Land Use

Land Cover Dynamics in the Kirisia Forest Ecosystem, Samburu County, Kenya

background

Throughout Africa, forest ecosystems play a significant role in supporting local livelihoods. In Kenya specifically, these ecosystems contribute to economic development while also improving watershed dynamics. Yet, these ecosystems have experienced significant changes over the decades. This study aims to quantify these land changes in the Kirisia forest ecosystem from 1973 to 2015. 

Open access copy available

Misreading the African Landscape: Society and Ecology in a Forest-Savanna Mosaic

  • The authors of this book investigate how societies interact with their forested environments through a social anthropological and ecological lense.
  • They challenge widely-accepted views related to the management of Africa's forest margins.

 

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Analysis of Drivers and Underlying Causes of Forest Cover Change in Various Forest Types of Kenya

BACKGROUND

This study presents findings on the nature and extent of major drivers and underlying causes of land cover change; mainly deforestation and forest degradation in various ecoregions of Kenya. In 2010, Kenya joined the global initiative spearheaded by the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Fund (FCPF)to reduce emissions of carbon from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+).

Open access copy available

The Restoration Diagnostic: A Method for Developing Forest Landscape Restoration Strategies by Rapidly Assessing the Status of Key Success Factors

Background

This report outlines the social, economic, and environmental benefits that forest restoration landscape restoration can have in countries with degraded or deforested landscapes.

Open access copy available

Modelling Deforestation in Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Lilongwe, Malawi: Using Multi-agent Simulation Approach

Background

The Dzalanyama Forest Reserve is a 90,000 + hectare area in Lilongwe, Malwi. There has been an increase in charcoal production in the area leading to land cover transitions in the reserve, particularly that forest cover decreased by 22,000 ha over a twenty year span between 1990 and 2010. 

Open access copy available

Les facteurs déterminants le succès de reproduction de la Tourterelle des bois (Streptopelia turtur) dans un milieu agricole Nord-Africain

The authors provide ecological information regarding the use of trees and agriculture by the turtle dove. They argue for increased research to determine the success of fruit trees on sustaining populations of wildlife.

 

Open access copy available

Land Degradation, Less Favored Lands and the Rural Poor: A Spatial and Economic Analysis.

Background

Previous studies have examined the differing economic consequences of land degradation for various groups of people, finding that the rural poor of less developed countries rely on some of the most marginal, degraded land. Yet, these studes seignificantly differ in their use of key spatial land and population indicators and the spatially referenced data generated are inadequate for cross-country economic analysis of the impact of land degradation on global poverty. This study aims to rectify these shortcomings. 

Open access copy available

Ecosystem Decay of Amazonian Forest Fragments: A 22-year Investigation

background

The authors discuss results from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, a long-term study on rainforest fragmentation in Amazonia. The project, which was originally intended to assess the influence of fragmented areas on Amazonia biota, took place in Menus, Brazil. This report surveyed 340 publications and theses that were produced over the 22 years of the project. 

Open access copy available

Forest transitions: An introduction

Background

The authors present an introduction to the idea of "forest transitions", which is theory coined by Alexander Mather to explain the changes that forest landscapes undergo as societies industrialize and urbanize. This special issue seeks to extend and deepend the theory. 

Open access copy available

Globalization and Forest Resurgence: Changes in Forest Cover in El Salvador

Background

The authors study certain globalization impacts in land-use change in El Salvador. The legacy of war, remittances and international migration are among other factors that have allowed tree resurgence even in highly urban populated areas.  This study tracks the different trajectories of forest recovery by analysing remote-sensing satellite images from 1970's to the early 2000's.

Open access copy available
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