Climate Change

Effects of forest clearing and succession on the carbon and nitrogen content of soils in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

Background

Conversion of tropical forest lands to agriculture or pasture affects soil organic matter, moisture, and nutrients. This study examines the effects on soil carbon, nitrogen, and moisture at depths up to 100 cm of conversion from forest to agriculture and pasture.

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Reforestation project using native species in Maringa-Lopori-Wamba region (Democratic Republic of Congo): establishment of the Bonobo Peace Forest.CDM-AR-PDD

Background

Bonobos are endemic to the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and are at a high risk of extinction. Specifically, the UN has drawn attention to the speed at which infrustructure growth is infringing on bonobo habitat. Thus, it developed a program to halt these trends and conserve the bonobos. 

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Approaches to Classifying and Restoring Degraded Tropical Forests for the Anticipated REDD+ Climate Change Mitigation Mechanism

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Forest degradation from logging and fires has impacted millions of acres of tropical forest around the globe, reducing the ability of these forests to provide ecosystem services, sequester carbon, and provide habitat to endangered species. This report focuses on the UN’s REDD + initiative (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and calls for more attention to the potential for restoration initiatives of degraded forests to act as carbon sinks.

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Opportunities and Challenges for Ecological Restoration within REDD+

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This article discusses the possibilities for the inclusion of restoration as part of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) as well as  benefits for biodiversity and income for communities.

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Trade-offs between tree cover, carbon storage and floristic biodiversity in reforesting landscapes

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The multiple benefits of reforestation projects for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services are taken as a given. Yet not all forests are equal. Plantation-type reforestation projects typically undertaken for carbon sequestration are known for low species richness and inadequate provision of other ecosystem services. This study explores the relationships between an increase in tree cover area and changes in forest carbon storage and the potential of a landscape to provide habitat for native floristic biodiversity.

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Managing afforestation and reforestation for carbon sequestration: considerations for land managers and policy makers

Background

This chapter focuses on managing afforestation & reforestation projects with an eye towards carbon sequestration. While temperate regions contain the majority of the world’s naturally regenerated and planted forests, the most rapid rates of reforestation occur in the tropics.

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Climate change mitigation through afforestation/reforestation: A global analysis of hydrologic impacts with four case studies

Background

While much attention is being given internationally to the opportunities for carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change, little attention is being paid to the environmental tradeoffs that are associated with these types of schemes. This study examines the implicit hydrologic dimensions of international efforts to mitigate climate change, specifically potential impacts of the Clean Development Mechanism-Afforestation/Reforestation (CDM-AR) provisions of the Kyoto Protocol (KP) on global, regional and local water cycles.

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Appropriate Measures for Conservation of Terrestrial Carbon Stocks: Analysis of Trends of Forest Management in Southeast Asia

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The ASEAN countries of Southeast Asia have seen rapid deforestation and subsequent carbon losses in the past few decades, as lands are cleared for other land uses. This study analyzes the implications of different land management scenarios on carbon stocks.

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Adaptación de los bosques tropicales al cambio climático: una oportunidad para la investigación interdisciplinaria (Adaptation of tropical forests to climate change: an opportunity for interdisciplinary research)

 

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Antecedentes

Este estudio resume conceptos relacionados a la adaptación de bosques tropicales al cambio climático. Además, examina como el manejo forestal sustentable puede contribuir para este fin, y el rol de la investigación para generar información nueva.

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Amazon Reforestation Project

BACKGROUND

This resource presents the mission of the Amazon Reforestation Project (ARP) which aims to conserve tropical rainforest and conduct forest restoration on deforested lands in the Brazilian Amazon. Located on over 1 million hectares of land in the state of Amazonas, this project aims to serve as an example for large scale conservation and restoration in this region, where increasing development and globalization of Manaus is leading to increased opportunities and incentives for deforestation.

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