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'''Forest transition''' refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain.<ref>Mather, A.S. 1992. The forest transition. ''Area'' 24(4): 367-379</ref><ref>Grainger, Alan. 1995. The forest transition: an alternative approach. ''Area'' 27(3): 242-251</ref><ref>Mather, A.S. and C.L. Needle. 1998. The forest transition: a theoretical basis. ''Area'' 30(2): 117-124</ref><ref>Rudel, Thomas K. 1998. Is there a forest transition? Deforestation, reforestation, and development. ''Rural Sociology'' 63(4): 533-552</ref><ref>Perz, Stephen G. 2007. Grand theory and context-specificity in the study of forest dynamics: forest transition theory and other directions. ''Professional Geographer'' 59(1): 105-114</ref>
'''Forest transition''' refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain.<ref>Mather, A.S. 1992. The forest transition. ''Area'' 24(4): 367-379</ref><ref>Grainger, Alan. 1995. The forest transition: an alternative approach. ''Area'' 27(3): 242-251</ref><ref>Mather, A.S. and C.L. Needle. 1998. The forest transition: a theoretical basis. ''Area'' 30(2): 117-124</ref><ref>Rudel, Thomas K. 1998. Is there a forest transition? Deforestation, reforestation, and development. ''Rural Sociology'' 63(4): 533-552</ref><ref>Perz, Stephen G. 2007. Grand theory and context-specificity in the study of forest dynamics: forest transition theory and other directions. ''Professional Geographer'' 59(1): 105-114</ref><ref name="MeyfroidtLambin2011">Meyfroidt, P., Lambin, E.F. 2011. Global Forest Transition: Prospects for an End to Deforestation. ''Annual Review of Environment and Resources 36(1) 343-371</ref>


Forest recovery resulting in net increases in forest extent can occur by means of spontaneous regeneration, active planting, or both.<ref name="RudelThomas">Rudel, Thomas K., Oliver T. Coomes, Emilio Moran, Frederic Achard, Arild Angelsen, Jianchu Xu, and Eric Lambin. 2005. Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of the land use change. ''Global Environmental Change''. 15: 23-31</ref>
Forest recovery resulting in net increases in forest extent can occur by means of spontaneous regeneration, active planting, or both.<ref name="RudelThomas">Rudel, Thomas K., Oliver T. Coomes, Emilio Moran, Frederic Achard, Arild Angelsen, Jianchu Xu, and Eric Lambin. 2005. Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of the land use change. ''Global Environmental Change''. 15: 23-31</ref>


Forest transitions are associated with socio-economic transformations towards increased [[industrialization]] and [[urbanization]]. Other conditions leading to the abandonment of agricultural land (e.g., [[war]] and environmental legislation) have been found to play important roles in some cases.
Forest transitions are associated with socio-economic transformations towards increased [[industrialization]] and [[urbanization]]. Other conditions leading to the abandonment of agricultural land (e.g., [[war]] and environmental legislation) have been found to play important roles in some cases. Forest transitions were shown to occur through different pathways that are contingent upon the local socioeconomic and ecological contexts. Although a few generic pathways can be identified, countries do not necessarily follow a regular pattern of forest cover changes, and
the causes and outcomes of forest transitions vary<ref name="MeyfroidtLambin2011" />.


