Restoring Tropical Forests: a Practical Guide
Available in English, Spanish and French
Restoring Tropical Forests is a hands-on guide to restoring degraded tropical forest ecosystems. Based on concepts and innovative techniques developed at Chiang Mai University, Thailand, this book provides advice and clearly illustrated instructions, covering every stage of forest restoration, including: site selection and survey, engaging local communities, fund raising, formulating and implementing project plans, running a tree nursery, planting trees and monitoring progress. It also explains how to carry out research to refine restoration methods and adapt them to local ecological and socio-economic conditions. Restoring Tropical Forests is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in restoring tropical forests, including practitioners, researchers, students and policy makers. Foreword by HRH Prince of Wales.
HRH The Prince of Wales - "I can only congratulate the authors for their achievement and wish all those who implement its clear practical measures on how to restore tropical forests around the world - in South and Central America, Africa and Asia – every possible success in their vitally important endeavours. Nature has a remarkable capacity, if given half a chance, to recover and renew herself and it is for this reason, above all, that I believe this book to be so very welcome. I am particularly drawn to its emphasis on the need to restore rich tropical forests, wherever possible with native species; its description of how best to engage local communities in restoration efforts and its focus on the need for landscape and silvopastoral approaches to forest restoration, all of which seem to me absolutely crucial".
For country-specific manuals for SE Asian countries please check out "How to Plant a Forest".
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Rapid site assessment
The concept and methodology to determine the level of degradation, which is related to activities should be implemented and the intensity of the work required for the target...
Training & Outreach
Every restoration project should provide learning experiences to all stakeholders. Find out how to include education and training in your projects here.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity recovery is one of the main aims of forest restoration - but what to measure? Plants? Birds? Mammal? Learn simple monitoring techniques here.
Field Performance of Planted Trees
Monitoring is essential for adaptive management. Click here to learn how to measure tree survival and growth and find out if your restoration plan is working.
Fire
In seasonally dry climates, fire is the great destroyer of restoration projects. Learn how to prevent fire and what to do if your plots do burn.
Direct Seeding
Direct seeding is easier than planting trees, but it doesn’t always work. Learn the technique and when it is likely to be successful here.
Tree Planting & Maintenance
How to plant trees and care for them afterwards. Fertilizer application, weeding and mulching.
Nursery Techniques
How to set up and manage a small- scale tree nursery, to produce planting stock by the optimum planting time. Nursery procedures and production schedules.
Seed Collection, Storage & Banking
Click here, if you opt to grow planting stock from seed - when to collect seeds; how to handle and store them until needed and how to bank them for conservation.
Species Selection
If you opt to plant trees, what species to select? Click here for help with this crucial decision.
Restoration Strategies
To plant or not to plant? Active vs passive restoration strategies? Find out what is appropriate for your restoration site here.