Reforestation: Conclusions and Implications

Abstract

This book was written with two major objectives in mind. Our primary goal was to evaluate the drivers and processes associated with reforesting landscapes across a range of contexts and continents, to determine factors which appear to be specific to certain situations, and others which seem to be common across multiple contexts. Since reforestation is an area of study that crosses ecological, biophysical and social boundaries, our second objective was to develop interdisciplinary frameworks that link methods and approaches from different areas of science, to study the patterns and processes associated with reforesting landscapes. We evaluate the major findings of this volume based on these two objectives. First, we compare the research findings from different chapters, to help us discern the common designs and the unique threads that create a variety of reforestation patterns across landscapes (Table 16.1). We then use a combination of FAO data along with the specific case studies presented here for different countries, and develop a typology of forest change (Table 16.2). Finally, the main techniques and approaches used within each research study are presented, and assessed in terms of their effectiveness for reforestation research (Table 16.3). We conclude with an assessment of the implications of these findings, and outline some challenges for future research on reforestation.