Deforestation and Degradation
Enjeux fonciers, exploitation des ressources naturelles et Forêts des Communautés Locales en périphérie de Kinshasa, RDC (Land Issues, Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Local Community Forests on the Outskirts of Kinshasa, DRC)backgroundThe authors discuss factors affecting peri-urban forests that surround Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and identify mismanagement of forest resources by local authorities as well as the willingness of local communities to take part in forest management. Open access copy available |
The Political, Social, and Ecological Transformation of a LandscapeBackgroundIn 1951 the Chinese Government issued the Decision on Cultivating Rubber Trees, which resulted in the establishment of large-scale rubber plantations in the tropical regions of China, including Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. These rubber plantations, worked by relocated Han Chinese, were a manifestation of state power on the landscape. Open access copy available |
Forest Fragmentation and its Correlation to Human Land Use Change in the State of Selangor, Peninsular MalaysiaBackgroundThis paper uses a simple fragmentation index comprising three landscape metrics- non-forest area, forest edge bordered by human land use, and patch size coefficient of variation- to study changes in forest fragmentation in the state of Selangor, in peninsular Malaysia between 1966, 1981 and 1995. Research Goals & MethodsThe study utilized digitized land use maps developed by the Soil Management Division of the Department of Agriculture, Malaysia, to study changes in land use over time. Open access copy available |
Land Cover Change in Colombia: Surprising Forest Recovery Trends between 2001 and 2010backgroundThis study mapped annual land-use and land-cover from 2001 to 2010 in Colombia using MODIS (250 m) products coupled with reference data from high spatial resolution imagery (QuickBird) in Google Earth. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors evaluated land cover change at four spatial scales: country, biome, ecoregion, and municipality. Open access copy available |
Sixty-Seven Years of Land-Use Change in Southern Costa RicaBackgroundHabitat loss and fragmentation of forests are among the biggest threats to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in tropical landscapes. This paper uses the vicinity of the Las Cruces Biological Station in southern Costa Rica as a regional case study to comment on seven decades of land-use change in one of the most intensively studied sites in the Neotropics. Open access copy available |
Forest Cover and Deforestation Patterns in the Northern Andes (Lake Maracaibo Basin): A Synoptic Assessment using MODIS and Landsat ImageryBackgroundSouth America has the highest deforestation rates in the tropics. Yet, the science is often questioned when determining these rates. For example, Venezuela, which has the second highest rate in the region, produces government reports on deforestation that are continually questioned by third parties. This paper stresses the need for more accurate and consistent data on forest cover and greenhouse gase emissions from deforestation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Reforestation of mangroves after severe impacts of herbicides during the the Viet Nam war: the case of Can GioBackgroundDue to years of armed conflict and the extensive use of toxic chemicals in Vietnam in the 1960s, tens of thousands of hectares of mangrove forests were destroyed. In 1978, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minhi City recognized this lost and began investing in reforestation efforts. Open access copy available |
Increasing Drought Sensitivity and Decline of Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in the Moroccan Middle Atlas ForestsbackgroundSince the 1980s, severe droughts have influenced Atlas cedar mortality in Morocco. This study looked at relative contributions of tree characteristics and stand structure on the increment-growth and decline of Atlas cedar trees (Cedrus atlantica) in stands affected by past logging and heavy grazing. Open access copy available |
The Cultural Context of Forest Degradation in Adjacent Purépechan Communities, Michoacán, MexicoBackgroundThis study aims to understand the relationship between cultural and ecological drivers contributing to change in forest land use patterns by comparing two adjacent indigenous communities in the volcanic plateau region of Michoacán, Mexico. The study suggests that both cultural and ecological processes must be studied together to best understand the cultural causes of forest change and accurately assess ecological consequences. Available with subscription or purchase |
Effects of Fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest on Mammal Communities in South-Eastern BrazilBackgroundThe author presents a detailed analysis of the community of large and medium-sized mammals present in six remnants of the low Atlantic forest in Brazil. The six remnants had varying sizes: small (200 ha), medium (2,000 ha) and large (20,000 ha). The study seeks to (1) identify the mammal species richness and the relative abundance of individuals surviving in each reserve, and (2) analyze changes in the structure of the mammal community contrasting the relative abundances of orders and dietary categories between reserves of differing sizes. Available with subscription or purchase |
