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Since 2005 there has been a surge of interest in reducing tropical deforestation as a means of mitigating global climate change, as well as enhancing the protection of tropical biodiversity and contributing to sustainable rural development. Ways of achieving this include the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC), and also non-governmental ("voluntary") forest carbon sequestration projects being established across the tropics. The Ecosystems Group, led by Malhi, in the Oxford School of Geography and the Environment, has been actively engaged in natural science and policy/governance research directions, all of which have had impacts on both REDD+ and voluntary forest carbon sequestration projects. The group's natural science research has developed scientific methodologies for measuring tropical forest biomass, through in situ plots and satellite imagery, and they have been actively involved in establishing pilot REDD+ projects in several countries. On the policy and governance side, the Forest Governance Group, created in 2009, has played a key role in establishing global databases on the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving forests, provided international comparative analyses of forest policies outside protected areas, and actively engaged in global, regional and local REDD+ policy-making fora.
Impacts: I) Economic benefits derived from carbon credit and land-use schemes in sub-Saharan Africa. II) Multi-national developments in public-policy related to Reducing Emissions for Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). III) Recommendation for launch by the European Space Agency (March 2013) of the first ever forest-specific monitoring mission.
Significance and reach: Public policy developments have occurred over the period 2011 - June 2013 in Malawi, Mozambique and Gabon. Increases of more than 20% in the level of rural employment pre and post 2008 have been documented for one project in Mozambique.
Underpinned by: Research into quantifying tropical forest biomass stocks and their degradation, undertaken at the University of Edinburgh (2004 onwards).
The impact demonstrated in this case study is of Dr David Humphreys' research on the language and discourse used by key policy makers at the global level to frame, analyse and interpret international forest policy. His reconceptualisation of global environmental governance, with particular reference to the international politics of forestry governance through the development of the concept of the `international forest regime', has had an impact on the attitudes, awareness and understanding of senior international forest policy makers with whom he has worked very closely, in particular within the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO).
Research by the University of Huddersfield is making a major contribution to maintaining the tropical forests of south-west Ethiopia and improving the livelihoods of those who rely on them. By identifying effective arrangements for sustainable resource management and small-scale business development, the research has led to increased production, enhanced links with national and international markets and developed new institutions, as well as leading to revised legislation. Over 105,000 hectares of degrading forest are being transformed into a working and profitable resource and 18 new enterprises now serve around 100,000 people. In total, an estimated fifteen million people benefit from new rules supporting forest enterprise development.
Forests are economically, recreationally and ecologically important, providing timber and wildlife habitat and acting as a carbon sink, among many ecosystem services. They are therefore extremely valuable to society, and it is crucial to ensure that they remain healthy. A statistical model has been developed in Bath to estimate spatio-temporal trends of forest health from monitoring data. This work has led directly to more efficient data collection, and to new and improved interventions to mitigate the impact of pollution and climate change (such as soil liming to control acidity and reforestation regimes). The methodology has been adopted for official reporting in the yearly 'Waldzustandsbericht (Report on Forest Condition)' [A-E] of the German state Baden-Wuerttemberg (BW), which is 39% forested, an area of 14,000km2 with an estimated stock value of 17 billion US$.
The mapping and monitoring of land cover, habitats and forest structure through satellite-based observation by government and commercial organisations around the world has been enhanced by data analysis techniques and tools developed by the Earth Observation and Ecosystem Dynamics (EOED) Laboratory at Aberystwyth University (AU). This has allowed new commercial services to be provided and has change professional working practices. The key impacts include (i) improved knowledge and information about land cover and environmental change in forest and brigalow ecosystems in Australia, supporting effective management strategies; (ii) the completion of a comprehensive digital map of habitats in Wales to inform policy-making; and (iii) the increased capacity of the global remote sensing community in forest characterisation using open source software developed by AU.
As a result of Edinburgh Napier University's contribution to the `Strategic Integrated Research in Timber' network, the UK forest industries (from tree breeders to timber engineers) and policy makers are much better informed about the key characteristics of UK-grown timber (particularly the principal commercial species, Sitka spruce) and how these characteristics are influenced by tree growth, silviculture and processing decisions.
Information has been provided to support: improved grading of timber; segregation of logs and trees for optimal conversion; refocusing the UK tree breeding programme for future wood quality; improvement of European Standards for timber grading; and improved perception of UK-grown timber for construction use. These combine to produce impact through reduced wastage (material and energy) and creation of wider markets for UK-grown timber.
Research at the University of Exeter on the links between the Amazon rainforest and climate change has influenced international climate policy, has directly assisted Brazilian environmental policymakers, and has received international media coverage. The underpinning research spans the vulnerability of the rainforest to anthropogenic climate change and the mechanisms behind the Amazonian droughts of 2005 and 2010. Impact has been achieved by stimulating public debate through the media, by contribution to science-into-policy documents produced by the World Bank and for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and by direct face-to-face interaction with UK and Brazilian policymakers.
Impacts: I) Development of carbon credit certification schemes, including the expansion by the Gold Standard Foundation into land-use and forestry and the creation of the Natural Forest Standard by Ecometrica Ltd (both in 2012). II) Enhanced cross-sector collaboration for the quantification of forest-loss risks and implications for financing risks, through the 2011 creation of a Forest Finance Risk Network (FFRN).
Significance and reach: The Gold Standard Foundation represents nine forestry projects worldwide (benefiting >8,500 people) and over 1.8million ha. of Brazilian land is managed through two Natural Forest Standard projects. The FFRN connects 80 member organizations globally.
Underpinned by: Research into carbon emissions associated with forest-loss, undertaken at the University of Edinburgh (2005 onwards).
The creation of an evidenced-based framework for biodiversity conservation has profoundly altered approaches to conservation policy and practice, both in the UK and globally. Our research has underpinned strategic management that has supported tropical biodiversity resilience and mitigated ecosystem impacts in the face of changes in land-use, rural livelihoods and forest resource extraction. Our research on biodiversity and conservation management has had impact on governmental and non-governmental policy and practice at national (UK) and international (Brazil, Cambodia) scales, including directly influencing a forestry conservation Bill in Brazil.