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Identifying Hotspots of Deforestation and Reforestation in Colombia (2001–2010): Implications for Protected AreasbackgroundThis article uses satellite imagery, MODIS MOD13Q1 Vegetation Indices 250 , the Virtual Interpretation of EarthWeb-Interface Tool (VIEW-IT) to conduct a land-use analysis of Colombia, mapping trends and "hotspot" areas of deforestation and of reforestation from 2001 to 2010. Open access copy available |
Land Cover Change in Colombia: Surprising Forest Recovery Trends between 2001 and 2010backgroundThis study mapped annual land-use and land-cover from 2001 to 2010 in Colombia using MODIS (250 m) products coupled with reference data from high spatial resolution imagery (QuickBird) in Google Earth. Open access copy available |
The Political, Social, and Ecological Transformation of a LandscapeBackgroundIn 1951 the Chinese Government issued the Decision on Cultivating Rubber Trees, which resulted in the establishment of large-scale rubber plantations in the tropical regions of China, including Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. These rubber plantations, worked by relocated Han Chinese, were a manifestation of state power on the landscape. Open access copy available |
Trade-offs in nature tourism: contrasting parcel-level decisions withlandscape conservation planningBackgroundA landscape approach to conservation has increasingly taken prominence as scientists and policymakers consider the role of landscape patches and connectivities. However, understanding trade-offs in policy decisions and land management strategies in a landscape dominated by privately held patches presents a challenge. This study discusses trade-offs with the nature tourism industry in Monteverde, Costa Rica, considering effects across parcel-level decisions. Open access copy available |
Mapping Priority Areas for Forest Landscape Restoration and Improvement of Rural Community Livelihoods in Guatemala's San Marcos HighlandsbackgroundThis study maps priority areas for forest landscape restoration in three watershades of south-western Guatemala. This rural region has received attention from local government and international socio-economic development projects. Open access copy available |
Lattice-Work Corridors for Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework for Biodiversity Conservation and Social-Ecological Resilience in a Tropical Elevational GradientbackgroundIn the region of Monteverde, communities rely on ecotourism, coffee farming, dairy cattle farming and sugarcane production to making their livings. The Pacific-slope forests are highly fragmented, and while a large biological corridor has already been proposed, it neglects certain key riparian corridors that would facilitate species migrations and range shifts, as well as protect the downstream water sources. Open access copy available |
Can Pinus Plantations Facilitate Reintroduction of Endangered Cloud Forest Species?backgroundThis study tested the hypothesis that pine plantations can simulate the conditions of early forest succession, acting as a habitat for other native or endangered species to establish. In the cloud forest region of central Mexico, some tree species have become endangered due to land use change for both livestock production and tree plantations. Open access copy available |
Coffee Agroforests Remain Beneficial for Neotropical Bird Community Conservation across SeasonsBackgroundThis study compares bird community composition in coffee agroforestry systems with secondary forest fragments, while accounting for seasonal bird migration and differences in bird detectability between habitats. It was conducted in the San Luis Valley of northwest Costa Rica, a montane forest region that encompasses many microhabitats. Open access copy available |
Participatory Forest Monitoring: An Assessment of the Accuracy of Simple Cost–Effective MethodsbackgroundThis article examines the feasibility of implementing participatory forest monitoring to conserve biodiversity and improving livelihoods for local communities. Long-term monitoring of forest conservation sites by professional scientists, is often cost prohibitive and uses techniques irrelevent to local community members, while simpler methods could be learned and implemented by local communities and more affordable. Open access copy available |
Mapping Species Composition of Forests and Tree Plantations in Northeastern Costa Rica with an Integration of Hyperspectral and Multitemporal Landsat ImagerybackgroundThis article discusses the improvement in accuracy of remote sensing to monitor and evaluate reforestation projects by combining moderate-resolution and hyperspectral imagery with multi temporal, multispectral data. The combination of these technological monitoring methods allows researchers to accurately classify general forest types and tree plantations by species composition. Open access copy available |
Using Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Tropical Forest RecoveryBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Carbon Sequestration Potential of Indian ForestsbackgroundWhile deforestation in the tropics is a common subject of concern, India has retained a net positive afforestation rate from 1951-2000, with greatest gains after 1980. These efforts have afforested 35 MHa. 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 |
Bosques relictos de los Andes peruanos: Perspectivas economicas (Relict forests of the Peruvian Andes: Economic perspectives)EspañolantecedentesOpen access copy available |
Bosques andinos del sur de Ecuador, clasificación, regeneración y uso (Andean Forests of Southern Ecuador, classification, regeneration and use)EspañolantecedentesA pesar de la gran diversidad e importancia de los bosques montanos tropicales, existe muy poca información disponible sobre ellos, incluyendo inventarios y descripciones. Open access copy available |
Árboles Nativos y Ciudad: Aportes a la Silvicultura urbana de Medellín (Native Trees and the City: Lessons from urban silviculture in Medellin)EspañolantecedentesA pesar de la atención que la silvicultura urbana ha recibido a nivel conceptual en la ciudad de Medellín, se presentan vacíos en la ejecució de acciones concretas a nivel Municipal. La implementación del Programa de Silvicultura Urbana en la ciudad de Medellín logra resultados hacia la mejora del paisaje urbano a cuatro años de haberse iniciado. Open access copy available |
Hiniduma Biolink Project, Sri Lanka - Reforesting traditional home gardens using the analog forestry concept in wet zones of Sri LankaBackgroundThe Hinidum Biolink Project is a cooperative effort between the Conservation Carbon Company and Rainforest Rescue International that aims to build a biodiversity corridor between two remnant forests in Sri Lanka. The document is a plan for this Plan Vivo project, developed in June 2011. Open access copy available |
Evaluation of a rural development project in Southwest Cochabamba, Bolivia, and its agroforestry activities involving Polylepis besseri and other native species – a decade of lessons learnedBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Environmentality: Community, Intimate Government, and the Making of Environmental Subjects in Kumaon, IndiaBackgroundAgrawal writes about the relationship between government and subjectivity, particularly about the processes that create “environmental subjects” (people who care about the environment), using an example of changing interests in forest protection following the creation of community-forest management groups in Kumaon, India. Open access copy available |
A Multicountry Assessment of Tropical Resource Monitoring by Local CommunitiesBackgroundThe study compared data collected on status and trends collected independently by local community members and trained scientists for 63 taxa and five types of resource use in 34 tropical forest sites over 2.5 years so examine the assumption that local people are less objective than external scientists when monitoring natural resources. Open access copy available |