Reforestation and Silviculture

Fifty percent of tropical forests are secondary forests are recovering from logging, cattle ranching and agriculture. Nearly 100 years of basic research in Panama informs landscape-scale tree plantation experiments in the Panama Canal Watershed to better understand what tree species — native and exotic — are best suited for mopping up atmospheric carbon, restoring degraded landscapes to productivity, or efficiently managing water in tropical areas that depend on the ecosystem services provided by forests. The Environmental Leadership Training Institute takes best-practices out to teach rural farmers, forestry practitioners and policy makers what science has to offer as they make their own land-use decisions.