ABSTRACT
Forest conservation is entering a critical and challenging period due to a shifting mosaic of threats, policies, and actors. In this chapter we: (i) provide a brief summary of the history of forest conservation; (ii) identify the main threats to the preservation and biological integrity of the World’s forests; and (iii) outline the key strategies that have been developed to address these challenges. We specifically highlight the development of macroeconomic mechanisms for forest conservation, many of which are a consequence of the recent alignment of forest conservation with the international agenda of climate change. Such approaches include market-based mechanisms such as the certification of forest products, payments for ecosystem services, carbon credits, clean development mechanisms, and REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Another promising financial tool for forest conservation is debt for nature swaps, which have enormous potential in much of the developing world. We conclude by identifying the key challenges for the conservation of forests in the 21st century, the most important of which will be to halt the continuing loss of habitat from the biodiverse tropical forests of the developing world.
