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Landscapes are being degraded and simplified across the globe. Large-Scale Forest Restoration explores how reforestation and restoration might be carried out to increase landscape heterogeneity, improve ecological functioning and restore ecosystem services in such landscapes. It focuses on large, landscape-scale reforestation because that is the scale at which restoration is needed if many of the problems that have now developed are to be addressed. It also shows how large-scale reforestation might improve human livelihoods as well as improve conservation outcomes.
A number of governments have undertaken national reforestation programs in recent years; some have been more successful than others. The authors review these to explore questions such as: how much reforestation is necessary in particular areas?; where should it be located?; and what types of reforestation should be used? They explore whether traditional industrial reforestation methods are necessarily the best to use in all circumstances. They also examine the policy and institutional settings needed to encourage large-scale reforestation. For example, how is it possible to overcome the opportunity costs of reforestation that are often high and what financial instruments might be used to encourage landholders? A key theme is the need to enhance resilience during reforestation, involving not only the ecological components, but also the social, economic and institutional dimensions as well.
1. Introduction
2. Reforestation Methods
3. Forest Landscape Restoration: Ecological Issues
4. Forest Landscape Restoration: Socio-economic Issues
5. Policy settings and Institutions
6. Discussion and Conclusions
David Lamb taught forest ecology at the University of Queensland, Australia, for 30 years and has since undertaken consultancy work on forest restoration for a range of international organizations and aid agencies, including the World Bank, FAO, AusAID and GTZ (Germany).
"Covering plantation forestry, natural forest regrowth, and ecological restoration of degraded forests, Dr. Lamb explains how to achieve effective, large-scale reforestation or restoration in tropical and extra-tropical regions alike. This book comes at just the right time, and is based on a lifetime of experience and reflection. Don't miss it."
– James Aronson, Restoration Ecologist, CEFE / CNRS, France, and Missouri Botanical Garden
"Large-scale forest restoration is needed globally to improve human livelihoods and ecological functioning. David Lamb uses his wealth of experience to explore the socioeconomic, legal, and historic context of the challenge. Authoritative case studies illustrate the complexity of restoration in practice."
– John A. Stanturf, Senior Research Ecologist, US Forest Service, USA
"David Lamb has thought deeply about large-scale forest restoration, and provides us with carefully researched insights on where and how to go about it. His analysis is informed by lessons learned from around the world over the past 100 years. This book is immensely informative and timely – a valuable resource as we mobilize our collective efforts to restore millions of hectares of deforested and degraded land to benefit people and the planet."
– Robert Winterbottom, Senior Fellow, Restoration Initiative, World Resources Institute, USA
"Lamb (ecological consultant; formerly, Univ. of Queensland, Australia) provides an excellent review of current knowledge on forest restoration and rehabilitation [...] The book is well written, and prescriptions are supported with ample citations [...] Well-chosen and numerous case studies provide examples of successes and challenges to different reforestation approaches, offered at all scales ranging from trees to landscapes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above."
– Choice, A. L. Mayer, Michigan Technological University
"Lamb undertook an ambitious task and putting our specific criticisms aside, this book represents an important step forward in thinking about large-scale forest restoration. It is not a definitive manual on implementation, nor a comprehensive analysis of socioeconomic issues. Instead, it strikes a middle ground that may serve as a useful overview and starting point for forestry and restoration students and practitioners."
– Restoration Ecology
