Land Use Change and Trends

The social and ecological costs of reforestation. Territorialization and industrialization of land use accompany forest transitions in Southeast Asia

Background

Open access copy available

What is the contribution of forest-related income to rural livelihood strategies in the Philippines’ remaining forested landscapes?

Background

Open access copy available

Promises and potentials do not grow trees and crops. A review of institutional and policy research in agroforestry for the Southern African region

BACKGROUND:

Agroforestry has been recognized for its potential to address land management challenges, improve food security, and support rural livelihoods, but its widespread adoption remains limited. Institutional and policy barriers, including weak coordination among sectors and inadequate incentives, hinder its integration into national and local frameworks. Strengthening policies, institutions, and research on the social and economic dimensions of agroforestry is essential for its successful implementation and long-term impact.

Open access copy available

Complementary ecosystem services from multiple land uses highlight the importance of tropical mosaic landscapes

Background

Tropical agricultural landscapes feature a mosaic of diverse land uses, yet the ecosystem service bundles and materials they provide to rural households remain poorly understood. In northeastern Madagascar, shifting cultivation for hillside rice production and agroforests for cash and subsistence crops have largely replaced old-growth forests. The landscape consists of forest fragments, small-scale vanilla agroforests, rice paddies, and subsistence farming plots at various stages of the shifting cultivation cycle.

Open access copy available

Why environmental impact assessments often fail

Background

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) aim to mitigate the environmental costs of development, particularly in biodiversity-rich developing nations. While governments and corporations claim EIAs as safeguards against environmental harm from roads, dams, mines, and housing, many are ineffective or even worthless. Weak assessments fail to prevent projects that destroy habitats and endanger species. Key shortcomings include insufficient funding, narrow focus on immediate project areas, conflicts of interest among consultants, and poor governance that grants developers undue influence over policy decisions.

Open access copy available

Peasants, agroforesters, and anthropologists: A 20-year venture in income-generating trees and hedgerows in Haiti

Background

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Beyond Tenure: Rights-based Approaches to Peoples and Forests

Background

Open access copy available

Carbon sequestration in Africa: The land tenure problem

Background

Research on afforestation and reforestation projects highlights how tropical forests can store carbon on a large scale. Africa offers vast areas of suitable land for carbon sequestration through these initiatives. However, the author argues that land tenure issues in Africa create an obstacle to achieving this potential.

Open access copy available

Patterns and drivers of disturbance in tropical forest reserves of southern Ghana

Background

Open access copy available

Opportunities for Integrating Social Science into Research on Dry Forest Restoration: A Mini-Review

Background

Researchers have well-documented the threats to seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), including anthropogenic fires, climate change, and soil degradation. The widespread conversion of SDTFs to other land uses creates substantial opportunities for large-scale restoration and reforestation. While most research focuses on abiotic, environmental, and biophysical factors influencing restoration and secondary succession, researchers have largely overlooked incorporating social sciences or human dimensions into the restoration process, leaving a significant gap in the field.

Open access copy available
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