Integrating Scientific Research with Community Needs to Restore a Forest Landscape in Northern Thailand: A Case Study of Ban Mae Sa Mai

Abstract

AbstractThis paper describes a forest restoration research project in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, N. Thailand, which successfully combined the needs of science with those of local villagers. Field trials were established by Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU-CMU) to test the framework species method of forest restoration, in collaboration with the Hmong hill tribe community of Ban Mae Sa Mai village. The project generated a successful method to restore evergreen forest on deforested land, as well as insights into the factors that influence villagers’ participation in forest restoration.Canopy closure was achieved 3 years after planting 20–30 framework tree species. Rapid biodiversity recovery was also achieved with 73 species of recruit (non-planted) tree species re-colonizing the plots from 5 to 9 years after planting and bird species richness increased from 30 species before planting, to 88 after 6 years.Watershed protection was the most important reason why the villagers participated so enthusiastically in this project. Social impacts were also highly valued, particularly a better relationship with the national park authority, which reduced the perceived threat of eviction from the national park. Economic values were usually regarded as less important. Payments from FORRU-CMU for labour and community projects, although appreciated, were clearly not the main motivation for villagers and forest products collected from the reforested sites were only a minor contribution to the village economy.Several pre-existing conditions contributed to the success of this project. The villagers had already made the decision to plant trees when the project started, so there was no need to persuade them of the value of the activity. Secondly, the village was a large and highly organized community. Thirdly, the villagers had little need to exploit the forest for material needs and lastly the villagers had a long history of working with outside organizations on projects, so negotiation mechanisms already existed.KeywordsForest RestorationFire PreventionVillage CommitteeTropical Forest EcosystemRestoration PlotThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.