East Asia and Pacific
Eden Project and the Forest Restoration Unit, ThailandBackgroundThe Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in north-west Thailand attracts millions of visitors annual but has also been degraded by slash-and-burn agriculture and tourism use. The Forest Restoration Research Unit has collaborated with scientists and the national park to attempt to restore the degraded land and return it to a rich tropical forest. Open access copy available |
BCTL: Mangrove Reforestation Project, Coast of ThailandbackgroundThis project takes place in the Mangrove forests of Thailand. In the past half century, the mangrove forests have been rapidly diminishing due to the expansion of shrimp and salt farms. From 1961 to 1996, Thailand lost approximately 56 % of its mangrove forests. Since then, its indigenous ecosystem has been faced with the threat of extinction. The deforestation also endangers the lives of the local people who live in the coastal areas, where tsunamis pose a real threat. Open access copy available |
Forest in the Air ProjectBackgroundAs a joint venture by Conservation International and Daikin, the Forest in the Air Project works in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park in Indonesia. The forest is not only home to a variety of flora and fauna but also provides critical ecosystem services. Like other forests in Indonesia, the park is under threat from agriculture and other human activities, such as illegal logging. Open access copy available |
Multiple-Purposes Reforestation on Degraded Lands in Longyang, ChinBackgroundThe following is a project design document submitted to the UNFCCC in 2008 for a project to restore and preserve degraded forests in Longyang, Yunnan, P.R. China. The project will be headed by the Longyang Forestry Farm in cooperation with local farmers. Open access copy available |
Early Effects of Four Fast-Growing Tree Species and Their Planting Density on Ground Vegetation in Imperata grasslandsbackgroundThis study aims to test the success of fast-growing exotics tree species and alternative planting densities on the development of ground vegetation. The study was conducted in Riam Kiwa, South Kalimantan, Indonesia in Imperata grasslands. The four fast-growing exotic tree species used in the study were Acacia mangium, Acacia crassicarpa, Gmelina arborea, and Paraserianthes falcataria. Available with subscription or purchase |
Fallow to Forest: Applying Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge of Swidden Cultivation to Tropical Forest RestorationBackgroundThis study analyzed vegetation at two sites of shifting cultivation by Lawa and Karen indigenous people in the Mae Chaem watershed in 1-year, 3-year and 6-year fallow fields, with an area of natural forest as a control comparison. Available with subscription or purchase |
Biodiversity–Productivity Relationships in Small-Scale Mixed-Species Plantations Using Native Species in Leyte Province, PhilippinesbackgroundThe growth of tropical reforestation in recent decades has given rise to a debate between the relative productivity, biodiversity, and general merits of mixed-species vs. single-species plantations. To further investigate the relationship between tree species diversity, productivity, and abiotic factors such as climate and soil, this study investigated the growth of mixed-species plantations in Leyte province in the Philippines. These smallholder plantations were planted in 1992 to meet social, economic, and environmental needs through the Rainforestation Farming system. Open access copy available |
Degraded Lands Worth Protecting: the Biological Importance of Southeast Asia's Repeatedly Logged Forests.BackgroundThe study examines the impacts of second logging cycles on biodiversity by comparing species richness, species composition and population-level responses of birds and dung beetle species across unlogged forest, first rotation forest, and second rotation forest in Sabah, Malaysia. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors sample 18 sites, 6 for each forest type, over a two year period. They use point count and mist net censuses for bird species and pitfall traps to count dung beetles. Open access copy available |
Nurse Plant Theory and its Application in Ecological Restoration in Lower Subtropics of ChinabackgroundThis study examines the mechanisms of the nurse tree effect and ecological factors that influence tree nursing and its relationship to ecological restoration. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors list different pairs of nurse and target tree species, including the broad description of such pairs and research findings of case studies in several locations in lower subtropical China. They also examine the positive and negative feedback loops between nurse trees and target species and explain why the nursing effect occurs. Open access copy available |
Monitoring Forest Degradation in Tropical Regions by Remote Sensing: Some Methodological IssuesBackgroundThis review examines different remote sensing techniques to monitor vegetation cover at a regional scale. The objective was to discuss implications related to monitoring of open forest degradation. Research Goals & MethodsTechniques include methods to track both spatial and temporal changes in structure and function associated with land use change. Open access copy available |
