A ‘forest transition’ is a turnaround from historical forest loss to forest gain. Forest regrowth may result from abandonment of less productive farmlands as a country modernizes and urbanizes, or, from policies and initiatives which promote forest protection or new plantations. Forest transitions have recently been described for several tropical countries, prominently including Vietnam, but the exact nature of the transitions and their feedback into development remain largely uninvestigated.
Is a sustainability-quality FT occurring in Vietnam?
What does the FT mean for the country’s human development and people’s standards of living?
Which factors are most important to determine the course of a FT, and how can they be influenced (via policy advocacy, capacity building)?
QUESTIONS
"...to contribute to a better understanding of tropical forest transitions and sustainable forest management in a region characterized by rapid changes"
WE WILL
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Describe recent dynamics and causes of forest cover changes, including human uses and ecological succession in different forest types,
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Investigate consequences of these changes on availability of timber and non-timber products and other types of ecosystem services like watershed protection.
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Assess the livelihood outcomes and valuations of different types of forests for local stakeholders within current institutional, economic, and policy contexts;
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Investigate the effectiveness of new ‘payments for forest environmental services’ policies.