Frequencies and intensities of disturbance have built up incrementally with rapid population growth, changes in forest ownership and land use practices, and forest management systems, in response to changing market and policy forces.
Under these environmental conditions the most important natural hazards are connected to climatic variability, the low relief, the orographic characteristic (basin situation), the land cover types (the main land cover types are arable land, pasture, and broad-leaved forest), and land use practices (for example, agriculture, grazing or deforestation).
The steep topography, shallow soils and unsustainable land use practices following forest conversion often lead to enhanced rates of geomorphic activity including soil erosion, landsliding and fluvial activity.
Zeng studies the changing relationship between indigenous communities and their traditionally protected sacred forests, its effect on land use practices, and its ecological implications for biodiversity conservation.
By focusing on this singular hardwood tree, we will explore American history as it relates to changing attitudes and land use practices affecting forests.
The value of animals and plant products from the forests used in traditional medicine and cultural practices is estimated at US$13 million.
It has been suggested that Bantu cultivators' land use practices, which induce larger forest disturbances, may have influenced the dispersal of annual yams (Yasuoka 2009a).
Investing in protection and restoration of tropical forests, grasslands and wetlands, combined with better land use practices, can naturally store more than 20percentt of annual carbon emissions.
There is an overall concern on the prevailing land use practices, such as shifting cultivation and extraction of forest materials as agents of forests losses, but also new, emerging land uses are threatening tropical forests.
Examples might include: (i) re-classifying land use status of forested areas slated for conversion to non-conversion forest uses; (ii) restricting silvicultural practices in specific production forest areas to reduce impacts and maintain high biodiversity value; or (iii) re-assigning forested areas of exceptional importance for strict protection as parks or nature reserves.
