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Afforestation and Reforestation Projects in South and South-East Asia Under the Clean Development Mechanism: Trends and Development Opportunities

background

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was created as part of the 2007 Kyoto Protocol to assist countries in achieving both development and sustainability. Afforestation and reforestation (AR) projects are a part of the CDM protocal, but can be challenging to implement and measure.

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Monitoring Mangrove Forest Dynamics of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh and India using Multi-Temporal Satellite Data from 1973 to 2000

Background

In the Sundurbans of India and Bangladesh, the authors measured the extent and condition of the mangrove forest at three intervals using GeoCover datasets (Landsat MSS, TM, ETM+) with the goal of assessing the current extent of the remaining forest, measuring change in the extent of the forest in different time periods, and identifying areas of intensive deforestation or degradation and changes in patterns of canopy density.

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Afforestation for Reclaiming Degraded Village Common Land: A Case Study

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In India, population growth and agriculture put a strain on natural resources, often resulting in "wastelands" where the soil is no longer productive - often either affected by either salt or alkilinity. Using soil amendments to restore these lands to productivity can be cost-prohibitive for the small villages that own these lands. Afforestation is one possible method for restoring the health of these in a cost-effective and scalable way. 

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Simulating Forest Cover Changes of Bannerghatta National Park Based on a CA-Markov Model: A Remote Sensing Approach

Background

Establishment of protected areas has been a primary response to deforestation and land-use change in tropical forests. However, few empirical evaluations have conducted a comparison of pre- and post-intervention landscapes.

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Integrating National Forestry Initiatives in India with International Climate Change Policy

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This study reviews forest policies in India (eg. 1988 Forest Policy, 1990 Joint Forest Management, and 2006 Recognition of Forest Rights) and their impacts to assess how they can complement and inform international climate change mitigation instruments. It also seeks to determine how communities can sustain their system of forest management and retain/obtain rights to land and resources under these instruments.

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The Impact of Forest Use and Reforestation on Soil Hydraulic Conductivity in the Western Ghats of India: Implications for Surface and Sub-Surface Hydrology

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Patterns of Carbon Sequestration in Forests of Western Ghats and Study of Applicability of Remote Sensing in Generating Carbon Credits through Afforestation/Reforestation

Background

Using ground-based observations coupled with satellite remote sensing, this study aims to estimate the potential of the forests of Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Western Ghats, India) to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide and to identify land which has the potential for reforestation activity under the Clean Development Mechanism.

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Disturbance and Tropical Pioneer Species: Patterns of Association Across Life History Stages

BAckground

The authors studied pioneer species common in the Sinharaja World Heritage Reserve in Sri Lanka to characterize differences in relation to canopy openness and type, and intensity of disturbance using a combination of field work, canopy photos, and regression models.

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Growth, biomass, carbon storage and nutrient distribution in Gmelina arborea stands on red lateritic soils in central India

Background

Large-scale plantations are being established on degraded lands in India to restore the productivity of these soils and landscapes and to sequester atmospheric carbon. Gmelina arborea is a fast-growing indigenous tree used for timber, fuelwood, pulp and fodder already in use in reforestation projects. However, its growth and biomass production has been inadequately studied, particularly in the poor red laterite soils that dominate degraded landscapes.

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Carbon stock in Kolli forests, Eastern Ghats (India) with emphasis on aboveground biomass, litter, woody debris and soils

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Carbon estimates for India’s forests are inadequate because they are largely based on secondary data. While actual carbon estimates exist in some locales, a nationwide carbon inventory is needed. This study contributes an evaluation of above- and belowground biomass and carbon stocks in the Kolli Hills of the Eastern Ghats, Tamilnadu.

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Spatial Interpolation of Carbon Stock: A Case Study from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India

Background

This study in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats estimates the biomass and carbon stock of major tropical forest types in India and attempts to identify suitable interpolation techniques to map carbon stock.

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Carbon sequestration versus bioenergy: A case study from South India exploring the relative land-use efficiency of two options for climate change mitigation

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This study explores avenues to meet increased rural electricity demand with carbon emissions mitigation. The study compares the option of energy derived from gasification of biomass from forest plantations to energy derived from fossil fuels, with forest plantations used as a carbon sink.The case study uses power demand, land requirements, and management approaches for Hosahalli village, Karnataka, pop. 218.

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REDD+ Readiness Implications for Sri Lanka in Terms of Reducing Deforestation

Background

This study constructs a historical reference level of emissions from deforestation in Sri Lanka using available forest inventory data and in situ carbon density data. It also attempts to identify drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka and to estimate the opportunity cost and possible climate benefits of forest conservation.

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Assessing the Mitigation Potential of Forestry Activities in a Changing Climate: A Case Study for Karnataka

Background

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol has two goals: promote climate mitigation activities that offset carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, and promote sustainable economic development. Afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects can often meet these two goals simultaneously. India, which ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002, has sought to implement A/R projects as part of the CDM.

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Variation in Canopy Structure, Light and Soil Nutrition Across Elevation of a Sri Lankan Tropical Rain Forest

Background

This study aims to examine differences in resource availability across elevation and geology in mixed dipterocarp forest by measuring light, soil nutrition and soil water availability in relation to forest structure in southwest Sri Lanka.

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Ectomycorrhizal Colonization and Seedling Growth of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae) Species in Simulated Shade Environments of a Sri Lankan Rain Forest

Background

This study examines how the degree of ectomycorrhizal (EM) colonization of potted Shorea spp. is associated with the amount and quality of daily photosynthetic photon flux density (PFD).

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Forest conservation, afforestation, and reforestation in India: Implications for forest carbon stocks

Background

Considering India’s goal to have 1/3 of their land area forested by 2012, this article assesses the implications of past and current forest conservation and regeneration policies and carbon stock programs.

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Net Primary Productivity of Two Mangrove Forest Stands on the Northwestern Coast of Sri Lanka

Background

This article compares the net primary production of an estuarine mangrove stand to an island fringing stand in Dutch Bay in northwestern Sri Lanka.

Research Goals & Methods

Net above-ground primary productivity was measured by monitoring litterfall and above-ground biomass increment between 1985 and 1987.

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Structural Properties of Two Types of Mangrove Stands on the Northwestern Coast of Sri Lanka

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This article compares the structural diversity of six mangrove stands of both estuarine and island-fringing types in Puttalam lagoon and Dutch Bay in northwestern Sri Lanka.

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A review of the floral composition and distribution of mangroves in Sri Lanka

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The article reviews literature on the numbers and distributions of Sri Lankan mangrove species and highlights the causes of overestimation. It also attempts to provide an accurate count based on standardized fieldwork over a 4-year period along the coast between Palatupana and Puttalam, Sri Lanka. The authors name some examples of mischaracterized or misidentified species from previous studies and address the importance of clearly defining the terms for mangroves.

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