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Consequences of plantation harvest during tropical forest restoration in Uganda

Background

Open access copy available

Canal blocking strategies for hydrological restoration of degraded tropical peatlands in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Background

In the 1990s, the Government of Indonesia sponsored the construction of thousands of km of canals in 1 million Ha of peatlands of Central Kalimantan to drain the peatlands for conversion to agriculture. The project over-drained the peatlands, leaving it unusable agriculturally and subject to fires and subsidence. Existing efforts to dam the canals to return the water table to previous levels have failed.

Open access copy available

Bird Perches Increase Forest Seeds on Puerto Rican Landslides

Background

Forest regeneration is typically difficult after landslides due to loss of above- and below-ground vegetative structure, the soil seed bank, soil nutrients, and soil structure. Landslides are a common occurrence in Puerto Rico due to its steep topography and heavy rainfall periods and often transform into grass- or fern-dominated terrain. Insufficient seed rain is thought to be one contributing factor.

Open access copy available

Changing gears during succession: shifting functional strategies in young tropical secondary forests

Background

Adaptations toresource availability strongly shape patterns of community composition along successional gradients in environmental conditions. This study examines the extent to which variation in functional composition explains shifts in trait-based functional strategies in young tropical secondary forests during the most dynamic stage of succession (0–20 years).

Open access copy available

Globalization and Forest Resurgence: Changes in Forest Cover in El Salvador

Background

The authors study certain globalization impacts in land-use change in El Salvador. The legacy of war, remittances and international migration are among other factors that have allowed tree resurgence even in highly urban populated areas.  This study tracks the different trajectories of forest recovery by analysing remote-sensing satellite images from 1970's to the early 2000's.

Open access copy available

The Effect of Deforestation on Water Quality: A Case Study in Cienda Micro Watershed, Leyte, Philippines

backgrouNd

Forests and water are important resources that provide both socioeconomic and ecological benefits. They also are connected, meaning that deforestation has a negative impact on the quality of water flowing through a watershed. This paper seeks to present the detailed effects and relationship between deforestation and water quality.

Open access copy available

Satellite Data-Based Phenological Evaluation of the Nationwide Reforestation of South Korea

Background

South 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

Genetic Consequences of Tropical Second-Growth Forest Regeneration

Background

This article is an examination of the genetic impacts of old-growth deforestation among 24 year-old second-growth Iriartea deltoidea, a canopy palm, in a lowland Costa Rican forest. Iriartea is widely distributed throughout neotropical rainforests and displays a diverse range of size classes in mature forests. This species recolonizes second-growth forests with newly generated seeds, which are dispersed by birds and mammals.

Open access copy available

Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons learned from a 15‐year study

Background

This study examines the technique of applied nucleation, which is based on the planting of tree islands, as a means of cost-effective assisted natural regeneration. 

Open access copy available

Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restoration

Background

Open access copy available

Safety Nets, Gap Filling and Forests: A Global-Comparative Perspective

BACKGROUND

This paper seeks to prove how forests and wildlands are utilized in developing countries as safety nets to shocks, and how they provide resources for seasonal gap filling. The study was carried out in various developing countries in different continents. Areas where there is no forest at all were excluded and those completely forest covered such as those dominated by hunter- gatherers were not considered.

Open access copy available

Pest management through tropical tree conservation

Background

Open access copy available

Nitrogen-fixing trees inhibit growth of regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

BACKGROUND

Nitrogen fixing plants are the primary source of nitrogen in forests, and it is expected that more nitrogen fixers will bring in faster growth. Hence this study conducted, in a humid tropical rainforest North- East Costa Rica, challenged this notion. The area of study had similar dominant species, with P. macroloba being the most dominant Nitrogen fixer.

Open access copy available

Leverage points for improving global food security and the environment

BACKGROUND

Meeting global food demands is still a challenge, yet agriculture has been one of the main driving forces of greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, this study focused on identifying small regions, actions that can be taken and crops with a potential of increasing global yields, with an efficient system of food delivery and reducing the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment.

Open access copy available

Management and Performance of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in the Murewa and Mutoko Districts of Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

Zimbabwe’s afforestation program has used Eucalyptus trees because of their fast growth rate and their ability to adapt to different environmental conditions. These trees are grown to provide fuelwood and to curb deforestation. However, the afforestation program had poor results. Hence, there was a need to examine causes of poor performance to justify why the program still needs expansion.

Open access copy available

Livelihoods diversification and gender in Malawi

BACKGROUND

Open access copy available

A comparative study of medicinal plants used in rural areas of Namibia and Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

Despite the adoption of Western pharmaceutical drugs in developing countries, traditional medicine produced from wild plants is still the source of primary health care. In some countries up to 90% of the people rely on traditional medicines. Few studies have done a comparative analysis of the herbal medicines in Africa.

Open access copy available

Assessment of causes that contribute to the occurrence of plantations forests fires in Niassa Province, North of Mozambique

BACKGROUND

The government of Mozambique started to promote exotic forest plantations (pine & eucalyptus) because of low natural forest productivity, population growth and land use pressure. Niassa province was one of the provinces for this plantation program. However, fires in these commercial plantations have brought an enormous risk for companies, yet these companies provide the greatest source of employment for the local people.

Open access copy available

Research on Indigenous Knowledge and its Application: A Case of wild food plants of Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

There has been so much emphasis on the documentation of Indigenous Knowledge due to the fear that it is getting lost. However, little attention has been given to the application of this knowledge and how it should benefit indigenous communities. Hence this study drew its research on wild food plants of Zimbabwe and attempted to show how indigenous knowledge can be applied in education and community settings. 

Open access copy available

Distribution and genetic diversity of five invasive pests of Eucalyptus in sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND

Open access copy available