Natural forest management and conservation projects such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) face many challenges in the field. Implementation of these projects depends on such factors as clarity of information among stakeholders, legal security of territories, and local decision-making power. These challenges have been previously identified in the Upper Bayano watershed of eastern Panama, where a long history of land cover and land-use conflicts is present between three different human groups. With a long-term objective of natural forest conservation, this study aims to develop and test participatory approaches (participatory mapping and participatory 3D modelling) for the Upper Bayano watershed in an attempt to create a consensus among all stakeholders on current land cover and land-use conflicts to overcome challenges faced by projects as REDD+. We found that the third dimension allows a common understanding over the landscape, creates a common ground discussion, and leads towards a consensus, while the participatory approach brings discussion and positive effects among the stakeholders and the bridging institutions bring equity and transparency. Finally, we discuss implications of this knowledge generation and common agreement over the landscape for future forest management projects such as REDD+'s implementation.
Efforts to naturally remove atmospheric CO2 demand that largely intact forests be maintained. Our inter-cultural research initiative tested the hypothesis that Indigenous custody of the land is compatible with the maintenance of intact forests. Here we combined traditional knowledge, phytolith analysis, remote sensing, and tree inventories to study old-growth forests in Panama's Darién. Phytoliths served to elucidate historical vegetation, remote sensing revealed the current and past Indigenous footprints while tree stature and identity characterised the forest. Until now there has been very little to no human impact within these forests and current Indigenous footprint is both small and stable. Large trees accounted for 13% of trees in the plots that we established. For over half of the species, the measured tree height was taller than previously published maximum heights, leading us to conclude that these forests are a truly exceptional ecological refugium. Noting that the local communities are not rewarded for their custody of these exceptional forests we call to revisit the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry to include intact forest land. In the context of sub-optimal carbon finance options, we also propose matching as a methodology that could prove additionality of forest conservation initiatives in climate mitigation portfolios.
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