Regreening the Bare Hills: Tropical Forest Restoration in the Asia Pacific Region
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Book Review BOOK REVIEW Regreening the Bare Hills: Tropical Forest Restoration in the Asia Pacific Region. David Lamb, 2011. Springer, Dor- drecht, Heidelberg, London and New York, 547 pages, $242 (hardcover), ISBN 978-90-481-9869-6. D avid Lamb’s book aims to demonstrate that, despite histor- ical and continuing deforestation and forest degradation, there are encour- aging developments across the Asia- Pacific region to guide an informed, multidisciplinary approach to for- est restoration. In a bid to promote reforestation solutions beyond short- rotation monocultures, he sets out guidance to achieve diversity and heterogeneity by emphasizing tech- niques suited to the stakeholders who he considers to go often unrecog- nized — small landholders. In rapidly changing times, however, new pres- sures on land and forest resources are posing increasing stresses on the very communities that Lamb identifies as having close relationships with their managed forests. Regreening the Bare Hills arrives on the scene as regional and global reforestation contexts and priori- ties are changing around us. As one illustration of a rapidly chang- ing imperative, this 2011 publication explains the consequences of cli- mate change for forests but makes scant reference to climate change mitigation as a driving force for reforestation (there is a small men- tion of payments for ecosystem services and carbon storage as poten- tial means of funding reforestation). Yet, this volume has already been hailed (Sayer 2011) as a signifi- cant contribution to the information needs of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degrada- tion + forest management (REDD+). Lamb’s multi-faceted approach to restoration will attract and inform a broad readership, but it is likely that the advent of Emissions Trading Schemes and increased demand for biofuels will drive sectors extending beyond his assumed target audience in the direction of reforestation and related activities. The geographical scope of this book includes Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific, including tropi- cal and subtropical Australia. Lamb’s inclusion of Australia in his study area is worthy of comment by way of intra-regional contrast. Australia could be expected to have many advantages in terms of tropical forest conservation. Such a wealthy, polit- ically stable nation has the capac- ity (though not always the will) to direct resources, technical expertise and extension to ecological restora- tion. Despite historical (and ongo- ing) deforestation, Australia retains extensive tropical forests in both public and private ownership, and has the luxury of frequent dedica- tion of forest lands for biodiver- sity conservation without necessarily compromising multiple uses. Public funds are available for forest man- agement and reforestation, including land in private ownership. Though high labor costs offset these advan- tages, Australia could be expected to lead by example in the field of forest management and restoration. I write from a part of Australia which lies at the southern edge of Lamb’s study area, but is not atyp- ical of more tropical regions. Well- conserved forests, successful refor- estation and experiments from which much is being learned abound, yet disasters are even now ubiquitous. Here, rural population centers have been alarmed by the fire hazards created by eucalypt plantations in their surrounds, only to watch tim- ber companies slip into liquidation, leaving future management and har- vest uncertain and landholders with lease arrangements in limbo. Though better suited to (less flammable) rain- forest cabinet timbers, large-scale eucalypt plantations have been estab- lished on high-rainfall fertile soils and have failed where species are not well matched to site condi- tions. Plantations of Casuarina cun- ninghamiana for biofuels have met economic failure for reasons includ- ing the non-existence of machinery for harvesting. Regrowth vegetation with biodiversity conservation val- ues has been cleared for plantation establishment, and species with inva- sive potential continue to be included in polycultures. How, then, can less well-resourced nations expect to achieve good restoration outcomes? The need for, and timeliness of, this publication is clearly demonstrated and its importance underlined when we are informed that plantations occupy 7 percent of global forest cover and are increasing in area annually. Lamb begins by describing the problems of deforestation and degra- dation, emphasizing at every step the heterogeneity within the study area. For instance, causes of defor- estation are demonstrated to dif- fer between and within countries in the study area. Case studies include logging (Sarawak, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Gogol Valley, Papua New Guinea), post-logging settlement (northern Thailand and the Atherton Tablelands, Australia), large-scale agriculture (Central Kali- mantan, Indonesia) and changed land systems (Western Samoa). Read- ing at a time when natural disasters appear to have clustered, it is infor- mative to read the section on natural disturbances—fire, floods, storms, volcanoes and landslips—and forest regeneration responses. In presenting an account of meth- ods for reforestation, Lamb takes a broad view of plantation types, recognizing both traditional and large-scale industrial monocultural and polycultural forestry for timber production and non-timber forest JANUARY 2012 Restoration Ecology Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 141 – 142 141
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Transcript of Regreening the Bare Hills: Tropical Forest Restoration in the Asia Pacific Region
Book Review
BOOK REVIEW
Regreening the Bare Hills: TropicalForest Restoration in the AsiaPacific Region.
