Funding
Needs
Activity
V. Increase the domain
of extrapolation of
the ASB work by intensifying
work in Peru and Thailand.
Work
at existing sites
at Pucallpa, Peru
and Chiang Mai, Thailand
has contributed to
the ASB data sets.
The Chiang Mai site
is representative
of mountainous mainland
Southeast Asia. The
site was chosen so
that a large watershed
is the key unit of
analysis. In addition
to the fact that a
number of alternative
land uses to slash-and-burn
agriculture have been
successfully applied
and developed in Thailand,
the site offers particular
contributions to the
ASB programme in five
areas:
-
In
this region, the
impact of land use
on watershed services
is central to national
concerns.
-
The
site offers a spectrum
of conditions wherein
formerly sustainable
traditional land-use
systems are being
progressively shortened,
to the point where
some farmers have
resorted to the
establishment of
permanent upland
fields.
-
An
opportunity to explore
promising alternatives
which build upon
traditional systems,
which are based
upon the principle
of management at
the level of landscape
mosaics.
-
An
opportunity to incorporate
promising practices
developed during
30 years of local
development projects
into landscape level
management strategies.
-
In
Thailand, recent
economic crises
and a new national
constitution are
associated with
a range of reform
activities to which
ASB can contribute.
The
Pucallpa site is within
the upper Amazon basin
and differs from the
Brazil site principally
in terms of topography,
demographic trends,
and government policies.
Pucallpa is a midpoint
for spontaneous colonisation
from both urban areas
and the Andes. Strong
NGOs facilitate the
ASB research in the
area. A long term
data base on alternative
land uses from the
nearby Yurimaguas
site is a useful supplement
to the ASB data set.
The ecoregional centre
which houses a CIFOR-CIAT-ICRAF
consortium is well
positioned to examine
the range of issues
surrounding ASB at
the landscape level.
At
the request of NARS
in Vietnam, the Philippines
and Mexico, the ASB
consortium has aided
in the implementation
of similar research
programmes in these
countries. This has
added to the richness
of our databases.
The consortium is
open to requests from
other countries in
the humid tropics.
Expected
outputs of activities
4 and 5:
-
Additional
and complementary
data on alternative
land uses and tradeoffs
among environmental
and socioeconomic
factors, which will
strengthen the base
of information to
policy and decision-makers.
-
A
full range of tested
'best-bet' options
(using the matrix)
at all benchmark
sites.
-
Additional
and complementary
data on faunal biodiversity
in best-bet options
at all sites.
-
Further
training of local
researchers in ASB
methodologies.
-
Validated
models for predicting
long term C sequestration
and greenhouse gas
fluxes with land
use change at the
forest margins.
-
Data
sharing with IGBP,
GCTE, LUCC and LBA
to improve extrapolation
of ASB data.
Introduction
| Goal
of the ASB Program
| The
ASB Consortium |
Management
and Operational Structure
| Donors
to the ASB Program
| ASB
Phase 1 (1994-1995)
| ASB
Phase 2 (1996-1998)
| ASB
Phase 3 (1999-2002)
| ASB
Publications | ASB
Links
BACK
Page
preparation by Dr. Erick
C.M. Fernandes, Cornell
University.
--ASB Global Coordinator
(1998-1999)-- |
