Land Use

Imitating Natural Ecosystems through Successional Agroforestry for the Regeneration of Degraded Lands - A Case Study of Smallholder Agriculture in Northeastern Brazil

Background

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When is a forest a forest? Forest concepts and definitions in the era of forest and landscape restoration

Background

This article highlights the importance of creating forest definitions--what is meant by forest, what is meant by forest loss, what is meant by forest restoration--in order to create a conceptual, institutional, legal and operational basis for forest policies and interventions.

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The Campesino-to-Campesino agroecology movement of ANAP in Cuba: social process methodology in the construction of sustainable peasant agriculture and food sovereignty

Background

This article focuses on agroecology as a farming practice based upon principles rooted in the biology of a place and its organic matter. Agroecology has been promoted by community organizations and NGOs and is scaling up to national peasant organizations and social movements. This study looks at Cuba as a case study for La Via Campesina, a global peasant movement, and how agroecology has spread in Cuba from campesino-a-campesino, or peasant-to-peasant.

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Conserving Tropical Tree Diversity and Forest Structure: The Value of Small Rainforest Patches in Moderately-Managed Landscapes

Background

Due to deforestation and degradation in rainforests, there has been an increase in small forest patches yet there is limited understanding of this structures contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The authors of this study attempt to answer this question through studying a a moderately managed landscape in the tropics of Mexic

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The role of ecological theory and practice in poverty alleviation and environmental conservation

Background

This review emphasized the roles and tools of ecologists that would be helpful in poverty alleviation internationally.  Specifically, knowledge of sustainable sources of energy, provision of clean water, functional traits of vegetation, and design of agro-forestry systems were cited as examples of knowledge that would be helpful for cross-disciplinary strategies.

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Forest restoration in an indigenous land considering a forest remnant influence (Avaí, São Paulo State, Brazil)

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An ecological integrity assessment of a Brazilian Atlantic Forest watershed based on surveys of stream health and local farmers' perceptions: implications for management

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Adaptive value of participatory biodiversity monitoring in community forestry

Background

This paper looks at using a conceptual framework (values, diversity, stakeholders) for forest monitoring, communication and conservation by villagers in Baglung District, Nepal. The goal was to assist local foresters in developing monitoring programs.

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Evaluation of a rural development project in Southwest Cochabamba, Bolivia, and its agroforestry activities involving Polylepis besseri and other native species – a decade of lessons learned

Background

This report evaluates the results of the PROSANA project (GTZ/Department of Cochabamba) that ran for a 10-year period until the early 2000’s, and its attempts to combat food insecurity and promote conservation of relic forests and the restoration of agroecosystem function by planting mixed forests including Polylepis besseri. Well-adapted socio-ecological systems started to degrade in the region centuries ago with forced relocation of populations to higher, steep slopes and the introduction of European sheep and goats. Presently, firewood collection and grazing prevent the recovery of ecosystems.

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Land use transitions: Socio-ecological feedback versus socio-economic change

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