Think local when protecting forests

Abstract

Conservation Tropical deforestation, which causes habitat loss, worsens climate change, and affects local communities, is an issue of global importance. In a Perspective, Seymour and Harris explore the drivers that contribute to tropical forest loss in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. For example, cattle ranching dominates in the Brazilian Amazon, whereas small-scale clearing is most important in the Congo Basin. The authors caution against a reliance on commitments to remove deforestation from commodity supply chains and argue that to be effective, policies must be adapted to local circumstances. Science , this issue p. [756][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aax8546