Studies of forest transitions have been conducted for several nations as well as sub-national regions. Territories reported to have experienced forest transitions after the onset of industrialization include [[Bangladesh]], [[China]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Cuba]], [[Denmark]],<ref>Mather, A.S., C.L. Needle, and J.R. Coull. 1998. From resource crisis to sustainability: the forest transition in Denmark. ''Int J Sust Dev World'' 5(3): 182-193</ref> [[Dominican Republic]],<ref name="Aide">Aide, T. Mitchell and H. Ricardo Grau. 2004. Globalization, migration, and Latin American ecosystems. ''Science'' 305(5692): 1915-1916</ref> [[El Salvador]],<ref>Hecht, Susanna B., Susan Kandel, Ileana Gomes, Nelson Cuellar, and Herman Rosa. 2006. Globalization, forest resurgence, and environmental politics in El Salvador. ''World Development'' 34(2): 308-323</ref> [[France]],<ref>Mather, A.S., J. Fairbairn, and C.L. Needle. 1999. The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France. ''Journal of Rural Studies'' 15(1): 65-90</ref> [[Gambia]], [[Hungary]], [[Ireland]], [[Morocco]], [[New Zealand]], [[Portugal]], [[Puerto Rico]],<ref>Rudel, Thomas K., Marla Perez-Lugo, and Heather Zichal. 2000. When fields revert to forest: development and spontaneous reforestation in post-war Puerto Rico. ''Professional Geographer'' 52(3): 386-397</ref><ref>Grau, H. Ricardo, T. Mitchell Aide, Jess K. Zimmerman, John R. Thomlinson, Eileen Helmer, and Xioming Zou. 2003. The ecological consequences of socioeconomic and land-use changes in postagricultural Puerto Rico. ''Bioscience'' 53(12): 1159-1168</ref><ref name="Aide" /> [[Rwanda]], [[Scotland]],<ref>Mather, A.S. 2004. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. ''Scottish Geographical Journal'' 120: 83-98</ref> [[South Korea]], [[Switzerland]],<ref>Mather, A.S. and J. Fairbairn. 2000. From floods to reforestation: the forest transition in Switzerland. ''Environment and History'' 6(4): 399-421</ref> the [[United States]], and [[Vietnam]].<ref> Meyfroidt, P. and Lambin, E. F. 2008. Forest transition in Vietnam and its environmental impacts. ''Global Change Biology'', in press.</ref><ref>Meyfroidt, Patrick and Eric F. Lambin. 2007. The causes of the reforestation in Vietnam. ''Land Use Policy'', 25(2): 182-197</ref> Furthermore, forest-transition dynamics have been documented for regions within [[Brazil]],<ref>Perz, Stephen G. and David L. Skole. 2003. Secondary forest expansion in the Brazilian Amazon and the refinement of forest transition theory. ''Society and Natural Resources'' 16: 277-294</ref><ref>Baptista, Sandra R. and Thomas K. Rudel. 2006. A re-emerging Atlantic forest? Urbanization, industrialization and the forest transition in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. ''Environmental Conservation'' 33(3): 195–202</ref> [[Ecuador]],<ref>Rudel, Thomas K., Diane Bates, and Rafael Machinguiashi. 2002. A tropical forest transition? Agricultural change, out-migration, and secondary forests in the Ecuadorian Amazon. ''Annals of the Association of American Geographers'' 92(1): 87-102</ref> and [[Mexico]].<ref>Klooster, Dan. 2003. Forest transitions in Mexico: institutions and forests in a globalized countryside. ''Professional Geographer'' 55: 227-237</ref><ref>Bray, David B. and Peter Klepeis. 2005. Deforestation, forest transitions, and institutions for sustainability in southeastern Mexico, 1900-2000. ''Environment and History'' 11(2): 195–223</ref> The findings of returning forests in these widespread studies raise questions about the prospects of a worldwide forest transition.<ref name="RudelThomas" /><ref>Kauppi, Pekka E., Jesse H. Ausubel, Jingyun Fang, Alexander S. Mather, Roger A. Sedjo, and Paul E. Waggoner. 2006. Returning forests analyzed with the forest identity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 103(46): 17574–17579</ref>
Studies of forest transitions have been conducted for several nations as well as sub-national regions<ref name="MeyfroidtLambin2011" />. Territories reported to have experienced forest transitions after the onset of industrialization include [[Bangladesh]], [[China]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Cuba]], [[Denmark]],<ref>Mather, A.S., C.L. Needle, and J.R. Coull. 1998. From resource crisis to sustainability: the forest transition in Denmark. ''Int J Sust Dev World'' 5(3): 182-193</ref> [[Dominican Republic]],<ref name="Aide">Aide, T. Mitchell and H. Ricardo Grau. 2004. Globalization, migration, and Latin American ecosystems. ''Science'' 305(5692): 1915-1916</ref> [[El Salvador]],<ref>Hecht, Susanna B., Susan Kandel, Ileana Gomes, Nelson Cuellar, and Herman Rosa. 2006. Globalization, forest resurgence, and environmental politics in El Salvador. ''World Development'' 34(2): 308-323</ref> [[France]],<ref>Mather, A.S., J. Fairbairn, and C.L. Needle. 1999. The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France. ''Journal of Rural Studies'' 15(1): 65-90</ref> [[Gambia]], [[Hungary]], [[Ireland]], [[Morocco]], [[New Zealand]], [[Portugal]], [[Puerto Rico]],<ref>Rudel, Thomas K., Marla Perez-Lugo, and Heather Zichal. 2000. When fields revert to forest: development and spontaneous reforestation in post-war Puerto Rico. ''Professional Geographer'' 52(3): 386-397</ref><ref>Grau, H. Ricardo, T. Mitchell Aide, Jess K. Zimmerman, John R. Thomlinson, Eileen Helmer, and Xioming Zou. 2003. The ecological consequences of socioeconomic and land-use changes in postagricultural Puerto Rico. ''Bioscience'' 53(12): 1159-1168</ref><ref name="Aide" /> [[Rwanda]], [[Scotland]],<ref>Mather, A.S. 2004. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. ''Scottish Geographical Journal'' 120: 83-98</ref> [[South Korea]], [[Switzerland]],<ref>Mather, A.S. and J. Fairbairn. 2000. From floods to reforestation: the forest transition in Switzerland. ''Environment and History'' 6(4): 399-421</ref> the [[United States]], and [[Vietnam]].<ref> Meyfroidt, P. and Lambin, E. F. 2008. Forest transition in Vietnam and its environmental impacts. ''Global Change Biology'', in press.</ref><ref>Meyfroidt, Patrick and Eric F. Lambin. 2007. The causes of the reforestation in Vietnam. ''Land Use Policy'', 25(2): 182-197</ref> Furthermore, forest-transition dynamics have been documented for regions within [[Brazil]],<ref>Perz, Stephen G. and David L. Skole. 2003. Secondary forest expansion in the Brazilian Amazon and the refinement of forest transition theory. ''Society and Natural Resources'' 16: 277-294</ref><ref>Baptista, Sandra R. and Thomas K. Rudel. 2006. A re-emerging Atlantic forest? Urbanization, industrialization and the forest transition in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. ''Environmental Conservation'' 33(3): 195–202</ref> [[Ecuador]],<ref>Rudel, Thomas K., Diane Bates, and Rafael Machinguiashi. 2002. A tropical forest transition? Agricultural change, out-migration, and secondary forests in the Ecuadorian Amazon. ''Annals of the Association of American Geographers'' 92(1): 87-102</ref> and [[Mexico]].<ref>Klooster, Dan. 2003. Forest transitions in Mexico: institutions and forests in a globalized countryside. ''Professional Geographer'' 55: 227-237</ref><ref>Bray, David B. and Peter Klepeis. 2005. Deforestation, forest transitions, and institutions for sustainability in southeastern Mexico, 1900-2000. ''Environment and History'' 11(2): 195–223</ref>


