Natural Forest Regrowth Research Articles

Land use history and landscape forest cover determine tropical forest recovery

Abstract To conserve biodiversity and combat climate change it is vital to restore forest ecosystems. Natural forest regrowth is a nature‐based solution to restore forests, but it has rarely been evaluated how this is affected by the combination of previous land use intensity and surrounding forest cover, and how this varies between the two main tropical forest types; dry and wet forests. Thirty‐three plots were established on abandoned agricultural fields in a dry (13 plots) and wet (20 plots) tropical forest in Mexico and monitored 3 years for the following tree community attributes: structure, diversity, regeneration mode, potential symbioses with N fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. Previous land use intensity was described using interviews, and landscape forest cover and fragmentation within a 1000 m radius surrounding the plots were quantified using satellite images. Variable importance analyses indicated that land use intensity was more important than forest cover and fragmentation for the state of the tree community attributes after 3 years. This suggests that previous land use impacts the start of succession and leaves important legacies on the vegetation. Land use intensity, forest cover and fragmentation were equally important in determining the change in tree community attributes over time, indicating that both management practices and dispersal shape subsequently community assembly. A higher land use intensity decreases tree richness recovery, while size of the largest forest patch decreases tree density and connectivity of these patches increases tree density. The dry forest had a faster increase in tree density recovery compared to the wet forest through a high initial resprouting capacity and abiotically dispersed trees. Synthesis and applications: Both a higher land use intensity and fragmented forest landscape decreases the speed of forest recovery, indicating that human actions and landscape transformation shape the course of succession. Restoration in fragmented forest landscapes through natural regeneration is more suitable in areas with low previous land use intensity, higher forest connectivity and abiotically dispersed species. Effective restoration should therefore consider both land use history and landscape forest cover and be tailored to local socio‐ecological conditions.

Governing abandoned land: Storylines on natural forest regrowth in France and Spain

Natural forest regrowth on abandoned land represents a major land use change in some regions of Europe. This is driven by various factors related to land abandonment, particularly changing socioeconomic conditions for agriculture and rural depopulation. Little research exists about how the issue is addressed at the policy level. This paper looks into the policymaking related to natural forest regrowth in France and Spain, two countries where land abandonment and natural forest regrowth occur at significant scales. We conduct a policy discourse analysis building upon 27 interviews carried out between 2018 and 2020 with policy actors from various fields that connect with these topics. We find four competing storylines in both countries: extensive agriculture, forestry, landscape conservation, and wilderness. These storylines differ regarding the framing of natural forest regrowth as a problem or an opportunity, and the preferred policy solutions. While storylines rooted in extensive agriculture, landscape conservation and forestry tend to problematize the phenomenon, a wilderness storyline voices an opportunity perspective. In France, a few actors voice elements of an insignificance storyline. Given its spatial importance, natural forest regrowth will likely become more important for future policymaking in the EU. Engaging in further research across disciplines and policy fields is necessary to study the phenomenon and its possible management and governance options.

Predicting landscape-scale biodiversity recovery by natural tropical forest regrowth.

Natural forest regrowth is a cost-effective, nature-based solution for biodiversity recovery, yet different socioenvironmental factors can lead to variable outcomes. A critical knowledge gap in forest restoration planning is how to predict where natural forest regrowth is likely to lead to high levels of biodiversity recovery, which is an indicator of conservation value and the potential provisioning of diverse ecosystem services. We sought to predict and map landscape-scale recovery of species richness and total abundance of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants in tropical and subtropical second-growth forests to inform spatial restoration planning. First, we conducted a global meta-analysis to quantify the extent to which recovery of species richness and total abundance in second-growth forests deviated from biodiversity values in reference old-growth forests in the same landscape. Second, we employed a machine-learning algorithm and a comprehensive set of socioenvironmental factors to spatially predict landscape-scale deviation and map it. Models explained on average 34% of observed variance in recovery (range 9-51%). Landscape-scale biodiversity recovery in second-growth forests was spatially predicted based on socioenvironmental landscape factors (human demography, land use and cover, anthropogenic and natural disturbance, ecosystem productivity, and topography and soil chemistry); was significantly higher for species richness than for total abundance for vertebrates (median range-adjusted predicted deviation 0.09 vs. 0.34) and invertebrates (0.2 vs. 0.35) but not for plants (which showed a similar recovery for both metrics [0.24 vs. 0.25]); and was positively correlated for total abundance of plant and vertebrate species (Pearson r = 0.45, p = 0.001). Our approach can help identify tropical and subtropical forest landscapes with high potential for biodiversity recovery through natural forest regrowth.

