Payments for Ecoystem Services
REDD’ing Forest Conservation: The Philippine PredicamentBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
The Prospects for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Vietnam: A Look at Three Payment SchemesBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Governing the Global Commons: Linking Carbon Sequestration and Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical ForestsBackgroundClimate change and biodiversity loss rank among the most urgent global environmental challenges, yet international frameworks often address them separately. Scientific evidence increasingly highlights the deep connections between these issues, particularly in tropical forests. Despite this overlap, carbon finance mechanisms—such as the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—traditionally exclude efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation (REDD), instead prioritizing afforestation and reforestation. This article investigates how incentive-based mechanisms can better align carbon sequestration goals with biodiversity conservation, focusing especially on the role of tropical forests. Open access copy available |
Improving Sustainable Tropical Forest Management with Voluntary Carbon MarketsBackgroundTropical forests play a vital role in global carbon sequestration, absorbing around 1 petagram (Pg) of carbon annually—more than any other terrestrial ecosystem. However, deforestation and forest degradation weaken their ability to mitigate climate change. While reduced-impact logging and sustainable forest management (SFM) aim to minimize damage, many SFM plans overlook differences in tree growth rates, species characteristics, and local site conditions. As voluntary carbon markets grow, they create new opportunities to fund improved forest practices through “carbon-focused sustainable forest management” (SFM + C), which integrates carbon sequestration goals into existing frameworks. Open access copy available |
Could Payments for Forest Carbon Contribute to Improved Tropical Forest Management?BackgroundThis study addresses the ongoing debate over whether carbon finance can incentivize better logging practices, especially in areas where unregulated logging causes severe environmental degradation. Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), industrialized countries finance carbon sequestration projects in developing nations to help meet their emissions reduction targets. However, this approach raises concerns that such mechanisms may let developed countries delay cutting their own fossil fuel emissions. The paper investigates whether forest carbon payments can support improved natural forest management (NFM) in tropical regions. Open access copy available |
Forests as Capital: Financial Mechanisms for Tropical Forest ConservationBackgroundDeforestation continues to accelerate despite global conservation efforts, with tropical regions driving most of the global forest loss. Current financial investment in conservation and sustainable forest management (SFM) remains far below what is needed, with estimates suggesting that funding must increase up to tenfold to effectively combat forest degradation. This article explores a broad range of financial mechanisms—including REDD+, sustainability certification, ecological compensation, community forestry, and official development assistance—that aim to position forests as economic assets to attract investment for conservation and SFM. Open access copy available |
Carbon Prospecting in Tropical Forests for Climate Change MitigationBackgroundNature-based climate solutions—such as forest protection and restoration—play an increasingly central role in global climate mitigation strategies. However, the supply of high-quality carbon credits from forest protection projects fails to keep pace with rising demand. A major barrier is the lack of reliable data to guide investment decisions, particularly in pinpointing areas where forest carbon protection delivers both environmental and financial returns. This study evaluates the global potential of tropical forest conservation to generate investible carbon credits and quantifies the return on investment under current and projected carbon market conditions. Open access copy available |
Carbon Costs and Bushmeat Benefits of Hunting in Tropical ForestsBackgroundOverhunting in tropical forests depletes frugivorous animals that play a vital role in seed dispersal. This loss alters tree species composition and reduces forest carbon storage. While bushmeat hunting remains an important source of protein and income for local communities, its long-term impact on carbon stocks remains poorly understood. This study investigates the trade-offs between the economic benefits of bushmeat hunting and the potential carbon costs of defaunation-driven biomass loss. Understanding these dynamics is essential for integrating hunting management into climate mitigation strategies such as REDD+. Open access copy available |
Wild Meat Consumption in Tropical Forests Spares a Significant Carbon Footprint from the Livestock Production SectorBackgroundTropical forest communities widely consume wild meat, which provides essential protein and micronutrients. While most discussions around hunting emphasize its ecological impacts—such as defaunation and biodiversity loss—this study shifts focus to its potential climate benefits. It investigates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided when people consume wild meat instead of livestock products, especially bovine beef, a major driver of deforestation and emissions. By quantifying the carbon footprint of substitution, the study explores how sustainable hunting could contribute to climate change mitigation. Open access copy available |
Not Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The Oversight of Defaunation in REDD+ and Global Forest GovernanceBackgroundREDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) aims to mitigate climate change by preserving forest carbon stocks. Although REDD+ focuses mainly on reducing deforestation, it largely ignores defaunation—the loss of forest wildlife caused by unsustainable hunting. Many tropical forests suffer from "empty forest syndrome," where hunting removes large frugivores and seed dispersers, disrupting seed dispersal and carbon sequestration. This study highlights how REDD+ policies overlook the ecological role of forest fauna and argues that neglecting defaunation threatens the long-term success of forest conservation. Open access copy available |
