Funding
Money for Nothing? A Call for Empirical Evaluation of Biodiversity Conservation InvestmentsBackgroundThe authors assert that while the ecological aspects of conservation efforts are highly investigated and supported by empirical evidence, the policy aspects are not. In response, they argue that conservation policy measures must adopt program evaluation methods that would allow one to determine if intervention would be viable. Open access copy available |
Coffee Farming and Climate Change in Ethiopia: Impacts, Forecasts, Resilience and OpportunitiesIntroductionThis document is the outcome of a two-year project by the Strategic Climate Institutions Programme (SCIP). The project aimed to established strategies for a climate-resilient coffee economy in Ethiopia in which the effects of various climate change factors on coffee production and wild coffee forests were acccessed. Open access copy available |
Nursery management, tree propagation and marketing: A training manual for smallholder farmers and nursery operatorsIntroductionPublished by ICRAF, this manual is intended to provide training support aimed at farmers and nursery operators to promote the propogation and establishment of small-scale nurseries. Goals & MethodsTo achieve the aim of encouraging superior techniques and materials for superior planting, the document offers five modules. Each module covers a different step in the nursery establishment process, from sourcing and selecting seeds to establishing a nursery business. Open access copy available |
Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons learned from a 15‐year studyBackgroundThis study examines the technique of applied nucleation, which is based on the planting of tree islands, as a means of cost-effective assisted natural regeneration. Open access copy available |
Restoring Forests For Communities, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem ServicesBackgroundThis publication summarizes the proceedings of a 2011 conference held in Bogor, Indonesia titled "Restoring Forests For Communities, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services". The aim of the conference was to provide a space in which forest restoration approaches used in Indonesia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia were shared and discussed. The report includes summaries of the opening and closing remarks along with the conference's seven presentations. Open access copy available |
Biofuels: The Impact of Oil Palm on Forests and ClimateBackgroundThis publication summarizes the proceedings of a 2009 conference held Singapore titled "Biofuels: The Impact of Oil Palm on Forests and Climate". With the emergence of palm oil industry, particularly in Asia, there has been a strong debate concerning the ability of this and other biofuels to reduce greenhouse gases but also its contribution to large-scale land conversion. This conference aimed to bring together experts from various fields to discuss potential solutions or alternatives to the industry. The report summarizes the opening remarks of the conference along with four panels, each of which were based on a specific question. Open access copy available |
Mainstreaming Native Species-Based Forest RestorationBackgroundThis publication summarizes the proceedings of a 2010 conference held in the Phillipines titled "Mainstreaming Native Species-Based Forest Restoration", which aimed to provide technical expertise and experience with restoration and reforestation practices for tropical forests in order to address the country's forest cover decline. The report summarizes the events of the two days, including two opening remarks, six presentations, and five panels. Open access copy available |
Experiences with capacity building for ecological restoration in Latin AmericaBackgroundLandscape scale restoration initiatives are experiencing an increasing popularity, specifically in Latin America. Yet, these initiatives not only require an ecological understanding but also a holistic focus on the socio-economic. To do so, it is critical to promote capacity building in conjunction with these initiatives. Capacity building both improves the technical skills of stakeholders while also increasing the institutional capacity and leadership of all parties. This paper highlights six organizations who are successfully strengthening capacity for ecological restoration in Latin America. Open access copy available |
Industrial Resource Extraction and Infrastructure Development in Tropical ForestsBackgroundThis publication summarizes the proceedings of a 2012 conference held in Panama City, Panama titled "Industrial Resource Extraction and Infrastructure Development in Tropical Forests" The conference sought to explore how the continued increase in economic interest in natural resource extraction can be beneficial connected to the protection of tropical forests. The conference gathered scientists, decision makers, academics, government officials, representatives from NGOs and the private sector, and community and indigenous leaders and involved opening and closing remarks along with four panels. Open access copy available |
Drug Policy as Conservation Policy: Narco-DeforestationBackgroundCentral America exploded into prominence as a drug trafficking corridor in the last decade. The authors documented that an unprecedented flow of cocaine into Central America “coincided with a period of extensive forest loss”. The authors discuss the evidence that supports the idea that "trafficking of drugs (principally cocaine) has become a crucial—and overlooked—accelerant of forest loss” in Central America. Open access copy available |