Natural forest regrowth under different land use intensities and landscape configurations in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Natural forest regrowth is considered the most cost-effective strategy to promote large-scale forest restoration, but regrowth trajectories and their consequences for nature and people can be highly variable. This uncertainty may obstruct devoting land, time and resources in promoting this restoration approach. Process-based models allow to simulate forest regrowth under different scenarios and may thus support decision making to manage areas in ways that maximize forest restoration based on natural forest regrowth. In the present study, we used the process-based model LandClim to assess the following questions:1) How does land use intensity affect forest growth, aboveground biomass (AGB) and tree species diversity in agricultural landscapes in the long term? 2) How do different land use configurations affect the structure and expansion of second-growth forests? We based our study on six 4 × 4 km agricultural landscapes, dominated by pastures and sugarcane, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest region. We parameterized and validated LandClim for the study region by comparing model outputs with published estimates and information from field data collected across the six landscapes. We then simulated natural forest regrowth under different land use intensities in the six landscapes and analyzed how land use intensity and landscape configuration affect AGB, tree species diversity and the spatial dynamics of second-growth forests. Our results showed negative effects of increased land use intensity on landscape biomass accumulation due to limited forest cover expansion. Landscapes dominated by sugarcane had lower forest regrowth potential than pasture-dominated landscapes due to lower likelihood of abandonment, and limited rates of seed availability and seedling growth. Land use intensity and landscape configuration were also important factors for tree diversity changes. However, temporal patterns differed, and while AGB reached a plateau after 100–150 years, tree diversity peaked between 30 and 70 years. Thus, the effects of land use intensity and landscape configuration on forest AGB and tree diversity take decades to be fully expressed, highlighting the importance of a long-term commitment in restoration projects.

Vulnerabilities and Threats to Natural Forest Regrowth: Land Tenure Reform, Land Markets, Pasturelands, Plantations, and Urbanization in Indigenous Communities in Mexico

Despite the economic and social costs of national and international efforts to restore millions of hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes, results have not met expectations due to land tenure conflicts, land-use transformation, and top-down decision-making policies. Privatization of land, expansion of cattle raising, plantations, and urbanization have created an increasingly competitive land market, dispossessing local communities and threatening forest conservation and regeneration. In contrast to significant investments in reforestation, natural regrowth, which could contribute to landscape regeneration, has not been sufficiently promoted by national governments. This study analyzes socio-ecological and economic vulnerabilities of indigenous and other peasant communities in the Mexican states of Veracruz, Chiapas, and Morelos related to the inclusion of natural regeneration in their forest cycles. While these communities are located within protected areas (Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, El Tepozteco National Park, and Chichinautzin Biological Corridor), various threats and vulnerabilities impede natural regeneration. Although landscape restoration involves complex political, economic, and social relationships and decisions by a variety of stakeholders, we focus on communities’ vulnerable land rights and the impacts of privatization on changes in land use and forest conservation. We conclude that the social, economic, political, and environmental vulnerabilities of the study communities threaten natural regeneration, and we explore necessary changes for incorporating this process in landscape restoration.