The ecological value of these forest transitions are very variable, and depends on (a) the residual deforestation of old-growth forests, (b) the proportions of natural regeneration of forests and tree plantations, and (c) the location and spatial patterns of the different types of forests<ref name="MeyfroidtLambin2011" />.

The findings of returning forests in these widespread studies raise questions about the prospects of a worldwide forest transition.<ref name="RudelThomas" /><ref>Kauppi, Pekka E., Jesse H. Ausubel, Jingyun Fang, Alexander S. Mather, Roger A. Sedjo, and Paul E. Waggoner. 2006. Returning forests analyzed with the forest identity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 103(46): 17574–17579</ref>
In other words, can the global extent of forests be expected to reach a turning point in the future, reversing the current trend of overall forest decline towards overall forest expansion?
In other words, can the global extent of forests be expected to reach a turning point in the future, reversing the current trend of overall forest decline towards overall forest expansion?
Studies showed that given an increased competition for productive land between different land uses, a global forest transition will require major policy and technological innovations as well as shifts
in demands for fiber, fuel, and food, and that these changes cannot be taken for granted<ref name="MeyfroidtLambin2011" />.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 13:59, 12 July 2012

Forest transition refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Forest recovery resulting in net increases in forest extent can occur by means of spontaneous regeneration, active planting, or both.[7]

Forest transitions are associated with socio-economic transformations towards increased industrialization and urbanization. Other conditions leading to the abandonment of agricultural land (e.g., war and environmental legislation) have been found to play important roles in some cases. Forest transitions were shown to occur through different pathways that are contingent upon the local socioeconomic and ecological contexts. Although a few generic pathways can be identified, countries do not necessarily follow a regular pattern of forest cover changes, and the causes and outcomes of forest transitions vary[6].

Studies of forest transitions have been conducted for several nations as well as sub-national regions[6]. Territories reported to have experienced forest transitions after the onset of industrialization include Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark,[8] Dominican Republic,[9] El Salvador,[10] France,[11] Gambia, Hungary, Ireland, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Puerto Rico,[12][13][9] Rwanda, Scotland,[14] South Korea, Switzerland,[15] the United States, and Vietnam.[16][17] Furthermore, forest-transition dynamics have been documented for regions within Brazil,[18][19] Ecuador,[20] and Mexico.[21][22]

The ecological value of these forest transitions are very variable, and depends on (a) the residual deforestation of old-growth forests, (b) the proportions of natural regeneration of forests and tree plantations, and (c) the location and spatial patterns of the different types of forests[6].

