European Conference of Tropical Ecology

The overarching topic for the annual conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology will be “The future of tropical ecosystems – new insights and innovative methods“. The event will provide an interdisciplinary platform for discussing major challenges and future opportunities in tropical ecology. Plinio Sist, Head of CIRAD's Forests and Societies research unit, will be a keynote speaker: 

How forest management for timber production can be a tool for the conservation of tropical forests ?

Thursday 9 June, 13:00-14:15, Plinio Sist (keynote speaker)
The monitoring of tropical rainforest dynamics for several decades within permanent plots suggests that the rules of selective logging in tropical rainforests (cutting intensity and duration of rotations) currently set by most forestry legislation cannot ensure a sustainable timber yield on a long term basis. The present conditions, which are supposed to promote sustainable management, are largely questioned by science. It is therefore urgent to think about new management rules and practices and to anticipate new sources of timber because natural forests alone will not be able to supply tomorrow’s timber demand. The very principles of tropical silviculture still in force today as well as the place of natural tropical production forests in a context of climate change must deeply reviewed. Restoration programs are an opportunity to think about a planned forestry transition adapted to this paradigm shift, which is as necessary as it is vital for the future of tropical rainforests.