
<p><strong>Stay atop the latest research and news! The Global Nature Watch blog uses data to illuminate the state of forests and other ecosystems worldwide and tells the stories of people dedicated to protecting them. Read about deforestation, fires, sustainable agriculture, management and other topics critical to the future of the world’s lands.</strong></p>


Global Nature Watch Blog

<p><strong>Stay atop the latest research and news! The Global Nature Watch blog uses data to illuminate the state of forests and other ecosystems worldwide and tells the stories of people dedicated to protecting them. Read about deforestation, fires, sustainable agriculture, management and other topics critical to the future of the world's lands.</strong></p>

Read about data-backed topics critical to the future of forests, including rainforests, deforestation, fires, sustainable agriculture, forest monitoring and management.

Forest News, Research & Monitoring | Global Forest Watch Blog

Global Forest Watch Content

https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/gfwGlobal.png

<p>We are excited to announce that Global Forest Watch is becoming Global Nature Watch. Read our announcement to learn how the new name reflects the next evolution of our work, and what this means for users. <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/blog/data-and-tools/gfw-now-global-nature-watch/?utm_medium=notification&#038;utm_source=gfwnoticeboard&#038;utm_campaign=gnwannoucement">Learn more</a>.</p>


News from Global Nature Watch

Forest Insights

Forest Insights | Global Forest Watch Blog

Biodiversity

Biodiversity | Global Forest Watch Blog

deforestation

deforestation | Global Forest Watch Blog

Lucienne Wilmé

Ollier Andrianambinina

Sarah Carter

Kevin Faragher

From Global to Local: Tailoring Forest Monitoring in Madagascar with Global Forest Watch Data

<p>Understanding deforestation in Madagascar is incredibly important for protecting the country’s extraordinary biodiversity. Over 80% of the species are endemic, found nowhere else on Earth. This biodiversity underpins the ecosystem services that sustain daily life across the island — from clean water and fertile soils to climate regulation and cultural identity. Accurate, independent monitoring of Madagascar’s natural forests helps to prioritize conservation actions, safeguard these services and ensure that all people living in Madagascar continue to benefit from the natural capital essential to their livelihoods, climate adaptation and sustainable future.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Picture1-2048x1366.jpg" alt="Diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvi" class="wp-image-19591"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Diademed sifaka (</em>Propithecus diadema<em>), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvin</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>But until recently, up-to-date information on deforestation in Madagascar was limited. Global Forest Watch (GFW) offers transparent tools designed to monitor forests consistently everywhere. GFW’s global tree cover loss data and tree canopy density maps measure annual changes and extent and are incredibly valuable for providing frequently updated, comparable and consistent estimates across the world.</p>



<p>However, they do not match each local definition and context that may be crucial for planning and conservation. For example, GFW’s tree cover loss data shows loss of all tree cover, including tree loss in agriculture areas, tree plantations and other non-natural forests. As such, this data <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">must be filtered to identify deforestation</a>.</p>



<p>In 2024, the research team from WRI Madagascar developed an approach to bridge the gap between global tree cover loss data and deforestation within Madagascar’s natural forests to develop an actionable deforestation estimate for national planning, reporting and conservation decision-making.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Adapting GFW data for Madagascar</strong><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.008"></a></h2>



<p>To assess deforestation in Madagascar, we used two key global data sets: <a href="https://gfw.global/4c7eHcL">tree canopy density (TCD)</a>, which shows the percentage of canopy cover in each 30-meter pixel in the year 2000, and <a href="https://gfw.global/3BfwQWz">annual tree cover loss</a>, which tracks where those pixels lost canopy cover in subsequent years.</p>



<p>The goal was to develop a methodology for tailoring global tree cover loss data sets to detect loss within Madagascar’s natural forests. However, the TCD and tree cover loss data include areas of tree cover that do not meet Madagascar’s ecological definitions of forest, like tree plantations. This is particularly important in Madagascar, where vast areas are dominated by <em>Ravenala</em> species, or traveler’s palms — not true palms but relatives of bananas — which are endemic to Madagascar but often form stands limited to one species after clearing, and are typically poor in biodiversity. These areas are frequently classified as tree cover in satellite data, though they lack the structure, species richness and ecological function of natural forests.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Travelers-palms.-Credit-Dicklyon.jpg" alt="Traveler’s palms. Credit: Dicklyon" class="wp-image-19594"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Traveler’s palms. Credit: Dicklyon</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>As such, we focused our analysis on natural forests, with natural forest loss as a proxy for deforestation. We overlaid the TCD and tree cover loss data onto a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nationally validated</a> natural forest map for Madagascar for the year 2000 to provide an actionable deforestation estimate. This may slightly overestimate deforestation (defined as permanent change from forest to other land uses) since natural forest loss can include temporary disturbances such as wildfire or vegetation clearing for shifting cultivation. However, ecological recovery in these forests can be extremely slow, meaning natural forest loss estimates provide a meaningful proxy for the purposes of national planning, reporting and conservation decision-making.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Identifying loss in Madagascar’s natural forests</strong></h2>



<p>GFW allows users to select their own TCD threshold to map their forest area; however, for global consistency, GFW typically uses a standard TCD threshold — generally 30% tree cover density — which can exclude many naturally more open forest types. For example, in Madagascar, applying TCD &gt;30% misses large areas of dry and spiny forests. As a result, no loss is detected there simply because those areas are not counted as forest to begin with.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Picture3.jpg" alt="Baobab tree (Adansonia rubrostipa) in the southern spiny forest, Tsimanampesotse National Pa" class="wp-image-19595"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Baobab tree </em>(Adansonia rubrostipa)<em> in the southern spiny forest, Tsimanampesotse National Park</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Therefore, instead of assigning a single threshold per forest type, our approach applies <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040698" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">locally adapted TCD thresholds</a> to each pixel in the 2000 natural forest map of Madagascar so that deforestation can be tracked more accurately across all forest types. For each non-contiguous forest parcel based on its known extent in 2000, we identified the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040698" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most appropriate TCD threshold</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ace87f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more here</a> about how these thresholds were calibrated. For <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040698" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">large forest blocks</a>, we split them into smaller, ecologically meaningful units to improve TCD accuracy. This subdivision was done as objectively as possible, using both the <a href="https://kew.iro.bl.uk/concern/books/614e90f8-34f3-468f-956c-8574f21a1e4d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vegetation Atlas</a> (validated by the government) and topographic relief, since elevation and terrain strongly influence forest structure.</p>



<p>Once these nationally adapted TCD thresholds were assigned at a pixel level across all natural forests, we combined them with GFW’s annual tree cover loss data to assess deforestation in every forest parcel, across all forest types and all regions of Madagascar. This produced an ecologically grounded monitoring system capable of informing both national reporting and local planning, and one that can be adapted and replicated in other countries. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TCD-map-EN.png" alt="" class="wp-image-19596"/></figure>



<p><em>Natural forest cover in Madagascar (year 2000) and its relationship to tree canopy density (TCD) thresholds. A: Independent baseline natural forest cover for 2000; B: Same forest cover map as A with pixel-level TCD values assigned; C: Tree cover extent after applying the optimal TCD threshold producing an area estimate closest to the true natural forest extent; D–F: Tree cover area when applying standard TCD thresholds, with total area estimates showing either overestimation or underestimation of tree cover. These maps also reveal major geographic misalignment— particularly in dry forest regions — highlighting the need for locally adapted thresholds</em>.</p>



<p>This map now serves as a robust baseline for monitoring change. By overlaying annual tree cover loss on top of these forest pixels, we can consistently estimate deforestation across the country for any year — whether nationally, by region, or within protected areas.</p>



<p>This approach gives Madagascar a more ecologically meaningful measure of forest loss than the conventional global method. In 2024, using our method, we estimated a national deforestation total of 117,600 hectares — nearly half the figure produced by the global 30% threshold approach. This information supports national reporting obligations, aligns with local forest definitions and strengthens conservation efforts targeting habitats critical to Madagascar’s unique biodiversity.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Picture5.jpg" alt="Madagascar ibis (Lophotibis cristata), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvin" class="wp-image-19597"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Madagascar ibis (</em>Lophotibis cristata<em>), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvin</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How Madagascar’s deforestation estimates support decision-making</strong></h2>



<p>Our approach makes use of the GFW’s freely available independent global data while adapting it to local realities.</p>



<p>Locally tailored information means that it is more suitable for use in regions, districts and communes — administrative units with their own budgets, plans and policies. In Madagascar, stakeholders responsible for these tasks can include regional and district heads appointed by the central government, and mayors who are elected at the commune levels, as well as VOIs (<em>Vondron’Olona Ifotony</em>) — local associations of villages and hamlets formally recognized as stewards of natural resources — and in the case of privately owned land, corporate entities and private individuals.</p>



<p>For all stakeholders, our monitoring approach provides relevant information. Across all landscapes and land statuses, one of the key use cases is for conservation of protected areas (e.g., Madagascar National Parks), VOIs and other zones critical for threatened endemic biodiversity. Tracking deforestation within both Protected Area boundaries and VOI-managed zones can offer powerful insights to enhance transparency, accountability and targeted support for locally grounded conservation efforts.</p>



<p>Because thresholds are locally adapted, this approach helps build trust in the results by aligning with what people see on the ground. It reduces the risk of misinterpreting features such as <em>Ravenala </em>stands, heavily degraded forests or other non-forest areas as “forest,” which can otherwise misdirect conservation or restoration resources. By clearly distinguishing natural forests of high ecological value, the data avoids misunderstandings and supports more accountable, effective decision-making. It allows stakeholders to identify priority areas and plan targeted interventions, including for restoration efforts, by helping define where forest losses have occurred and where restoration efforts should be focused and monitored.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Picture6-2048x1366.jpg" alt="Patrols in a western dry forest." class="wp-image-19600"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Patrols in a western dry forest.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Additionally, Madagascar can now better prioritize conservation of habitats critical for endemic species, integrate biodiversity goals into development planning and ensure long-term sustainability of its forest resources.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Picture4-2048x1366.jpg" alt="Black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia v. variegata), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvin" class="wp-image-19601"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Black-and-white ruffed lemur (</em>Varecia v. variegata<em>), Mantadia National Park. Credit: Catherine Sauvin</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Adapting our approach for other countries and regions</strong></h2>



<p>This method can be tested and adapted for use in other areas. National or local data sets of priority locations — such as natural forest maps, forest concessions, biodiversity corridors or community managed zones — can be overlaid with tree cover loss data to enable more accurate monitoring of deforestation across administrative and ecological zones. Tools such as the <a href="https://www.wri.org/initiatives/forest-atlases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Atlases</a> — online platforms that help countries better manage their forest resources by combining government data with the latest forest monitoring technology — can also support these efforts. In addition, the contextual data sets such as <a href="http://gfw.global/3xmtCAV">intact forest maps</a>, and <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/?map=eyJkYXRhc2V0cyI6W3siZGF0YXNldCI6Im5hdHVyYWwtZm9yZXN0cyIsIm9wYWNpdHkiOjEsInZpc2liaWxpdHkiOnRydWUsImxheWVycyI6WyJuYXR1cmFsLWZvcmVzdHMtMjAyMCJdfSx7ImRhdGFzZXQiOiJwb2xpdGljYWwtYm91bmRhcmllcyIsImxheWVycyI6WyJkaXNwdXRlZC1wb2xpdGljYWwtYm91bmRhcmllcyIsInBvbGl0aWNhbC1ib3VuZGFyaWVzIl0sIm9wYWNpdHkiOjEsInZpc2liaWxpdHkiOnRydWV9XX0%3D&amp;mapMenu=eyJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6ImRhdGFzZXRzIiwiZGF0YXNldENhdGVnb3J5IjoibGFuZENvdmVyIn0%3D">natural forest maps on GFW</a> can also be explored, and can reduce the effort required to process data, while other baselines such as tree height, biomass or strand structure can help identify areas likely to contain <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/european-tall-forest-decline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">older stands with higher carbon stocks</a>.</p>



<p>There are some limitations to this approach. The accuracy of annual deforestation estimates is in part determined by accuracy of the original forest map and the TCD thresholds assigned to each forested pixel. Additionally, this pixel-level approach requires significant computational resources, which can present challenges for large countries. Despite these constraints, the methodology remains robust.</p>



<p>While this work is specific to Madagascar, the same approach can be applied elsewhere. By starting with a nationally validated forest baseline, overlaying pixel-level TCD data and then applying annual tree cover loss, countries can adapt global data sets to their own ecological and administrative realities. This turns global monitoring tools into practical systems for national reporting, planning and conservation — ensuring that data is not only globally consistent, but also locally meaningful.</p>



<p>As satellite imagery and land cover data sets continue to improve, and as national definitions of forest types are refined, the precision and policy relevance of this approach will grow, offering countries a scalable, transparent way to monitor deforestation across ecological and administrative units.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What’s next for deforestation analysis in Madagascar?</strong></h2>



<p>In the future, we plan to strengthen this approach in Madagascar by refining the natural forest map and expanding to include other relevant land cover types. Our current baseline for both the forest cover map and TCDs is the year 2000. While this early baseline offers valuable historical context, differences with more recent satellite data mean that long-term comparisons must be made with caution. For governments and practitioners, developing a consistent, high-quality data set covering the last 10 years and beyond may offer the most reliable basis for planning and evaluation.</p>



<p>As countries refine how they monitor land cover, Madagascar’s experience shows how global tools can be adapted to national ecological realities. This approach combines global satellite data with local knowledge to enable credible, independent monitoring of natural forests across all forest types and at relevant decision-making scales. Such monitoring is essential not only for conserving biodiversity, but also for sustaining the ecosystem services it underpins — services that support livelihoods, well-being and climate resilience for all who live on the island.</p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Du global au local : un suivi forestier sur mesure pour Madagascar grâce aux données de Global Forest Watch

In 2024, WRI Madagascar developed an approach to bridge the gap between global tree cover loss data and deforestation within Madagascar’s natural forests.

