This publication highlights the potential benefits of applying Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) to dryland forest ecosystems, using case studies in Latin America as examples.
The report finds potential for recovery even while there is a high rate of loss and degradation of dry forest, and intense human disturbance.
8 June 2011: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a new report titled, “Principles and practice of forest landscape restoration: case studies from the drylands of Latin America,” highlighting the degradation of dryland forest ecosystems in Latin America and the role of forest landscape restoration (FLR).The book is the result of a international research project that sought to identify ways to restore dryland forest ecosystems to both benefit biodiversity and support the livelihood of local communities, thus contributing to sustainable development objectives.
The report’s case studies on applying the FLR approach to dryland forest ecosystems in Latin America focus on seven dryland areas where native forests have been subjected to intense human pressure in recent decades, resulting in severe deforestation and degradation. Each of these areas is characterized by high biodiversity of international conservation importance, with many endemic, threatened species, as well as the the presence of substantial and increasing rural populations who rely on native forest resources for provision of a number of forest products.
The report finds that while there is a high rate of loss and degradation of dry forest, and intense human disturbance in many remaining forest stands, there is also potential for recovery. Therefore, it suggests that FLR approaches can play a positive role in the conservation and sustainable management of this forest type, and also can be cost-effective. [Publication: Principles and Practice of Forest Landscape Restoration]