Restoring working forests in human dominated landscapes of tropical South Asia: An introduction

The resource issues around restoring human dominated landscapes in tropical South Asia are complex and can be divided into topics concerning forest fragmentation and restoration. Issues that focus on effects of forest fragmentation include studies that show declines in forest structure and standing carbon stocks within forest fragments as compared to contiguous forest; changes in bird composition and flock density in relation to land use - especially between forests, the forest buffer zones and agricultural lands (tea, coffee); and the potential origins of many sacred groves as forest fragments and their future roles as cultural, social and ecological centers of reforestation within deforested landscapes. Studies that focus on restoration have demonstrated the benefits of plantations as mechanisms to establish second growth forests and native species plantings for both economic and conservation purposes; the incorporation of indigenous plants that produce non-timber forest products in forest restoration programs; and the control of fire, soil preparation and protection from herbivory as treatments that can facilitate natural forest regeneration in montane grasslands.