Latin America and the Caribbean are invaluable havens of biodiversity in the world. They harbor the greatest diversity of species and ecosystems on the planet, a quarter of the mangrove forests, and half of the tropical forests (UNEP-WCMC, 2016; Bovarnick et al., 2010). According to FAO, the region has a total of 935.5 million hectares of forest land. Forests are true … [Read more...] about International Day of Forests: Guardians of the Environment and Biodiversity
forests
Can timber extraction permits help conserve tropical forests?
“Use tropical forests or lose them”—that is the mantra of a growing set of researchers and practitioners who argue, somewhat counterintuitively, that permits for timber extraction can help conserve tropical forests. They claim that permits strengthen land managers’ incentives to use forests so as to generate a long-term stream profits. That, in turn, requires discouraging … [Read more...] about Can timber extraction permits help conserve tropical forests?
Latin American and Caribbean forests in the 2020s: Four teams of experts weigh in
Forests are the crown jewels of Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC’s) ecological endowment. The region boasts roughly half of the world’s tropical forests and a quarter of its mangroves. But LAC forests face extraordinary challenges in the 2020s. They are being cleared and degraded at an alarming rate. Climate change is altering forest functioning, plant growth, and tree … [Read more...] about Latin American and Caribbean forests in the 2020s: Four teams of experts weigh in
How a small beetle threatens water security in Honduras
Between 2011 and 2015, Honduras suffered one of the most severe periods of drought, caused by the El Niño phenomenon, an event considered abnormal given that it did not usually occur for several consecutive years. In addition to the water shortage crisis, the drought caused the appearance of a severe plague of pine weevil (Dendroctonus frontalis), a beetle that naturally … [Read more...] about How a small beetle threatens water security in Honduras
Why restoring native forests in Haiti will jumpstart its development
In my travels around Haiti, by foot, car, tap-tap, moto-taxi and airplane over the past several years, I’ve witnessed the evident lack of forest cover on the hillsides. Small wonder that every year the rains bring flooding to the lowlands and loss of life, homes and crops. But these tragedies are further exacerbated because, in the absence of forest cover, hillsides are unable … [Read more...] about Why restoring native forests in Haiti will jumpstart its development