David Lamb, 2011. Springer, Dor-drecht, Heidelberg, London and NewYork, 547 pages, $242 (hardcover), ISBN978-90-481-9869-6.
David Lamb’s book aims todemonstrate that, despite histor-
ical and continuing deforestation andforest degradation, there are encour-aging developments across the Asia-Pacific region to guide an informed,multidisciplinary approach to for-est restoration. In a bid to promotereforestation solutions beyond short-rotation monocultures, he sets outguidance to achieve diversity andheterogeneity by emphasizing tech-niques suited to the stakeholders whohe considers to go often unrecog-nized—small landholders. In rapidlychanging times, however, new pres-sures on land and forest resources areposing increasing stresses on the verycommunities that Lamb identifies ashaving close relationships with theirmanaged forests.
Regreening the Bare Hills arriveson the scene as regional and globalreforestation contexts and priori-ties are changing around us. Asone illustration of a rapidly chang-ing imperative, this 2011 publicationexplains the consequences of cli-mate change for forests but makesscant reference to climate changemitigation as a driving force forreforestation (there is a small men-tion of payments for ecosystemservices and carbon storage as poten-tial means of funding reforestation).Yet, this volume has already beenhailed (Sayer 2011) as a signifi-cant contribution to the informationneeds of Reducing Emissions fromDeforestation and forest Degrada-tion + forest management (REDD+).
Lamb’s multi-faceted approach torestoration will attract and informa broad readership, but it is likelythat the advent of Emissions TradingSchemes and increased demand forbiofuels will drive sectors extendingbeyond his assumed target audiencein the direction of reforestation andrelated activities.
The geographical scope of thisbook includes Southeast Asia and theSouthwest Pacific, including tropi-cal and subtropical Australia. Lamb’sinclusion of Australia in his studyarea is worthy of comment by wayof intra-regional contrast. Australiacould be expected to have manyadvantages in terms of tropical forestconservation. Such a wealthy, polit-ically stable nation has the capac-ity (though not always the will) todirect resources, technical expertiseand extension to ecological restora-tion. Despite historical (and ongo-ing) deforestation, Australia retainsextensive tropical forests in bothpublic and private ownership, andhas the luxury of frequent dedica-tion of forest lands for biodiver-sity conservation without necessarilycompromising multiple uses. Publicfunds are available for forest man-agement and reforestation, includingland in private ownership. Thoughhigh labor costs offset these advan-tages, Australia could be expected tolead by example in the field of forestmanagement and restoration.
I write from a part of Australiawhich lies at the southern edge ofLamb’s study area, but is not atyp-ical of more tropical regions. Well-conserved forests, successful refor-estation and experiments from whichmuch is being learned abound, yetdisasters are even now ubiquitous.Here, rural population centers havebeen alarmed by the fire hazardscreated by eucalypt plantations intheir surrounds, only to watch tim-ber companies slip into liquidation,leaving future management and har-vest uncertain and landholders withlease arrangements in limbo. Though
better suited to (less flammable) rain-forest cabinet timbers, large-scaleeucalypt plantations have been estab-lished on high-rainfall fertile soilsand have failed where species arenot well matched to site condi-tions. Plantations of Casuarina cun-ninghamiana for biofuels have meteconomic failure for reasons includ-ing the non-existence of machineryfor harvesting. Regrowth vegetationwith biodiversity conservation val-ues has been cleared for plantationestablishment, and species with inva-sive potential continue to be includedin polycultures. How, then, canless well-resourced nations expect toachieve good restoration outcomes?
The need for, and timeliness of, thispublication is clearly demonstratedand its importance underlined whenwe are informed that plantationsoccupy 7 percent of global forestcover and are increasing in areaannually.
Lamb begins by describing theproblems of deforestation and degra-dation, emphasizing at every stepthe heterogeneity within the studyarea. For instance, causes of defor-estation are demonstrated to dif-fer between and within countriesin the study area. Case studiesinclude logging (Sarawak, Malaysia,the Philippines and the Gogol Valley,Papua New Guinea), post-loggingsettlement (northern Thailand andthe Atherton Tablelands, Australia),large-scale agriculture (Central Kali-mantan, Indonesia) and changedland systems (Western Samoa). Read-ing at a time when natural disastersappear to have clustered, it is infor-mative to read the section on naturaldisturbances—fire, floods, storms,volcanoes and landslips—and forestregeneration responses.
