Forest Dynamics
Seeding ecological restoration of tropical forests: Priority setting under REDD+BackgroundTropical deforestation continues to be the major driver of biodiversity loss and a considerable contributor to climate change. Increasing numbers of forest-dependent rural poor rely on degraded forest for their livelihoods. Ecological restoration of tropical forests has the potential to not only contribute to biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation, but also poverty alleviation. REDD+ provides a potentially powerful mechanism for supporting ecological restoration of tropical forests in developing countries. Available with subscription or purchase |
Overcoming Ecological Barriers to Tropical Lower Montane Forest Succession on Anthropogenic Grasslands: Synthesis and Future ProspectsBackgroundThis review attempts to address the difficulty in restoring grasslands to secondary tropical forest through reforestation. Proposed strategies are discussed for future recruitment methods for woody vegetation. Research Goals & MethodsThis study examines work conducted in Knuckles Forest Reserve (KFR) in the lower montane tropical rainforest and grasslands of Sri Lanka. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tropical rainforest regeneration in an area degraded by mining in Mato Grosso State, BrazilBackgroundGold mining has been a major cause of environmental degradation in the rainforests in the north of Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Regulations on mining activity are beginning to be developed, including standards for forest recovery methodologies. This study characterizes natural tropical rainforest regeneration in Matupa County, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. 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 |
Tropical rain forest fragmentation and its ecological and species diversity changes in Southern YunnanBackgroundAnimal species richness is understood to decline with fragmentation of tropical forests. While the same is assumed of plant species richness, fewer studies have been undertaken on this subject. This study on sacred groves in southern Yunnan, southwestern China, evaluates the plant species richness of these tropical rainforest fragments. Open access copy available |
Carbon stock in Kolli forests, Eastern Ghats (India) with emphasis on aboveground biomass, litter, woody debris and soilsbackgroundCarbon 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. Open access copy available |
Simulating Forest Cover Changes of Bannerghatta National Park Based on a CA-Markov Model: A Remote Sensing ApproachBackgroundEstablishment 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. Open access copy available |
Influências de Atta spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) na recuperação da vegetação pós-fogo em floresta de transição amazônicaEnglishBackgroundThis article presents an investigation of the role of leaf-cutter ants in the recovery of vegetation after fire, in an Amazonian transitional forest, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Open access copy available |
Forest Rehabilitation and its Implication for Forest Transition TheorybackgroundThis article reviews the history of forest rehabilitation in Vietnam, Philippines, China, Peru, Indonesia, and Brazil. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forestBackgroundForest soil properties are influenced by the complex interactions of vegetation, soil type, geology, management, and climactic patterns. Tree species can differ in their long-term effects on soils. This study resamples one of the earliest replicated experimental sites at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, used to examine the effects of native tropical tree species on soil properties, to examine longer term effects on soil properties. Open access copy available |
