In this book, Jan J. Boersema reconstructs the ecological and cultural history of Easter Island and critiques the hitherto accepted theory of the collapse of its civilization. The collapse theory, advanced most recently by Jared Diamond and Clive Ponting, is based on the documented overexploitation of natural resources, particularly woodlands, on which Easter Island culture depended. Deforestation is said to have led to erosion, followed by hunger, conflict, and economic and cultural collapse. Drawing on scientific data and historical sources, including the shipping journals of the Dutch merchant who was the first European to visit the island in 1722, Boersema shows that deforestation did not in fact jeopardize food production and lead to starvation and violence. On the basis of historical and scientific evidence, Boersema demonstrates how Easter Island society responded to cultural and environmental change as it evolved and managed to survive.

The extraordinary story of Israel's forests, from ancient times to the present. In this insightful and provocative book, Alon Tal provides a detailed account of Israeli forests, tracing their history from the Bible to the present, and outlines the effort to transform drylands and degraded soils into prosperous parks, rangelands, and ecosystems. Tal's description of Israel's trials and errors, and his exploration of both the environmental history and the current policy dilemmas surrounding that country's forests, will provide valuable lessons in the years to come for other parts of the world seeking to reestablish timberlands.

This major work offers a detailed case study into the dynamics of forest use, degradation and loss in Northeast Luzon, Philippines. Following an interdisciplinary approach, the study charts the degradation and loss of forest cover in this area between 1950 and 1990 and relates it to the social and political context of logging, forest migration and changes in upland agriculture. This represents a major contribution to knowledge both in the field of Philippine studies and in relation to deforestation, environmental change, political ecology and development. Based on 10 years of research, five of which in the Sierra Madre region, the author introduces us to the actions, livelihood options and motives of all the principal groups of actors. Using a stimulating and fascinating balance between systematic survey data and the qualitative reporting of conversations with these key actors, this book offers a compelling insight into the long history of national, regional and local outsiders gaining access to the natural resources and lands of this last large forest frontier in the Philippines. This title falls in the category of Environmental Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, and Philippines. It is suitable for academic researchers and post-graduate students.

Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged areas, or wasteland. Generally, the removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. In many countries, massive deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography. This book provides leading research from around the globe in this field.

Despite the vast number of books and reports on tropical deforestation, there's confusion about the causes of forest loss and forest poverty, and the effectiveness of policy responses. This book seeks to describe ways to reconcile pressures for agricultural expansion in the tropics with the urgent needs for both forest conservation and poverty alleviation. It diagnoses the causes and impacts of forest loss and the reasons for the association of forests with poverty. It looks at how policies - modulated by local conditions - act simultaneously on deforestation and poverty, creating tradeoffs or complementarities, depending on the situation. The report brings to the surface problems that impede adoption of favorable policies, describing institutional and technological innovations that might help to overcome these impediments.

The Eastern Hemlock, massive and majestic, has played a unique role in structuring northeastern forest environments, from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin and through the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. A "foundation species" influencing all the species in the ecosystem surrounding it, this iconic North American tree has long inspired poets and artists as well as naturalists and scientists. Five thousand years ago, the hemlock collapsed as a result of abrupt global climate change. Now this iconic tree faces extinction once again because of an invasive insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid. Drawing from a century of studies at Harvard University's Harvard Forest, one of the most well-regarded long-term ecological research programs in North America, the authors explore what hemlock's modern decline can tell us about the challenges facing nature and society in an era of habitat changes and fragmentation, as well as global change.

Deforesting Malaysia: The Political Economy and Social Ecology of Agricultural Expansion and Commercial Logging critically examines the major economic, political and social forces responsible for deforestation in Malaysia. It carefully distinguishes among the three major regions of the country, namely Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, not only in recognition of the ecological variation of equatorial Malaysia, but also of the different economic, political and social dynamics involved. Originally commissioned by UNRISD, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, this volume primarily considers the role of agricultural expansion in deforestation. In recent decades after independence, however, commercial logging has greatly increased in significance, exacerbated by the complex dynamics of Malaysian federal-state fiscal relations, 'money politics', 'cronyism' and international demand for tropical timber. A large team of contributors to the research that went into the volume supported the principal authors.

'Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon' is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. The report suggests that, in contrast to the 1970s and 1980s, when occupation of Brazilian Amazonia was largely induced by government policies and subsidies, recent deforestation in significant parts of the region is basically caused by medium- and large-scale cattle ranching. Among the causes of the transformation are technological and managerial changes and the adaptation of cattle ranching to the geo-ecological conditions of eastern Amazonia, which allowed for productivity gains and cost reductions. The fact that cattle ranching is viable from the private perspective does not mean that the activity is socially desirable nor environmentally sustainable. Private gains need to be contrasted with the environmental (social) costs associated with cattle ranching and deforestation. It is also argued that the private benefits from large-scale cattle ranching are largely exclusive, having contributed little to alleviate social and economic inequalities. However, decreases in the price of beef in national markets and increases in exports caused by the expansion of cattle ranching in Eastern Amazonia may imply social benefits that go beyond sectoral and regional boundaries. The paper provides a social evaluation of deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia by, on the one hand, identifying the main agents involved in the process, the economic motives behind their activities and their possible economic returns and, on the other hand, undertaking a monetary evaluation of the economic (social) costs of deforestation while making some comparisons with sustainable forest management. It presents and compares a number of different scenarios and proposes recommendations for the region.

This major work offers a detailed case study into the dynamics of forest use, degradation and loss in Northeast Luzon, Philippines. Following an interdisciplinary approach, the study charts the degradation and loss of forest cover in this area between 1950 and 1990 and relates it to the social and political context of logging, forest migration and changes in upland agriculture. This represents a major contribution to knowledge both in the field of Philippine studies and in relation to deforestation, environmental change, political ecology and development. Based on 10 years of research, five of which in the Sierra Madre region, the author introduces us to the actions, livelihood options and motives of all the principal groups of actors. Using a stimulating and fascinating balance between systematic survey data and the qualitative reporting of conversations with these key actors, this book offers a compelling insight into the long history of national, regional and local outsiders gaining access to the natural resources and lands of this last large forest frontier in the Philippines. This title falls in the category of Environmental Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, and Philippines. It is suitable for academic researchers and post-graduate students.

If sustainable management of tropical forests is to be accomplished and deforestation brought under control, the on-the-ground performance of existing forest concessions, along with the allocation of new concessions, will have to be strengthened. This study examines the failures of forest concessions and the loss of tropical forests due to mismanagement during the last two decades. It also emphasizes the potential gains resulting from strengthening the allocation, management, and supervision of concessions by concentrating on improving procedures, introducing performance incentives, and monitoring key performance elements.

Corporate loggers have irreparably damaged much of the tropical forest throughout the Asia-Pacific over the last four decades. Despite a steady rise in global and local concern, few firms have changed their practices on the ground. This study examines why and how loggers have resisted and ignored calls for environmental reforms. Concentrating on the period after 1990, it explains what is happening on the ground as forests continue to disappear and highlights the structures within which firms and governments operate and make money. The volume takes a constructive, insightful approach to a depressing, yet urgent, problem.

Corporate loggers have irreparably damaged much of the tropical forest throughout the Asia-Pacific over the last four decades. Despite a steady rise in global and local concern, few firms have changed their practices on the ground. This study examines why and how loggers have resisted and ignored calls for environmental reforms. Concentrating on the period after 1990, it explains what is happening on the ground as forests continue to disappear and highlights the structures within which firms and governments operate and make money. The volume takes a constructive, insightful approach to a depressing, yet urgent, problem.

