There is strong upswing in conservation and restoration efforts in Latin America (LA), particularly in the recent decades after several countries have committed to international agreements such as the Aichi targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Initiative 20×20, and the Bonn Challenge. To fulfill these agreements, the practice of ecological restoration has to be defined based on ecological knowledge, but also on the specific social, economic, and legal aspects of each country in the region. Here, we give some examples about the national understanding of ecological restoration in 10 countries of LA. We identify difficulties and opportunities to define restoration priorities and needs, and discuss some approaches to cope with economic constraints and agreements, including the potential role of restoration networks in this process. On the basis of the socioecological complexity of these countries and the expectations they have in relation to restoration, we proposed four approaches to guide restoration practice and policy in the region: (1) including biodiversity and ecosystem services approach into ecosystem restoration initiatives; (2) promoting restoration in their frequently human‐modified landscapes; (3) accounting for cost–benefit trade‐offs; and (4) assembling “horizontal” communication frameworks. These approaches should be based at national levels, but adapted to local‐regional levels, in a bottom‐up perspective. We consider that national and international restoration networks in the region can help to overcome difficulties, fostering a solid scientific community, helping to develop national approaches that better match the specific conditions of each country and enhancing communication among different groups of stakeholders.
In 2007 Argentina passed the 'Federal Law 26331 on Minimum Standards for the Environmental Protection of Native Forests', often referred to as the Forest Law, aimed at curbing and regulating the expansion of the agricultural frontier causing deforestation and the loss of native forests, and amid increasing social conflict. The law mandated provinces to develop and-use planning and zoning of their native forests through a participatory process, and to classify different uses of forestlands. In the province of Neuquén, the application of this regulationalong with its equivalent provincial norm, Law 2780-triggered much debate among environmental and social organizations, unions, small-scale rural producers, and Mapuche indigenous organizations, leading to an increase in conflict and disagreements between the different sectors involved. The application of the Forest Law in the region of Los Lagos and Lacar departments, which are forest areas with high landscape attractiveness and increasing tourism and real estate activity, generated considerable controversy, mobilizations, and debate in the local arena. Research for this paper involved methodological triangulation through ethnography and legal hermeneutics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.