From plots to policy: How to ensure long‐term forest plot data supports environmental management in intact tropical forest landscapes. Issue 3 (7th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baker, Timothy R.; Vicuña Miñano, Edgar; Banda‐R, Karina; del Castillo Torres, Dennis; Farfan‐Rios, William; Lawson, Ian T.; Loja Alemán, Eva; Pallqui Camacho, Nadir; Silman, Miles R.; Roucoux, Katherine H.; Phillips, Oliver L.; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N.; Monteagudo Mendoza, Abel; Rojas Gonzáles, Rocío
• Is Part Of: Plants, People, Planet. Volume 3:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2020-10-07
• Subjects: carbon -- climate change -- conservation -- forest management -- monitoring -- permanent plot -- policy impact -- tropical forest; 577
• DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10154
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2572-2611

Abstract

Societal Impact Statement: The approach that we take to our science is as important as the questions that we address if we would like our research to inform management. Here, we discuss our experience of using networks of permanent forest inventory plots to support sustainable management and conservation of intact tropical forests. A key conclusion is that to maximize the use of data from such large international networks within policymaking, it is crucial that leadership is widely shared among participants. Such an approach helps to address ethical concerns surrounding international collaborations and also achieves greater policy impact. Summary: Long‐term data from permanent forest inventory plots have much to offer the management and conservation of intact tropical forest landscapes. Knowledge of the growth and mortality rates of economically important species, forest carbon balance, and the impact of climate change on forest composition are all central to effective management. However, this information is rarely integrated within the policymaking process. The problem reflects broader issues in using evidence to influence environmental management, and in particular, the need to engage with potential users beyond the collection and publication of high‐quality data. To ensure permanent plot data are used, (a) key "policy windows"—opportunities to integrate data within policy making—need to be identified; (b) long‐term relationships need to be developed between scientists and policy makers and policymaking organizations; and (c) leadership of plot networks needs to be shared among all participants, and particularly between institutions in the global north and those in tropical countries. Addressing these issues will allow permanent plot networks to make tangible contributions to ensuring that intact tropical forest persists over coming decades. Abstract : Precise ecological information about the life‐history strategies of different species of tropical trees is required for effective management. (a, b) Three genera of trees from the nutmeg family have very different maximum sizes and growth rates, but are all typically harvested under the same guidelines. (c) The species of palm Euterpe precatoria has very high recruitment and mortality rates compared to most tropical trees, and an understanding of these high turnover rates need to be incorporated in efforts to manage this species.