Strengthening Local Governance of Secondary Forest in Peru

Natural forest regrowth is critical for restoring ecosystem services in degraded landscapes and providing forest resources. Those who control tenure and access rights to these secondary forest areas determine who benefits from economically charged off-farm opportunities such as finance for forest restoration, selling carbon credits, and receiving payment for ecosystem services. We explore multiple dimensions of secondary forest governance in Peru, where the lack of official government statistics of the extent, geography, and ownership, coupled with low state capacity, prevents the development of governance structures that could stimulate their sustainable management. In this paper, we review the challenges to secondary forest governance, and the opportunities to strengthen it, focusing on beneficial outcomes for smallholder farmers. We characterize secondary forest types, extent, and persistence in Peru, followed by a presentation of the social dimensions of their governance. We identify four entry points for government to take action: national mapping of the socio-geography of second growth forest, regularize the property rights of untitled landholders, relax forest regulations, and provide incentives, not sanctions, for secondary forest management. Overall, we recommend folding secondary forest governance into a landscape approach. In Peru, strengthening local forest governance could help to drive benefits of climate change mitigation incentives directly to local forest stewards.

Land use influences stream bacterial communities in lowland tropical watersheds

Land use is known to affect water quality yet the impact it has on aquatic microbial communities in tropical systems is poorly understood. We used 16S metabarcoding to assess the impact of land use on bacterial communities in the water column of four streams in central Panama. Each stream was influenced by a common Neotropical land use: mature forest, secondary forest, silvopasture and traditional cattle pasture. Bacterial community diversity and composition were significantly influenced by nearby land uses. Streams bordered by forests had higher phylogenetic diversity (Faith’s PD) and similar community structure (based on weighted UniFrac distance), whereas the stream surrounded by traditional cattle pasture had lower diversity and unique bacterial communities. The silvopasture stream showed strong seasonal shifts, with communities similar to forested catchments during the wet seasons and cattle pasture during dry seasons. We demonstrate that natural forest regrowth and targeted management, such as maintaining and restoring riparian corridors, benefit stream-water microbiomes in tropical landscapes and can provide a rapid and efficient approach to balancing agricultural activities and water quality protection.

Balancing natural forest regrowth and tree planting to ensure social fairness and compliance with environmental policies

Abstract The environmental benefits and lower implementation costs of (assisted) natural forest regrowth (NFR) compared to tree planting qualify it as a viable strategy to scale up forest restoration. However, NFR is not suitable in all places, because the potential for forest regeneration depends on the socio‐environmental context and differs greatly over space and time. Therefore, it is critical to quantify the potential contribution of NFR for reaching forest restoration targets and complying with environmental policies. Here, we quantify the socio‐environmental consequences of NFR by considering four targets differing in restored area in the Atlantic Forest (6, 8, 15 and 22 Mha). We quantified the compliance with environmental policies, expected distribution of natural and restored vegetation within the biome and social fairness (distribution of restoration efforts and costs within small, medium and large‐sized properties) of two hypothetical forest restoration scenarios. We show that large‐scale forest restoration prioritizing the areas with the highest potential for NFR (Scenario I) allows us to comply with one‐third of the current environmental debt in the Atlantic Forest. Furthermore, this scenario disproportionately burdens specific types of land use, increases socioeconomic inequalities and concentrates restoration activities in regions in which the natural vegetation cover is already high. By contrast, Scenario II—eradicating the environmental debt that results from environmental policies, then prioritizing areas with the lowest overall restoration costs until reaching the restoration targets—is socially fairer and maximizes compliance with environmental policies. Its outcomes are more homogeneously distributed among counties and small, medium and large‐sized properties from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Despite doubling the implementation costs, the lower overall restoration costs in Scenario II result from significantly lower opportunity costs than in Scenario I. Synthesis and application. The environmental, social and economic outputs of large‐scale forest restoration in the Atlantic Forest can be maximized when NFR and tree planting are balanced (Scenario II). To achieve compliance with forest restoration commitments, we thus advocate for the site‐specific selection of the best forest restoration strategy to guarantee social fairness and compliance with environmental policies at minimum overall restoration costs.