Tailoring Forest Monitoring in Madagascar with GFW Data

Comment

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/be19f67e91ba81d93d32ae47706dcbb8?s=96&d=mm&r=g

Paige Johnson

Users In Action

Hear stories from the forest defenders working in the field.

Users In Action | Global Forest Watch Blog

forest quality

forest quality | Global Forest Watch Blog

mexico

mexico | Global Forest Watch Blog

Stephanie Borcea

Eligio García Serrano

Ramón Guadarrama León

Salvador Huitrón García

Elizabeth Espinoza Hernández

Fernanda González Kohrs

Erick Noé Huitrón García

<p>Every fall, one of the planet’s most extraordinary natural spectacles occurs amid the fir forests of central Mexico: Millions of monarch butterflies land here to find respite from the cooling winter temperatures in northeastern U.S. and Canada for their annual hibernation. It is a phenomenon that the <a href="https://monarchconservation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monarch Butterfly Fund</a> affectionately refers to as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmKBvztIbk&t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the arrival of the sun’s daughters</a>.” The sight is both visually splendid and culturally important to the people of Mexico. Several myths surround this phenomenon, <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/monarch-butterflies-us-mexico/#:~:text=As%20pollinators%2C%20the%20monarch%20butterfly,enjoy%2C%20like%20squash%20and%20blueberries" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">such as beliefs that monarch butterflies are returning souls of loved ones</a>. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1323" height="1600" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18600" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG.jpeg 1323w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG-847x1024.jpeg 847w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG-768x929.jpeg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG-1270x1536.jpeg 1270w" sizes="(max-width: 1323px) 100vw, 1323px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Monarch butterfly sanctuary “Piedra Herrada.” Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>This incredible event, a critical part of the monarchs’ life cycle, depends on Mexico’s forests. However, these forests are feeling the effects of global climate change. One of the effects is the rise of pests; a problem that is not unique to Mexico, forests pests are a growing threat in many other countries (for example, in 2024, WRI reported that forest pests are <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/europe-forest-loss-drivers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a growing threat to Europe’s forests</a>). &nbsp;</p>



<p>To help tackle this issue in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Global Forest Watch (GFW) Small Grants Fund recipient <a href="https://focenmexico.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neovolcanic Axis Conservation Fund (FOCEN)</a> has developed a novel approach, combining alerts on GFW’s Forest Watcher app and complementary technology like drones to monitor pests and inform actions to eradicate them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A new challenge for monarchs and monitoring: Forest pests</h2>



<p>FOCEN works regionally to create alliances for the conservation, restoration and responsible use of natural resources in central Mexico. Since 2000, FOCEN has worked to conserve the valuable forests in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-see-mexico-monarch-butterfly-migration#:~:text=Travelers%20can%20help%20protect%20these,on%20UNESCO's%20World%20Heritage%20list.&text=In%20one%20of%20the%20planet's,fir%20forests%20of%20Central%20Mexico" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a>. Through the <a href="https://focenmexico.org/fondo-monarca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund (Monarch Fund)</a>, FOCEN has facilitated a scheme that provides economic incentives for the payment of ecosystem services to forest owners (ejidos — small landowners and Indigenous communities) across 12,367 hectares of forests, 91% of which are within MBBR’s core zone.</p>



<p>In 2021, after receiving a grant from GFW’s Small Grants Fund, FOCEN set out to address forest disturbance in the MBBR.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="761" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18601" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG.jpeg 1600w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG-1024x487.jpeg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG-768x365.jpeg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG-1536x731.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Peña Blanca viewpoint, “Sierra Chincua” monarch butterfly sanctuary. Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>While conducting initial field investigations using Forest Watcher to identify areas of degradation and create reports on their findings, they quickly discovered that the primary cause of forest degradation in the Reserve is forest pests, specifically bark beetles, which attack weakened trees. Worse, they discovered that the beetles are continuing to spread as temperatures and drought increase, threatening forest habitat that is critical for monarch butterfly migration and overwintering.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1545" height="2000" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18602" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo.png 1545w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo-791x1024.png 791w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo-768x994.png 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo-1187x1536.png 1187w" sizes="(max-width: 1545px) 100vw, 1545px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A new way to use Forest Watcher and monitoring tools</h2>



<p>FOCEN worked quickly to mobilize on this new finding. Teaming up with technical monitoring partner <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiomas_org/reels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ambiomas Acciones y Respuestas Adaptativas (Ambiomas)</a>, they adapted their project and set out to create an early warning system for monitoring forest pests and to develop capacity for using the system and monitoring the forest in a new way. &nbsp;</p>



<p>As a first step, FOCEN and Ambiomas recognized that engaging forest owners and community members living in and around the Reserve was essential. They created a comprehensive course with a corresponding manual and led a two-day intensive training event for 14 people on using Forest Watcher. Over the course of six months, community technicians from the participating ejidos and communities, with the support of Ambiomas and FOCEN, conducted more than 100 field visits and produced more than 1,000 reports on observations of forest degradation in the field. This provided the data needed to inform FOCEN’s development of an early warning system. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18603" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG.jpeg 1600w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Training of community technicians from the Senguio ejido by the Ambiomas team. Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>Next, FOCEN and Ambiomas, with support from GFW and the Monarch Butterfly Fund, took a multi-pronged approach to creating the early warning system. Realizing the time commitment of ground patrols and the limitations of satellite imagery, they incorporated multispectral drone technology that can capture data in multiple wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum (red, green, blue) to complement field visits and provide high-resolution imagery of forest degradation that satellites cannot always capture.</p>



<p>They selected five watersheds to assess that had historical records of monarch butterfly hibernation and that are critical to communities. After conducting drone flights, they used a Tree Density Calculator algorithm (available as a QGIS plugin) that provides an estimate of the number of trees present in the study area and shows the coordinates of each tree, creating a forest inventory that includes each tree’s precise location. They then assessed vegetation health using a platform to interpret the multispectral drone imagery and by assessing high-resolution images.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="663" height="505" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tree-Density-Calculator-fig.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18604"/></figure>



<p>Using the forest inventory, they performed a visual interpretation for each tree determined by the algorithm to have signs of disease, such as standing dead or dry trees and trees with dry tops. The identification criteria were based on the color and appearance of the tree.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="814" height="441" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Examples-of-dead-and-dry-trees-ENG.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18605" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Examples-of-dead-and-dry-trees-ENG.png 814w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Examples-of-dead-and-dry-trees-ENG-768x416.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px" /></figure>



<p>They compared this information with the reports generated during monitoring trips using Forest Watcher and found that the reports aligned with the visual interpretation of the images identified by the algorithm.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="1080" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18606" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4.png 1080w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4-300x300.png 300w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /></figure>



<p>FOCEN and Ambiomas have now conducted multispectral drone flights for two consecutive years during the pre- and post-rainy season and at times of the year when monarchs are not present to determine the vitality of the fir trees and in order to have timely information on the possible presence of forest pests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Outcomes for improved pest monitoring and response </h2>



<p>Thanks to the early warning system, FOCEN, Ambiomas and communities have been able to take targeted action in controlling bark beetles — namely, removing infected trees and wood debris, in accordance with Mexican regulations for controlling and preventing beetle outbreaks. More monitoring is needed to determine whether the bark beetles are now contained, and local communities are currently conducting pest and forest disease monitoring surveys as part of FOCEN’s Best Management Practices Programs within their <a href="https://focenmexico.org/cuenca-sierra-chincua" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">payment for ecosystem services program</a>.</p>



<p>The combination of tools and practices used in the early warning system provides an important complement to field monitoring. It has helped ejidatarios (community landowners), community members and field technicians monitor larger areas and less accessible places faster and has allowed them to better understand their territory. Using the information collected, they have been able to implement conservation and restoration activities that are helping counteract the effects caused by forest pests.</p>



<p>Additionally, FOCEN and Ambiomas have developed a <a href="https://focenmexico.org/microcuencas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MapBuilder and Story Map</a> for each of the five watersheds crucial to monarch hibernation that they monitored throughout the project to aggregate and represent all the data generated, making it possible to conduct spatial analyses with this information.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1430" height="678" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-18607" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot.jpg 1430w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot-1024x486.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot-768x364.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MapBuilder Application for the Nicolas Romero watershed. Source: FOCEN, 2022</figcaption></figure>



<p>FOCEN and Ambiomas also worked with the team at GFW to make several improvements to Forest Watcher such as improving the location accuracy of reports and the ability to directly link reports to MapBuilder, which will help others interested in monitoring for pests or using these tools for other applications in the future.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adapting lessons for tackling forest pests around the world</h2>



<p>In October 2022, FOCEN convened a workshop with the Reserve’s community technicians, technical advisors and researchers from the Colegio de Geografía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México to discuss the impact of climate change on forest degradation. As a next step for FOCEN and Ambiomas, greater funding is needed to allow the continuation of monitoring larger areas and to more accurately assess levels of forest degradation in the forests that monarchs depend on.</p>



<p>These impacts to forests and lessons learned are relevant for many geographies that are confronted with similar issues. FOCEN and Ambiomas found that, in addition to an early warning system to reduce response time to forest damage, early detection and monitoring activities are essential to prevent forest degradation from pests. This requires long-term aerial monitoring and strengthening the local capacities of forest owners, in coordination with the various stakeholders involved in the area.</p>



<p>As climate change continues to wreak havoc, less visible but damaging effects like forest pests are becoming more apparent. The issue of pests causing degradation is not isolated to Mexico, and others can learn from the technologies and approaches developed by FOCEN and Ambiomas and implement similar strategies in the areas that are experiencing similar challenges.</p>



<p><em>To learn more about FOCEN and Ambiomas’s work and their early warning system for forest pests, please contact </em><a href="mailto:eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org"><em>eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org</em></a><em> or </em><a href="mailto:ambiomasorg@gmail.co"><em>ambiomasorg@gmail.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

A New Monitoring Challenge: Protecting Forests from Pests

<p>Every fall, one of the planet’s most extraordinary natural spectacles occurs amid the fir forests of central Mexico: Millions of monarch butterflies land here to find respite from the cooling winter temperatures in northeastern U.S. and Canada for their annual hibernation. It is a phenomenon that the <a href="https://monarchconservation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monarch Butterfly Fund</a> affectionately refers to as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmKBvztIbk&amp;t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the arrival of the sun’s daughters</a>.” The sight is both visually splendid and culturally important to the people of Mexico. Several myths surround this phenomenon, <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/monarch-butterflies-us-mexico/#:~:text=As%20pollinators%2C%20the%20monarch%20butterfly,enjoy%2C%20like%20squash%20and%20blueberries" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">such as beliefs that monarch butterflies are returning souls of loved ones</a>. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18600"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Monarch butterfly sanctuary "Piedra Herrada." Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>This incredible event, a critical part of the monarchs’ life cycle, depends on Mexico’s forests. However, these forests are feeling the effects of global climate change. One of the effects is the rise of pests; a problem that is not unique to Mexico, forests pests are a growing threat in many other countries (for example, in 2024, WRI reported that forest pests are <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/europe-forest-loss-drivers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a growing threat to Europe’s forests</a>). &nbsp;</p>



<p>To help tackle this issue in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Global Forest Watch (GFW) Small Grants Fund recipient <a href="https://focenmexico.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neovolcanic Axis Conservation Fund (FOCEN)</a> has developed a novel approach, combining alerts on GFW’s Forest Watcher app and complementary technology like drones to monitor pests and inform actions to eradicate them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A new challenge for monarchs and monitoring: Forest pests</h2>



