2015 AAAS Annual Meeting (12-16 February 2015)

February 12 - 16, 2015

Drivers of Tropical Forest Regeneration

Nearly half of the tropical biome now consists of formerly forested landscapes with fields and forests transformed by human activity. Despite the significance of these new forests for rural populations and global carbon sequestration, we know relatively little about how they form, affect human livelihoods, and provide environmental services. Social and natural scientists studying reforestation have previously conducted research independently. This symposium will contribute to the development of an integrated socio-ecological framework for understanding the drivers, feedbacks, and outcomes of tropical reforestation across different social, ecological, and political contexts. We present findings from the frontiers of investigation of the complex drivers of active and passive reforestation that lead to tropical forest transitions. Speakers will focus on changing social and ecological drivers of forest transitions, interactions between land-use histories and carbon sequestration potential, and socioeconomic and ecological trade-offs involved in reforestation in tropical regions.