Nature‐based Solutions to tackle climate change and restore biodiversity

Nature‐based Solutions to tackle climate change and restore biodiversity

How to fight climate change? Let forests grow

While enthusiasm grows for reforestation as a tool for combatting climate change, we lacked information about how fast or slow new forests across the globe could capture carbon dioxide. So we created a first-of-its-kind map of potential carbon capture from natural forest regrowth for every square kilometer of the planet. - submission by Susan C. Cook-Patton, Sara M. Leavitt, Peter W. Ellis

Comments: How Real Are Carbon Offsets?

Purchasing carbon offsets is a widespread means of attempting to meet carbon-reduction and net-zero emissions goals across many industries. Also widespread is the increasing scrutiny of the practice. How “real” are the offsets? How are they quantified and verified, and by whom? Purchasing carbon offsets, or carbon credits, is an option when a company’s efforts to eliminate its carbon emissions through mitigation methods fall short. The offsets are purchased through investments in projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere such as nature-based solutions (e.g., REDD, or reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation), negative-emission technologies (including carbon capture and storage [CCS] and bioenergy with CCS), and renewable energy. Here’s where the criticism arises: How is the amount of carbon captured by these projects measured? For example, how much carbon can a tree or forest handle? Are all trees equal in their carbon intake? The uncertainty and variability in carbon-accumulation rates is acknowledged in research studies that are attempting to provide quantification. A study published in Nature compiled more than 13,000 georeferenced measurements to determine the rates for the first 30 years of natural forest regrowth. A map showed more than 100-fold variation in rates across the globe and indicated that default rates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may underestimate the rates by 32% on average and do not capture eightfold variation within ecozones. On the other hand, the study concluded that the maximum mitigation potential from natural forest regrowth is 11% lower than previously reported because of the use of overly high rates for locations of potential new forest. While the study was not intended to provide verification to be used in the carbon-offset market, it points to the difficulty in getting the numbers right. Third-party verifiers are casting light on the validity of offsets. Various organizations such as the Climate Registry and the American Carbon Registry (ACR) aim to set standards and best practices. In both the regulated and voluntary carbon markets, ACR says it “oversees the registration and verification of carbon-offset projects following approved carbon accounting methodologies or protocols and issues offsets on a transparent registry system.” In July, CarbonPlan, a nonprofit that analyzes climate solutions based on the best available science and data, rated BCarbon, a standard created by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, as one of the best publicly available protocols for soil carbon offsets in the US. BCarbon, a nature-based mitigation system, aims to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in soil as organic carbon. Based on independent verification and certification requirements, the credits under the system are issued for the removal of CO2 by photosynthesis and storage as carbon in soil. Landowners are eligible for storage payments. The Baker Institute said the approach could unlock the potential for removal, storage, and certification of upwards of 1 billion tons of CO2 and lead to the protection and restoration of hundreds of millions of acres of grassland. Scrutiny of carbon offsets is beneficial in this expanding carbon market. Verification and certification will serve to increase the trust of both buyers and sellers—and the public—in what will likely be a bridge toward longer-term solutions to reduce global carbon emissions. And getting the numbers right is essential.

Carbon Accumulation Potential from Natural Forest Regrowth of Godech Municipality, Western Bulgaria

Abstract The present research deals with carbon sequestration, as an important process for mitigating the effects of climate change. The investigation focuses on a 30-year period and it covers only aboveground biomass that builds up from natural forest regrowth, excluding any plantation techniques. Potential carbon sequestration rate from natural forest regrowth in Godech Municipality was measured in Mg C ha−1 yr−1 and the resolution of the map was 1x1 km. The results of the study display that carbon accumulation values in the researched area were consistent with those that were expected in the largest parts of Bulgaria. The biggest share of Godech Municipality falls within the range of 0.82 – 0.96 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 with restricted areas around the villages of Barlya, Smolcha, Gubesh, Murgash and Varbnitsa that may accumulate between 0.96 – 1.11 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. In conclusion, carbon accumulation only from natural forest regrowth provides representative information, however it would have been better if different plantation techniques were regarded as well. The successful results of the investigation should encourage other studies of this type in the neighbouring municipalities.