<p>FOCEN works regionally to create alliances for the conservation, restoration and responsible use of natural resources in central Mexico. Since 2000, FOCEN has worked to conserve the valuable forests in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-see-mexico-monarch-butterfly-migration#:~:text=Travelers%20can%20help%20protect%20these,on%20UNESCO's%20World%20Heritage%20list.&amp;text=In%20one%20of%20the%20planet's,fir%20forests%20of%20Central%20Mexico" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a>. Through the <a href="https://focenmexico.org/fondo-monarca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund (Monarch Fund)</a>, FOCEN has facilitated a scheme that provides economic incentives for the payment of ecosystem services to forest owners (ejidos — small landowners and Indigenous communities) across 12,367 hectares of forests, 91% of which are within MBBR's core zone.</p>



<p>In 2021, after receiving a grant from GFW’s Small Grants Fund, FOCEN set out to address forest disturbance in the MBBR.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18601"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Peña Blanca viewpoint, "Sierra Chincua" monarch butterfly sanctuary. Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>While conducting initial field investigations using Forest Watcher to identify areas of degradation and create reports on their findings, they quickly discovered that the primary cause of forest degradation in the Reserve is forest pests, specifically bark beetles, which attack weakened trees. Worse, they discovered that the beetles are continuing to spread as temperatures and drought increase, threatening forest habitat that is critical for monarch butterfly migration and overwintering.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Imagen_Descortezadores_JL-Gallardo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18602"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A new way to use Forest Watcher and monitoring tools</h2>



<p>FOCEN worked quickly to mobilize on this new finding. Teaming up with technical monitoring partner <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiomas_org/reels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ambiomas Acciones y Respuestas Adaptativas (Ambiomas)</a>, they adapted their project and set out to create an early warning system for monitoring forest pests and to develop capacity for using the system and monitoring the forest in a new way. &nbsp;</p>



<p>As a first step, FOCEN and Ambiomas recognized that engaging forest owners and community members living in and around the Reserve was essential. They created a comprehensive course with a corresponding manual and led a two-day intensive training event for 14 people on using Forest Watcher. Over the course of six months, community technicians from the participating ejidos and communities, with the support of Ambiomas and FOCEN, conducted more than 100 field visits and produced more than 1,000 reports on observations of forest degradation in the field. This provided the data needed to inform FOCEN’s development of an early warning system. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18603"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Training of community technicians from the Senguio ejido by the Ambiomas team. Credit: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>Next, FOCEN and Ambiomas, with support from GFW and the Monarch Butterfly Fund, took a multi-pronged approach to creating the early warning system. Realizing the time commitment of ground patrols and the limitations of satellite imagery, they incorporated multispectral drone technology that can capture data in multiple wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum (red, green, blue) to complement field visits and provide high-resolution imagery of forest degradation that satellites cannot always capture.</p>



<p>They selected five watersheds to assess that had historical records of monarch butterfly hibernation and that are critical to communities. After conducting drone flights, they used a Tree Density Calculator algorithm (available as a QGIS plugin) that provides an estimate of the number of trees present in the study area and shows the coordinates of each tree, creating a forest inventory that includes each tree’s precise location. They then assessed vegetation health using a platform to interpret the multispectral drone imagery and by assessing high-resolution images.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tree-Density-Calculator-fig.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18604"/></figure>



<p>Using the forest inventory, they performed a visual interpretation for each tree determined by the algorithm to have signs of disease, such as standing dead or dry trees and trees with dry tops. The identification criteria were based on the color and appearance of the tree.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Examples-of-dead-and-dry-trees-ENG.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18605"/></figure>



<p>They compared this information with the reports generated during monitoring trips using Forest Watcher and found that the reports aligned with the visual interpretation of the images identified by the algorithm.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-English-v4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18606"/></figure>



<p>FOCEN and Ambiomas have now conducted multispectral drone flights for two consecutive years during the pre- and post-rainy season and at times of the year when monarchs are not present to determine the vitality of the fir trees and in order to have timely information on the possible presence of forest pests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Outcomes for improved pest monitoring and response </h2>



<p>Thanks to the early warning system, FOCEN, Ambiomas and communities have been able to take targeted action in controlling bark beetles — namely, removing infected trees and wood debris, in accordance with Mexican regulations for controlling and preventing beetle outbreaks. More monitoring is needed to determine whether the bark beetles are now contained, and local communities are currently conducting pest and forest disease monitoring surveys as part of FOCEN’s Best Management Practices Programs within their <a href="https://focenmexico.org/cuenca-sierra-chincua" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">payment for ecosystem services program</a>.</p>



<p>The combination of tools and practices used in the early warning system provides an important complement to field monitoring. It has helped ejidatarios (community landowners), community members and field technicians monitor larger areas and less accessible places faster and has allowed them to better understand their territory. Using the information collected, they have been able to implement conservation and restoration activities that are helping counteract the effects caused by forest pests.</p>



<p>Additionally, FOCEN and Ambiomas have developed a <a href="https://focenmexico.org/microcuencas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MapBuilder and Story Map</a> for each of the five watersheds crucial to monarch hibernation that they monitored throughout the project to aggregate and represent all the data generated, making it possible to conduct spatial analyses with this information.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-18607"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MapBuilder Application for the Nicolas Romero watershed. Source: FOCEN, 2022</figcaption></figure>



<p>FOCEN and Ambiomas also worked with the team at GFW to make several improvements to Forest Watcher such as improving the location accuracy of reports and the ability to directly link reports to MapBuilder, which will help others interested in monitoring for pests or using these tools for other applications in the future.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adapting lessons for tackling forest pests around the world</h2>



<p>In October 2022, FOCEN convened a workshop with the Reserve’s community technicians, technical advisors and researchers from the Colegio de Geografía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México to discuss the impact of climate change on forest degradation. As a next step for FOCEN and Ambiomas, greater funding is needed to allow the continuation of monitoring larger areas and to more accurately assess levels of forest degradation in the forests that monarchs depend on.</p>



<p>These impacts to forests and lessons learned are relevant for many geographies that are confronted with similar issues. FOCEN and Ambiomas found that, in addition to an early warning system to reduce response time to forest damage, early detection and monitoring activities are essential to prevent forest degradation from pests. This requires long-term aerial monitoring and strengthening the local capacities of forest owners, in coordination with the various stakeholders involved in the area.</p>



<p>As climate change continues to wreak havoc, less visible but damaging effects like forest pests are becoming more apparent. The issue of pests causing degradation is not isolated to Mexico, and others can learn from the technologies and approaches developed by FOCEN and Ambiomas and implement similar strategies in the areas that are experiencing similar challenges.</p>



<p><em>To learn more about FOCEN and Ambiomas’s work and their early warning system for forest pests, please contact </em><a href="mailto:eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org"><em>eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org</em></a><em> or </em><a href="mailto:ambiomasorg@gmail.co"><em>ambiomasorg@gmail.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

<p>Cada otoño, uno de los espectáculos naturales más extraordinarios del planeta tiene lugar entre los bosques de abetos (oyamel) del centro de México: Millones de mariposas monarca aterrizan aquí en busca de un respiro a las frías temperaturas invernales del noreste de EE.UU. y Canadá para su hibernación anual. Es un fenómeno al que el <a href="https://monarchconservation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monarch Butterfly Fund</a> se refiere cariñosamente como «<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmKBvztIbk&amp;t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">la llegada de las hijas del sol</a>». El espectáculo es a la vez visualmente espléndido y culturalmente importante para el pueblo de México. Existen varios mitos en torno a este fenómeno, como <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/monarch-butterflies-us-mexico/#:~:text=As%20pollinators%2C%20the%20monarch%20butterfly,enjoy%2C%20like%20squash%20and%20blueberries" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">la creencia de que las mariposas monarca son almas que regresan de seres queridos</a>. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SANTUARIO_MONARCA_HERRADA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18600"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Santuario de la mariposa monarca «Piedra Herrada». Crédito: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>Este increíble acontecimiento, parte fundamental del ciclo vital de las monarcas, depende de los bosques de México. Sin embargo, estos bosques están sintiendo los efectos del cambio climático global. Uno de los efectos es el aumento de plagas; un problema que no es exclusivo de México, las plagas forestales son una amenaza creciente en muchos otros países (por ejemplo, en 2024, WRI informó que las plagas forestales son una <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/europe-forest-loss-drivers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amenaza creciente para los bosques de Europa</a>).&nbsp;</p>



<p>Para ayudar a abordar este problema en la Reserva de la Biosfera de la Mariposa Monarca de México, <a href="https://focenmexico.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Fondo de Conservación del Eje Neovolcánico (FOCEN)</a>, beneficiario del Fondo de Pequeñas Suvenciones de Global Forest Watch (GFW), ha desarrollado un enfoque novedoso, combinando alertas en la aplicación Forest Watcher de GFW y tecnología complementaria como drones para monitorear las plagas e informar de las acciones para erradicarlas.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Un nuevo reto para las monarcas y su monitoreo: las plagas forestales</h2>



<p>FOCEN trabaja a escala regional para crear alianzas en favor de la conservación, la restauración y el uso responsable de los recursos naturales del centro de México. Desde 2000, FOCEN ha trabajado para conservar los valiosos bosques de la Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (RBMM) de México, declarada <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-see-mexico-monarch-butterfly-migration#:~:text=Travelers%20can%20help%20protect%20these,on%20UNESCO's%20World%20Heritage%20list.&amp;text=In%20one%20of%20the%20planet's,fir%20forests%20of%20Central%20Mexico" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO</a>. A través del <a href="https://focenmexico.org/fondo-monarca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fondo para la Conservación de la Mariposa Monarca (Fondo Monarca)</a>, FOCEN ha facilitado un esquema que proporciona incentivos económicos para el pago de servicios ecosistémicos a los propietarios de bosques (ejidos - pequeños propietarios y comunidades indígenas) a lo largo de 12,367 hectáreas de bosques, 91% de los cuales se encuentran dentro de la zona núcleo de la RBMM.</p>



<p>En 2021, tras recibir una subvención del Fondo de Pequeñas Subvenciones de GFW, FOCEN se propuso abordar las alteraciones forestales en la RBMM.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MIRADOR_PENA_BLANCA_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18601"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mirador de Peña Blanca, santuario de la mariposa monarca «Sierra Chincua». Crédito: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>Mientras realizaban las primeras investigaciones sobre el terreno utilizando Forest Watcher para identificar las zonas de degradación y elaborar informes sobre sus hallazgos, descubrieron rápidamente que la principal causa de degradación forestal en la Reserva son las plagas forestales, concretamente los escarabajos descortezador, que atacan a los árboles debilitados. Peor aún, descubrieron que los escarabajos siguen extendiéndose a medida que aumentan las temperaturas y la sequía, amenazando el hábitat forestal que es fundamental para la migración y la hibernación de la mariposa monarca.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ES-pests-fig.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18628"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fuente: Gallardo S. J.L. 2023</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Una nueva forma de utilizar Forest Watcher y las herramientas de monitoreo</h2>



<p>FOCEN trabajó rápidamente para movilizarse ante este nuevo hallazgo. En colaboración con Ambiomas Acciones y Respuestas Adaptivas (Ambiomas), adaptaron su proyecto y se propusieron crear un sistema de alerta temprana para monitorear plagas forestales y desarrollar capacidades para utilizar el sistema y monitorear el bosque de una forma nueva.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Como primer paso, FOCEN y Ambiomas reconocieron que era esencial implicar a los propietarios de los bosques y a los miembros de las comunidades que viven en la Reserva y sus alrededores. Crearon un curso integral acompañado de un &nbsp;manual y organizaron un curso intensivo de dos días para capacitar a 14 personas en el uso de Forest Watcher. A lo largo de seis meses, técnicos comunitarios de los ejidos y comunidades participantes, con el apoyo de Ambiomas y FOCEN, realizaron más de 100 visitas de campo y elaboraron más de 1000 informes sobre observaciones de degradación forestal sobre el terreno. Esto proporcionó los datos necesarios para que FOCEN desarrollara un sistema de alerta temprana.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAPACITACION_TECNICOS_SHG.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-18603"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Capacitación de técnicos comunitarios del ejido de Senguio por el equipo de Ambiomas. Crédito: Salvador Huitrón García</figcaption></figure>



