July 2014: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), following an assessment of the state of research on tropical dry forests, has published ‘Tropical Dry Forests: Under threat and under-researched,’ which notes that dry forests account for about half of all tropical and sub-tropical forests, yet they receive proportionally much less attention from both a research and policy standpoint.

The brochure also stresses that dry forests differ significantly from moist forests, not just in terms of species composition and ecosystem type, but also in how they are used and managed as well as the drivers of deforestation. The leaflet states that fuelwood collection, a particularly prevalent problem in dry forests, may account for half of all deforestation in developing countries.

Also, according to the publication, drivers of deforestation have resulted in significant losses including the conversion of two-thirds of tropical dry forests in the Americas and as much as 90% of tropical dry forests lost in the Pacific Islands. However, it highlights that such figures remain estimates due to the lack of research and data, especially in Asia and the Pacific, and the Caribbean.

To address these issues, the brochure calls for additional research on, inter alia, the links between tropical dry forests and livelihoods, dry forest ecosystem services, sustainable management options in dry forests, and drivers of loss.

Information in the Brochure is drawn from the CIFOR publication, ‘Tropical Dry Forests – The state of global knowledge and recommendations for future research.’ CIFOR is part of the CGIAR consortium. [Publication: Tropical Dry Forests: Under Threat and Under-Researched] [Forest Policy & Practice article on research needs for dry forests]