Abstract
Forestry in the tropics is changing towards increased awareness of issues of environment and sustainability. Environmental guidelines, RILs, have been produced but so far mainly relate to issues of regeneration, soil and water; biodiversity aspects are largely lacking. A pilot project 2003 - 2005, in cooperation between Sweden, CIFOR and Vietnam and financed by Sida and VR, aims at producing biodiversity-oriented RILs. Two workshops with scientists and forest managers have shown that there is large interested in such RILs but also that it is important to deepen the scientific basis upon which they are based. For the fauna, CIFOR recently has published a very valuable compilation of literature. A corresponding synthesis is lacking for the flora though. In the proposed project, a literature review of plants (here defined as vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, lichens) is planned. Scientific publications but also grey literature like conference proceedings and reports from NGOs will be compiled. Publications on Asian languages will be analysed with the help of local researchers. Interviews will be held with species experts and other persons with large natural history knowledge. The main aim is to identify key factors (e.g. landscape and stand factors, disturbance processes) and also key habitats (relating to topography, soils, bedrock, hydrology) for the long-term preservation of plants.
Sweden