The Link Between Habitats and Carbon Accumulation from Natural Forest Regrowth in Borino Municipality (Southern Bulgaria)

Abstract Carbon accumulation in forests is an important step towards achieving better climate mitigation levels. The current research aims at uncovering the link between the NATURA 2000 habitats in Borino Municipality, Southern Bulgaria and the expected carbon sequestration from natural forest regrowth for the period 2020-2050. The case study area currently is of a predominantly mountainous character with a number of forests – a prerequisite for enlargement of the carbon pools. Nevertheless, there are also grassland habitats, which participate in this process as well. The results of the research show that the southern parts of the municipality possess a larger potential for carbon accumulation with levels, reaching 1.10 and 1.28Mg C ha−1 yr−1. The promising outcomes may be used as an example of an investigation of climate mitigation and may serve as a basis for broadening the geographical range in other municipalities in the region.

Mapping carbon accumulation potential from global natural forest regrowth.

To constrain global warming, we must strongly curtail greenhouse gas emissions and capture excess atmospheric carbon dioxide1,2. Regrowing natural forests is a prominent strategy for capturing additional carbon3, but accurate assessments of its potential are limited by uncertainty and variability in carbon accumulation rates2,3. To assess why and where rates differ, here we compile 13,112 georeferenced measurements of carbon accumulation. Climatic factors explain variation in rates better than land-use history, so we combine the field measurements with 66 environmental covariate layers to create a global, one-kilometre-resolution map of potential aboveground carbon accumulation rates for the first 30 years of natural forest regrowth. This map shows over 100-fold variation in rates across the globe, and indicates that default rates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)4,5 mayunderestimate aboveground carbon accumulation rates by 32 per cent on average and do not capture eight-fold variation within ecozones. Conversely, we conclude that maximum climate mitigation potential from natural forest regrowth is 11 per cent lower than previously reported3 owing to the use of overly high rates for the location of potential new forest. Although our data compilation includes more studies and sites than previous efforts, our results depend on data availability, which is concentrated in ten countries, and data quality, which varies across studies. However, the plots cover most of the environmental conditions across the areas for which we predicted carbon accumulation rates (except for northern Africa and northeast Asia). We therefore provide a robust and globally consistent tool for assessing natural forest regrowth as a climate mitigation strategy.

Narrating abandoned land: Perceptions of natural forest regrowth in Southwestern Europe

The abandonment of agricultural land leads to landscape changes in many parts of Europe, often followed by natural forest regrowth. These landscape changes have far-reaching social and ecological consequences. Our research addresses the question of how local actor groups involved in land management perceive natural forest regrowth on abandoned land. Based on 42 interviews with local actors, we analyse narratives on natural forest regrowth in four case studies, one in France and three in Spain. Across the case studies, we find three narratives: a rural fatalism narrative, a pro forest management narrative and a pro nature narrative, each with its own problem definitions and solution strategies on natural forest regrowth. Our analysis reveals regional nuances, which depend on land use characteristics that shape the perceptions of local actor groups. We conclude that natural forest regrowth holds different symbolic functions, ranging from lost territory to recovered land. Any assessment of trade-offs and opportunities needs to consider the local situation. Furthermore, management and governance approaches need to acknowledge different cultural beliefs, which shape the perception of actor groups.

