Land Use Change and Trends
Context in land matters: The effects of history on land formalizationsBackgroundLand formalization is the process by which governments grant legal rights to land, along with responsibilities and conditions of access through land titles and other official documents. This process typically establishes or re-establishes the authority of the state over the governance of land. This paper draws on examples from Africa and Asia to illustrate how land formalization has differing impacts on a diverse set of claimants, and largely increases inequity. Open access copy available |
Can short-term payments for ecosystem services deliver long-term tree cover change?BackgroundWhile payment for ecosystem services (PES) has been lauded has been an effective strategy, particularly to increase tree cover in agricultural areas. Yet, there has been limited evaluation of long-term success, such as that after the payment period. Goals & MethodsTo determine the the long-term effectiveness of PES, the author compares tree cover before and after 13 years of a PES project that promoted silvopastoral systems in Colombia, which was quantified via satellite images. Available with subscription or purchase |
Revisiting IPCC Tier 1 coefficients for soil organic and biomass carbon storage in agroforestry systemsIntroductionWhile agroforestry systems cover a signifcant amount of land worldwide and have the capacity to sequester large amounts of carbon, they are often not considered in climate change mitigation. Most importantly, the IPCCC does not recognize them in carbon accounting primarily because there is so much diversity in the systems. Open access copy available |
The State of the World’s Forest Genetic ResourcesIntroductionProduced by FAO, this document reviews the state of the world forests as of 2020. The authors cite that forest provide valuable goods and services that benefit human well-being, particularly forest genetic resources (FGR). Yet these are threatened by an exponentially increasing human population, overexploitation, and landscape conversion. Open access copy available |
Módulo 5: El enfoque de paisaje en la planificación a mesoescala de la restauraciónEspañolAntecedentesOpen access copy available |
Bosques tropicales y cambio climático: Un manual temático para líderes religiosos y comunidades de feEspañolAntecedentesOpen access copy available |
Restauración ecológica en un clima cambiante: ¿Es imprescindible un cambio de modelo?EspañolAntecedentesOpen access copy available |
Policy Options for the World's Primary Forests in Multilateral Environmental AgreementsBackgroundAround the world, primary forest continue to decline. The authors of this article recognize that international forest policies is one means to slow or turn around these trends and thus they identify four new actions that can provide a policy foundation for key international negotiations. Open access copy available |
Tropical forest restoration: Fast resilience of plant biomass contrasts with slow recovery of stable soil C stocksBackgroundThe study looks at three land-use types: 1) land left barren after a clear-cut in the 1950s, with only a sparse cover of shrubs, grasses, and vines, 2) a Eucalyptus exserta plantation established in the 1960s, and 3) a eucalyptus plantation that was clear-cut in 1974 and converted into a plantation of native tree species, now considered a secondary forest. The biomass and soil carbon (C) of these three land-use types were compared to a nearby natural old-growth forest. Open access copy available |
Mangrove recruitment after forest disturbance is facilitated by herbaceous species in the CaribbeanBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
