Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list: IUFRO Spotlight #44 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at: http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/ Regards, Sheila Ward ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: IUFRO Headquarters &lt;office(a)iufro.org&gt; Date: Wed, Feb 22, 2017 at 7:28 AM Subject: IUFRO Spotlight #44 - Evidence linking community forest rights and improved forest condition inconclusive To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder &lt;mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com&gt; [image: IUFRO Spotlight] IUFRO Spotlight #44 - Evidence linking community forest rights and improved forest condition inconclusive *IUFRO Spotlight* is an initiative of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations. Its aim is to introduce, in a timely fashion, significant findings in forest research from IUFRO officeholders and member organizations to a worldwide network of decision makers, policy makers and researchers. IUFRO will encapsulate, and distribute in plain language, brief, topical and policy-relevant highlights of those findings, along with information on where/how to access the full documents. The *IUFRO Spotlight* findings will be distributed in a periodic series of emails as well as blog postings. *________________________________* *Evidence linking community forest rights and improved forest condition inconclusive* PDF for download <http://www.iufro.org/download/file/26332/6453/spotlight44-devolution-forest-governance_pdf/> <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=17971&md5=69aa7d2f796ff8426df7ec98b296b0f797f874f4&parameters%5B0%5D=YTo0OntzOjU6IndpZHRoIjtzOjQ6IjgwMG0iO3M6NjoiaGVpZ2h0IjtzOjQ6IjYw&parameters%5B1%5D=MG0iO3M6NzoiYm9keVRhZyI7czoyMjoiPGJvZHkgYmdjb2xvcj0iYmxhY2siPiI7&parameters%5B2%5D=czo0OiJ3cmFwIjtzOjM3OiI8YSBocmVmPSJqYXZhc2NyaXB0OmNsb3NlKCk7Ij4g&parameters%5B3%5D=fCA8L2E%2BIjt9> *Photo by A. Jhaveri: Shifting Cultivation Plot in Heingyu* There is an assumption that there is a correlation, possibly even a direct cause and effect relationship, between the devolution of forest governance and improved forest condition. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was interested in testing that hypothesis to assess its impact on global climate change mitigation and adaptation. To that end, a group of researchers at Michigan State University was tasked with reviewing, summarizing and commenting on the empirical evidence supporting that conclusion. In their review of the literature, they found the assumption deserves, at best, a "maybe." "Even though some prominent examples provide illustrations of the links between tenure content and/or security and forest outcomes, major weaknesses remain in the evidence generated," said review team leader Dr. Runsheng Yin of MSU. "There is not enough conclusive evidence to prove a direct link between community forest rights and improved forest condition. Therefore, we urge caution in universally accepting the assumption that community control of forest resources improves forest condition." The basic challenge is to broaden the research on linkages between forest tenure and forest condition. Most research to date has been too narrowly focused. A lack of funding, a lack of coordination and weak research capacity have contributed to that, he said. The literature review can help address that challenge, Dr. Yin said. Right now, he said, "there is much international interest in reducing CO2 emissions from forest degradation and deforestation and in increasing carbon stocks by enhancing forest regeneration and management. "At the same time, the effective implementation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) requires a broad set of policies, including institutional reforms in the areas of governance, tenure, decentralization, and community forest management. "And reforming forest tenure/governance systems is increasingly viewed as a key factor in fulfilling a whole host of development and environmental goals predicated on managing forest ecosystems sustainably," he added. With those things in mind, the literature review can benefit policy makers, businesses, researchers, international donors and many other organizations by improving their understanding of the complex linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions. This, in turn, will assist them to better design their (REDD+) and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) policies and programs, Dr. Yin said. In addition, he said, the literature review and possible subsequent research can contribute to practical knowledge on how mitigation and adaptation interventions can be delivered to strengthen resource tenure and property rights to help reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of people, places and livelihoods in the face of global climate change impacts and promote resource use practices that achieve mitigation and development objectives. The literature review has been published as a four-article special feature in Forest Policy and Economics. The articles review and synthesize the literature on the empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions, identifying knowledge gaps and study needs as well as deliberating on how best to move research in this area forward. The special feature can be found at: Forest Policy and Economics 73: 271-299 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13899341/73 *Dr. Runsheng Yin of Michigan State University (MSU) is the Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 9.04.02 – Valuation of ecosystem services and carbon markets. The Department of Forestry of MSU is a Member Organization of IUFRO.* *________________________________* The findings reported in *IUFRO Spotlight* are submitted by IUFRO officeholders and member organizations. IUFRO is pleased to highlight and circulate these findings to a broad audience but, in doing so, acts only as a conduit. The quality and accuracy of the reports are the responsibility of the member organization and the authors. Suggestions for reports and findings that could be promoted through *IUFRO Spotlight* are encouraged. To be considered, reports should be fresh, have policy implications and be applicable to more than one country. If you would like to have a publication highlighted by Spotlight, *contact: Gerda Wolfrum, IUFRO Communications Coordinator, wolfrum(at)iufro.org <http://iufro.org>*. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees. Visit: http://www.iufro.org/ *________________________________* *IUFRO Spotlight #44, published in February 2017by IUFRO Headquarters, Vienna, Austria.Available for download at: **http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/ <http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>* *Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org &lt;office(a)iufro.org&gt; or visit http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>* If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email us at: office(at)iufro.org &lt;office(a)iufro.org&gt; *Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944 <http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*