Traditional Knowledge
Linking forest conservation and food security through agroecologyBackgroundThis chapter, found in Forest Landscape Restoration: Integrated Approaches to Support Effective Implementation, focuses on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the tropics. Specifically, the authors examine agroecology as an integrated approach for both gaining food security and restoring agro-forest landscapes in post-conflict Colombia. Available with subscription or purchase |
The Monte Pascoal‐Pau Brasil ecological corridor carbon, community and biodiversity initiative: another carbon offset failureBackgroundIn 2013, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programs had recently been introduced to governments and conservation groups around the world. Yet, as they were being implemented at increasing rates, traditional forest use practices were vilified while large-scale drives of deforestation were left unaddressed. This was common particularly in Brazil. Open access copy available |
Understanding the Interaction of Rural People with Ecosystems: A Case Study in a Tropical Dry Forest of MexicoBackgroundThis paper reports on the effort to understand the relationship between the rural communities and the often-studied tropical dry forest. While many papers from scientists have focused on the biology and ecology of the Chamela-Cuixmala region, relatively few have considered human element to their work. Available with subscription or purchase |
Lacandon Maya Ecosystem Management: Sustainable Design for Subsistence and Environmental RestorationbackgroundThis study examines swidden agroforestry used by the Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group living in Chiapas, Mexico, linking soil ecology to previous studies on plant communities. Open access copy available |
Local Knowledge Helps Select Species for Forest Restoration in a Tropical Dry Forest of Central Veracruz, MexicobackgroundThis paper presents a participative approach to species selection in forest restoration in the tropical dry forest in Mexico. Recent shifts in government programming now favor the planting of native speices over exotic timber species that have historically been used in reforestation projects. Open access copy available |
Indigenous Fruit Trees of Madagascar: Potential Components of Agroforestry Systems to Improve Human Nutrition and Restore Biological DiversitybackgroundThis study focuses on three sites in the humid forest of Eastern Madagascar, namely Masoala, Andasibe and Ranomafana. Research Goals & MethodsA total of 150 wild fruit tree species from 82 genera and 42 families were identified through interviews with the local populations, from which a further 26 indigenous and exotic fruit species were shortlisted based on taste, nutritional value, income generation potential, diversification from currently planted species and biodiversity protection. Open access copy available |
Agro-Successional Restoration as a Strategy to Facilitate Tropical Forest RecoverybackgroundTropical forest restoration to address resource degradation and climate change is a growing trend in tropical regions. However, a lack of funding and provision for human livelihoods often hinders forest restoration projects. Traditional agroforestry systems are often seen as a way to connect farmers to forest restoration, and the article outlines existing agroforestry models. Open access copy available |
Influence of Tree cover on Diversity, Carbon Sequestration and Productivity of Cocoa Systems in the Ecuadorian AmazonBackgroundThis study evaluates the relationship between richness and floristic diversity, carbon storage, ecosystem services, agricultural productivity, and forest use potential under three land use systems in the Ecuadorian Amazon: cocoa-based agroforestry, cocoa monoculture and primary forest. In this region, one of the most important cultivation systems is the “Chakra”, a traditional organic farming production system, mainly practiced by indigenous peoples, that consists of the cultivation of staple crops in combination with commercial valuable species such as cocoa, obtaining multiple benefits. Open access copy available |
The Political, Social, and Ecological Transformation of a LandscapeBackgroundIn 1951 the Chinese Government issued the Decision on Cultivating Rubber Trees, which resulted in the establishment of large-scale rubber plantations in the tropical regions of China, including Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. These rubber plantations, worked by relocated Han Chinese, were a manifestation of state power on the landscape. Open access copy available |
Mapping Priority Areas for Forest Landscape Restoration and Improvement of Rural Community Livelihoods in Guatemala's San Marcos HighlandsbackgroundThis study maps priority areas for forest landscape restoration in three watershades of south-western Guatemala. This rural region has received attention from local government and international socio-economic development projects. Research Goals & MethodsThis study used GIS and Multi-criteria decision analysis to generate maps. These tools enabled the integration of a wide variety of complex information to evaluate different contexts and dynamics of the landscape. Open access copy available |
