Secondary Forest Research Articles

Multidecadal mangrove forest change in Macajalar Bay, Northern Mindanao, Philippines (1950-2020) using remote sensing and geographic information systems.

The mangrove forest in Macajalar Bay is regarded as an important coastal ecosystem since it provides numerous ecosystem services. Despite their importance, the clearing of mangroves has been rampant and has reached critical rates. Addressing this problem and further advancing its conservation require accurate mangrove mapping. However, current spatial information related to mangroves is sparse and insufficient to understand the historical change dynamics. In this study, the synergy of 1950 vegetation maps and Landsat images was explored to provide multidecadal monitoring of mangrove forest change dynamics in Macajalar Bay, Philippines. Vegetation maps containing the 1950 mangrove extent and Landsat images were used as input data to monitor the rates of loss over 70years. In 2020, the mangrove forest cover was estimated to be 201.73ha, equivalent to only 61.99% of the 325.43ha that was estimated in 1950. Between 1950 and 2020, net mangrove loss in Macajalar Bay totaled 324.29ha. The highest clearing rates occurred between 1950 and 1990 when it recorded a total of 258.51ha, averaging 6.46ha/year. The original mangrove forest that existed in 1950 only represents 8.56% of the 2020 extent, suggesting that much of the old-growth mangrove had been cleared before 2000 and the existing mangrove forest is mainly composed of secondary mangrove forest stands. Across Macajalar Bay, intensified clearing that happened between 1950 and 1990 has been driven by large-scale aquaculture developments. Mangrove gains on the other hand were evident and have increased the total extent by 79.84ha since 2000 as a result of several afforestation programs. However, approximately half of these gains that were observed since 2010 exhibited low canopy cover. As of writing, approximately 85% of the 2020 mangrove forest stands fall outside the 1950 original mangrove extent. Examining the viability of the original mangrove forest for mangrove reforestation together with promoting site-species matching, and biophysical assessment are necessary undertakings to advance current mangrove conservation initiatives in Macajalar Bay.

Overstory functional groups indicate the legacy of land use in a secondary tropical forest in southwestern China

Overstory functional groups indicate the legacy of land use in a secondary tropical forest in southwestern China

Increasing Fire Activity in African Tropical Forests Is Associated With Deforestation and Climate Change

AbstractFires were historically rare in tropical forests of West and Central Africa, where dense vegetation, rapid decomposition, and high moisture limit available fuels. However, increasing heat and drought combined with forest degradation and fragmentation are making these areas more susceptible to wildfires. We evaluated historical patterns of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer active fires in African tropical forests from 2003 to 2021. Trends were mostly positive, particularly in the northeastern and southern Congo Basin, and were concentrated in areas with high deforestation. Year‐to‐year variation of fires was synchronized with increasing temperature and vapor pressure deficit. There was anomalously high fire activity across the region during the 2015–2016 El Niño. These results contrast with the drier African woodlands and savannas, where fire has been decreasing. Further attention to fires in African tropical forests is needed to understand their global impacts on carbon dynamics and their local implications for biodiversity and human livelihoods.

Functional richness mediates landscape and management effects on tree biomass and soil fertility during secondary forest succession

Secondary forests can play a critical role in conserving plant biodiversity and sequestering carbon. However, intensive past management, fragmentation, and initial soil fertility can hinder forest recovery during secondary succession, especially in terms of tree species selection. In turn, tree species selection can negatively impact soil fertility recovery and may slow down the succession process, but the direct and indirect effects between these factors remain uncleared. To assess the complex interactions among landscape, previous management, soil and vegetation, 27 secondary forests of varying ages, previously used for eucalyptus plantations, located in diverse landscape configurations within the Atlantic Forest biome, were examined. Key variables, such as planting frequency, cutting frequency, forest cover in the landscape, patch isolation between fragments, functional richness, tree aboveground biomass (AGB), soil sum of bases, soil organic matter, and soil phosphorus concentration were used to construct a structural equation model to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of landscape and previous management on forest development. Cutting frequency and patch isolation had a negative direct effect on functional richness. Additionally, a strong positive direct effect of functional diversity on aboveground biomass and soil sum of bases was found. Thus, cutting frequency and patch isolation had negative indirect effects on biomass and soil sum of bases (a proxy for soil fertility), mediated by functional richness. These findings underscore the significance of integrating plant functional diversity into restoration strategies to preserve ecosystem functioning and efficiently recover biodiversity, tree biomass, and soil fertility in secondary forests.

