Impacts of large‐scale forest restoration on socioeconomic status and local livelihoods: what we know and do not know

Adams, Cristina; Rodrigues, Sidney T.; Calmon, Miguel; Kumar, Chetan

doi:10.1111/btp.12385

Cited by 122 publications

(117 citation statements)

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“…It is an extraordinary challenge to change this monodominant land use trend into the diverse mosaic described above, as this depends on a complex suite of societal and ecological factors (Adams et al . , Lazos et al . , De Souza et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural forest regeneration and ecological restoration in human‐modified tropical landscapes

et al. 2016

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In human-modified tropical landscapes (HMLs) the conservation of biodiversity, functions and services of forest ecosystems depends on persistence of old growth forest remnants, forest regeneration in abandoned agricultural fields, and restoration of degraded lands. Understanding the impacts of agricultural land uses (ALUs) on forest regeneration is critical for biodiversity conservation in HMLs. Here, we develop a conceptual framework that considers the availability of propagules and the environment prevailing after field abandonment as two major determinants of forest regeneration in HMLs. The framework proposes that regeneration potential decreases with size, duration and severity of agricultural disturbance, reducing propagule availability and creating ill-suited environmental conditions for regeneration. We used studies from Southern Mexico to assess this framework. First, we identify regeneration bottlenecks that trees face during transit from seed to follow-up life stages, using demographic analysis of dominant pioneer species in recently abandoned fields. Then, we explore effects of ALUs on forest regeneration at the field and landscape scales, addressing major legacies. Finally, we integrate agricultural disturbance with landscape composition to predict attributes of successful second growth forests in HMLs, and provide indicators useful to select tree native species for active restoration. An indicator of disturbance inflicted by ALUs, based on farmers' information, predicted better regeneration potential than measurements of soil and microclimate conditions at time of abandonment. Cover of cattle pastures in the landscape was a stronger indicator of forest regenerating attributes than cover of old growth forest remnants. To conclude, we offer recommendations to promote forest regeneration and biodiversity conservation in HMLs.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural forest regeneration and ecological restoration in human‐modified tropical landscapes

et al. 2016

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“…Field validation in summer 2017 conducted by the authors of this study confirmed that the high areas of deforested areas and illegal logging are located mostly in Călimani, Rarău, Giurgeu and Hășmaș Mountains. The decreased forest areas during the last decades as a response to needs for timber and financial benefits were also mentioned by [17,28,48]. The restoration of forest landscape (FLR) and the increasing necessity of wood and ecosystem services for communities were also described by [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, forest resources have a pivotal role as the foundation for economic development, especially in mountainous areas where this resource is abundant and is often the primary source of livelihood [2]. The benefit of forest areas is reflected in the ever-increasing industrial demand for wood [16,17]. Further, it should note that economic implications of deforestation could be both direct (wood harvest) and indirect (creation of markets for CO2 sequestration or obtaining agricultural land due to deforestation).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Multitemporal Landsat ETM+ Imagery to Determine a Sustainable Exploitation Patterns of the Forest Resources in the Moldo-Transylvanian Carpathians - Romania

Ciobotaru¹,

Andronache²,

Ahammer³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Monitoring the ratio of forested and deforested areas plays a key role in studying the dynamics of forest areas. Appropriate mapping of anthropogenic forest disturbances is particularly important in the context of sustainable forest management. It provides ecological, social and economic information which is crucial for forest policymakers. In the last two decades, the forest areas of the Moldo-Transylvanian Carpathians have been subject to a high rate of deforestation which at present state lacks proper quantification. We present a novel methodology for monitoring the forest disturbance dynamics in Moldo-Transylvanian Carpathians by use of fractal analysis including entropy, Fractal Fragmentation Index (FFI) and Tug-of-War lacunarity ( ). This was necessary to quantify and identify the disorder (entropy), the fragmentation (FFI) and heterogeneity of the spatial distribution ( ) patterns. Based on satellite images of the forest areas (annually 2000-2014), increased fragmentation was demonstrated by FFI increase, a measure of the degree of disorder (entropy) and heterogeneity (lacunarity). Our results revealed that textural and fractal analysis can be an effective tool for the extraction of quantitative information about the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest disturbance. The methods developed, and results obtained are a complementary approach to forest disturbance mapping (based on traditional image Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED |

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“…Reversing deforestation has proven to be particularly challenging in developing countries, where natural forests are often central to a complex socioecological system of subsistence and traditional uses, and the socioeconomic and spatial externalities of large‐scale restoration are poorly understood (Adams, Rodrigues, Calmon, & Kumar, 2016; Kalaba, 2014; Meyfroidt & Lambin, 2011; Shackleton, Shackleton, Buiten, Bird, 2007). In these settings, public forests often function as ‘commons’, offering asset‐poor communities access to wood fuels, food, livestock fodder and construction materials including timber and roof thatch (Shackleton et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why we fail: Stakeholders' perceptions of the social and ecological barriers to reforestation in southern Malawi

Whittaker

2020

People and Nature

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1. Reversing deforestation is a pressing challenge for planetary health and global development, but the path to restoring forests on a globally significant scale is ill-defined, and government implementation of afforestation projects often generates conflict with user groups. Understanding the needs and values of forestreliant stakeholders in developing countries and effectively engaging them in forest landscape restoration planning and implementation are critical steps towards meeting afforestation goals, and yet few examples of practical methods to include the poor in participatory environmental governance processes exist. 2. Inspired by an approach used to mediate other natural resource conflicts, I structured a series of stakeholder focus groups in the Zomba-Machinga region of southern Malawi around Systems Thinking and Bayesian Belief Networks. Through these focus groups, I engaged forest-reliant households, academics and government staff in a participatory process to explore the conditions of past restoration failure; identify the barriers to future reforestation success; and develop proposed solutions.3. Out of eight focus groups held, seven viewed poverty as the single greatest obstacle to afforestation success, and all seven perceived small business capacity building as one of the three most important factors in poverty alleviation, followed in order of frequency by improved agricultural practices (six of seven groups), and non-forest employment (three of seven groups).4. If each focus group could successfully implement the three factors they considered most important, the groups' perceptions that poverty could be alleviated ranged from a likelihood of 15.8%-62.3%, with differences among focus groups that underscored inequities in social agency and vocational opportunities of the participants based on age and gender.5. This study illustrates where these diverse groups of stakeholders from a single region converge and diverge in their thinking, underscoring the importance of establishing durable participatory processes to work through conflicts, nurture trust and collaboratively develop solutions that are relevant to local conditions in order for global forest landscape restoration to succeed. | 451People and Nature WHITTAKER

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Impacts of large‐scale forest restoration on socioeconomic status and local livelihoods: what we know and do not know

Cited by 122 publications

References 100 publications

Natural forest regeneration and ecological restoration in human‐modified tropical landscapes

Natural forest regeneration and ecological restoration in human‐modified tropical landscapes

Using Multitemporal Landsat ETM+ Imagery to Determine a Sustainable Exploitation Patterns of the Forest Resources in the Moldo-Transylvanian Carpathians - Romania

Why we fail: Stakeholders' perceptions of the social and ecological barriers to reforestation in southern Malawi

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