E-IPER Dissertation Defense: Robert Heilmayr
Date and Time:
June 11, 2015 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Location:
Y2E2 299
Contact Email:
jmason@stanford.edu
Contact Phone:
650-723-6117
Event Sponsor:
Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment & Resources
Chile's forest transition: Foreshadowing global timber markets and governance
Abstract:
The world is undergoing dramatic changes in the way society uses and governs forest resources. Global trade to serve urban populations has emerged as the dominant driver of deforestation. The multinational corporations working to serve global markets are now the primary actors linked to large scale deforestation. Such corporatization is often associated with intensification; in the timber and pulp sectors harvesting of natural forests has given way to a heavy reliance on fast-growing planted forests. While these changes have been a frequent source of concern among groups seeking to slow deforestation, these evolving threats may also provide new opportunities for conservation through supply chain governance. The shifting dynamics affecting global forests have led some observers to wonder whether an end to net global deforestation might be within reach. Forest transitions - shifts from extended periods of deforestation to forest expansion - in several developing countries have reinforced this optimism.
To explore the impacts of emerging forest trends, this dissertation focuses on the dramatic changes that have taken place in Chile's forests over the past 30 years. Using a combination of remote sensing, land change science and econometric methods, my co-authors and I seek to answer a variety of questions. What are the extent, patterns and socio-ecological quality of Chile's forest transition? Will an increasing reliance on timber plantations lead to increased competition for forested lands, or ease harvesting pressure on natural forests? Has supply chain governance in Chile's timber sector reduced natural forest clearing? How have Chile's afforestation subsidies affected biodiversity and carbon sequestration? In answering each question, we seek to balance a detailed description of Chile's experience with the generation of insights to inform our understanding of the future of the world's forests.
