Land Use
On the Restoration of High Diversity Forests: 30 years of Experience in the Brazilian Atlantic ForestbackgroundThis review evaluates the restoration of Brazil's Atlantic forest by drawing from published and unpublished sources. Reforestation in Atlantic Brazil took place in phases: government-sponsored plantations predominated until 1982; a focus on native species plantations from 1982-1985; higher diversity of species used from 1985 to 2000; a focus on restoring process rather than copying the structure of natural forests from 2000-2003; and finally a conscious effort to improve intraspecific genetic diversity and seed acquisition from 2003 to today. Open access copy available |
A Tri-Partite Framework of Forest Dynamics: Hierarchy, Panarchy, and Heterarchy in the Study of Secondary GrowthBackgroundAs tropical forests continue to experience high levels of land use and land cover change (LULCC) as well as returning secondary growth, the literature is expanding to provide theoretical explanations for these processes. This report presents a three-part framework of forest dynamics that integrates multiple theoretical explanations for LULCC and secondary growth. Available with subscription or purchase |
Reforestation: Conclusions and ImplicationsBackgroundAs the final chapter of the Reforesting Landscapes: Linking Pattern and Process (2010), this paper evaluates and reflects on the major research findings of the volume. It utilizes the case studies in preceeding chapters to evaluate commonalities in reforestation and to develop an interdisciplinary framework for future studies on reforestation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Carbon Forestry Project CO2OL Tropical MixBACKGROUNDDegraded land, originally forest land, later used for extensive cattle ranching, is reforested with mostly native tree species and gradually converted into mixed forests. The project provides for sustainable timber production and cocoa cultivation; protects biodiversity and restores a healthy forest ecosystem. The project reforests previously degraded pastureland with a mixture of native tree species to produce fine tropical timber, enrich the soil, save and filter water, sequester carbon, and contribute to the mitigation of climate change. Open access copy available |
The Fate of the Tropical Forest: Carbon or Cattle?backgroundThe Clean Development Mechanism, established by the Kyoto Protocol, includes small-scale afforestation and reforestation projects as a means for participating developed countries to receive credit for emission redcutions. Available with subscription or purchase |
Implications of Country-Level Decisions on the Specification of Crown Cover in the Definition of Forests for Land Area Eligible for Afforestation and Reforestation Activities in the CDMbackgroundAccording to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) with the Kyoto Protocol, reforestation may only occur on land that was not forested in 1990. This article evaluates how afforestation and reforestation (A/R) through the ENCOFOR project in four countries have approached the issue of "what is forest?" The authors highlight the uncertainty in the qualifications to be forest by presenting many different national or organizational definitions of forestland. Differences in the minimum crown cover needed to be classified as forest can affect the area available for reforestation under CDM. Open access copy available |
CO2OL Native Tree Species ReforestationbackgroundOpen access copy available |
Profiles of Carbon Stocks in Forest, Reforestation and Agricultural Land, Northern ThailandbackgroundThis study evaluates the difference in above-ground and below-ground carbon stock between forest, reforestation, and agricultural land in northern Thailand. Available with subscription or purchase |
Forest Expansion in Northwest Costa Rica: Conjuncture of the Global Market, Land-Use Intensification, and Forest ProtectionbackgroundThis article examines the land cover conversion trends in Costa Rica, a topic that is widely studied in developed coutries but less so in developing. Available with subscription or purchase |
Importance of Input Classification to Graph Automata Simulations of Forest Cover Change in the Peruvian AmazonBackgroundIn an area of Peru difficult for remote sensing imaging of deforestation and regeneration, the authors evaluate landcover and detect changes in landuse using novel data simulation techniques. Research goals & MethodsThe authors aim to compensate for remote assessments of deforestation or reforestation that may be strongly dependent on the seasonality of input images. To do this, they ran graph automata simulations while varying forest cover inputs to model land cover change. Open access copy available |
