Global Forest Restoration: A Review

A Review of the Global 2000 Strategy

The World Wildlife Fund has identified over 200 ecoregions (the Global 200) recognized for their high conservation priority, and calls for concentrated conservation planning in these regions. Not surprisingly, forested ecoregions constitute the majority of the Global 200.

Humans associate a wide array of values with forests. Historically, human interaction with forests has been predominantly destructive. Among the most important of these include:

• Conversion due to urbanization, agriculture, ranching, and mining
• Commercial exploitation of timber and wood pulp
• Local exploitation for firewood
• Human-altered distribution regimes (e.g. fire)
• Introduction of exotic species
• Construction of infrastructure facilities – particularly roads

Consequently, long-term forest conservation depends, at least in part, on large-scale forest restoration. The purpose of this report is threefold:

1. Discuss the concept of forest restoration form a conservation biology perspective
2. Outline the ecological characteristics, technical constraints, socio-political and economic influences, and overall restoration principles relevant to the Global 200 major habitat types and associated realms
3. Place forest restoration within the larger context of worldwide forest conservation