Evaluating carbon stocks in soils of fragmented Brazilian Atlantic Forests (BAF) based on soil features and different methodologies.

Brazil's Atlantic Forest (BAF) is a highly fragmented, strategic environmental and socio-economic region that represents the fourth biodiversity hotspot while also producing many commodities that are exported globally. Human disturbance plays a pivotal role as a driver of BAF's soil dynamics and behaviors. The soils under Late Primary and Secondary Semideciduous Seasonal Forests (LPSF and LSSF) were characterized by high to moderate resilience, with improved chemical properties as human disturbance decreased. The Transitional Forest to Cerrado (TFC) had the worst soil conditions. Disturbed Primary and Secondary Semideciduous Seasonal Forests (DPSF and DSSF) represent a transitional stage between LPSF/LSSF and TFC. Accordingly, SOCs stocks increased from TFC << DPSF, DSSF < LPSF, LSSF. In BAF soils, to avoid unreliable data, SOCs measurements should be (i) conducted to at least 1m soil depth and (ii) quantified with a CHN analyzer. Human disturbance strongly affected the positive feedback between vegetation succession, SOCs, and soil nutrition. Soil development decreased as human disturbance increased, thus negatively affecting SOCs. Soils in the BAF require a long time to recover after the end of human disturbance, thus suggesting that preservation strategies should be prioritized in remnant BAF fragments.

ASSESSING ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURE ON LAND USE AND LAND COVER IN THE MAFERE SUB-PREFECTURE IN SOUTH-EAST COTE DIVOIRE

Several hectares of forest disappear every year in Cote dIvoire, particularly in the Aboisso Department. Despite the fight to preserve biodiversity and forest cover, numerous pressures (anthropogenic pressures) continue to be exerted on the forests, leading to their destruction and even increased deforestation. This deforestation has many consequences, including reduced biodiversity and climate change. This study was initiated to gain a better understanding of this reduction in forest area. The aim of the study is to assess the level of forest degradation in the Mafere sub-prefecture. The activities involve mapping and analyzing the dynamics of land use and land cover (LULC). To achieve these objectives, the study is based on satellite images (Landsat 5, 7 and 8) from 1986, 2000 and 2020. The results of LULC dynamics show, on the one hand, a decline in closed forest/swamp forest (96.29%), degraded forest (76.75%), crop/fallow (67.03%) and annual crops (38.35%) and, on the other hand, an increase in cocoa (675.25%), oil palm (193.13%), rubber (14.39%) and housing/bare land (101.26%). The extension of agricultural areas in search of resources (natural and financial), demographic pressures, still traditional cultivation techniques and climate change are the main factors causing the degradation of forests in the Mafere sub-prefecture.

Is the change deforestation? Using time-series analysis of satellite data to disentangle deforestation from other forest degradation causes

Protecting natural ecosystems requires monitoring approaches that work as early warning systems to avoid degradation and protect biodiversity. However, separating forest disturbance causes in change-detection pipelines is challenging due to the complex interplay of multiple drivers affecting vegetation. This study aims to detect deforestation in highly heterogeneous ecosystems. We used Landsat NDVI time-series data for testing three unsupervised change detection methods: 1) the non-parametric phenological anomaly detection (npphen), 2) the continuous change detection and classification (CCDC), and 3) the pruned exact linear time (PELT) algorithms. We used visual interpretation of Google Earth Pro high-resolution data (< 10 m) to depict deforestation, and natural-induced changes, like forest browning and fires, evaluating the performance of the unsupervised methods. Additionally, a Random Forest model trained with the outputs from detection algorithms together with elevation and radar vegetation index data were utilised to depict deforestation in a second step. While PELT slightly outperformed other methods for tracking general vegetation changes, with overall accuracies (OA) ranging from 0.78 to 0.99, depending on the vegetation type, it also showed the slowest deforestation tracking response. CCDC presented the fastest response and an OA between 0.78 and 0.95. Additionally, we observed a mean OA of only 0.47 when separating deforestation from other changes using only the unsupervised models. On the other hand, deforestation was accurately detected (OA = 0.93; kappa = 0.83) when using CCDC outputs within a secondary supervised classification, agreeing with selected citizen-based complaints from the Environmental Superintendence. The relatively fast response in deforestation tracking using CCDC makes it a viable alternative for near real-time monitoring. Commonly used unsupervised detection methods may be coupled with supervised techniques to depict vegetation change sources robustly. This application constitutes a step forward for managing and monitoring vegetation areas in highly complex and dynamic landscapes, like Mediterranean ecosystems.

Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Finland’s Boreal Forests and Types over the Past Four Decades

In the context of global warming, the study of the long-term spatial change characteristics of boreal forest cover is not only important for global climate change and sustainable development research but can also provide support for further research on the response of boreal forest changes to climate change. Using Landsat TM/OLI images from 1980 to 2020 as the data source and Google Earth Engine (GEE) as the platform, Finland was selected as the study area of boreal forests, and typical sample points of different features were chosen to classify forested and non-forested land using the random forest algorithm combined with spectral indices and classified feature sets of tasseled cap transform to obtain the four-phase forest cover change maps of the region. GEE test sample points and random selection points of images from the GF-2 and GF-7 satellites were used for verification. The classification accuracy was 97.17% and 88.9%. The five-phase forest cover images were segmented by a 2° latitude zone, and the spatial and temporal dynamic changes in forest cover in the whole area and each latitude zone were quantified by pixel superposition analysis. The results showed that, in the past 40 years, the boreal forest cover in Finland changed significantly, and the forest cover decreased from 75.79% to 65.36%, by 10.43%. Forest change mainly occurs in coniferous forests, whereas broadleaf forests are more stable. The forest coverage in each latitude zone decreased to varying degrees, with higher changes occurring in high-latitude areas above 64° N between 1980 and 2000, and higher and more severe changes occurring in low-latitude areas below 64° N between 2000 and 2020. Coniferous forests are the dominant type of forest in Finland, and the degradation of coniferous forests in the south is likely to become more severe, whereas the north and above is likely to become more favorable for coniferous forests. More monitoring and research are needed to follow up on the very different changes in the north and south regions.

Response of soil microorganisms to soil fertility in the process of vegetation rehabilitation of degraded Pinus massoniana forest

AbstractThe rehabilitation of diverse and three‐dimensional forest vegetation patterns is crucial for preventing forest degradation and improving soil fertility. However, the relationship between soil microbial community and soil fertility was not clear. To accurately assess the capability of vegetation restoration measures on the real impact on degraded soil ecosystems. We selected three vegetation rehabilitation models of degraded Pinus massoniana forests in typical soil erosion areas in China as the research objects, with untreated bare land as the control. All three vegetation construction patterns increased the abundance and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi, thereby enhancing the stability of the soil ecosystem. Additionally, the vegetation rehabilitation models also altered the community structure of soil bacteria and fungi in the degraded P. massoniana forests. The pH and soil fertility index (IFI) were the main factors leading to variations in the community structure of the soil bacteria and fungi. Among them, the grass‐planting model showed a significantly greater improvement in the soil fertility of degraded P. massoniana forests than the shrub‐planting and arbor‐planting models. Furthermore, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Glomeromycota exhibited the most significant response to IFI, indicating their potential as indicator microorganisms for soil fertility changes. The improvement in soil fertility in degraded P. massoniana forests was influenced primarily by the increase in urease activity (S‐UE) according to the vegetation rehabilitation models (84.20%, p = 0.000). In conclusion, the grass‐planting system effectively improved the soil ecosystem quality of degraded P. massoniana forests in southern erosion‐prone areas of China and was suitable for further application.

Actor Perceptions of the Governance Framework and Non-Carbon Benefits from the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program: An Extended Q-Study of the Juabuso-Bia Hotspot Intervention Area.