<p>A continuación, FOCEN y Ambiomas, con el apoyo de GFW y el Fondo de la Mariposa Monarca, adoptaron un enfoque múltiple para crear el sistema de alerta temprana. Conscientes del tiempo que requieren las patrullas terrestres y de las limitaciones de las imágenes por satélite, incorporaron drones con tecnología multiespectral, capaz de captar datos en múltiples longitudes de onda más allá del espectro visible (rojo, verde y azul) para complementar las visitas en campo y proporcionar imágenes de alta resolución de la degradación forestal que los satélites no siempre pueden captar.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Seleccionaron cinco cuencas hidrográficas con registros históricos de hibernación de la mariposa monarca y que son fundamentales para las comunidades. Tras realizar vuelos con drones, utilizaron un algoritmo de cálculo de densidad de árboles (<em>Tree Density Calculator, </em>disponible como complemento de QGIS) que proporciona una estimación del número de árboles presentes en el área de estudio y muestra las coordenadas de cada árbol, creando un inventario forestal que incluye la ubicación precisa de cada árbol. A continuación, evaluaron la salud de la vegetación utilizando una plataforma para interpretar las imágenes multiespectrales de los drones y evaluando imágenes de alta resolución.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tree-Density-Calculator-fig.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18604"/></figure>



<p>Utilizando el inventario forestal, realizaron una interpretación visual de cada árbol que el algoritmo determinaba que presentaba signos de enfermedad, como árboles muertos o secos en pie y árboles con copas secas. Los criterios de identificación se basaron en el color y el aspecto del árbol.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ES-dead-trees-fig.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18631"/></figure>



<p>Compararon esta información con los informes generados durante los viajes de monitoreo con Forest Watcher y comprobaron que los informes coincidían con la interpretación visual de las imágenes identificadas por el algoritmo.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FOCEN-Spanish-v6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-18632"/></figure>



<p>FOCEN y Ambiomas llevan dos años consecutivos realizando vuelos multiespectrales con drones durante la época anterior y posterior a las lluvias, así como en épocas del año en las que no hay monarcas para determinar la vitalidad de los oyameles y poder disponer de información puntual sobre la posible presencia de plagas forestales.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resultados para un mejor monitoreo y la respuesta ante plagas&nbsp; </h2>



<p>Gracias al sistema de alerta temprana, FOCEN, Ambiomas y las comunidades han podido tomar medidas específicas para controlar los escarabajos descortezadores,concretamente, retirar los árboles infectados y los restos de madera, de acuerdo con la normativa mexicana para controlar y prevenir los brotes de escarabajos. Se necesita más monitoreo para determinar si los escarabajos descortezadores están ahora contenidos y las comunidades locales están llevando a cabo actualmente encuestas de monitoreo de plagas y enfermedades forestales como parte de los Programas de Mejores Prácticas de Gestión de FOCEN dentro de su <a href="https://focenmexico.org/cuenca-sierra-chincua" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">programa de pago por servicios ecosistémicos</a>.</p>



<p>El conjunto de herramientas y prácticas utilizadas en el sistema de alerta temprana constituye un complemento importante a la vigilancia en campo. Ha ayudado a los ejidatarios, a los miembros de la comunidad y a los técnicos de campo a vigilar más rápidamente zonas más extensas y lugares menos accesibles y les ha permitido conocer mejor su territorio. Con la información recopilada, han podido poner en marcha actividades de conservación y restauración que están ayudando a contrarrestar los efectos causados por las plagas forestales.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Además, FOCEN y Ambiomas han desarrollado un <a href="https://focenmexico.org/microcuencas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MapBuilder y un Story Map</a> para cada una de las cinco cuencas hidrográficas que son cruciales para la hibernación de las monarcas y que monitorearon a lo largo del proyecto. En ellos, agregaron y representaron todos los datos generados, haciendo posible realizar análisis espaciales con esta información.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MapBuilder-screenshot.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-18607"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Aplicación MapBuilder para la cuenca Nicolas Romero. Fuente: FOCEN, 2022</figcaption></figure>



<p>FOCEN and Ambiomas also worked with the team at GFW to make several improvements to Forest Watcher such as improving the location accuracy of reports and the ability to directly link reports to MapBuilder, which will help others interested in monitoring for pests or using these tools for other applications in the future.</p>



<p>FOCEN y Ambiomas también trabajaron con el equipo de GFW para introducir varias mejoras en Forest Watcher, como mejorar la precisión de la ubicación de los informes y la posibilidad de vincular directamente los informes a MapBuilder, lo que ayudará a otras personas interesadas en la vigilancia de plagas o en utilizar estas herramientas para otras aplicaciones en el futuro.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adaptar las enseñanzas para combatir las plagas forestales en todo el mundo</h2>



<p>En octubre de 2022, FOCEN convocó a un taller con los técnicos comunitarios de la Reserva, asesores técnicos e investigadores del Colegio de Geografía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México para discutir el impacto del cambio climático en la degradación forestal. Como un siguiente paso para FOCEN y Ambiomas, se necesita mayor financiamiento que permita continuar con el monitoreo de áreas más extensas y evaluar con mayor precisión los niveles de degradación forestal en los bosques de los que dependen las monarcas.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Estos impactos en los bosques y las lecciones aprendidas son relevantes para muchas geografías que se enfrentan a problemas similares. FOCEN y Ambiomas descubrieron que, además de un sistema de alerta temprana para reducir el tiempo de respuesta a los daños forestales, las actividades de detección temprana y seguimiento son esenciales para prevenir la degradación de los bosques a causa de las plagas. Para ello es necesario realizar un monitoreo aéreo a largo plazo y reforzar las capacidades locales de los propietarios forestales, en coordinación con las distintas partes interesadas de la zona.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A medida que el cambio climático sigue causando estragos, los efectos menos visibles pero perjudiciales, como las plagas forestales, son cada vez más evidentes. El problema de las plagas que causan degradación no es exclusivo de México, y otros pueden aprender de las tecnologías y los enfoques desarrollados por FOCEN y Ambiomas y aplicar estrategias similares en las zonas que están experimentando retos parecidos.</p>



<p><em>Si desea más información sobre el trabajo de FOCEN y Ambiomas y su sistema de alerta temprana de plagas forestales, póngase en contacto con </em><a href="mailto:eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org"><em>eligio.garcia@focenmexico.org</em></a><em> o </em><a href="mailto:ambiomasorg@gmail.com"><em>ambiomasorg@gmail.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Un nuevo reto de monitoreo: Proteger los bosques de las plagas

GFW partner FOCEN is using a novel monitoring approach to tackle increasing forest pests in in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

Congo Basin

Congo Basin | Global Forest Watch Blog

Deforestation Alerts

Deforestation Alerts | Global Forest Watch Blog

guest post

guest post | Global Forest Watch Blog

Geneviève Ndjiki, Action for Sustainable Development

Data is Helping Protect Threatened Forests and Biodiversity in Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary

<iframe width="450" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wwsny843ruo?si=5LLawBa7ww7lCvfF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<p></p>



<p>Cameroon has very rich biological diversity, housed within several ecosystems that are representative of the ecosystems of Africa — the reason Cameroon is often described as “Africa in miniature.” The nation's biological diversity underpins its economy and has scientific and medicinal importance for Cameroon’s people.</p>



<p>In order to meet its commitments to protect the environment after the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development</a>, and consequently its commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity, objective 11 of Cameroon’s <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan</a> calls for at least 30% of the national territory to be designated as protected areas, which aim to protect nature and biodiversity from human activities and pressures.</p>



<p>To this end, several protected areas (national parks, reserves, etc.) were established, including the Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary. This sanctuary faces several threats including the loss of forest cover, which leads to fragmentation of the habitat found there.</p>



<p>Our organization, Action for Sustainable Development, works to respond to the increasing threat of deforestation in Mengamé. In 2023, we received a Global Forest Watch (GFW) Small Grants Fund (SGF) grant to help us monitor forests in the sanctuary. We found that forest loss over the last three years is increasing, and that a new management plan for the sanctuary based on better data is needed to protect the sanctuary’s forests and the biodiversity that depends on them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary</strong></h2>



<p>The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary (MGS) belongs to the Tri-national Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM) complex, a cross-border area encompassing 10% of the Congo Basin’s rainforests and 11 protected areas across Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. TRIDOM is a key area for the conservation of the biodiversity of the Congo Basin, including iconic large mammals such as elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas. The MGS is located in the equatorial forest zone in the southern part of Cameroon on the border with Gabon. It covers 26,780 hectares and straddles the districts of Mvangan in Mvila subdivision and Oveng district in Dja-et Lobo subdivision. The MGS is home to a diversity of wildlife including primates like the Western Lowland Gorilla, which is critically endangered due to human activities that have intensified over the years, such as deforestation leading to loss of habitat as well as poaching.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The area occupied by the MGS in the two districts (Mvangan and Oveng). Both these districts have several small villages surrounding the sanctuary.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Satellite data reveals increasing loss of the sanctuary's forest cover</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), a Cameroonian civil society organization, has been able to use the tools available from GFW to conduct satellite monitoring of forest cover change in protected areas. As part of our SGF project “Participatory monitoring of forest cover in and around the MGS,” we used GFW’s near-real-time integrated deforestation alerts to identify areas of forest loss, and supported park agents and others in the community to use GFW tools to investigate the alerts.</p>



<p>We analyzed alerts for two time periods over three years (2021-2023) and found that for the first period, from January 1, 2021 to July 20, 2022, more than 937 deforestation alerts were recorded totaling eight hectares of forest loss. The map below shows the distribution of these alerts in the two districts (896 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 41 alerts in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Map showing deforestation alerts in the MGS between January 1, 2021 and July 20, 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and community) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Field deployment of a mixed team (ecoguards and ASD) to identify the causes of deforestation alerts. Credit: ASD</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Likewise, for the second period between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023, more than 1,436 deforestation alerts were recorded, including 1,292 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Mvangan district and 144 in the part of the sanctuary located in the Oveng district. The total of these deforestation alerts represents a loss of 17 hectares of forest.</p>



<p>The Mengamé gorilla sanctuary has therefore already lost nearly 25 hectares of forest in just three years from 2021 to 2023. These findings indicate that, over time, anthropogenic activity is increasing in the sanctuary. Investigations carried out to determine the main causes of this loss of forest cover showed that this has been caused by the establishment or extension of agricultural plots (cocoa and banana plantations). This pressure is growing due to the increase in the price of cocoa on the international market — and cocoa is the main cash crop in this area. If nothing is done, the sanctuary will be severely depleted and degraded the next several years.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Deforestation alerts in the Mengamé gorilla sanctuary between July 21, 2022 and December 31, 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>To protect the sanctuary, a new management plan is needed</strong></h2>



<p>To understand the motivations or reasons that lead local communities to set up their cocoa plantations and others in the sanctuary, our team conducted a survey as part of our project.</p>



<p>Two major reasons were mentioned by local communities to justify their actions:</p>



<p>The first reason is the lack of collaboration between local communities and conservation services. Indeed, 38% of the population thinks that they are not involved in the management of the sanctuary. There is almost no conservation activity within the sanctuary or ecotourism, appearing to local communities to have been abandoned for several years. Thus, they thought that the sanctuary was no longer a priority for the State. Our project has since succeeded in bringing together local communities, the conservation service and civil society organizations as part of a more participatory monitoring of the sanctuary.</p>



<p>The second reason is the fact that the space dedicated to the communities' rural activities is becoming insufficient. 22% of local communities believe that the area dedicated to their activities is becoming insufficient given the rapid population growth. Yet despite these changes, the development and management plan for the sanctuary, which should be renewed every five years to better take into account the realities of all stakeholders, has not been updated since 2007. This plan provides information about the sanctuary based on uses, priorities, threats and more, but not only is it out of date, it is also based partially on data from the neighboring Kom National Park as there is insufficient data on the sanctuary itself. Furthermore, the demarcation of the boundaries of the sanctuary had not been effective in all the riverside villages, and currently the boundaries that had been demarcated are no longer visible.</p>



<p>Therefore, development of a new management plan for the sanctuary is needed. This plan should:</p>



<ul>
<li>Take into account the increase in population and suggest effective ways for the development of alternative income-generating activities for local communities</li>



<li>Place emphasis on promoting ecotourism by developing infrastructure for this purpose</li>



<li>Involve local communities in the participatory management of the sanctuary</li>



<li>Provide updated data on biodiversity (fauna and flora species present and their densities, etc.)</li>



<li>Place emphasis on transboundary management of the sanctuary</li>
</ul>



<p>The MGS’s forests and the valuable biodiversity that depends on them can still be protected if the sanctuary implements a plan and manages the sanctuary based on recent, accurate data. The data collected by ASD using GFW tools is an important part of this and can help us preserve Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary for years to come.</p>



<p></p>



<p><em>Learn more about ASD: Visit </em><a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>their website</em></a><em> and follow them on </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Twitter/X</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>LinkedIn</em></a><em>.</em>&nbsp;</p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

