No abstract

Abstract:Foreseeing the importance of managing forests for climate change mitigation and sustainable development, the Royal Government of Cambodia has put strong commitment to managing its remaining forests under the new anticipated international climate change agreement on REDD+ mechanism. Forestry Administration in collaboration with Community Forestry International, and Terra Global Capital started a REDD project for Community Forestry sites in the northern province of Oddar Meanchey in 2007. Here, we report the methods and findings from our project and propose an appropriate framework for effective implementation in Cambodia. Ten drivers and six agents of deforestation and forest degradation were identified and each driver could be reduced by adopting appropriate project actions. Changes in deforestation, carbon stocks, and project emissions were estimated under baseline and project scenarios. Our results suggest that the project is likely to lead to the reduction of about 8.6 million tonne CO2 over 30-year project. Although policies and methods are available for implementing the project, sustained commitment and law enforcement play an increasingly important role in achieving real emission reduction and sustainable development.

This study examined differences in stand structure, tree species richness, and tree species diversity in relation to population density in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. Tree data were obtained from a 1997 forest inventory involving 60 clusters (540 plots) systematically distributed over 30% of the provincial forest area. Spatially referenced population data were obtained from the 1998 national population census. The average number of trees per cluster was 356/ha, the average basal area, 23 m 2 /ha, the average stand volume, 217 m 3 /ha, and the average aboveground biomass, 273 Mg/ha for all trees of DBH 10 cm and larger. The average species richness per cluster was 37 species, while average species diversity was measured as 0.916 using Simpson's index and 2.98 by Shannon's index. Significant negative correlations were generally found between population density surrounding clusters and tree density, basal area, stand volume, aboveground biomass, and species richness and diversity for three examined diameter classes (DBH of 10-30, C30, and C10 cm). As the distance from clusters for calculating population density increased, the correlation levels increased up to 5 or 7 km, depending on the variables and diameter class, and then stayed relatively constant for stand structure variables and decreased for species richness and diversity. The results indicate that evidence of disturbance was more pronounced at higher population density up to around 5 to 7 km. We suggest that introduction of greater controls on human disturbance should be a high priority for resource management and conservation in Kampong Thom Province and, presumably, Cambodia as a whole.

No abstract

Accounting for up to 25% of global carbon emissions, tropical deforestation and forest degradation have increasingly brought international attention. The recognition of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest conservation, sustainable forest management, and enhancing carbon sinks in tropical forests (REDD+) in the Copenhagen Accord and the pledge of $3.5 billion fast-start climate finance for REDD+ preparatory activities suggests that appropriate approaches to managing tropical forests become necessary. As REDD+ involves the carbon-based financial compensation, avoided carbon emissions from the forests needs to be assessed. Here, we develop a carbon stock model for projecting carbon stock changes under two management scenarios, namely the baseline (business-as-usual) and REDD+ management. Baseline scenario is the management of forest using conventional logging practice, while REDD+ scenario involves the use of reduced impact logging (RIL) and RIL plus liberation treatment (RIL+). Our results suggest that REDD+ scenario could avoid carbon emissions of 2.06 MgC ha −1 at the beginning of the management to 36.76-54.26 MgC ha −1 at year 60 of the management. The REDD+ revenues from carbon sales are estimated at just about $2 in the first year to $107 and $159 ha −1 under RIL and RIL+, respectively. REDD+ agreements will ensure the adoption of REDD+ scenario for managing tropical forests.