Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) is regarded by its proponents as one of the more efficient and cost effective ways to mitigate climate change. There was further progress toward the implementation of this mechanism at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP) in Cancun in December 2010. Many countries in southern African, including South Africa, have not been integrated (do not participate) into the UN-REDD+ programme, probably due to their low forest cover and national rates of deforestation.

Combining spatially explicit land cover data from remote-sensing and faunal data from field observations is increasingly applied for landscape-scale habitat and biodiversity assessments, but without modelling changes quantitatively over time. In a novel approach, we used a long-term time series including historical map data to predict the influence of one century of tropical forest change on keystone species or indicator groups in the Kakamega–Nandi forests, western Kenya.

An econometric-process simulation model was constructed to investigate the effects of an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on forest management and land use in New Zealand. Profit maximising agents which choose between forestry and agricultural land uses were simulated under carbon price scenarios of $20, $50 and $0 per tonne CO₂ equivalent. The model suggests that an ETS will lead to increased afforestation and rotation age, and decreased silviculture and deforestation.

Previous studies of costs and benefits of forest conservation haven't considered the irreversible nature of forest clearing and the uncertainty associated with forest preservation benefits. The present study adapted a dynamic optimization framework to analyze optimal land use decisions. Results show that ignoring negative climate change effects on tea production and forest carbon storage values leads to excessive deforestation and lower optimal forest stock levels.

A modelling experiment is used to examine different land-use scenarios ranging from extreme deforestation (31% forest cover) to pristine (95% forest cover) conditions and related Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes to assess whether a change in streamflow dynamics, discharge extremes and mean annual water balance of a 73.4-km² tropical headwater catchment in Costa Rica could be detected.

In order for carbon credits awarded for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests (REDD) to be effective, they need to be competitive with alternative land uses. In the case of Southeast Asia, oil palm cultivation is one of the most lucrative possible land uses. Existing mechanisms for awarding certified emission reductions (CERs) might not be adequately flexible to changing commodity prices or to meet the needs of landowners who heavily discount future returns from their land.

Urban trees can potentially mitigate environmental degradation accompanying rapid urbanisation via a range of tree benefits and services. But uncertainty exists about the extent of tree benefits and services because urban trees also impose costs (e.g. asthma) and may create hazards (e.g. windthrow). Few researchers have systematically assessed how urban tree benefits and costs vary across different cities, geographic scales and climates.

Climate change mitigation mechanisms related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) may provide significant opportunities for re-arranging political networks and overcome forest governance problems, of which land tenure is the main constraint for REDD and reforestation projects in the Amazon. We present a case study of a pilot REDD project associated with reforestation and payment for environmental services in Apuí, southern Amazonas.

The Dividalen (Sami: Dieváidvuovdi) valley in Troms county, North Norway, is well known for its old-growth pine forest, a biodiversity hotspot for dead wood-inhabiting fungi and lichens. The majority of the valley is protected within the Upper Dividalen Landscape Conservation Area and National Park. A general conception is that until the mid-nineteenth century when agriculture and forestry entered the valley, the landscape was entirely untouched by man and only used as a pathway for Sami and their reindeer herds on their annual migrations between Sweden and the Norwegian coast.

Amazonia became a target area for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) initiatives in deforestation. We analysed the implementation of a PES scheme in Acre (Brazil) by taking into account land use heterogeneity in an agricultural frontier. Justified by the modernisation of deforestation control policies, the programme promotes agricultural intensification through fire-free practices. In this way, the PES tends to focus on long-established settlements, where farmers are wealthier and the landscape is dominated by pasture. Agricultural intensification may be adapted to foster reforestation.

Projects aiming at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) still account for a small share of the voluntary carbon market. Indeed, although carbon buyers claimed REDD credits to be the most desirable ones, and despite the steps forward for a REDD+ approval under the UNFCCC, REDD+ project development appears problematic. Good governance is often a prerequisite for the development of a REDD+ project.

To improve communication between reindeer-herders and other land users, we developed and implemented a system to produce reindeer husbandry plans together with Sami reindeer-herding communities. A central component of our communications strategy was the introduction and use of a participatory GIS (pGIS). We evaluated the potential and limitations of pGIS as a tool for collaborative learning.