The findings of returning forests in these widespread studies raise questions about the prospects of a worldwide forest transition.[7][23] In other words, can the global extent of forests be expected to reach a turning point in the future, reversing the current trend of overall forest decline towards overall forest expansion? Studies showed that given an increased competition for productive land between different land uses, a global forest transition will require major policy and technological innovations as well as shifts in demands for fiber, fuel, and food, and that these changes cannot be taken for granted[6].

See also

References

  1. ^ Mather, A.S. 1992. The forest transition. Area 24(4): 367-379
  2. ^ Grainger, Alan. 1995. The forest transition: an alternative approach. Area 27(3): 242-251
  3. ^ Mather, A.S. and C.L. Needle. 1998. The forest transition: a theoretical basis. Area 30(2): 117-124
  4. ^ Rudel, Thomas K. 1998. Is there a forest transition? Deforestation, reforestation, and development. Rural Sociology 63(4): 533-552
  5. ^ Perz, Stephen G. 2007. Grand theory and context-specificity in the study of forest dynamics: forest transition theory and other directions. Professional Geographer 59(1): 105-114
  6. ^ a b c d e Meyfroidt, P., Lambin, E.F. 2011. Global Forest Transition: Prospects for an End to Deforestation. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 36(1) 343-371
  7. ^ a b Rudel, Thomas K., Oliver T. Coomes, Emilio Moran, Frederic Achard, Arild Angelsen, Jianchu Xu, and Eric Lambin. 2005. Forest transitions: towards a global understanding of the land use change. Global Environmental Change. 15: 23-31
  8. ^ Mather, A.S., C.L. Needle, and J.R. Coull. 1998. From resource crisis to sustainability: the forest transition in Denmark. Int J Sust Dev World 5(3): 182-193
  9. ^ a b Aide, T. Mitchell and H. Ricardo Grau. 2004. Globalization, migration, and Latin American ecosystems. Science 305(5692): 1915-1916
  10. ^ Hecht, Susanna B., Susan Kandel, Ileana Gomes, Nelson Cuellar, and Herman Rosa. 2006. Globalization, forest resurgence, and environmental politics in El Salvador. World Development 34(2): 308-323
  11. ^ Mather, A.S., J. Fairbairn, and C.L. Needle. 1999. The course and drivers of the forest transition: the case of France. Journal of Rural Studies 15(1): 65-90
  12. ^ Rudel, Thomas K., Marla Perez-Lugo, and Heather Zichal. 2000. When fields revert to forest: development and spontaneous reforestation in post-war Puerto Rico. Professional Geographer 52(3): 386-397
  13. ^ Grau, H. Ricardo, T. Mitchell Aide, Jess K. Zimmerman, John R. Thomlinson, Eileen Helmer, and Xioming Zou. 2003. The ecological consequences of socioeconomic and land-use changes in postagricultural Puerto Rico. Bioscience 53(12): 1159-1168
  14. ^ Mather, A.S. 2004. Forest transition theory and the reforesting of Scotland. Scottish Geographical Journal 120: 83-98
  15. ^ Mather, A.S. and J. Fairbairn. 2000. From floods to reforestation: the forest transition in Switzerland. Environment and History 6(4): 399-421
  16. ^ Meyfroidt, P. and Lambin, E. F. 2008. Forest transition in Vietnam and its environmental impacts. Global Change Biology, in press.
  17. ^ Meyfroidt, Patrick and Eric F. Lambin. 2007. The causes of the reforestation in Vietnam. Land Use Policy, 25(2): 182-197
  18. ^ Perz, Stephen G. and David L. Skole. 2003. Secondary forest expansion in the Brazilian Amazon and the refinement of forest transition theory. Society and Natural Resources 16: 277-294
  19. ^ Baptista, Sandra R. and Thomas K. Rudel. 2006. A re-emerging Atlantic forest? Urbanization, industrialization and the forest transition in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Environmental Conservation 33(3): 195–202
  20. ^ Rudel, Thomas K., Diane Bates, and Rafael Machinguiashi. 2002. A tropical forest transition? Agricultural change, out-migration, and secondary forests in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 92(1): 87-102
  21. ^ Klooster, Dan. 2003. Forest transitions in Mexico: institutions and forests in a globalized countryside. Professional Geographer 55: 227-237
  22. ^ Bray, David B. and Peter Klepeis. 2005. Deforestation, forest transitions, and institutions for sustainability in southeastern Mexico, 1900-2000. Environment and History 11(2): 195–223
  23. ^ Kauppi, Pekka E., Jesse H. Ausubel, Jingyun Fang, Alexander S. Mather, Roger A. Sedjo, and Paul E. Waggoner. 2006. Returning forests analyzed with the forest identity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 103(46): 17574–17579


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