The often-claimed environmental and social benefits of forest certification remain to be empirically evaluated. Despite numerous publications on the impacts of tropical forest certification, virtually all are based on secondary sources of information and not on field-based measurements. This paper proposes an empirical research framework for a carefully designed field-based evaluation of the ecological, social, economic, and political impacts of tropical forest management certification taking into account location-specific contextual factors which shape certification outcomes. The paper also suggests that solid methodological quantitative and qualitative approaches be used to build proper counterfactuals on which to base the comparisons for inferring impacts, all informed by a thorough theory-of-change and through processes that bring stakeholders together. The proposed research framework represents a first step towards the design and future implementation of evaluation research in the context of tropical forest certification on a global basis. It is hoped the research framework proposed contributes to learning from past mistakes, building on lessons learned and enhancing decision-making towards the maintenance of forest values over the long term, and for the benefit of society as a whole.

Management decisions on appropriate practices and policies regarding tropical forests often need to be made in spite of innumerable uncertainties and complexities. Among the uncertainties are the lack of formalization of lessons learned regarding the impacts of previous programs and projects. Beyond the challenges of generating the proper information on these impacts, there are other difficulties that relate with how to socialize the information and knowledge gained so that change is transformational and enduring. The main complexities lie in understanding the interactions of social-ecological systems at different scales and how they varied through time in response to policy and other processes. This volume is part of a broad research effort to develop an independent evaluation of certification impacts with stakeholder input, which focuses on FSC certification of natural tropical forests. More specifically, the evaluation program aims at building the evidence base of the empirical biophysical, social, economic, and policy effects that FSC certification of natural forest has had in Brazil as well as in other tropical countries. The contents of this volume highlight the opportunities and constraints that those responsible for managing natural forests for timber production have experienced in their efforts to improve their practices in Brazil. As such, the goal of the studies in this volume is to serve as the foundation to design an impact evaluation framework of the impacts of FSC certification of natural forests in a participatory manner with interested parties, from institutions and organizations, to communities and individuals.

Biofuels, or fuels derived from transformation of biological matter, are hailed by some as a promising source of renewable energy potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A widespread adoption of biofuels will however present its own set of challenges and consequences. Direct or indirect land use change due to expansion of feedstock cultivation can cause deforestation and forest degradation leading to biodiversity losses and other environmental concerns like soil degradation and erosion, water pollution and scarcity, and the risk of crop species invading natural ecosystems. Although biofuel production is currently not the main use of palm oil and soybean and hence, has so far contributed only little to the land-use change patterns, it has been predicted to grow. Therefore, it is important to know the potential consequences of the expansion of biofuel cultivation may have for biodiversity in order to provide policy guidance.

Ecosystem services and goods are the multiple benefits people obtain from ecosystems. The benefits provided by forests include carbon sequestration, prevention of erosion, flood control, and water purification as well as aesthetic beauty. Although humans are fundamentally dependent on these services, they also pose threat to the services through their activities such as deforestation and water pollution.

During the past decade there has been a growing interest in bioenergy, driven by concerns about global climate change, growing energy demand, and depleting fossil fuel reserves. The predicted rise in biofuel demand makes it important to understand the potential consequences of expanding biofuel cultivation. A systematic review was conducted on the biodiversity impacts of three first-generation biofuel crops (oil palm, soybean, and jatropha) in the tropics. The study focused on the impacts on species richness, abundance (total number of individuals or occurrences), community composition, and ecosystem functions related to species richness and community composition.

The environmental impacts of palm oil production have been in the spotlight for many years. Opinions abound about the impacts of oil palm plantations on biodiversity and ecosystem function, but how many of these are supported by research and to what extent are policies and practice informed by science? This Info Brief summarizes a systematic review of the scientific evidence and highlights some of the findings of immediate interest to policy and research communities.

La restauración ecológica es reconocida globalmente como una herramienta importante en los esfuerzos de conservación de la biodiversidad, para revertir la degradación ambiental y para moderar el cambio climático. A pesar de ser una disciplina relativamente joven, la restauración ecológica ha avanzado muy rápidamente en el desarrollo de sus fundamentos científicos y sus métodos teóricos y prácticos. Colombia ha estado a la par de esta tendencia demostrando esfuerzos visionarios desde hace varias décadas. Tal diversidad de experiencias no ha sido explorada, hasta la fecha, de forma analítica.El propósito de este documento es el de analizar cómo ha evolucionado el campo de la restauración ecológica en Colombia, su estado actual y los retos y oportunidades para su expansión en varios aspectos de su dimensión biofísica, social, financiera e institucional. Cuáles son las principales barreras en implementar estos proyectos y qué se ha aprendido hasta la fecha. De manera más amplia, el documento busca aportar elementos para impulsar y fortalecer los esfuerzos en implementar la restauración ecológica y así contribuir al desarrollo futuro de la disciplina no solo en Colombia sino en América Latina. El análisis culmina con algunas reflexiones agrupadas en cuatro categorías: fortalecimiento en la formulación y planificación de los proyectos; fortalecimiento de la infraestructura y la capacidad existente; estrategias de acopio, intercambio y comunicación de la información; y fortalecimiento a políticas actuales.

Qué es el monitoreo participativo. Por qué monitorear. Términos utilizados en el monitoreo participativo. Planificación e implementación del monitoreo participativo. Aumento de escala y creación de redes de programas de monitoreo participativo. Sostenibilidad a largo plazo. Integración de la investigación científica al conocimiento y la experiencia local. Impactos del monitoreo participativo.

Les avantages sociaux et environnementaux de la certification forestière, souvent allégués, restent à évaluer empiriquement. Les publications sur les impacts de la certification des forêts tropicales sont nombreuses, mais presque toutes s’appuient sur des sources d’information secondaires plutôt que des mesures de terrain. Cet article propose une grille de recherche empirique pour une analyse de terrain rigoureusement menée des impacts écologiques, sociaux, économiques et politiques de la certification de la gestion des forêts tropicales en prenant en compte les facteurs contextuels spécifiques de chaque localisation, ceux-ci influant sur les résultats de la certification. Cette publication préconise aussi d’utiliser des approches méthodologiques quantitatives et qualitatives solides pour établir les scénarios contrefactuels adéquats qui permettent de faire les comparaisons servant à déduire les impacts ; ces approches s’appuyant toutes sur une théorie complète du changement et des modalités de rassemblement des acteurs. La grille de recherche proposée représente la première étape de la conception et de la réalisation future de travaux d’évaluation appliquée au contexte de la certification des forêts tropicales à l’échelle de la planète. Nous espérons qu’elle contribuera à tirer les leçons des erreurs passées, utiliser les acquis pour aller de l’avant et améliorer la prise de décision de manière à favoriser la pérennisation des valeurs liées aux forêts au profit de la société toute entière.