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Restoration pathways for rain forest in southwest Sri Lanka: A review of concepts and models

Background

In the last 10 years government policy towards remaining rain forest in Sri Lanka has changed from one that promoted commercial exploitation to one of conservation, recognizing the growing importance of uplands as catchments for water production, biodiversity conservation and other downstream services. This review article discusses recent research on rain forest dynamics of southwest Sri Lanka with the objective of how this knowledge can be used for forest restoration.

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Responses of 20 Native Tree Species to Reforestation Strategies for Abandoned Farmland in Panama

Background

In the tropics, deforestation often leads to unproductive agriculture and results in degraded grasslands. This study seeks to understand why forests fail to regenerate naturally in these ecosystems. 

Open access copy available

Promoting Biodiversity: Advances in Evaluating Native Species for Reforestation

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This article describes the design of a long-term species screening trial conducted at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.

Research Goals & Methods

Growth and survivability data is presented for 84 species (17 popular exotics used for timber and 67 little-known local species with timber potential) at 3 years of age.

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Leaf Litter Decomposition and Mulch Performance from Mixed and Monospecific Plantations of Native Tree Species in Costa Rica

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Tree Management in the Northwestern Andean Cordillera of Peru

Background

Peasant communities in the northwestern Andean Cordillera of Peru utilize many indigenous and introduced trees and shrubs to satisfy a variety of material needs. However, forest resources are over-harvested and over-grazed, contributing to soil erosion. This study aims to identify the major tree and shrub species in the region and understand their ecologies and usages, and to recommend priorities for reforestation in the region taking human usage into account.

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An Evaluation of Farmers' Experiences Planting Native Trees in Rural Panama: Implications for Reforestation with Native Species in Agricultural Landscapes

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Soil organic matter dynamics during 80 years of reforestation of tropical pastures

Background

Land disturbance affects soil physical and chemical properties. Some properties may be recovered over long periods of reforestation. Mosaic-pattern landscapes with shifting usages over time, common in the mountainous tropics, can reveal dynamic soil properties. This study reports on changes in soil carbon over 80 years of secondary forest growth on abandoned pasture over a chronosequence in Puerto Rico.

Open access copy available

Globalization, Forest Resurgence, and Environmental Politics in El Salvador

Background

El Salvador was seen as a classic case study of population growth, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity, yet contemporary studies have not supported these claims. Instead, it has been found that forest cover in El Salvador today is actually greater than previously estimated, including remnant forest, reforested areas, plantations, smallholder and NTFP plantations. This resource explores the potential drivers for this unsuspected reforestation.

Open access copy available

Analysis of the Carbon Sequestration Costs of Afforestation and Reforestation Agroforestry Practices and the Use of Cost Curves to Evaluate their Potential for Implementation of Climate Change Mitigation

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This article analyzes the carbon sequestration costs of agroforestry afforestation/reforestation projects (ARPs) as part of the UN's Clean Development Mechanism by evaluating both economies of scale and opportunity costs that affect total sequestration costs. The study uses an agroforestry project called Scolel Té in Chiapas, Mexico to calculate the average net present value (ANPV) of the project in terms of carbon price and project area.

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Restoring rainforest fragments: Survival of mixed-native species seedlings under contrasting site conditions in the Western Ghats, India

Background

Historical fragmentation and a current annual deforestation rate of 1.2% in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot have resulted in a human-dominated landscape of plantations, agriculture, and developed areas, with embedded rainforest fragments that form biodiversity refuges and animal corridors. This study evaluates restoration efficacy for tropical rainforest under three different site conditions in the Anamalai hills, India.

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Combinations of trees and crops in the taungya method as applied in Thailand

Background

In this article, the authors desribe the 'taungya' methods used in Thailand for reforestation and agroforestry in the 1980s. This method was primarily used under theForest Village Programme, during which landless people were given 1.6 ha of land to reforest and raise their crops.

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Geographic Variation in Tree Growth and Wood Density of Guazuma crinita Mart. in the Peruvian Amazon

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This research addresses intra-specific variation in the native Peruvian tree species Guazuma crinita, a fast-growing pioneer species and priority timber tree used in reforestation and agroforestry systems. It also evaluates the tree growth and wood density of G. crinita varieties from 11 provenances in the Peruvian Amazon.

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Cloning of erect, thornless, non-browsed nitrogen fixing trees of Haiti's principal fuelwood species (Prosopis juliflora)

Background

Prosopis juliflora (bayawon in Creole) is a spiny leguminous tree that is used throughout arid regions of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean for fuelwood and fodder.  Due to its genetic diversity, pod protein and carbohydrate content varies widely, suggesting advantages of clonal reproduction. This Haiti-based study tests exotic and native varieties of Prosopis for growth rates.

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Evaluation of 15 Indigenous and Introduced Species for Reforestation and Agroforestry in Northeastern Mexico

Background

This article presents the results of a reforestation study in the Sierra Madre Mexico.

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Restoring tropical diversity: beating the time tax on species loss

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Open access copy available

Facilitating Regeneration of Secondary Forests with the Use of Mixed and Pure Plantations of Indigenous Tree Species

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This research presents the abundance and diversity of woody species regenerating under tropical plantations (mixed and single-species) and a control of natural regeneration at La Selva Biological Station in the Atlantic humid lowlands of Costa Rica.

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The Role of Native Species Plantations in Recovery of Understory Woody Diversity in Degraded Pasturelands of Costa Rica

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This study analyzes the understory recruitment success of tropical timber plantations in order to understand biodiversity recovery on degraded lands through the use of fast-growing timber plantations. The study takes place in the Atlantic humid lowlands of Costa Rica. 

Open access copy available

Early Woody Invasion Under Tree Plantations in Costa Rica: Implications for Forest Restoration

Background

This study evaluates the regeneration of woody plants, the amount of herbaceous cover, and the light conditions in the understory of 3-year-old mixed and single-species plantations in Costa Rica.

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Perceptions of Biodiversity, Environmental Services, and Conservation of Planted Mangroves: A Case Study on Nijhum Dwip Island, Bangladesh

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Influence of Overstory Composition on Understory Colonization by Native Species in Plantations on a Degraded Tropical Site

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This study evaluates forest understory regeneration in a 4.5 year-old plantation in Puerto Rico. The plantations, established in 1989, were planted on abandoned pasture in mixtures or monocultures of three exotic species: Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus robusta, and Leucaena leucocephala.

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