Optimal strategies for ecosystem services provision in Amazonian production forests

Author(s):Show less -

Piponiot, Camille ^{[1, 2]} ; Rutishauser, Ervan ^{[3, 4]} ; Derroire, Geraldine ^[2] ; Putz, Francis E. ^[5] ; Sist, Plinio ^[1] ; West, Thales A. P. ^[5] ; Descroix, Laurent ^[6] ; Guedes, Marcelino Carneiro ^[7] ; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N. ^[8] ; Kanashiro, Milton ^[9] ; Mazzei, Lucas ^[9] ; Neves d'Oliveira, Marcus Vinicio ^[10] ; Pena-Claros, Marielos ^[11] ; Rodney, Ken ^[12] ; Ruschel, Ademir R. ^[9] ; de Souza, Cintia Rodrigues ^[13] ; Vidal, Edson ^[14] ; Wortel, Verginia ^[15] ; Herault, Bruno ^{[1, 16]}

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Montpellier, Cirad, UR Forests & Soc, Montpellier - France

^[2] Univ Guyane, Univ Antilles, CNRS, INRA, Cirad, Agroparistech, UMR EcoFoG, Kourou, French Guiana - France

^[3] CarboForExpert, Hermance - Switzerland

^[4] Smithsonian Trop Res Inst, Balboa 03092, Ancon - Panama

^[5] New Zealand Forest Res Inst, Rotorua - New Zealand

^[6] ONF Guyane, Reserve Montabo, F-97307 Cayenne, French Guiana - France

^[7] Embrapa Amapa, Macapa - Brazil

^[8] Inst Invest Amazonia Peruana, Iquitos - Peru

^[9] Embrapa Amazonia Oriental, Belem, Para - Brazil

^[10] EMBRAPA Acre, Rio Branco - Brazil

^[11] Wageningen Univ & Res, Forest Ecol & Forest Management Grp, Wageningen - Netherlands

^[12] Iwokrama, Georgetown - Guyana

^[13] Embrapa Amazonia Ocident, Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[14] Univ Sao Paulo, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, Dept Forest Sci, Piracicaba - Brazil

^[15] CELOS, Forest Management Dept, Paramaribo - Surinam

^[16] Inst Natl Polytech Felix Houphouet Boigny INP HB, Yamoussoukro - Cote Ivoire

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS; v. 14, n. 12 DEC 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Although tropical forests harbour most of the terrestrial carbon and biological diversity on Earth they continue to be deforested or degraded at high rates. In Amazonia, the largest tropical forest on Earth, a sixth of the remaining natural forests is formally dedicated to timber extraction through selective logging. Reconciling timber extraction with the provision of other ecosystem services (ES) remains a major challenge for forest managers and policy-makers. This study applies a spatial optimisation of logging in Amazonian production forests to analyse potential trade-offs between timber extraction and recovery, carbon storage, and biodiversity conservation. Current logging regulations with unique cutting cycles result in sub-optimal ES-use efficiency. Long-term timber provision would require the adoption of a land-sharing strategy that involves extensive low-intensity logging, although high transport and road-building costs might make this approach economically unattractive. By contrast, retention of carbon and biodiversity would be enhanced by a land-sparing strategy restricting high-intensive logging to designated areas such as the outer fringes of the region. Depending on management goals and societal demands, either choice will substantially influence the future of Amazonian forests. Overall, our results highlight the need for revaluation of current logging regulations and regional cooperation among Amazonian countries to enhance coherent and trans-boundary forest management. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/50718-5 - Ecological restoration of riparian forests, native forest of economic production and of degraded forest fragments (in APP and RL) based on restoration ecology of reference ecosystems in order to scientifically test the precepts of the New Brazilian Forest Code
• Grantee: Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/16262-4 - Long-term monitoring of the dynamics of an logging forest conventional and forest management techniques in the Eastern Amazon and its relationship with climate change in forests managed for wood production
• Grantee: Edson José Vidal da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants