In the Media
Conservation areas failing to protect forests better than logging concessions in Sumatra
June 28, 2012
mongabay.com
Areas zoned for conservation suffered deforestation rates similar to logging concessions in Sumatra between 1990 and 2000, but maintained forest cover more effectively than lands allocated for agricultural conversion, reports a study published in Conservation Letters.
The study, led by Davd Gaveau of CIFOR, is based on assessment of satellite imagery and land use regulations across 440,000 square kilometers in Sumatra. The research excluded “inaccessible” and “remote” conservation areas to focus only on the effectiveness of protected areas (dubbed “managed protected areas”) in areas where deforestation is actually a risk. Putting aside those areas, the researchers found that managed protected areas had a similar deforestation rate to logging concessions. In contrast, conversion areas experienced substantially higher deforestation — forest cover in areas under such designation fell by more than half during the decade.
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Keywords: Asia, conservation, deforestation, Indonesia, land concessions, logging concessions, Sumatra