According to available estimates, forests cover more than one quarter of the world's total area. About sixty percent of these forests are situated in tropical countries. However, these forests are disappearing at a very fast pace. Between 1980 and 1995, an area larger than Mexico had been deforested. This accelerated destruction of forests poses a serious threat to the environmental and economic well-being of the earth. Several studies have demonstrated that natural forests are the single most important repository of terrestrial biological diversity--of ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. Forests also act as major carbon sinks, absorbing massive quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Deforestation, according to these studies, is directly linked to adverse climate change, soil erosion, desertification, and water cycling. Until recently deforestation was deemed to be a local/national problem. However, increased awareness and scientific data have pointed out that the problem transcends national boundaries. Deforestation affects the entire earth's environment and economic development.

This collection of essays analyzes the forces responsible for deforestation, the governmental policies that effect this destruction and the roles multilateral aid agencies, NGOs, play in the environmental debate. The collection critically examines the principles and criteria suggested by forest-experts for a sustained economic growth vis-a-vis forest stewardship in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. An invaluable resource for scholars, students, researchers, and policymakers involved with environmental and public policy issues.

'The World Bank Forest Strategy: Striking the Right Balance' identifies seven factors that would make the World Bank forest strategy more pertinent as well as strengthen the World Bank's ability to achieve its strategic objectives in the forest sector. The report recommends that the World Bank use its global reach to address both mechanisms and finances for international resource mobilization on concessional terms outside its normal lending activities. It also advises the World Bank to be proactive in establishing partnerships with all relevant stakeholders, governments, the private sector, and civil society to meet both its country and global roles. The focus on primary tropical moist forests should be broadened to include all types of natural forests of national and global value. The book suggests that illegal logging needs to be reduced through the promotion of improved governance and enforcement. Other recommendations are to give consideration to forest issues in all relevant sector activity and macroeconomic work, address the employment needs of all poor people while continuing to protect the rights of indigenous people, and to realign the World Bank resources with their objectives in the forest sector. This report assesses progress since the World Bank first issued its comprehensive Forest Strategy in 1991. The earlier document sent a strong message about changed objectives in the forest sector and provided a new focus on conservation. In examining implementation over the past decade, the new report finds that the effectiveness of the strategy has been modest, and the sustainability of its impact is uncertain.

Unplanned deforestation, which is occurring at unsustainable rates in many parts of the world, can cause significant hardships for rural communities by destroying critical stocks of fuel, fodder, food, and building materials. It can also have profound regional and global consequences by contributing to biodiversity loss, erosion, floods, lowered water tables, and climate change.People and Forests explores the complex interactions between local communities and their forests. It focuses on the rules by which communities govern and manage their forest resources. As part of the International Forestry Resources and Institutions research program, each of the contributors employs the same systematic, comparative, and interdisciplinary methods to examine why some people use their forests sustainably while others do not. The case studies come from fieldwork in Bolivia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, and Uganda.People and Forests offers policymakers a sophisticated view of local forest management from which to develop policy options and offers biophysical and social scientists a better understanding of the linkages between residents, local institutions, and forests.Contributors: Arun Agrawal, Abwoli Y. Banana, C. Dustin Becker, Clark C. Gibson, William Gombya-Ssembajjwe, Rosario Leon, Margaret A. McKean, Elinor Ostrom, Charles M. Schweik, George Varughese, Mary Beth Wertime.

Attempts to halt the destruction of rain forests and other natural habitats in the tropics have met with little success. In particular, national parks, like those found in wealthy nations, have proven difficult to establish in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. More often than not, people inhabiting areas designated for protection resist being told by outsiders that they must change how and where they live. Alternative approaches, frequently embodied in integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs), are now being pursued. The goal is to address local communities' desires for improved standards of living while simultaneously meeting conservation objectives. Nature-based tourism and sustainable harvesting of forest products are the centerpieces of ICDPs and related initiatives. This book assesses the viability of conservation strategies predicated on the adoption of environmentally sound enterprises in and around threatened habitats. Drawing on research in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru and on his extensive experience working in South and Central America and the Caribbean, the author demonstrates that it is rare for forest dwellers to derive much benefit from ecotourism, the extraction of timber and other commodities, or the collection of samples used in pharmaceutical research. Often these activities are simply unprofitable. Even when they are profitable, the benefits tend not to accrue locally, but instead are captured by outside firms and individuals who can provide important services like safe and reliable transportation. The author contends that human capital formation and related productivity-enhancing investment is the only sure path to economic progress and habitat conservation.

