Is Tropical Forest Conservation through silviculture possible? The contribution of Tropical Production Forest Observatory Sentinel Landscape

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1 Is Tropical Forest Conservation through silviculture possible? The contribution of Tropical Production Forest Observatory Sentinel Landscape Plinio Sist, Cirad B&SEF,

2 The Context Logged and disturbed tropical forests cover larger areas than primary ones Foresters believe that silviculture is an efficient tool for conservation of large areas of forests while providing incomes to local populations and timber industry (Putz et al. 2012) BUT Generally considered as degraded forests by conservationists (Zimmerman and Kormos 2012) Old-fashioned silviculture is still occurring while second cycle is about to begin The need to understand better the resilience of logged forests

3 Main characteristics of Logging in the Tropics Many different timber species (more than 300 timber species in the Amazon) Timber species also provide NTFPs (30 to 45 % in the Amazon, Martini et al. 1998, Herrero et al. 2008) Timber species = canopy and emergent trees (Structure, Biomass, regeneration and biodiversity) From forest management plan (100% inventory, 45 cm dbh) to illegal logging and deforestation Very simple techniques and rules (Usually only one Minimum Diameter Cutting limit cm for all commercial species) 3

4 Logging Intensity and Biomass Loss : the techniques and the intensity matter!!! 12Tha Tha -1 Sist et al. In press

5 Impact of Logging in the tropics: an overview % Timber available at 2nd cycle (same) Timber available (+ same) C Retained Biodiversity Retained Putz et al. 2012

6 Sustainability of timber yield and conservation action? Example of Indonesia : Mean Commercial volume under a 35 year cycle m 3 /ha Years

7 Sustainability : a question of thresholds and compromises Biomass Biodiversity Benefits = Production Environmental Costs 1. How do responses of different forest products and services vary across gradients of timber harvest intensity; i.e., do thresholds in response exist? 2. Are there trade-offs in management practices to prioritize different forest products and services? Logging Intensity Low Medium High

8 Do responses of forests vary across a region? and does this follow trends in forest structure and functional composition? Malhi et al Global change Biology Nogueira et al Foreco General trends : Variations from 350 Mg/ha (central Amazon) to 250 Mg/ha (western and southern margins, Malhi et al From 303 to 376 Mg/ha according to Nogueira et al Factors of variation: Climate and Soil (Malhi et al. 2006; Saatchi et al. 2007) Species composition (Ter steege et al. 2006, Baker et al. 2004) Wood density (Baker et al. 2004)

9 The main objectives 1. To make management recommendations while taking into account the regional variability 2. To propose different scenario of forest management practices based on compromises between benefits, biodiversity and carbon storage 3. To assess the differences but also the common answer from one continent to another 4. To provide upstream data on forest conditions to others SLs in the three regions

10 A Pan Tropical Permanent Plots Network Central America (Catie) Tropique du Cancer Equateur Tropique du Capricorne Brazilian Amazon (Cirad, Embrapa) Bolivia Wageningen Central Africa: Mbaïki (MEFCP, RCA) Oyan (Iraf, Gabon) Mopri, Téné, Irobo (Idefor, Ivory Coast) STREK (Inhutani I, MF, Indonesia) BULUNGAN (Inhutani II, MF, Indonesia, Cifor) Sabah N. Fauvet CIRAD-Forêt 1999 Source : Unasylva, FAO

11 Some example of regional networks Amazon Basin A consolidated cooperative network with 10 different experimental sites But also.. Network of more than 400 plots in the Brazilian Amazon (REDEFLOR) Plots network in Bolivia and Guyana Congo Basin and Central Africa Many different plots, shape and objectives Not linked within a network

12 Is this idea new and relevant? A different approach (disturbed vs primary) from other «traditional PSP» Existing data that can be valued immediately or with minimum efforts New trends in tropical silviculture to be covered Immediate applications in terms of forest management practices

13 Sentinel landscape What is the Sentinel Landscape? The new organization of CGIAR research in 15 CGIAR Research Program CRP 6 : Forests Trees and agroforestry Cifor, Bioversity, Icraf, Ciat, Cirad 1. Smallholder production systems and markets 2. Management and conservation of forest and tree resources 3. Landscape management for environmental services, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods 4. Climate change and mitigation 5. Impacts of trade and investment on forests and people 13

14 Sentinel Landscape : main objectives Cross regional comparison Integrating Biophysical & Social data Long-term presence (~ 10 years) Co-locating research activities (share resources) Between Components With Partners With other CRP s 14

15 What defines a SL? Are we a SL? Existing data for baseline and historical; e.g. longterm human welfare, demographic and human health data, as well as time series biophysical data YES for biophysical data Scientists from "X" CRP6 components interested co-locating research in this site YES (2, 3, 4) Variation along a contiguous forest transition curve Not really BUT Gradient of disturbance Existence of a network of reliable partners on the ground that we can add value too YES 15

16 The First Tier selected SLs (July 2012) Latin America: 1. Nicaragua Honduras 2. Western Amazon Madre de Dios and Ucayali (Peru), Acre (Brazil) and Pando (Bolivia) Asia: 3. Mekong (Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Southwest China) 4. Borneo-Sumatra Africa: 5. South East Mali, South West Burkina Faso and Northern Ghana. 6. Central Africa Humid Tropics Cameroon Cross-Continental: 7. Tropical Production Forests Observatory 8. Oil palm: Landscapes, market chains and investment flows 16

17 Next Steps and outputs for the Tropical Production Forests Observatory Sentinel Landscape Next Steps 3 workshops in Bogor, Belém and Yaoundé by early 2013 Assessment of the data availability and quality Agreements on a common methodology and data sharing Annual working plan for 2013 Main outputs defined for 2013 Next Outputs 3 Scientific papers 1 international workshop in Indonesia Technical session at IUFROLAT 2013

18 Thank you 18