In presenting an account of meth-ods for reforestation, Lamb takesa broad view of plantation types,recognizing both traditional andlarge-scale industrial monoculturaland polycultural forestry for timberproduction and non-timber forest
JANUARY 2012 Restoration Ecology Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 141–142 141
Book Review
products. Plantations for biofuelsare not mentioned in this section,again reflecting the rapidly chang-ing times. Management of secondaryforests is recognized as a pressingneed, in view of their expanding areaand great potential for cost-effectivereforestation. While problems ofweed competition are addressed withreference to grasses, bamboo, shrubsand trees, missing is reference toexotic (and native) vines, whichcan be rampant in disturbed forestsand edges, causing physical canopydamage and increasing vulnerabil-ity to storm damage (e.g. Cryptostegiagrandiflora and Thunbergia grandiflorain northern Australia). Ecosystemrestoration techniques using plant-ing or direct seeding and harness-ing and managing natural regenera-tion are all recognized. This sectionis an invaluable reference coveringmany possible combinations of loca-tion, site conditions, objectives andconstraints, liberally illustrated withcase studies, trials and evaluations.Techniques and strategies are relatedto theory where appropriate andpossible.
The sections on making restorationwork, through financing options,providing incentives, extension andpartnerships to farmers in diversecircumstances end with Lamb’s hopethat ‘‘macro-ecological benefits mayarise from micro-economic changes.’’Scaling up and reforesting large areasis the next progression, setting outways to plan and prioritize for thediverse outcomes of restoration andto develop institutional support.
In a final section, as one of thetasks listed as necessary to make
a difference to the future of theworld’s tropical forests, Lamb iden-tifies the desirability of networks ofpeople within the region who havethe capacity to actively explore andtest new methods of restoration. Theset of desirable skills and capacityare not explicitly identified, but itwould be worth using the opportu-nity to promote an Australian systemof restoration which contrasts withtraditional forestry, landscaping andweed-management-by-machete tech-niques in widespread usage. Termed‘‘bush regeneration,’’ the methodshave evolved from a grassroots originwith a philosophical base (Bradley2002). Only loosely defined andpoorly documented in the formallypublished literature (but see, forinstance, Peel 2010), bush regenera-tion has yet to effectively reconcilewith ecological theory and submitto rigorous long-term evaluation.Novel techniques with much poten-tial, however, are found within bushregeneration methods; they involveskilled mechanical and hand weed-ing techniques, with or withouthighly targeted herbicide use, inforest environments which requiremanipulation to unblock or acceler-ate succession.
More than anything, this timelybook illustrates the complexity ofthe task of avoiding forest degra-dation and efficiently guiding thereforestation process. Lamb conveysa central message: effective restora-tion requires not only locally relevanttechnical and ecological expertise,but critically also social, economicand institutional infrastructure. Hisbook, liberally illustrated with
graphic diagrams, occasional black-and-white photographs and sum-mary statistics from the literature,condenses a full and varied work-ing life of research and experience.It constitutes a valuable reference forresearchers while retaining a layoutand style encouraging of access to abroader readership. Lamb has pro-duced just the tool required to facili-tate achievement of the restored andfunctioning forest and social land-scape he envisages.
The challenge for the future will bethe additional information requiredto keep pace with the changing pri-orities of new markets while concur-rently solving present problems. Yetmuch of the contents of this bookwill not date. This volume will bea classic reference to be highly val-ued by a wide range of players inthe field.
Barbara StewartLandmark Ecological Services Pty Ltd, Suf-folk Park, New South Wales, Australia.E-mail: [email protected]
LITERATURE CITED
Bradley, J. 2002. Bringing Back the Bush: The BradleyMethod of Bush Regeneration. New Holland,Australia.
Peel, B. 2010. Rainforest Restoration Manual forSouth-Eastern Australia. CSIRO Publishing,Collingwood, Australia.
Sayer, J. 2011. Book review: Lamb David. Regreen-ing the Bare Hills: Tropical Forest Restora-tion in the Asia Pacific Region. Springer,Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London and NewYork. Pp 1–547, 2011. Tropical Conser-vation Science 4:111–112. Available from:www.tropicalconservationscience.org.
142 Restoration Ecology JANUARY 2012
