Policy & Business

While it seems the number of forest fires is increasing, an international team of researchers has discovered a downward trend in global burned area over the past two decades. Capital-intensive agriculture expansion, rather than climate change, is the major factor influencing global burned area.

A longstanding conservation scheme known as payment for ecosystem services aims to incentivize forest protection by putting a price on the services  forests provide, but questions remain whether the payments generated are going to right people . A recent analysis conducted in Costa Rica indicates that indeed further work is needed to reach rural poor populations that depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Does corruption lead to higher emissions? A study of 19 Asia-Pacific countries shows how the relationship between corruption and carbon dioxide emissions is more nuanced than one may think.

Maple sugar is the most important non-timber forest product in the northeastern U.S. A new study shows greater amounts of nitrogen in the soil can lead to sweeter sap and therefore higher maple sugar yields.