<iframe width="450" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wwsny843ruo?si=5LLawBa7ww7lCvfF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<p></p>



<p>Le Cameroun possède une diversité biologique très riche, hébergée dans plusieurs écosystèmes représentatifs des écosystèmes africains – raison pour laquelle le Cameroun est souvent décrit comme « l’Afrique en miniature ». La diversité biologique du pays soutient son économie et revêt une importance scientifique et médicinale pour la population camerounaise.</p>



<p>Afin de respecter ses engagements en matière de protection de l’environnement après la <a href="mailto:https://www.un.org/fr/conferences/environment/rio1992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’environnement et le développement en 1992</a>, et par conséquent son engagement envers la Convention sur la diversité biologique, l’objectif 11 de la <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/cm/cm-nbsap-v2-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stratégie nationale et du plan d’action pour la biodiversité</a> du Cameroun prévoit qu’au moins 30% du territoire national soient désignés comme aires protégées, destinées à protéger la nature et la biodiversité des activités et pressions humaines.</p>



<p>À cet effet, plusieurs aires protégées (parcs nationaux, réserves, etc.) ont été créées, parmi lesquels le Sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé. Ce sanctuaire fait face à plusieurs menaces dont la perte du couvert forestier, qui entraîne une fragmentation de l’habitat qui s’y trouve.</p>



<p>Notre organisation, Action for Sustainable Development, s’efforce de répondre à la menace croissante de déforestation à Mengamé. En 2023, nous avons reçu une subvention du Fonds de petites subventions (SGF) de Global Forest Watch (GFW) pour nous aider à surveiller les forêts du sanctuaire. Nous avons constaté que la perte de forêt au cours des trois dernières années est en augmentation et qu’un nouveau plan de gestion du sanctuaire basé sur de meilleures données est nécessaire pour protéger les forêts du sanctuaire et la biodiversité qui en dépend.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé </strong><strong></strong></h2>



<p>Le Sanctuaire à Gorilles de Mengamé (SGM) fait partie du complexe trinational Dja-Odzala-Minkébé (TRIDOM), une zone transfrontalière englobant 10 % des forêts tropicales du bassin du Congo et 11 aires protégées au Cameroun, au Congo et au Gabon. Le TRIDOM est une zone clé pour la conservation de la biodiversité du bassin du Congo, notamment des grands mammifères emblématiques tels que les éléphants, les chimpanzés et les gorilles. Le SGM est situé dans la zone de forêt équatoriale dans la partie Sud du Cameroun à la frontière avec le Gabon. Il couvre 26 780 ha et chevauche les districts de Mvangan dans l'arrondissement de la Mvila et le district d'Oveng dans l'arrondissement du Dja-et Lobo. Le SGM abrite une faune diversifiée, notamment des primates comme le gorille des plaines de l'Ouest, qui est en danger critique d'extinction en raison des activités humaines qui se sont intensifiées au fil des ans, telles que la déforestation entraînant la perte de l’habitat, ainsi que le braconnage.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17782"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>La zone occupée par le SGM dans les deux districts (Mvangan et Oveng). Ces deux districts comptent plusieurs petits villages entourant le sanctuaire.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Les données satellitaires révèlent une perte croissante du couvert forestier du sanctuaire</strong></h2>



<p>Action for Sustainable Development (ASD), une organisation de la société civile camerounaise, a pu utiliser les outils mis à disposition par GFW pour effectuer un suivi satellitaire de l’évolution du couvert forestier dans les aires protégées. Dans le cadre de notre projet SGF « Suivi participatif du couvert forestier dans et autour du SGM », nous avons utilisé les alertes de déforestation intégrées en temps quasi réel de GFW pour identifier les zones de perte de forêt, et avons aidé les écogardes du parc et d’autres membres de la communauté à utiliser les outils du GFW pour enquêter sur les alertes.</p>



<p>Nous avons analysé les alertes sur deux périodes pendant trois ans (2021-2023) et constaté que pour la première période, du 1er janvier 2021 au 20 juillet 2022, plus de 937 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées totalisant huit hectares de perte du couvert forestier. La carte ci-dessous montre la répartition de ces alertes dans les deux districts (896 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 41 alertes dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d'Oveng).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final1-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Carte montrant les alertes de déforestation dans le SGM entre le 1er janvier 2021 et le 20 juillet 2022.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17751"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et communauté) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MGS-field-deployment-2-ASD.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Déploiement sur le terrain d'une équipe mixte (écogardes et ASD) pour identifier les causes des alertes de déforestation.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>De même, pour la deuxième période entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023, plus de 1 436 alertes de déforestation ont été enregistrées, dont 1 292 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district de Mvangan et 144 dans la partie du sanctuaire située dans le district d’Oveng. Le total de ces alertes de déforestation représente une perte de 17 hectares de forêt.</p>



<p>Le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé a donc déjà perdu près de 25 hectares de forêt en seulement trois ans, de 2021 à 2023. Ces résultats indiquent qu’au fil du temps, l’activité anthropique augmente dans le sanctuaire. Les investigations menées pour déterminer les principales causes de cette perte du couvert forestier ont montré que celle-ci est due à l’implantation ou à l’extension des parcelles agricoles (cacaoyères et bananeraies). Cette pression s’accroît en raison de l’augmentation du prix du cacao sur le marché international – et le cacao est la principale culture de rente dans cette zone. Si rien n’est fait, le sanctuaire sera gravement appauvri et dégradé dans les prochaines années.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mengame-final2-2048x1448.png" alt="" class="wp-image-17785"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Alertes de déforestation dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé entre le 21 juillet 2022 et le 31 décembre 2023.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pour protéger le sanctuaire, un nouveau plan d’aménagement est nécessaire</strong></h2>



<p>Pour comprendre les motivations ou les raisons qui poussent les communautés locales à installer leurs plantations de cacao et d'autres dans le sanctuaire, notre équipe a mené une enquête dans le cadre de notre projet.</p>



<p>Deux raisons majeures ont été évoquées par les communautés locales pour justifier leurs actions :</p>



<p>La première raison est le manque de collaboration entre les communautés locales et les services de la conservation. En effet, 38% de la population pense ne pas être impliquée dans la gestion du sanctuaire. Il n’y a quasiment aucune activité de conservation au sein du sanctuaire ni d’écotourisme, ce qui donne aux communautés locales l’impression d’être abandonnées depuis plusieurs années. Ainsi, elles pensaient que le sanctuaire n’était plus une priorité pour l’État. Notre projet a ainsi réussi à réunir les communautés locales, le service de la conservation et les organisations de la société civile dans le cadre d’un suivi plus participatif du sanctuaire.</p>



<p>La deuxième raison est le fait que l’espace dédié aux activités rurales des communautés devient insuffisant. 22 % des communautés locales estiment que la surface dédiée à leurs activités devient insuffisante compte tenu de la croissance rapide de la population. Pourtant, malgré ces changements, le plan d’aménagement et de gestion du sanctuaire, qui devrait être renouvelé tous les 5 ans pour mieux prendre en compte les réalités de toutes les parties prenantes, n’a pas été mis à jour depuis 2007. Ce plan fournit des informations sur le sanctuaire en fonction des usages, des priorités, des menaces, etc., non seulement il est obsolète, mais il se base également en partie sur les données du parc national voisin de Kom, car il n’existe pas suffisamment de données sur le sanctuaire lui-même. De plus, la délimitation des limites du sanctuaire n’a pas été effective dans tous les villages riverains, et actuellement les limites qui avaient été matérialisées ne sont plus visibles.</p>



<p>Il est donc nécessaire d'élaborer un nouveau plan de gestion pour le sanctuaire. Ce plan devrait :</p>



<ul>
<li>Prendre en compte l’augmentation de la population et proposer des moyens efficaces pour le développement d’activités alternatives génératrices de revenus pour les communautés locales</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la promotion de l’écotourisme en développant des infrastructures à cet effet</li>



<li>Impliquer les communautés locales dans la gestion participative du sanctuaire</li>



<li>Fournir des données actualisées sur la biodiversité (espèces de faune et de flore présentes et leurs densités, etc.)</li>



<li>Mettre l’accent sur la gestion transfrontalière du sanctuaire</li>
</ul>



<p>Les forêts du SGM et la précieuse biodiversité qui en dépend peuvent encore être protégées si le sanctuaire met en œuvre un plan et gère le sanctuaire sur la base de données récentes et précises. Les données collectées par ASD à l’aide des outils du GFW constituent une partie importante de cette démarche et peuvent nous aider à préserver le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé pour les années à venir.</p>



<p></p>



<p><em>Apprenez-en davantage sur ASD : <a href="https://www.asd.contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Visitez leur site Web</a> et suivez-les sur <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASDCameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/asdcameroun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter/X</a> et <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-for-sustainable-development-asd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>.</em></p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Les données aident à protéger les forêts menacées et la biodiversité dans le sanctuaire à gorilles de Mengamé au Cameroun

Action for Sustainable Development is using GFW tools to respond to increasing deforestation in Cameroon's Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary.

Data is Helping Protect Cameroon’s Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary

African savannah elephants in the Maasai Mara

Gabrielle Nussbaum

<p>Kenya is known for its incredible ecosystem biodiversity, including lowland and montane forests, savannah and scrubland. Among them is the Greater Mara Ecosystem, world famous for its wildlife, with populations of lions, wildebeest, gazelles, cheetahs and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/181008073/223031019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">African savannah elephants</a>, the largest land mammal on Earth. The Maasai Mara National Reserve, which covers 1,510 square kilometers in southern Kenya, and its surrounding area is home to an estimated 2,600 elephants, which use Kenya’s forest habitats for shelter, food and water.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Three forests play an important role in the Greater Mara: Mau, Loita and Nyakweri. Often referred to as “<a href="https://watertowers.go.ke/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water towers</a>” because of their deep importance to water security, these forests are a <a href="https://www2.cifor.org/water-towers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">main water source</a> for 12 rivers including the Mara River, a vital source for life in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. For communities in this area, the forests provide water, food and traditional medicine. For the wildlife, the forests offer a refuge during the dry season.</p>



<p>Mara Elephant Project, a local organization, is helping alongside partners the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service to protect these critical forests aided by data from Global Forest Watch.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Using GFW data to help protect critical forest habitats</h2>



<p>Since 2001, the natural forest cover of one of the critical forests has shrunk by 60% due to illegal logging and encroachment.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1242" height="384" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Forest-cover-change-in-Nyakweri-Forest.png" alt="Forest cover change in Nyakweri Forest" class="wp-image-16310" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Forest-cover-change-in-Nyakweri-Forest.png 1242w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Forest-cover-change-in-Nyakweri-Forest-1024x317.png 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Forest-cover-change-in-Nyakweri-Forest-768x237.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Forest cover change in Nyakweri Forest. 60% of the forest has been cut down since 2001. <em>Data (left): Hansen Global Forest Cover Change. Credit (right): Chags Photography.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://maraelephantproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mara Elephant Project</a> (MEP) is a local organization protecting wildlife, communities and habitats in the Maasai Mara. MEP works to protect elephants and their habitats in the Mau (258,000 ha), Loita (41,000 ha) and Nyakweri (8,000 ha) forests, which together support a population of nearly 1,000 elephants.</p>



<p>Due to the vast size and impenetrable thickness of these forests, monitoring for deforestation and loss can often be a challenge. Satellite data can help monitor large areas that would otherwise be impossible to patrol on foot.</p>



<p>To facilitate this, MEP uses <a href="https://www.earthranger.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthRanger</a>, a software that collects, integrates and displays remote sensing data along with tracking and field reports into one unified platform. Global Forest Watch (GFW) has partnered with EarthRanger to provide satellite data, including <a href="https://gfw.global/409wpa9">GLAD deforestation alerts</a> and <a href="https://gfw.global/3FMgnLq">VIIRs fire alerts</a>, which are crucial for MEP and partner organizations to monitor these forests.</p>



<p>“The use of satellite imagery through GLAD alerts has enhanced the way vast areas are monitored,” said EarthRanger’s Director Jes Lefcourt. “This empowers conservationists to be aware of deforestation in remote places and to deal with previously impossible challenges of scale.”</p>



<iframe loading="lazy" width="670" height="490" frameborder="0" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/?map=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"></iframe>



<p>“Satellite-based alerts really help us understand what’s happening in places that are remote and difficult for our rangers to reach,” said Dr. Jake Wall, MEP’s Director of Research and Conservation.</p>



