Social Aspects
Biodiversity–Productivity Relationships in Small-Scale Mixed-Species Plantations Using Native Species in Leyte Province, PhilippinesbackgroundThe growth of tropical reforestation in recent decades has given rise to a debate between the relative productivity, biodiversity, and general merits of mixed-species vs. single-species plantations. To further investigate the relationship between tree species diversity, productivity, and abiotic factors such as climate and soil, this study investigated the growth of mixed-species plantations in Leyte province in the Philippines. These smallholder plantations were planted in 1992 to meet social, economic, and environmental needs through the Rainforestation Farming system. Open access copy available |
Carbon Footprint: Great Rift Valley, KenyaBACKGROUNDThis project takes place in the Kikuyu Escarpment, Western Kenya. The Kikuyu escarpment forest has a high biodiversity and the services the ecosystem provides, particular water, is a key source for neighboring communities' livelihoods. Environmental degradation through charcoal burning, logging for timber and fuel wood, ring-debarking for medicinal trees and overgrazing are negatively affecting these services and depleting the area of important vegetation cover. Open access copy available |
Ecological Implications of Harvesting Non-Timber Forest ProductsBackgroundThis article examines 70 case studies on the ecological effects of harvesting plant-species NTFPs in an attempt to draw broader conclusions for both forest resource management and future research. Open access copy available |
Burning Biodiversity: Fuelwood Harvesting Causes Forest Degradation in Human-Dominated Tropical LandscapesbackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Use of Ants and Other Soil and Litter Arthropods as Bio-Indicators of the Impacts of Rainforest Clearing and Subsequent Land UseBackgroundThis study evaluates the impacts of rainforest clearing on soil and litter arthropods with a particular focus on ant species. Open access copy available |
Between Cash and Usufruct Rights: In Search of an Appropriate Policy Instrument for Sustained Local People's ParticipationBackgroundThis study examines a reforestation program that was launched in the Philippines funded by the Asian Development Bank in 1988. Contract restoration and incentive mechanisms were introduced to include the participation of civic and local community groups in reforestation. Open access copy available |
Gmelina Boom, Farmers Doom: Tree growers risks, coping strategies and optionsBackgroundThe widespread smallholder tree plantations of Gmelina arborea established in the South Philippines in the 1980s led to price boom and bust cycles rather than the expected economic returns for growers. This study evaluates grower responses to the timber price bubbles of the 1990s and recommends policy responses. Open access copy available |
Can tropical farmers reconcile subsistence needs with forest conservation?backgroundDespite efforts to protect tropical rainforests through various policy initiatives, forests continue to face pressure from smallholders' subsistence needs, especially in montane regions. This paper proposes a means to turn abandoned montane pastoral land into productive agroforestry land as a viable alternative to further encroachment on existing forests. Available with subscription or purchase |
Restoring working forests in human dominated landscapes of tropical South Asia: An introductionBackgroundThe resource issues around restoring human dominated landscapes in tropical South Asia are complex and can be divided into topics concerning forest fragmentation and restoration. This review article discusses key subjects in forest fragmentation and restoration in South Asia. Available with subscription or purchase |
Human Hydrographical Changes Interact with Propagule Predation Behaviour in Sri Lankan Mangrove ForestsBackgroundThis article describes the relation between propagule predators and vegetation structure and environmental factors on a forest path. It also considers how human influence affects these interactions. Open access copy available |
