Projects

Ecological Restoration of Xingu Basin Headwaters: Motivations, Engagement, Challenges and Perspectives

Background

This paper focuses on the Brazilian Amazon, specifically on the Xingu River Basin. It identifites deforestation as a threat to the Xingu River and a driver of environmental degradation.

Open access copy available

Multiple-Use Forest Management in the Humid Tropics: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Forest Management

background

This report documents three regional assessments that were carried out between 2009 and 2012 to identify and draw lessons from on-the-ground initiatives in multiple-use forest management (MFM) in the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia. 

Open access copy available

Rio Bogota - Fundacion al verde vivo

This project attempts to restore riparian forest along the headwaters of the Rio Bogota, upstream of the city of Bogota.

Since 2003, the Fundacion al verde vivo has worked with volunteers to plant trees along the riparian corridor. Many areas along the riverbanks were previously used for cattle pasture, leather tanneries, or other small constructions. Local laws require that certain distances of riparian buffer are maintained as forest, but these regulations are rarely enforced.

Plantings are conducted in rows with 1-2 meter spacing. Alnus plantings from 2005 form a canopy, and mid-successional species of oak, Spanish cedar, and other highland Andean trees are planted in gaps and in the understory.

Full resource not available online

Memorias del I Congreso Colombiano de Restauración Ecológica

Background

These proceedings summarize the 11 Master Conferences at the "I Congreso Colombiano de Restauración Ecológica y II Simposio de Nacional de Experiencias en Restauración" in 2009. It includes information from dozens of forest restoration projects in Colombia. Most projects are restoration experiements with native species forest restoration in the montane zone of Colombia, although some reports describe projects in lowland humid forest, dry forest, and high mountain páramo.

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Reserva Encenillo, Fundacion Natura, Colombia

This reserve is located in high montane forest of the Colombia Andes, designed to protect the locally important forest tree Weinmanniatomentosa (Encenillo in Spanish). The total size of the reserve is 135 ha of forest, and serves as a forest corridor in a matrix of pasture, potato, and remnant forest landscape.

Approximately 2-3 ha of degraded pasture were planted with Alnus acuminata in 2007. Alnus is planted in rows with approximately 3 meter spacing. Trees average mean annual increment is 1.35 cm at breast height, which is an average growth for the region; however, many trees had multiple stems, so total biomass is even larger.

Open access copy available

Laguna Pedro Palo - Reserva Tenasuca, Colombia

This project is located in a community reserve outside of Bogota, Colombia, in montane Andean oak forest. Plantings are performed by members of the reserve association, which includes a small NGO and local landowners.

2-3 hectares were planted around a lake in 1998, these plantings were predominantly Andean oak (Quercus humboltii), this forest area reached canopy closure in 2010-2013. Reserve managers believe that this oak buffer area helps to maintain a constant water level of the lake, by recharging a continuous supply of groundwater throughout the year.

Open access copy available

Clean Development Mechanism - Reforestation Projects, San Nicholas and Chinchina, Colombia

background

The CDM permits these projects to generate carbon credits based on the amount of carbon sequestered in trees that will be planted on private land currently used for agriculture.

Goals & approach

These two projects plan to use the clean development mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol to sell carbon credits via reforestation and afforestation.

Open access copy available

Reconversión ganadera en Florencia-Caquetá (Colombia)

Full resource not available online

Assessing the Mitigation Potential of Forestry Activities in a Changing Climate: A Case Study for Karnataka

Background

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol has two goals: promote climate mitigation activities that offset carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, and promote sustainable economic development. Afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects can often meet these two goals simultaneously. India, which ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002, has sought to implement A/R projects as part of the CDM.

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Carbon sequestration versus bioenergy: A case study from South India exploring the relative land-use efficiency of two options for climate change mitigation

background

This 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.

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