<p>The MEP team of Maasai rangers and researchers use GLAD and fire alerts, along with aerial monitoring, to detect illegal logging and <a href="https://maraelephantproject.org/our-approach/protect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deploy rangers on patrol</a>&nbsp;to investigate areas of the Greater Mara that are vulnerable to illegal habitat destruction.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1900" height="1264" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography.jpg" alt="Mau Rangers help protect critical forests" class="wp-image-16311" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography.jpg 1900w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography-768x511.jpg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography-1536x1022.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mau Rangers. <em>Credit: Chags Photography</em>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>MEP supports regular patrols of these forested areas alongside government partners to abate and halt destructive activities.</p>



<p>“We’ve seen an increase annually in arrests and seizures related to habitat destruction,” said MEP’s CEO Marc Goss, who leads the deployment of patrol units.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Partnering to share data for decision making</h2>



<p>By using satellite data available from GFW, MEP has been able to react more quickly than ever and is working on developing more efficient ways to bring this data to government agencies who can use it to influence their policy and decision making. MEP is now in the process of creating an automated system to share data with local government, and along with partners across the Mara, MEP is helping to develop a monitoring framework that would include statistics on forest cover and fires derived from satellite data as key indicators.</p>



<p>“The automated system MEP has developed is called Ecoscope,” explained Dr. Wall. “We can cut the time out of generating key conservation outputs through automation using this software and visualize those outputs in an efficient way. This saves us both time and resources and makes the data far more accessible.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Working with local communities to prevent forest loss</h2>



<p><a href="https://journals.law.harvard.edu/ilj/2023/01/after-decades-of-illegal-evictions-indigenous-ogiek-win-reparations-ruling-against-the-republic-of-kenya/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Land tenure in these areas</a>&nbsp;has often been unclear and communities’ role in protecting these forests is critical. MEP employs rangers recruited from local communities as a pragmatic strategy to conserve these areas. Six ranger units comprised of men and women recruited from the bordering community and trained by MEP are deployed to protect the forest from loggers, charcoal makers and poachers.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1900" height="1264" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography.jpg" alt="Nyakweri Rangers  help protect critical forests" class="wp-image-16312" srcset="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography.jpg 1900w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography-768x511.jpg 768w, https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography-1536x1022.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nyakweri Rangers. <em>Credit: Chags Photography</em>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Whenever it can, MEP relies on the knowledge and traditions of local communities to protect forests. The Loita Forest, for example, is managed by the local Maasai community who live there and value its traditional importance. As a result, only a 3% forest loss has been recorded in this forest within the last 20 years.</p>



<p>MEP’s Project Conservation Manager, Wilson Sairowua, works closely with local communities like Loita and emphasized the important role they play in forest protection, explaining “[t]he Loita people are a special lot since they have been protecting the forest using the Laibon [Maasai healer] and their traditional spiritual leaders. They consider the forest to be an important source of food and medicine, therefore it is forbidden by culture to cut trees.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>While protecting forests can be challenging, as access to data improves, so does response time and impact. Using near-real-time satellite data, MEP is able to work with community and government partners to monitor and understand changes in forests, and with partners, respond to them more efficiently. As long as threats exist to these forest ecosystems that communities and wildlife critically depend on, MEP will use data, build partnerships and work with communities to protect them.</p>



<p>&nbsp;“The better we can monitor forests,” said Dr. Wall, “the better we can help protect them.”</p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Protecting Critical Forest Habitats in the Maasai Mara with Mara Elephant Project

<p>Kenya is known for its incredible ecosystem biodiversity, including lowland and montane forests, savannah and scrubland. Among them is the Greater Mara Ecosystem, world famous for its wildlife, with populations of lions, wildebeest, gazelles, cheetahs and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/181008073/223031019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">African savannah elephants</a>, the largest land mammal on Earth. The Maasai Mara National Reserve, which covers 1,510 square kilometers in southern Kenya, and its surrounding area is home to an estimated 2,600 elephants, which use Kenya’s forest habitats for shelter, food and water.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Three forests play an important role in the Greater Mara: Mau, Loita and Nyakweri. Often referred to as “<a href="https://watertowers.go.ke/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water towers</a>” because of their deep importance to water security, these forests are a <a href="https://www2.cifor.org/water-towers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">main water source</a> for 12 rivers including the Mara River, a vital source for life in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. For communities in this area, the forests provide water, food and traditional medicine. For the wildlife, the forests offer a refuge during the dry season.</p>



<p>Mara Elephant Project, a local organization, is helping alongside partners the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service to protect these critical forests aided by data from Global Forest Watch.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Using GFW data to help protect critical forest habitats</h2>



<p>Since 2001, the natural forest cover of one of the critical forests has shrunk by 60% due to illegal logging and encroachment.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Forest-cover-change-in-Nyakweri-Forest.png" alt="Forest cover change in Nyakweri Forest" class="wp-image-16310"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Forest cover change in Nyakweri Forest. 60% of the forest has been cut down since 2001. <em>Data (left): Hansen Global Forest Cover Change. Credit (right): Chags Photography.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://maraelephantproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mara Elephant Project</a> (MEP) is a local organization protecting wildlife, communities and habitats in the Maasai Mara. MEP works to protect elephants and their habitats in the Mau (258,000 ha), Loita (41,000 ha) and Nyakweri (8,000 ha) forests, which together support a population of nearly 1,000 elephants.</p>



<p>Due to the vast size and impenetrable thickness of these forests, monitoring for deforestation and loss can often be a challenge. Satellite data can help monitor large areas that would otherwise be impossible to patrol on foot.</p>



<p>To facilitate this, MEP uses <a href="https://www.earthranger.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthRanger</a>, a software that collects, integrates and displays remote sensing data along with tracking and field reports into one unified platform. Global Forest Watch (GFW) has partnered with EarthRanger to provide satellite data, including <a href="https://gfw.global/409wpa9">GLAD deforestation alerts</a> and <a href="https://gfw.global/3FMgnLq">VIIRs fire alerts</a>, which are crucial for MEP and partner organizations to monitor these forests.</p>



<p>“The use of satellite imagery through GLAD alerts has enhanced the way vast areas are monitored,” said EarthRanger’s Director Jes Lefcourt. "This empowers conservationists to be aware of deforestation in remote places and to deal with previously impossible challenges of scale."</p>



<iframe width="670" height="490" frameborder="0" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map/?map=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"></iframe>



<p>“Satellite-based alerts really help us understand what’s happening in places that are remote and difficult for our rangers to reach,” said Dr. Jake Wall, MEP’s Director of Research and Conservation.</p>



<p>The MEP team of Maasai rangers and researchers use GLAD and fire alerts, along with aerial monitoring, to detect illegal logging and <a href="https://maraelephantproject.org/our-approach/protect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deploy rangers on patrol</a>&nbsp;to investigate areas of the Greater Mara that are vulnerable to illegal habitat destruction.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mau-Rangers-1-Chags-Photography.jpg" alt="Mau Rangers help protect critical forests" class="wp-image-16311"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mau Rangers. <em>Credit: Chags Photography</em>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>MEP supports regular patrols of these forested areas alongside government partners to abate and halt destructive activities.</p>



<p>“We’ve seen an increase annually in arrests and seizures related to habitat destruction,” said MEP’s CEO Marc Goss, who leads the deployment of patrol units.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Partnering to share data for decision making</h2>



<p>By using satellite data available from GFW, MEP has been able to react more quickly than ever and is working on developing more efficient ways to bring this data to government agencies who can use it to influence their policy and decision making. MEP is now in the process of creating an automated system to share data with local government, and along with partners across the Mara, MEP is helping to develop a monitoring framework that would include statistics on forest cover and fires derived from satellite data as key indicators.</p>



<p>“The automated system MEP has developed is called Ecoscope,” explained Dr. Wall. “We can cut the time out of generating key conservation outputs through automation using this software and visualize those outputs in an efficient way. This saves us both time and resources and makes the data far more accessible.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Working with local communities to prevent forest loss</h2>



<p><a href="https://journals.law.harvard.edu/ilj/2023/01/after-decades-of-illegal-evictions-indigenous-ogiek-win-reparations-ruling-against-the-republic-of-kenya/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Land tenure in these areas</a>&nbsp;has often been unclear and communities’ role in protecting these forests is critical. MEP employs rangers recruited from local communities as a pragmatic strategy to conserve these areas. Six ranger units comprised of men and women recruited from the bordering community and trained by MEP are deployed to protect the forest from loggers, charcoal makers and poachers.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Nyakweri-Rangers-Chags-Photography.jpg" alt="Nyakweri Rangers  help protect critical forests" class="wp-image-16312"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nyakweri Rangers. <em>Credit: Chags Photography</em>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Whenever it can, MEP relies on the knowledge and traditions of local communities to protect forests. The Loita Forest, for example, is managed by the local Maasai community who live there and value its traditional importance. As a result, only a 3% forest loss has been recorded in this forest within the last 20 years.</p>



<p>MEP’s Project Conservation Manager, Wilson Sairowua, works closely with local communities like Loita and emphasized the important role they play in forest protection, explaining "[t]he Loita people are a special lot since they have been protecting the forest using the Laibon [Maasai healer] and their traditional spiritual leaders. They consider the forest to be an important source of food and medicine, therefore it is forbidden by culture to cut trees."&nbsp;</p>



<p>While protecting forests can be challenging, as access to data improves, so does response time and impact. Using near-real-time satellite data, MEP is able to work with community and government partners to monitor and understand changes in forests, and with partners, respond to them more efficiently. As long as threats exist to these forest ecosystems that communities and wildlife critically depend on, MEP will use data, build partnerships and work with communities to protect them.</p>



<p>&nbsp;“The better we can monitor forests,” said Dr. Wall, “the better we can help protect them.”</p>



<style type="text/css"></style>

Maasai Mara forests in Kenya are vital for communities and wildlife. Mara Elephant Project helps protect these forests with data from GFW.

Protecting Forest Habitats in the Maasai Mara with Mara Elephant Project

Photo of mountains in Mexico Protected Natural Area

forest change

forest change | Global Forest Watch Blog

Sheccid Gomez Balvas

Valeria López-Portillo

Sarai Eunice Rodríguez

Natural Protected Areas in Mexico: A Strategic Front for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

<div class="imageright"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="Photo of tree canopies in Mexico" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/MXblog_1_trees.jpg" width="100%">Photo credit: René Ibarra  </div>



<p>According to the latest analysis on the <a href="https://research.wri.org/gfr/latest-analysis-deforestation-trends" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Forest Review</a>, during 2021, the tropics lost 11.1 million ha (hectares) of <a href="https://research.wri.org/gfr/key-terms-definitions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree cover</a>. The rate of tropical primary forest loss alone reached 10 football pitches per minute, generating the same amount of CO<sub>2</sub> as the annual fossil fuel emissions of <a href="https://di.unfccc.int/time_series" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">India</a>. Globally in 2021, the world lost 25.3 million ha of tree cover, equivalent to the area of Ecuador.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forests are a strategic component to addressing climate change. Each year, they <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/forests-and-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">absorb a third</a> of the CO2 released by the burning of fossil fuels. In addition, they are home to 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, support soil formation and aquifer recharge and prevent desertification. Because of the economic, social and environmental importance of forests, and their persistent loss at a global level, there are voluntary, public, and private instruments, mechanisms, and legal and economic incentives that seek to protect the integrity of these ecosystems and the biodiversity they house. One of these instruments is the establishment and management of Natural Protected Areas (NPAs).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Approximately <a href="http://www.conafor.gob.mx:8080/documentos/docs/1/7749El%20Sector%20Forestal%20Mexicano%20en%20Cifras%202019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">17% of Mexico’s territory</a> is forested. However, GFW monitoring reveals that these ecosystems continue to experience significant losses and 2021 was no exception. This blog addresses the crucial role NPAs play in reducing forest loss and achieving Mexico’s climate and biodiversity commitments. Furthermore, it analyses tree cover loss between three areas with different protection categories in the state of Campeche, seeking to highlight the role of NPAs in mitigating deforestation.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Forest Loss in Mexico&nbsp;</h2>



<p>According to GFW, in 2021, Mexico was the twenty-sixth country with the greatest tree cover loss, losing 189,080 ha of tree cover, or 1.25 times the area of Mexico City, releasing 85 megatons of CO<sub>2</sub>e into the atmosphere. This loss is important since the Mexican economy, particularly in the rural context, is highly dependent on its forests and jungles through forest-sector employment, trade of timber and non-timber products, ecotourism, and other environmental services with economic importance.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GFW_Nacional_EN-2048x1138.jpg" alt="Graph of tree cover loss in Mexico, 2002-2021" class="wp-image-14005"/></figure>



