Payments for Ecoystem Services
Carbon sequestration versus bioenergy: A case study from South India exploring the relative land-use efficiency of two options for climate change mitigationbackgroundThis study explores avenues to meet increased rural electricity demand with carbon emissions mitigation. The study compares the option of energy derived from gasification of biomass from forest plantations to energy derived from fossil fuels, with forest plantations used as a carbon sink.The case study uses power demand, land requirements, and management approaches for Hosahalli village, Karnataka, pop. 218. Available with subscription or purchase |
China's sloping land conversion program: Institutional innovation or business as usual?BackgroundChina’s Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) is the largest land retirement program in the developing world, having the goal of converting 14.67 million hectares of cropland to forests by 2010, primarily targeting high-slope and marginal lands. The program is being implemented in more than 2000 counties across 25 provinces in China and affects tens of millions of rural households using PES models to promote afforestation. Open access copy available |
Using ecosystem valuation to protect the Atlantic Rainforest: the case of the Oasis ProjectBackgroundThe article explores the Oasis Project, which is a payment for ecosystem services program that aims to protect the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The program was established in 1990 in response to the destruction of the forest. The Oasis Project aims to provide drinking water to approximately 17 million in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region by financially compensating landowners engaged in maintaining forest cover in their proprieties. Available with subscription or purchase |
Marco regulatório sobre pagamento por serviços ambientais no Brasil (Regulatory framework of payment for ecosystem services in Brazil)Open access copy available |
Restoration of ecosystem services and biodiversity: conflicts and opportunitiesBackgroundAlthough the science and practice of ecological restoration have developed rapidly, the emerging policy focus on ecosystem services represents a significant shift in the objectives of restoration. This might result in both conflicts and opportunities. This review article explores in detail the implications of this policy shift by examining whether ecological restoration could be effective in reversing the decline of ecosystem services along with biodiversity. Open access copy available |
A regeneração natural como um serviço do ecossistema: uma proposta metodológica para o seu cálculo (Natural regeneration as an ecosystem service: a methodological proposal for its calculation)backgroundThis study begins by stating that the economic quantification of ecosystem services is a crucial step towards their sustainable use. research goals & methodsThe study pairs the quantified value of ecosystem services with the process of ecological restoration to attempt to calculate the value of natural regeneration. Both comparative and analytical approaches are used. Open access copy available |
Ganadería Colombiana Sostenible (Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Sustainable Cattle Ranching)Open access copy available |
Appropriate Measures for Conservation of Terrestrial Carbon Stocks: Analysis of Trends of Forest Management in Southeast AsiabackgroundThe ASEAN countries of Southeast Asia have seen rapid deforestation and subsequent carbon losses in the past few decades, as lands are cleared for other land uses. This study analyzes the implications of different land management scenarios on carbon stocks. Open access copy available |
Restoration of Degraded Tropical Forest LandscapesBackgroundThe rapid loss and degradation of tropical forests has been one of the defining features of the 20th century, with an estimated 350 million ha deforested and another 500 million ha (primary and secondary forest) in degraded status. There have been three major responses to this process: expanding protected areas; improving agricultural productivity on cultivated and abandoned lands; and plantation-style reforestation using a very limited number of species. These methods have proven unsuccessful in slowing the rate of deforestation or providing adequately for livelihoods. Open access copy available |
Environmental Services of Native Tree Plantations and Agroforestry Systems in Central AmericaBackgroundPlantations and agroforestry systems supply wood and environmental services such as carbon sequestration and recovery of biodiversity. At the time of writing (2004), Central American countries were developing systems of payments for environmental services to encourage the development of these systems. Available with subscription or purchase |