The expansion of cocoa farms is a major driver of deforestation and emissions in Ghana's high forest zone. The Ghana Cocoa Forest Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program (REDD+) was launched as the world's first commodity-based initiative to address emissions from deforestation caused by cocoa production and generate non-carbon benefits. Hotspot Intervention Areas were established to implement the Ghana Cocoa REDD+ program. This study combines Q-methodology with focus group discussions and interviews to assess stakeholder perceptions in the Juabuso-Bia cocoa landscape regarding the capacity of the Hotspot Intervention Area to facilitate the generation of governance and economic non-carbon benefits to sustain emission reductions. We found that introducing the Hotspot Intervention Area has re-centralized landscape governance, which, coupled with weak collaboration among stakeholders, has led to poor generation of non-carbon benefits. Furthermore, efforts to include women in the leadership structure of the Hotspot Intervention Area can be described as tokenism, and little has been done to improve land and tree tenure for vulnerable groups. This, combined with the low adoption of climate-smart cocoa practices, is likely to negatively affect the generation of economic non-carbon benefits. To overcome these challenges, we recommend reforming the Hotspot Intervention Area, bolstering community-level sensitization, improving access to decision-making spaces that will enhance the participation of women and minority groups in landscape governance, and improving farmers' tenure security through a registration scheme for land and trees. These recommendations can ensure the efficient generation of non-carbon benefits, which are key to the success of REDD+.

Altitudinal Variation in Species Diversity, Distribution, and Regeneration Status of a Secondary Picea Forest in Guandi Mountain, Northern China

Altitude plays a crucial role in shaping the diversity and distribution of species in forest landscapes in mountainous regions. However, existing studies often lack comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationships among environmental factors, disturbances, and species diversity. This study aims to address this gap by thoroughly analyzing major species’ diversity, distribution, and regeneration status, along with their influencing factors, across different altitudinal gradients (1850 to 2350 m). Field surveys were conducted to examine the major species in different vegetation layers of the secondary Picea forest in Guandi Mountain. The key findings from the study include the following: (1) the study area recorded a total of nine species of adult trees, belonging to eight genera in five families, fourteen species of shrubs from eight genera in five families, and fifty-two herb species representing forty-eight genera in twenty-six families. Dominant species varied across layers, with Picea asperata Mast. and Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. dominating the arborous layer, Lonicera ferdinandii Franch. and Cotoneaster acutifolius Turcz. in the shrub layer, and Poa pratensis L. and Duchesnea indica (Andrews.) Focke in the herb layer. (2) Altitude significantly influenced species diversity, with the most pronounced effects observed in the shrub and herb layers. (3) Tree species regeneration varied with altitude, with Picea asperata exhibiting the highest regeneration performance, particularly in the high-altitude zone (2250–2350 m). Regeneration parameters were significantly correlated with species diversity indices in both tree and shrub layers. (4) Redundancy analysis revealed that, apart from altitude, cutting (p = 0.015) influenced the species diversity of the tree layer, while annual precipitation (p = 0.006) and temperature (p = 0.01) determined the diversity of the shrub layer. Grazing (p = 0.042) was identified as a determining factor for species diversity in the herb layer. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the study area and offer practical guidance for forest management in similar mountainous landscapes worldwide.

Vegetation changes through recurrent fire affect soil water behavior and enhance landslides in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil

The role of fire in vegetation-soil–water interactions and its implications for soil stability and slope failures is poorly documented in humid tropical regions. This paper focuses on the relationships between vegetation change through recurrent fire and its effects on hydraulic conductivity and soil suction. Two monitoring sites were chosen on steep slopes in the mountainous domain of the Atlantic rainforest: the first is representative of degraded secondary rainforest (DRf) 25–30 years after slash and burn agriculture; the other represents herbaceous-shrubby vegetation (HS) resulting from wildfires in short-time intervals (<5 years). Two fires had previously occurred on the HS slope, one in December 2014 and the other in September 2019. Continuous records of rainfall and soil suction at depths of 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, and 220 cm provided a 6-year data collection from January 2015 to December 2020. Hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) field tests were conducted around the two monitoring sites before and after the September 2019 fire. The main results include: a) soil suction in the topsoil of both vegetation covers follow the rainfall inputs with high values of Ksat (DRf = 195 mm/h; HS = 203 mm/h); b) while quick rainfall-suction responses prevail within the DRf soil profile, soil suction at HS maintains a mean suction value around -27 kPa below 100 cm deep; c) field observations attest to the occurrence of hydrophobicity after the 2019 fire; d) Ksat tests just after this fire indicated a decreasing mean value from 203 mm/h to 46 mm/h; and e) by the end of the dry season after fire, there is a delayed increase in soil suction reaching -143 kPa at a depth of 100 cm and in smaller proportions at 220 cm deep. These results indicate that post-fire soil changes tend to favor the sudden loss of soil stability and slope failure during extreme rainfall events.

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Ecological Parameters in Various Land Use Types in China during the First 20 Years of the 21st Century

Ecological quality in China has experienced significant improvements due to the interplay of climate change and human activities. Nevertheless, previous studies exploring the trend of ecological parameters have always overlooked the effects of land use types. Therefore, in this study, we explored the spatiotemporal variation in ecological parameters in various land use types and discussed the relationship between ecological parameters and climatic factors in China during the first 20 years of the 21st century. The results show that: (1) The area of grassland and unutilized land decreased, and the area of other land use types increased. (2) Distinct variations in the average, slope, and interval distribution of ecological parameters across various land use types were evident. Particularly significant increases in ecological parameters were observed in cultivated land and forest. (3) The influence of land use and land cover change on ecological parameters was evident. The conversion of cultivated land, forest, and grassland into water bodies, constructive land, and unutilized land resulted in a significant decrease in ecological parameters. (4) The distinct climatic conditions resulted in heightened monthly variations in the ecological parameters. Significant monthly fluctuations in ecological parameters were observed for cultivated land, forest, grassland, and constructed land, while water bodies and unutilized land did not exhibit such variations. (5) The correlation between ecological parameters and climatic factors varied considerably in various land use types in different regions.

DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION ANALYSIS OF SOUTHERN SIERRA MADRE, PHILIPPINES USING GOOGLE EARTH ENGINE AND COMMUNITY MAPPING

Abstract. Google Earth Engine (GEE) has empowered researchers to map and monitor vegetation cover through the utilization of satellite imagery and cloud-computing resources. This study employed such platform to evaluate deforestation and forest degradation (DFD) in the Southern Sierra Madre Mountain range, where historical and current evidence underscores ongoing degradation. This research endeavors to capitalize on GEE to generate land cover maps for the Southern Sierra Madre region, specifically in General Nakar, Quezon, and in Rodriguez, Rizal and to present the changes that occurred during three specific years: 2016, 2019, and 2022. Community mapping activities were also conducted in these municipalities to further validate the results from GEE. The findings indicate that forested lands predominantly encompassed both municipalities, albeit exhibiting a declining pattern for successive years. Analysis of land cover maps revealed that in General Nakar, most of the forest areas converted to shrublands are found in the barangays of Umiray and Pagsangahan while for Rodiguez, most of the forest areas converted to shrublands were found to be in Marikina Watershed Forest Reserve and in Puray. Community mapping unveiled that DFD factors such as kaingin, infrastructure extension, timber poaching, small-scale mining, charcoal making, and natural hazards are also present in these areas. With the availability of these openly available cloud-computing platforms, aided by inputs from members of the communities, efficient monitoring and implementation of interventions may be realized.

