002-2007 to implement payments for ecosystem services for silvo-pastoral systems in Colombia, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The payments were designed to compensate for biodiversity services: international donor money would be exchanged for the international environmental service of biodiversity. Open access copy available |
Cost-Effectiveness of Dryland Forest Restoration Evaluated by Spatial Analysis of Ecosystem ServicesbackgroundThis study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of dryland forest restoration through a comparative analysis of four study areas in Latin America. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors model multiple ecosystem services to estimate costs and benefits of restoring dryland forests under a range of economic valuation conditions. Open access copy available |
Restoring dense vegetation can slow mountain erosion to near natural benchmark levelsBackgroundTropical mountain areas may undergo rapid land degradation as demographic growth and intensified agriculture cause more people to migrate to fragile ecosystems. To assess the extent of the resulting damage, an erosion rate benchmark against which changes in erosion can be evaluated is required. Benchmarks reflecting natural erosion rates are usually not provided by conventional sediment fluxes, which are often biased due to modern land use change, and also miss large, episodic events within the measuring period. Available with subscription or purchase |
Deforestation and Reforestation of Latin America and the Caribbean (2001–2010)backgroundThis 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. Available with subscription or purchase |
Sobrevivência em viveiro de mudas de espécies nativas retiradas da regeneração natural de remanescente florestal (Survival in nursery of native species sapling obtained from natural regeneration of forest fragments)Open access copy available |
Using ecosystem valuation to protect the Atlantic Rainforest: the case of the Oasis ProjectBackgroundThe article explores the Oasis Project, which is a payment for ecosystem services program that aims to protect the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The program was established in 1990 in response to the destruction of the forest. The Oasis Project aims to provide drinking water to approximately 17 million in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region by financially compensating landowners engaged in maintaining forest cover in their proprieties. Available with subscription or purchase |
Marco regulatório sobre pagamento por serviços ambientais no Brasil (Regulatory framework of payment for ecosystem services in Brazil)Open access copy available |
Estimativas de biomassa e carbono e indicadores para restauração de florestas secundárias em Paragominas, Pará (Biomass and carbon estimates and indicators for the restoration of secondary forests in Paragominas, Para)Open access copy available |
Restauração e monitoramento da mata ciliar e da reserva legal para a certificação agrícola: conservação da biodiversidade na cafeitura (Restoration e monitoring of riparian forests and legal reserve for agricultural certification)The manual targets professionals working on restoration and conservation of permanently protected areas and legal reserves. The objective is to provide information compiled from practical experiences, scientific research and literature in order to help agricultural entrepreneurs achieve the environmental compliance required to become certified by the Rainforest Alliance for agricultural activities. The authors highlight the importance of consulting local agencies responsible for environmental regulation since environmental legal requirements may vary depending on the location of businesses. Open access copy available |
Deep Soil Moisture Storage and Transpiration in Forests and Pastures of Seasonally-Dry AmazoniabackgroundThis study, conducted in the seasonal rainforest of Northern Brazil (Para), compares re-growth of pasture, mature forest, and natural forest (capoeira). Goals & MethodsThe study assessed the impacts of land-use change on plant-available water (PAW) and evapotranspiration (ET). To do so, they measured volumetric water content (VWC) at 8 m below three nearby ecosystems over four years, including a mature evergreen forests, an adjacenet pasture, and a second-growth forest on abandoned pasture land. Available with subscription or purchase |
