Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier

Forests cover between 17 and 19 million ha of the Central American isthmus. Most of this is broadleaved forest on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. The size and contribution of these forests vary greatly between the Central American countries, from Belize, with over 80% of its land in forests, to El...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Kaimowitz, D., Paupitz, J.
Formato: Capítulo de libro
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 1999
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18043
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author Kaimowitz, D.
Paupitz, J.
author_browse Kaimowitz, D.
Paupitz, J.
author_facet Kaimowitz, D.
Paupitz, J.
author_sort Kaimowitz, D.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Forests cover between 17 and 19 million ha of the Central American isthmus. Most of this is broadleaved forest on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. The size and contribution of these forests vary greatly between the Central American countries, from Belize, with over 80% of its land in forests, to El Salvador, where little forest remains. The forests' main contribution to society comes from local uses and the environmental services they provide. Forest products, per se, contribute less to the region's economies but play key roles in the livelihood strategies of many poor families. Over the last 50 years, forest cover has declined rapidly in the region, caused mostly by the expansion of crops and livestock. This article traces the evolution of the agricultural frontier in Central America prior to and during the political-military conflict that engulfed the region until 1990. Then it looks at more recent changes in policies and forest cover, and concludes with recommendations regarding future management of frontier areas and forests. Although there is occasional reference to Belize and El Salvador, focus is mostly on Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
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spelling CGSpace180432025-01-24T14:12:01Z Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier Kaimowitz, D. Paupitz, J. conflicts deforestation forestry policies forest resources state intervention uses agriculture Forests cover between 17 and 19 million ha of the Central American isthmus. Most of this is broadleaved forest on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. The size and contribution of these forests vary greatly between the Central American countries, from Belize, with over 80% of its land in forests, to El Salvador, where little forest remains. The forests' main contribution to society comes from local uses and the environmental services they provide. Forest products, per se, contribute less to the region's economies but play key roles in the livelihood strategies of many poor families. Over the last 50 years, forest cover has declined rapidly in the region, caused mostly by the expansion of crops and livestock. This article traces the evolution of the agricultural frontier in Central America prior to and during the political-military conflict that engulfed the region until 1990. Then it looks at more recent changes in policies and forest cover, and concludes with recommendations regarding future management of frontier areas and forests. Although there is occasional reference to Belize and El Salvador, focus is mostly on Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. 1999 2012-06-04T09:06:02Z 2012-06-04T09:06:02Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18043 en Kaimowitz, D., Paupitz, J. 1999. Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier . In: Palo, M., Uusivuori, J. (eds.). World forests, society and environment. :247-253.
spellingShingle conflicts
deforestation
forestry policies
forest resources
state intervention
uses
agriculture
Kaimowitz, D.
Paupitz, J.
Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title_full Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title_fullStr Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title_full_unstemmed Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title_short Forests, policies and people on the Central American agricultural frontier
title_sort forests policies and people on the central american agricultural frontier
topic conflicts
deforestation
forestry policies
forest resources
state intervention
uses
agriculture
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18043
work_keys_str_mv AT kaimowitzd forestspoliciesandpeopleonthecentralamericanagriculturalfrontier
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