Guidance for successful tree planting initiatives

Abstract A growing number of initiatives at global, regional and national scales propose to plant millions, billions or even trillions of trees as a simple solution to resolve complex environmental problems. However, tree planting is much more complicated than it seems. We summarize the multifaceted decision‐making process needed and offer guidelines to increase the success of the proposed ambitious efforts to increase tree cover world‐wide. Given the varied definitions of and motivations for tree planting, it is critical that stakeholders work together to clearly define the biophysical and socioeconomic goals of each project. Then a series of questions must be addressed about where and how (e.g. planting trees vs. allowing for natural forest regrowth) to most effectively achieve these goals and minimize unintended negative consequences, as well as how, when and by whom success of efforts will be evaluated. Key guidelines to successfully increase tree cover include: (a) first addressing the underlying drivers of deforestation; (b) integrating decision‐making across scales from local to global; (c) tailoring tree planting strategies to clearly stated project goals and planning, adaptively managing and evaluating success over a sufficiently long timeframe; (d) focusing on the forest ecosystem as a whole, and not just the trees; (e) coordinating different land uses and (f) involving stakeholders at all stages of the planning process. Synthesis and applications. Tree planting, along with other strategies to increase tree cover in appropriate locations and contexts, can make a valuable contribution to ensuring the ecological and social well‐being of our planet in coming decades, but only if these efforts are considered as one component of multifaceted solutions to complex environmental problems and are carefully planned, implemented and monitored over a sufficiently long time‐scale with stakeholder engagement and broader consideration of socio‐ecological complexities.

A novel agroecosystem: Beef production in abandoned farmland as a multifunctional alternative to rewilding

In much of Europe policy is challenged by the abandonment of crop and pasture land and its replacement by natural forest regrowth. Rewilding is one option. An alternative, multifunctional, strategy is extensive beef farming coupled with carbon storage in herbage and naturally regenerating trees. An economic model is developed in the context of Estonia, where many of the constraints and opportunities relating to natural forest regrowth are in particularly sharp focus, but the approach will be widely applicable. Production of niche market beef, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services can proceed in parallel. A novel concept of support payments is proposed. Net present value assessment, with cash credits for carbon storage, demonstrates that the model is viable. A 100 ha tract of abandoned land, stocked with 35 beef cows, would produce beef profitably. Provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services would be delivered, including a net storage of carbon, and rural regeneration would be promoted. The study provides further scientific underpinning for a policy discussion on abandoned land, which represents a growing proportion of Europe's land area. Extensive beef production is compatible with net carbon storage and can provide sustainable ecosystem services together with rural regeneration.

Determinants of Soil Bacterial and Fungal Community Composition Toward Carbon-Use Efficiency Across Primary and Secondary Forests in a Costa Rican Conservation Area.

Tropical secondary forests currently represent over half of the world's remaining tropical forests and are critical candidates for maintaining global biodiversity and enhancing potential carbon-use efficiency (CUE) and, thus, carbon sequestration. However, these ecosystems can exhibit multiple successional pathways, which have hindered our understanding of the soil microbial drivers that facilitate improved CUE. To begin to address this, we examined soil % C; % N; C:N ratio; soil microbial biomass C (Cmic); NO3-; NH4+; pH; % moisture; % sand, silt, and clay; and elevation, along with soil bacterial and fungal community composition, and determined which soil abiotic properties structure the soil Cmic and the soil bacterial and fungal communities across a primary forest, 33-year-old secondary forest, and 22-year-old young secondary in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. We provide evidence that soil microbial communities were mostly distinct across the habitat types and that these habitats appear to have affected the soil ectomycorrhizal fungi and the soil microbial groups associated with the degradation of complex carbon compounds. We found that soil Cmic levels increased along the management gradient from young, to old secondary, to primary forest. In addition, the changes in soil Cmic and soil fungal community structure were significantly related to levels of soil NO3-. Our analyses showed that even after 33years of natural forest regrowth, the clearing of tropical forests can have persistent effects on soil microbial communities and that it may take a longer time than we realized for secondary forests to develop carbon-utilization efficiencies similar to that of a primary forest. Our results also indicated that forms of inorganic N may be an important factor in structuring soil Cmic and the soil microbial communities, leading to improved CUE in regenerating secondary forests. This study is the first in the region to highlight some of the factors which appear to be structuring the soil Cmic and soil microbial communities such that they are more conducive for enhanced CUE in secondary forests.

