Policies
When is a forest a forest? Forest concepts and definitions in the era of forest and landscape restorationBackgroundThis 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. Open access copy available |
Trade-offs in nature tourism: contrasting parcel-level decisions with landscape conservation planningBackgroundThis article discusses the trade-offs linked to nature tourism in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Nature tourism has been used for promoting conservation in Costa Rica since the 1970s when it was adopted into developmental policy. Tourism is now the largest industry in Costa Rica; but is nature tourism an effective way to preserve ecosystem services and promote economic benefits? The study area includes Monteverde (an ecotourism town near the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve), San Luis (a coffee and dairy farming community), and Guacimal (economy based on cattle ranching and dairy). Open access copy available |
300,000 Hectares Restored in Shinyanga, Tanzania — but what did it really take to achieve this restoration?BackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Restoration of Forest Biodiversity and Ecological ValuesBackgroundThroughout Asia there has been significant push to restore degraded lands yet many of these initiatives lack clear objectives. This paper explores the failures that have emerged from this trend, paying close attention to restoration schemes that were politically driven and unsuccessful in yielding the economic and environmental benefits due to the lack of clarity in defining the precise restoration objectives. Available with subscription or purchase |
Land use transitions: Socio-ecological feedback versus socio-economic changeBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
What drives the success of reforestation projects in tropical developing countries? The case of the PhilippinesBackgroundThis study reviewed cases and literatures to assess drivers that ultimately lead restoration projects to have successful outcomes. The main 4 categories of drivers are: technical/biophysical drivers, socio-economic drivers, institutional, policy and management drivers, and reforestation project characteristics. The major indicator of success are fall into two categories: environmental indicators and socio-economic indicators. Available with subscription or purchase |
Goal programming: Application in the management of the miombo woodland in MozambiqueBackgroundThe paper aims to show the potential for applying goal programming mathematical modeling techniques as a tool to help determine an optimal strategy for combining multi-stakeholder activities in a multi-objective planning framework for the management of miombo woodlands. Available with subscription or purchase |
A Comparison of Governance Challenges in Forest Restoration in Paraguay’s Privately-Owned Forests and Madagascar’s Co-managed State ForestsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Watershed Management for Ecosystem Services in Human Dominated Landscapes of the NeotropicsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Transformation of a Frontier: State and Regional Relationships in Panama, 1972- 1990BackgroundFollowing the trend of anthropologists that examine the settlement of frontier regions, this study describes the consequences of building the Bayano Hydroelectric Complex in eastern Panama. The authors stress that governments must not looked at as monolithic entities but instead should be examine as a set of social and political relationships among various stakeholders at local, national, and international scales. Along with documenting the social, political, and ecological effects that emerged from the dam, the study also describes the internal conflicts between agencies in the Panamanian government. Available with subscription or purchase |