Comparative assessment of woody species diversity, structure and carbon stock of PFM and Non-PFM forests and its implication for REDD+ in Ethiopia

Maintaining forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential of forest resources enhances the provision capacity of forest ecosystem services. Experience from around the world and in Ethiopia has shown that shifting forest management from state-centred to community-centred arrangement can result in a better forest stock. Therefore, this study examined the status of woody species diversity, regeneration and total living biomass carbon stock of forests under participatory forest management (PFM) and the adjacent state managed non-participatory forest management (Non-PFM) in South eastern Ethiopia and implications to REDD+. Data were collected from 89 (44 PFM and 45 Non-PFM) nested circular plots from four PFM and three Non-PFM selected forest sites with transects laid systematically. Tree DBH and height were measured, the number of saplings, seedlings, mature trees were counted and species names were recorded. Woody species diversity was estimated using shannon, simpson, and evenness diversity indices. A total of 29 and 23 woody species were recorded in PFM and Non-PFM forests, respectively. Woody species diversity did not show significant difference between PFM and Non-PFM forests but it was relatively higher in PFM forest. The density per hectare of seedlings, sapling and mature trees were significantly greater in PFM forest than in Non-PFM forest. The mean aboveground biomass carbon stock of PFM forest (225.50±26.54) was significantly greater than that of the Non-PFM (156.24±15.72) forest. Hence, managing forests through participatory approaches contributes to the enhancement of sustainable management and climate change mitigation potentials through reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation.

REDD implementation for greenhouse gas reduction and climate change mitigation in Hyrcanian forests: a case study of the Kojoor Watershed, Northern Iran

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is a specific strategy for combating deforestation and forest degradation to alleviate the effects of climate change. In this study, the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction resulting from the implementation of a REDD project is estimated. Changes in forest cover throughout the years 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2020 were analyzed using time-series Landsat imagery (TM, ETM + , and OLI) and a random forest algorithm. Multilayer perceptron neural networks were used to model the transition potential of the forest cover, which were then predicted via Markov chain analysis. The change detection analysis revealed two discernible patterns in forest cover dynamics. Between 1985 and 2000, a notable decrease in forest cover was seen, whereas from 2000 to 2020, it significantly increased. The results suggested that the absence of REDD implementation would result in the deforestation of approximately 199,569 hectares of forest cover between 2020 and 2050, leading to the release of 1,995,695 tCO2e of emissions into the atmosphere. However, with the implementation of REDD, these emissions would be reduced to 405,512 tCO2e, effectively preventing the release of 1,590,183 tCO2e of emissions into the upper atmosphere. This study demonstrates that the implementation of REDD projects can be an effective strategy for reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change in the Hyrcanian forests.

Response of Soil CO2 Emission to Addition of Biochar and Dissolved Organic Carbon along a Vegetation Restoration Gradient of Subtropical China

Biochar, as a soil amendment, has been widely confirmed to increase soil carbon sequestration. However, how biochar addition affects soil carbon changes during the vegetation restoration process is still unclear, which constrains our ability to explore biochar’s application in the technology of soil carbon sequestration in forests. We conducted an incubation experiment on biochar and dissolved organic matter (DOM) addition to soil at three stages of revegetation (degraded land (DS), plantation forest (PS), and secondary natural forest (NS) in Changting County in Fujian province, China) to investigate the effects of vegetation restoration, biochar, DOM, and their interaction on soil CO2 emission and its relative mechanisms. We found that the accumulative release of CO2-C in the NS and PS soils was 7.6 and 6.8 times higher, respectively, in comparison to that from the DS soil. In the DS, biochar addition significantly increased the accumulative release of CO2-C, soil pH, NH4+-N content, qCO2, phenol oxidase, and peroxidase activities. Peroxidase activities were positively correlated with the accumulative release of CO2-C, and oxidase was the most important direct factor influencing the accumulative release of CO2-C in the DS. However, the accumulative release of CO2-C, soil NH4+-N content, qCO2, β-glucosidase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase activities was significantly reduced after the application of biochar in the PS and NS. These two hydrolases were positively associated with the accumulative release of CO2-C, and hydrolase was the most vital direct factor influencing the accumulative release of CO2-C from the PS and NS soils. The positive effect of DOM addition on CO2 emission under biochar application declined with a vegetation restoration age increase. Our results indicated that biochar could alter microbial physiological processes, inhibit qCO2 and hydrolase activities, and further decrease CO2 emission in relatively fertile soil from the PS and NS; but in the relatively barren soil from the DS, biochar might promote CO2 emission by stimulating microorganisms to enhance qCO2 and oxidase activities.

