ABSTRACT
Since the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published its first forest resources assessment in early 1970s, the problem of tropical deforestation has changed from being seen as one mainly caused by timber exploitation to a situation where land use and associated forest degradation are regarded as key issues1. These problems are, in fact, exceedingly complex because they are connected with many other issues including population growth, poverty and the impacts of government economic policies2-5. Thus, in order to improve forest and land use management in the tropics, there is a clear need for effective approaches to land-use planning that can balance present and future needs for timber and other forest products (e.g., ecological services), as well as recognize the socio-cultural values of existing communities in the forests6-9. In addition, such approaches need to be adapted to local circumstances because of variations in forest structures, land uses, cultures, and government policies5,10.
