Future of tropical forests, old & new: Linking Science, Markets, and People David Kaimowitz CIFOR
Research in the tropical landscaple Large compact primary forests (rapidly declining): Conservation Biology First rotation production forests (rapidly declining): Silviculture Fast-growing plantations (rapidly growing): Tree Breeding & Management Secondary forest & 2 nd rotation production forests (rapidly growing): Limited research Deforested areas (rapidly growing): Limited research
Major forest users Industrial forestry – research support Strict conservation – research support Informal sector – limited research support This is one reason the forestry research community has had difficulty addressing the poverty dimensions of forest use.
The private forestry sector in the tropical landscape Large plantation companies – strong research support Large wood processing companies – strong research support Large Companies committed to best practice in natural forest management – medium research support. Other companies that log natural forests – limited research
Rapid changes in forest policies Forest tenure Decentralization Forest law enforcement Environmental service markets Developing country governments have few sources of solid objective scientific advice. Interest groups dominate the discussion.
Rapid changes in global markets Dramatic rise in Chinese forest product imports. – India may follow. Dramatic rise in Brazilian beef and soybean exports. Rapid growth in urban forest product markets in Africa. Growing financial markets for pulp & paper & plantations in the tropics / sub-tropics. Limited research attention to these issus.
Conclusions Existing research efforts cover some land uses, groups, and issues adequately. Many crucial land uses, actors, and issues continue to get limited attention. In the current funding climate it is hard to get resources to address these issues. As a result, the debates remain poorly informed, key problems are getting worse & we are missing out opportunities.