According to World Health Organization estimates, 80 percent of people living in developing countries rely on wild harvested plants for some aspect of their primary health care. This text aims to open readers' eyes to the enormous resources of the Earth's rainforests and the potential impact of their destruction in terms of human health, as well as the modern-day usefulness of traditional herbal remedies.

The rapid disappearance of tropical forests is widely recognized as a crucial problem for the world's environment, yet little is known about these complex ecosytems. In this book, experts on the four most thoroughly studied rainforests in Central and South America-Manaus, Brazil; Manu Park, Peru; Barro Colorado Island, Panama; and La Selva, Costa Rica-compare the flora, fauna, and ecological characteristics of these forests. This assemblage of reliable data, available for the first time, will be an invaluable resource for researchers and students.

Tropical forests form the most diverse and complex ecosystem on earth a virtual powerhouse of evolution containing 40 percent of all living species. They provide us with food, medicines, germplasm stocks to replenish our crops, and new types of energy sources. It is clear we cannot afford to lose our tropical forests. But we are losing them to the overexploitation of multinational corporations, to the severe economic needs of the Third World, and to the consumerist appetites of the developed nations. Where is this happening and why? The answers to these critical questions are set forth eloquently by Norman Myers, one of the world s leading experts on the environment and the author of The Long African Day, The Sinking Ark, and A Wealth of Species. Dr. Myers delineates the scope of the problem and offers a blueprint for its solution."

Every foreign traveler in Japan is delighted by the verdant forest-shrouded mountains that thrust skyward from one end of the island chain to the other. The Japanese themselves are conscious of the lush green of their homeland, which they sometimes refer to as 'the green archipelago'. Yet, based on its fragile geography and centuries of extremely dense human occupation, Japan today should be an impoverished, slum-ridden, peasant society subsisting on a barren, eroded moonscape characterized by bald mountains and debris-strewn lowlands. In fact, as Conrad Totman argues in this pathbreaking work based on prodigious research, this lush verdue is not a monument to nature's benevolence and Japanese aesthetic sensibilities, but the hard-earned result of generations of human toil that have converted the archipelago into one great forest preserve. Indeed, the author shows that until the late 1600s Japan was well on her way to ecological disaster due to exploitative forestry. During the Tokugawa period, however, an extraordinary change took place resulting in a system of 'regenerative forestry' that averted the devastation of Japan's forests. "The Green Archipelago" is the only major Western-language work on this subject and a landmark not only in Japanese history, but in the history of the environment.

The "Global Forest Goals Report 2021" is the first flagship publication produced by the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The publication presents an overview of progress towards achieving the Global Forest Goals and associated targets of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests. It provides a summary of actions taken and challenges encountered by Member States in their efforts to achieve the Global Forest Goals and highlights the areas of progress and areas where more action is required. The publication also highlights how progress toward the Global Forests Goals contributed to progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and outlines several "success stories" to illustrate best practice and innovative ideas. The publication is based on fifty-two national reports submitted by Member States to the fifteenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF15) as well as nineteen voluntary national contributions announced by Member States. This information from national reports is also supplemented with bio-physical data from FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

According to World Health Organization estimates, 80 percent of people living in developing countries rely on wild harvested plants for some aspect of their primary health care. This text aims to open readers' eyes to the enormous resources of the Earth's rainforests and the potential impact of their destruction in terms of human health, as well as the modern-day usefulness of traditional herbal remedies.