Underproductive agriculture aids connectivity in tropical forests

Establishing connectivity in tropical lowland forests is a major conservation challenge, particularly in areas dominated by agriculture. Replanting schemes have been widely utilized as a method for reconnecting once contiguous forest patches. However, these approaches require funds for both initial planting and subsequent site maintenance. Furthermore, identifying sites for habitat rehabilitation schemes is difficult and may require purchasing of land, sometimes at great expense. Underproductive, often unprofitable, areas of agriculture have the potential to aid in re-establishing forest connectivity via natural forest regeneration. We identified an area of natural forest regrowth, previously cleared for agriculture and abandoned due to high levels of flooding. We assessed the structural regrowth of this forest after a 17-year period, and examined its efficacy as corridor habitat for Bornean elephants. Regrowth areas had re-established tree canopy areas similar to that of adjacent forest, as well as a randomly selected site of uncleared forest. Flooding in the area hampered the regrowth of some sections of the site; however, ∼79% of the site exhibited canopy coverage. Aboveground carbon levels have returned to 50% those of uncleared forests, with flooding resulting in areas of reduced vegetation regeneration. Elephants have shown increasing usage of the regenerated forest, suggesting that the area has regenerated its suitability as elephant corridor habitat. We have shown that what would traditionally be thought of as low-quality, flood-prone areas for habitat restoration can be a useful, cost-effective tool for wildlife corridor management. We propose that natural regeneration of reclaimable, underproductive agriculture has the potential to play a key role in lowland tropical forest connectivity, reconnecting now isolated populations of endangered Bornean elephants.

Extent and causes of forest cover changes in Vietnam’s provinces 1993–2013: a review and analysis of official data

Within a region plagued by deforestation, Vietnam has experienced an exceptional turnaround from net forest loss to forest regrowth. This so-called forest transition, starting in the 1990s, resulted from major changes to environmental and economic policy. Investments in agricultural intensification, reforestation programs, and forestland privatization directly or indirectly promoted natural forest regeneration and the setting-up of plantation forests mainly stocked with exotic species. Forest cover changes, however, varied widely among regions due to specific socio-economic and environmental factors. We studied forest cover changes (including natural and planted forests) and associated drivers in Vietnam’s provinces from 1993–2013. An exhaustive literature review was combined with multivariate statistical analyses of official provincial data. Natural forest regrowth was highest in northern mountain provinces, especially in the period 1993–2003, whereas deforestation continued in the Central Highlands and Southeast Region. Forest plantations increased most in mid-elevation provinces. Statistical results largely confirmed case study-based literature, highlighting the importance of forestland allocation policies and agroforestry extension for promoting small-scale tree plantations and allowing natural forest regeneration in previously degraded areas. Results provide evidence for the abandonment of upland swidden agriculture during 1993–2003, and reveal that spatial competition between expanding natural forests, fixed crop fields, and tree plantations increased during 2003–2013. While we identified a literature gap regarding effects of forest management by para-statal forestry organizations, statistical results showed that natural forests increased in areas managed for protection/regeneration. Cover of other natural forests under the organizations’ management, however, tended to decrease or stagnate, especially more recently when the organizations increasingly turned to multi-purpose plantation forestry. Deforestation processes in the Central Highlands and Southeast Region were mainly driven by cash crop expansion (coffee, rubber) and associated immigration and population growth. Recent data trends indicated limits to further forest expansion, and logging within high-quality natural forests reportedly remained a widespread problem. New schemes for payments for forest environmental services should be strengthened to consolidate the gains from the forest transition, whilst improving forest quality (in terms of biodiversity and environmental services) and allowing local people to actively participate in forest management.