Research needs for restoring the forests of Thailand

We wrote this paper shortly after FORRU-CMU's foundation in 1994, with our UK partners, to raise the profile of the then novel concept of forest ecosystem restoration and to lay out the unit's intended course of research. 

Public awareness of the problems caused by deforestation has never been greater. It is generally accepted that further loss of forest will cause more extreme floods and droughts, loss of biodiversity and impoverishment of rural communities. Complete protection of all remaining primary forest, however, seems to be an unrealistic goal, due to economic and legal constraints. Therefore, to compensate for continuing destruction, many deforested areas must be converted back into forest to conserve biodiversity, protect watersheds and support livelihoods of rural communities. Within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, where the primary objectives are wildlife conservation and watershed protection, reforestation should aim to permanently restore original forest ecosystems, as closely as possible, by accelerating natural processes of forest regeneration. Community forestry, in buffer zones around protected areas and elsewhere, also requires restoration of near-natural forest ecosystems, to provide a diverse range of forest products and ecological services to local people. The enthusiasm, with which members of the general public have participated in recent tree planting events to celebrate His Majesty the King's Golden Jubilee, demonstrates immense public support for forest restoration, on a large scale, using native forest tree species. These projects have been initiated and implemented by a diverse range of organizations, including the Forest Department, the Royal Thai Army, charitable foundations, private companies, religious groups and other NGOs, often working in collaboration with each other. In terms of providing people with an opportunity to get directly involved in environmental protection, these tree planting events are undoubtedly successful. However, their effectiveness in restoring forest ecosystems could be considerably improved with some simple research.