State-Directed Wood Industry Upgrading for Forest Protection and Economic Development in the Global South: Insights From Teak Processing in the Lao PDR

Asymmetric timber trade between least-developed countries with large forest resources but backward processing industries and emerging economies has led to an uneven distribution of value in international timber commodity chains. Selling their raw timber with no domestic value added contributes little to socio-economic development and is associated with high rates of deforestation. The Lao PDR has served as a raw timber frontier for advanced timber industries in neighboring countries, leading to forest loss and related environmental problems. In response, since 2015, the Lao government has adopted drastic policy measures to end forest degradation and upgrade its timber industry (e.g., log export ban). Using teak as an example, our study provides empirical ex-post evidence on the effectiveness of state-imposed timber industry upgrading policies. The study relies on expert interviews with key policy actors at national and local levels, as well as an enterprise survey and cluster analysis conducted in Xayyabouly province. These drastic policies had far-reaching implications for the structure of the timber industry and the configuration of the timber value chain and rural development.

Forest cover change and its carbon dynamic of the karst area in Bulusaraung, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Information on land forest cover changes and carbon stocks in karst areas is vital for management planning. Therefore, an analysis of the dynamics of land forest cover, carbon stocks of secondary karst forests, and their future projections is necessary. This study aimed to analyze the carbon stocks of secondary forests, forest cover change, and their projections in karst areas. We used 43 sample plots of 20 m x 20 m to measure Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and soil organic carbon stocks. Forest cover data were collected using remote sensing and GIS tools. Data analysis of the ABG of the secondary forest for the karst plain and karst tower was conducted using the Chave equation. Land-cover change was analyzed by delineating the 2011, 2016, and 2021 land-cover data from satellite imagery and testing the accuracy using survey data fields and high-resolution images. Land-cover projections for 2026 and 2031 were obtained using Cellular Automata Markov (CA-Markov) analysis. The results revealed ten land cover types in the karst area of the Bulusaraung Forest Management Unit (FMU). Secondary dryland karst forests (tower and plain karst) were the dominant forest types (60%) in the Maros-Pangkep essential karst ecosystem area. Both karst types of secondary forests are relatively high carbon stores. Data projection shows that the mining area will grow extensively by 2031. Secondary dryland karst forests will be degraded by 15.5% in 20 years due to increased mining activities, conversion to paddy fields, dryland agriculture, and mixed dryland agriculture. Karst ecosystems are vital for carbon and water storage. Therefore, some strategies are required for the sustainable management of Maros-Pangkep Karst are as follows: (i) controlling the opening of mining areas according to sustainable environmental principles, (ii) encouraging the implementation of post-mining land rehabilitation, (iii) increasing public awareness of the importance of preserving karst areas, and (iv) implementing soil conservation rules by prioritizing agroforestry systems in dryland farming.

TYPOLOGIES OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER ASSOCIATED WITH CASES OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN A METROPOLITAN REGION IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

Characterizing the probable site of infection of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in face of anthropic changes in the Amazon makes it possible to understand the distribution of this disease in order to adopt control measures. The objective of this study is to identify landscape typologies resulting from changes in land use and land cover in the Metropolitan Region of Santarém regarding the occurrence of CL cases in 2012 and 2014. Landscape typologies were developed from TerraClass project data using regular 1 km² cells. Landscape presence and dominance metrics were used to generate cells with a single class and cells with more than one class, called mosaics. For cases of leishmaniasis, the metric was the presence of the disease. Association analyses were extracted from a 2x2 contingency table. The primary forest typology (PP04) had the highest number of cells in both years analyzed. However, changes in land use and land cover were evidenced by the growth in the number of cells with mosaics of agriculture (PP11 and PP12), urbanized areas (PP03 and PP10), and pastures (PP13). The presence of at least one case of CL in each year occurred in ten typologies, particularly in compositions with urbanized areas, pastures, and secondary vegetation. Typologies with the agriculture class, although the number of cells increased, did not follow the same growth logic regarding the presence of the disease. This study makes it possible to identify and characterize the places where CL occurs and provides further information for health surveillance agencies