<p>Nearly 60% of the tree cover loss at the national level was concentrated in five states: Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Quintana Roo. These states lead the deforestation lists in recent decades. In fact, the National Forestry Commission of Mexico (CONAFOR) has identified several <a href="http://www.conafor.gob.mx:8080/documentos/docs/1/7768Documento%20tecnico%202020%20Deforestacion%20Bruta%20Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deforestation hotspots</a> within their territories.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GFW_Por-estado_EN-2048x1138.jpg" alt="Graph of tree cover loss by state in Mexico, 2021" class="wp-image-14004"/></figure>



<p>During 2021, the rate of tree cover loss in Mexico decreased by 31% compared to the average of the previous five years. However, <a href="https://wrimexico.org/bloga/reporta-global-forest-watch-m%C3%A1ximos-en-p%C3%A9rdida-de-cobertura-forestal-desde-2001" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the last five years recorded</a> four of the five years with the largest loss of tree cover. Thus, the 2021 loss is comparable to the loses that had been maintained up until 2015. Although the reduction represents a respite from the previous rate of losses, it is far from being a trend. For that to be the case, tree cover loss must remain low in the coming years.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The tree cover loss seen in Mexico is the result of social, environmental, economic and governance conditions. In general, the opportunity cost of forest conservation hardly competes with other land uses, such as agriculture, real estate or tourism development. However, determining the causes of the decrease in tree cover loss in 2021 requires an analysis of the conditions in each region. A potential explanation is that, after years of high rates of tree cover loss, there are fewer areas still suitable for exploitation, or what remains is not financially viable for exploitation.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>The Importance of Natural Protected Areas in the Face of Forest Loss&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/MXblog_2_mountains-2048x1365.jpg" alt="Photo of mountains in Mexico Protected Natural Area" class="wp-image-14001"/><figcaption>Photo credit: René Ibarra </figcaption></figure>



<p>Tree cover loss is the permanent or temporary removal of tree cover for any reason, including anthropogenic and natural causes, such as fires. It is a phenomenon that can lead to deforestation, defined as the permanent elimination of forest cover, and induces changes that negatively affect ecosystem structure and functioning. In Mexico, tree cover loss <a href="https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5609275&amp;fecha=31/12/2020#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is the main direct cause</a> of degradation of terrestrial ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forest degradation impacts the quality of ecosystem services, water services, climate regulation and carbon storage. To maximize the benefits from forests, it is necessary to maintain forest landscapes intact and ensure their sustainable management. Therefore, preventing deforestation is as important as protecting the integrity of existing forest areas.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition to being a key part of the solution to climate change, forest conservation creates synergies to address other global crises, such as biodiversity loss, desertification and drought. Similarly, forests contribute to local livelihoods and the national economy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Environmental regulations and other political instruments <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389934119302011" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">directly and indirectly influence</a> deforestation rates in the world. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ldr.2970" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NPAs have been identified as useful tools</a> to mitigate the loss of tree cover and deforestation. In Mexico, where approximately 11% of the land area <a href="http://sig.conanp.gob.mx/website/pagsig/datos_anp.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is under some category of federal NPA</a>, several studies <a href="http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S1870-34532011000300020" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimate the effectiveness of the NPAs</a> based on their ability to stop urban growth and prevent land use change processes. In most of the NPAs analyzed, the rates of change are lower than their surrounding areas and the ecoregions in which they are located.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Evidence from Protected Areas in Campeche&nbsp;</h2>



<p>We compared three areas under different protection categories in the state of Campeche to visualize the role of NPAs in mitigating tree cover loss: the Calakmul federal NPA; a <a href="https://www.gob.mx/conanp/articulos/areas-destinadas-voluntariamente-a-la-conservacion-participacion-social-por-el-ambiente-193042#:~:text=Las%20%C3%81reas%20Destinadas%20Voluntariamente%20a,la%20participaci%C3%B3n%20de%20la%20sociedad." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Voluntary Conservation Area (ADVC)</a> in the surrounding area of Calakmul; and an area without any category of protection but with the same type of ecosystems as the two previous areas. Uploading the polygons onto the <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/?analysis=eyJzaG93RHJhdyI6dHJ1ZX0%3D&amp;mainMap=eyJzaG93QW5hbHlzaXMiOnRydWV9&amp;map=eyJkYXRhc2V0cyI6W3siZGF0YXNldCI6InBvbGl0aWNhbC1ib3VuZGFyaWVzIiwibGF5ZXJzIjpbImRpc3B1dGVkLXBvbGl0aWNhbC1ib3VuZGFyaWVzIiwicG9saXRpY2FsLWJvdW5kYXJpZXMiXSwib3BhY2l0eSI6MSwidmlzaWJpbGl0eSI6dHJ1ZX0seyJkYXRhc2V0IjoidHJlZS1jb3Zlci1sb3NzIiwibGF5ZXJzIjpbInRyZWUtY292ZXItbG9zcyJdLCJvcGFjaXR5IjoxLCJ2aXNpYmlsaXR5Ijp0cnVlfV19">GFW platform</a>, we compared the areas of tree cover lost between 2015 and 2021 for the three areas, as well as for the entire state of Campeche.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Because the areas had very different dimensions, we normalized the hectares of cover lost per year with respect to the area of each polygon. The figures reported in the graph represent the percentage of tree cover loss during the selected years in each polygon.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GWF_Campeche_EN-2048x1237.jpg" alt="Graph of tree cover loss in Campeche, 2015-2021" class="wp-image-14003"/></figure>



<p>The results show that, for all the years, the areas with some level of protection (Calakmul and ADVC) experienced a lower percentage of tree cover loss than the average loss in the state of Campeche. Comparing the protected areas with unprotected area, the percentages of loss in protected areas were lower in five of the seven years analyzed. This exercise is a first attempt to visualize the importance of protected areas in one of the states with the highest levels of tree cover loss in Mexico.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Forest Conservation in the National and Global Environmental Agenda&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The value of NPAs and other tools for forest landscape conservation becomes more relevant when considering the various commitments Mexico has made to halt deforestation and forest loss.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The mitigation component of the Mexican <a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/NDC-Esp-30Dic.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nationally Determined Contribution</a> (NDC) seeks to achieve zero net deforestation by 2030. The commitment was reiterated at COP26, where Mexico signed the <a href="https://ukcop26.org/glasgow-leaders-declaration-on-forests-and-land-use/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use</a>, promising to stop and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Likewise, addressing forest loss is the backbone of several regional and voluntary initiatives Mexico has signed on. For example, within the framework of the <a href="https://initiative20x20.org/members" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">20x20 initiative</a> , Mexico committed to restoring one million ha of forest cover by 2020. The initiative was updated for 2030 to protect and restore at least 50 million ha for said year. Likewise, the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests seek to restore another 350 million ha globally by 2030.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that reducing the rate of deforestation and forest degradation <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is one of the most robust mechanisms to mitigate climate change</a>. It is estimated that the Mexican forestry sector can contribute to reaching <a href="https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5609275&amp;fecha=31/12/2020#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">22% of the national goal for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions</a> established in the Paris Agreement, which would contribute to the mitigation of 46 million tons of CO2 equivalent for the year 2030.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition to being an effective strategy for mitigation, forest protection creates synergies for adaptation to climate change since forest ecosystem services contribute to increasing the resilience of forest communities and reducing their vulnerability to climate change impacts, such as flooding and droughts. <a href="https://es.mongabay.com/2022/03/dia-mundial-de-la-adaptacion-al-cambio-climatico-ejemplos-exitosos-en-america-latina/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Several success stories</a> have been reported where the recovery of forested areas in high basins benefits the recharge of aquifers, reduces landslide, and increases the availability of water in forest communities.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/MXblog_3_mountains-2048x1365.jpg" alt="Photo of mountains in Mexico" class="wp-image-14000"/><figcaption>Photo credit: René Ibarra </figcaption></figure>



<p>Likewise, forest conservation contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and other commitments for biodiversity conservation. Mexico is recognized as one of <a href="https://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/pais/quees" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world</a> and, since 1992, has been part of the <a href="https://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/planeta/internacional/cbd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Convention on Biological Diversity</a>, in which it agreed to protect national biodiversity through <a href="https://www.cbd.int/countries/targets/?country=mx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">various goals</a> including reducing the rate of loss and degradation of protected natural habitats to a value close to zero by 2030.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Finally, conserving forest ecosystems and the biodiversity they house is a way of ensuring the well-being of rural communities, as forests cover close to <a href="https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5609275&amp;fecha=31/12/2020" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">70% of the national territory and are home to 10.9 million people</a>, many of whom live in poverty and marginalization. Given this vulnerability, the timber and non-timber forest resources are key to maintaining their livelihoods. For example, herbal medicine represents the first access to health in rural communities and is a common way of treating diseases and illnesses.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forest loss is a global problem that endangers the forest integrity. Besides providing environmental services that sustain the well-being of communities, forests are key for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Losing the world's forests means undermining our ability to face global crises, such as the climate crisis.&nbsp;</p>



<p>NPAs are one of the most popular mechanisms for the protection of ecosystems in Mexico and have been identified as effective tools to mitigate the tree cover loss. However, the budget allocated to the National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) has suffered <a href="https://ciep.mx/presupuesto-dirigido-a-areas-naturales-protegidas-evolucion-2014-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant reductions</a> in recent years, which limits its ability to protect areas of high ecological value in the country. Given this, it is necessary to promote initiatives that seek the protection of the country's forests.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Our Work&nbsp;</h2>



<p>WRI Mexico is involved in multiple efforts to conserve forests in the country. Through GFW, we promote and build capacity for forest monitoring among different stakeholders including journalists, academic institutions, and state governments. Similarly, <a href="https://wrimexico.org/our-work/projects/ciudades-que-protegen-los-bosques-para-el-bienestar-humano" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cities4Forests</a> promotes the conservation of urban and peripheral forests in several Mexican cities, creating a link between the ecosystem services of these areas and those urban populations. Finally, the <a href="https://wrimexico.org/our-work/projects/re3co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RE3CO</a> initiative is undertaking mangrove conservation and restoration projects and promotes forest valuation while strengthening the livelihoods of coastal communities.&nbsp;</p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”="">
 

Originally appeared on <a href="https://wrimexico.org/bloga/%C3%A1reas-naturales-protegidas-un-frente-estrat%C3%A9gico-para-la-mitigaci%C3%B3n-y-adaptaci%C3%B3n-al-cambio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WRI Mexico</a>. 


 

</div> 

 

<hr>





<style type="text/css"></style>

Data from GFW shows that Natural Protected Areas in Mexico help prevent forest loss, protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

Natural Protected Areas in Mexico Help Protect Forests | GFW Blog

carbon

carbon | Global Forest Watch Blog

Sarah Ruiz

<p>Primary forests are some of the densest, wildest and most ecologically significant forests on Earth. They span the globe, from the snow-locked boreal region to the steamy tropics, though 75% of them can be found in just <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128096659097111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">seven countries</a>. But what sets these forests apart from your average backyard woodlands, making them so critical to protect? </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Forests in their “final form”</strong></h3>



<aside id="textbox"> <div><em><b>Primary Forests vs. Intact Forest Landscapes</b>
<p></p>
“Ancient”, “old-growth”, “primary”, “intact”— there are lots of terms used to describe Earth’s biggest, oldest and most natural forests. The vocabulary is often interchangeable, but when speaking scientifically, there are some key distinctions that set these terms apart.
<p></p>
Global Forest Watch (GFW) has data available on both humid primary forests within the tropics and intact forest landscapes (IFLs) globally. Both terms indicate a forest with no significant disturbances in recent record due to human activity, but while primary forests refer to areas of forest having reached the final stage of succession, IFLs encompass a <a href="http://www.intactforests.org/concept.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">broader patchwork</a> of undisturbed area. Within the boundary of an IFL you might find younger forests, clearings and areas of rock or ice in addition to primary forests. However, these younger patches must have been caused by natural disturbance patterns like floods or wildfire. Human-caused clearings fragment and degrade IFLs.
</em></div> </aside>



<p>Age is one factor in the formation of a primary forest, although there is no set birthday at which a forest becomes “primary”. All forests grow to maturity at different rates based on their environment, and some trees can even live <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/bristlecone-pine" target="_blank">thousands of years</a>, so the term “old-growth” is highly relative. </p>



<p>What matters more than age is a forest’s stage in a process called succession. In ecological terms, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/secondary-succession" target="_blank">succession</a> is the way in which ecosystems change from one state to the next following a disturbance. Take, for example, a fire searing through forests in Northwest North America. If it’s hot enough it will scorch everything in its path, leaving only charred wood and smoldering soil. When the smoke clears, nature gets to work rebuilding from the dirt up.</p>



<p>The first organisms to return are called “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/pioneer-species" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">pioneer species</a>”, typically fast-growing grasses, annual plants and other low, scrubby things that can take quick advantage of the now abundant sunlight. As these species live and die, they build up nutrients in the soil, allowing for a new guard of species to move in.</p>



