Understanding the Drivers of Forest Degradation

Abstract

Forests provide critical support for human survival as well as habitat for flora and fauna. However, due to ever-increasing anthropogenic pressure, these are under stress and face a variety of threats. They may not be able to support essential ecosystem services in the absence of an adequate conservation plan, necessitating immediate attention. Forest degradation is accelerated by the extraction of fodder, fuel, non-wood forest products, insect/pest attack, forest fire and climate change. The magnitude of these degradation pressures and drivers varies globally, as do their consequences. This provides an opportunity to better understand forest degradation and its drivers, allowing for better management planning and achievement of a specific goal. Understanding of forest degradation and its drivers is essential for the development of guidelines that ensures responsive, effective and efficient forest activity in relation to a more amiable condition and to support climate change mitigations. There are many different perceptions and interpretations on forest degradation emanating from various research fields, which reveal the need for an apt and clear understanding of this field. Forest degradation in the form of disturbance sometimes has different meaning in different context. This chapter discusses various definitions, indicators, assessment methods and drivers of forest degradation in order to facilitate a better understanding of goal-specific actions for forest management.KeywordsDeforestationLandscapeForest policiesClimate changeForest management