Rethinking the role of tropical forest science in forest conservation and management

Abstract

The rapid deterioration of the global environment is no longer a surprise to anyone (Dirzo and Raven 2003; Bawa et al. 2004; Wright 2005; Barnosky et al. 2012; Cardinale et al. 2012), but not much tangible progress has occurred to curb the deterioration and unsustainable exploitation of our natural resources (Tollefson and Gilbert 2012). There is no better example of this than tropical forests (FAO 2005), which continue to disappear despite the serious implications of this loss on important ecosystems services such as carbon cycling, climate regulation, and biodiversity (Costanza et al. 1997; Bonan 2008; Chazdon 2008; Sugden et al. 2008).