<p>This replacement of species assemblages repeats itself as
the years progress. Each new community inherits an environment better suited to
its growth than that of the species that came before it. And so, over time the
ecosystem begins to change. From the sun-loving grasses, to quick-growing
softwood trees and finally to the tall hardwoods whose crowns knit together to
form a thick canopy. </p>



<div class="imagecenter"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="forest successional pathway from disturbance to primary forest" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20.05.013_Forest-Growth-1.png" width="100%"></div>



<p>This final forest form is often referred to as a “climax community” and it’s these communities that are considered primary forests. The time it takes to return to full primary forest varies by the type of forest. In the Congo Basin, forest regeneration can take up to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="50 years (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/23" target="_blank">50 years,</a> for temperate oak and hickory forests, this process is documented to take around <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/community-structure-and-diversity/a/ecological-succession" target="_blank">150 years</a>, but one study of Brazil’s Atlantic forest found it could even take <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14112-how-long-does-it-take-a-rainforest-to-regenerate/" target="_blank">millennia</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The most pristine places on Earth</strong></h3>



<p>Primary forests must also meet certain requirements of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317022248_Primary_Forests_Definition_Status_and_Future_Prospects_for_Global_Conservation" target="_blank">ecological integrity</a>, showing little to no human interference. They can’t be disturbed for logging, mining, anthropogenic fires or road construction, or have their native species assemblage impacted by imported invasive species. They are dominated by continuous tree cover and must retain unpolluted soil and water. </p>



<p>Size and intactness are also factors in defining a primary forest.
Cut a road from one side of the Amazon to the other and you’ve just divided one
massive primary forest into two smaller ones. But do that over and over again, dividing
the forest into smaller and smaller slices and eventually you end up with primary
forest patches so small they no longer deserve the name. Although there is no official
threshold of size for primary forests, the cutoff is usually considered in
terms of whether the size of the forest allows for native species assemblages,
natural forest structure and ecosystem functions to remain intact.</p>



<p>This pristine nature doesn’t mean that primary forests must be completely devoid of human presence, however. Many indigenous communities have lived within primary forests for hundreds of years, using forest resources sustainably to support their traditional livelihoods. Indigenous communities can be highly <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/articles/indigenous-peoples-the-best-forest-guardians" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">effective protectors</a> of primary forests. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why protect primary forests?</strong></h3>



<p>Primary forests comprise an estimated <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4793e.pdf" target="_blank">26%</a> of the world’s natural forest, with the remaining “secondary forests” falling somewhere in the intermediate stages of regeneration from recent human disturbance. So, if primary forests are barely a third of existing forest, why is it so critical we prioritize protecting them over any other?</p>



<iframe loading="lazy" width="670" height="490" frameborder="0" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map?map=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%3D&menu=eyJkYXRhc2V0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiOiJsYW5kQ292ZXIiLCJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6IiJ9"></iframe>



<p>Part of the answer lies in the shield they present against climate change. Primary forests are incredibly carbon rich; it is estimated that tropical primary forests alone store over <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11027-019-09891-4" target="_blank">141 billion tonnes</a> of carbon. The trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, and store it in their trunks, leaves and soil. Once a forest reaches primary status it can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07276" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">continue to sequester</a> carbon for centuries. Not only does clearing these forests release the stored carbon, it also reduces the capacity for them to sequester more carbon in the future.</p>



<p>The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/succession-a-closer-look-13256638/" target="_blank">later successional stages</a> also tend to have higher levels of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://gfw.global/3cbOLym" target="_blank">biodiversity</a>. The lack of human interference allows for ecological niches to flourish naturally, creating endemic species forming complex species interactions. Higher complexity within an ecosystem, is correlated to greater <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="resilience and stability (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288653935_The_diversity-stability_debate" target="_blank">resilience and stability</a> in the face of future disturbances. Preserving these forests also preserves cultural diversity, ensuring that traditional, indigenous ways of life are not disrupted.  </p>



<p>By virtue of primary forests’ definition, human-driven tree cover loss within them is a concerning deforestation event. And because primary forests can take decades and even centuries to return to their undisturbed state, whatever we lose now, we may not see again in this century. Regeneration can be impacted by the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/65/9/849/1996148" target="_blank">type and magnitude</a> of a disturbance. If there is no surrounding environment left to provide new seeds or seed dispersal is interrupted, forests may never grow back in the same way. Protecting primary forests now makes it easier for us to continue protecting them, and potentially restore them, into the future— paying it forward to a new generation. </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”=""> 
BANNER PHOTO:Tropical forest in Brunei. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cifor/37591813241/in/photolist-Ze28Cw-Y7j1i1-WtYeFT-ZgRSp4-ZgRWjt-Y7j2xf-Vs3A64-WtWYmB-WFy7tX-WqAL1J-W6iSxs-Ze27Kj-WBXfuq-WBXkfh-YT2KbU-WFym1g-YT2LhG-X85PZ1-WqALJC-Ze2bDG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunei Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism</a>.


</div> 

 

<hr>



<style type="text/css"></style>

What are Primary Forests and Why Should We Protect Them?

<p>Primary forests are some of the densest, wildest and most ecologically significant forests on Earth. They span the globe, from the snow-locked boreal region to the steamy tropics, though 75% of them can be found in just <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128096659097111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">seven countries</a>. But what sets these forests apart from your average backyard woodlands, making them so critical to protect? </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Forests in their “final form”</strong></h3>



<aside id="textbox"> <div><em><b>Primary Forests vs. Intact Forest Landscapes</b>
<p></p>
“Ancient”, “old-growth”, “primary”, “intact”— there are lots of terms used to describe Earth’s biggest, oldest and most natural forests. The vocabulary is often interchangeable, but when speaking scientifically, there are some key distinctions that set these terms apart.
<p></p>
Global Forest Watch (GFW) has data available on both humid primary forests within the tropics and intact forest landscapes (IFLs) globally. Both terms indicate a forest with no significant disturbances in recent record due to human activity, but while primary forests refer to areas of forest having reached the final stage of succession, IFLs encompass a <a href="http://www.intactforests.org/concept.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">broader patchwork</a> of undisturbed area. Within the boundary of an IFL you might find younger forests, clearings and areas of rock or ice in addition to primary forests. However, these younger patches must have been caused by natural disturbance patterns like floods or wildfire. Human-caused clearings fragment and degrade IFLs.
</em></div> </aside>



<p>Age is one factor in the formation of a primary forest, although there is no set birthday at which a forest becomes “primary”. All forests grow to maturity at different rates based on their environment, and some trees can even live <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/bristlecone-pine" target="_blank">thousands of years</a>, so the term “old-growth” is highly relative. </p>



<p>What matters more than age is a forest’s stage in a process called succession. In ecological terms, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/secondary-succession" target="_blank">succession</a> is the way in which ecosystems change from one state to the next following a disturbance. Take, for example, a fire searing through forests in Northwest North America. If it’s hot enough it will scorch everything in its path, leaving only charred wood and smoldering soil. When the smoke clears, nature gets to work rebuilding from the dirt up.</p>



<p>The first organisms to return are called “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/pioneer-species" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">pioneer species</a>”, typically fast-growing grasses, annual plants and other low, scrubby things that can take quick advantage of the now abundant sunlight. As these species live and die, they build up nutrients in the soil, allowing for a new guard of species to move in.</p>



<p>This replacement of species assemblages repeats itself as
the years progress. Each new community inherits an environment better suited to
its growth than that of the species that came before it. And so, over time the
ecosystem begins to change. From the sun-loving grasses, to quick-growing
softwood trees and finally to the tall hardwoods whose crowns knit together to
form a thick canopy. </p>



<div class="imagecenter"><img class=" wp-image-3569 alignright" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" alt="forest successional pathway from disturbance to primary forest" src="https://content.globalforestwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20.05.013_Forest-Growth-1.png" width="100%"></div>



<p>This final forest form is often referred to as a “climax community” and it’s these communities that are considered primary forests. The time it takes to return to full primary forest varies by the type of forest. In the Congo Basin, forest regeneration can take up to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="50 years (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/23" target="_blank">50 years,</a> for temperate oak and hickory forests, this process is documented to take around <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/community-structure-and-diversity/a/ecological-succession" target="_blank">150 years</a>, but one study of Brazil’s Atlantic forest found it could even take <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14112-how-long-does-it-take-a-rainforest-to-regenerate/" target="_blank">millennia</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The most pristine places on Earth</strong></h3>



<p>Primary forests must also meet certain requirements of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317022248_Primary_Forests_Definition_Status_and_Future_Prospects_for_Global_Conservation" target="_blank">ecological integrity</a>, showing little to no human interference. They can’t be disturbed for logging, mining, anthropogenic fires or road construction, or have their native species assemblage impacted by imported invasive species. They are dominated by continuous tree cover and must retain unpolluted soil and water. </p>



<p>Size and intactness are also factors in defining a primary forest.
Cut a road from one side of the Amazon to the other and you’ve just divided one
massive primary forest into two smaller ones. But do that over and over again, dividing
the forest into smaller and smaller slices and eventually you end up with primary
forest patches so small they no longer deserve the name. Although there is no official
threshold of size for primary forests, the cutoff is usually considered in
terms of whether the size of the forest allows for native species assemblages,
natural forest structure and ecosystem functions to remain intact.</p>



<p>This pristine nature doesn’t mean that primary forests must be completely devoid of human presence, however. Many indigenous communities have lived within primary forests for hundreds of years, using forest resources sustainably to support their traditional livelihoods. Indigenous communities can be highly <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/articles/indigenous-peoples-the-best-forest-guardians" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">effective protectors</a> of primary forests. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why protect primary forests?</strong></h3>



<p>Primary forests comprise an estimated <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4793e.pdf" target="_blank">26%</a> of the world’s natural forest, with the remaining “secondary forests” falling somewhere in the intermediate stages of regeneration from recent human disturbance. So, if primary forests are barely a third of existing forest, why is it so critical we prioritize protecting them over any other?</p>



<iframe width="670" height="490" frameborder="0" src="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/embed/map?map=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%3D&amp;menu=eyJkYXRhc2V0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiOiJsYW5kQ292ZXIiLCJtZW51U2VjdGlvbiI6IiJ9"></iframe>



<p>Part of the answer lies in the shield they present against climate change. Primary forests are incredibly carbon rich; it is estimated that tropical primary forests alone store over <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11027-019-09891-4" target="_blank">141 billion tonnes</a> of carbon. The trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, and store it in their trunks, leaves and soil. Once a forest reaches primary status it can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07276" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">continue to sequester</a> carbon for centuries. Not only does clearing these forests release the stored carbon, it also reduces the capacity for them to sequester more carbon in the future.</p>



<p>The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/succession-a-closer-look-13256638/" target="_blank">later successional stages</a> also tend to have higher levels of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://gfw.global/3cbOLym" target="_blank">biodiversity</a>. The lack of human interference allows for ecological niches to flourish naturally, creating endemic species forming complex species interactions. Higher complexity within an ecosystem, is correlated to greater <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="resilience and stability (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288653935_The_diversity-stability_debate" target="_blank">resilience and stability</a> in the face of future disturbances. Preserving these forests also preserves cultural diversity, ensuring that traditional, indigenous ways of life are not disrupted.  </p>



<p>By virtue of primary forests’ definition, human-driven tree cover loss within them is a concerning deforestation event. And because primary forests can take decades and even centuries to return to their undisturbed state, whatever we lose now, we may not see again in this century. Regeneration can be impacted by the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/65/9/849/1996148" target="_blank">type and magnitude</a> of a disturbance. If there is no surrounding environment left to provide new seeds or seed dispersal is interrupted, forests may never grow back in the same way. Protecting primary forests now makes it easier for us to continue protecting them, and potentially restore them, into the future— paying it forward to a new generation. </p>



<hr> 

<div class="attribute" style="”padding-bottom:" 10px;”=""> 
BANNER PHOTO:Tropical forest in Brunei. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cifor/37591813241/in/photolist-Ze28Cw-Y7j1i1-WtYeFT-ZgRSp4-ZgRWjt-Y7j2xf-Vs3A64-WtWYmB-WFy7tX-WqAL1J-W6iSxs-Ze27Kj-WBXfuq-WBXkfh-YT2KbU-WFym1g-YT2LhG-X85PZ1-WqALJC-Ze2bDG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunei Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism</a>.


</div> 

 

<hr>

Primary forests are some of the oldest, densest and most ecologically significant forests on Earth. How did they get this way?

What are Primary Forests and Why Should We Protect Them? | Forest Insights | Global Forest Watch Blog

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3dc298e411f65b199fc3734919d6934e?s=96&d=mm&r=g