1. Green economy would highlight full value of forests

As more developing countries plan to make the transition to a green economy—defined as “low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive”—the spotlight is turning on the “true” value of forests. And it’s clear that they’re worth a lot more than the price of timber.

Related reading:

• Good governance is “critical” to engage the private sector in REDD+
• Carbon research in Zambia forests to help build REDD+ strategy

2. Analyzing REDD+: Challenges and choices

REDD+ is a global mechanism that aims to cut carbon emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation. "Analysing REDD+" argues that a multi-level governance system is essential to ensure effective measurement, reporting and verification of carbon emissions in forests. Released in English last year, the book is now available in Spanish, French and Indonesian.

3. New swidden monitoring tool aids REDD+

A new tool designed to evaluate the impact of swidden on forest degradation could play a key role in monitoring REDD+ climate change mitigation programs, helping to settle debates over how to monitor, report and verify carbon emissions, which have been sticking points in global climate change negotiations.

4. Payment for environmental services: A glass half full or half empty?

Payments for environmental services (PES) can both save the environment and alleviate poverty: true, false or none of the above? For two scientists, the goals and potential impact of PES are part of a longstanding debate that recently took a new turn.

5. Forging pro-poor collectives helps sustain African tropical dry forests

Formal collective action can improve the livelihoods of rural smallholders and encourage sustainable production of shea butter, frankincense and honey in dryland countries in West Africa, but each cooperative requires a unique structure to succeed, research shows. Scientists with CIFOR studied the benefits and challenges of using collaborative producer organizations as a mechanism for producing and marketing shea from Burkina Faso, frankincense (gum olibanum) from Ethiopia and honey from Zambia.

6. Innovation 
Interactive web app lets users map forest carbon emissions activities

A new online mapping tool for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) carbon emissions enables researchers and practitioners to better manage forest inventories, its creators say. The open access Forest Carbon Database can be used to share measurements of carbon pools — reservoirs with the capacity to store and release carbon. Designed to map wetlands as part of the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP), the interactive tool has been updated; users can now register sample plots and input data on forest carbon stocks, including tree biomass, dead woody debris, soil and underbrush.