Given the crisis facing South-east Asian biodiversity evidence led conservation, including assessing the impact of innovative protected area management models, is urgently needed. Bayesian statistics provide an intuitive way to interpret biodiversity monitoring data but are largely unused, or poorly understood, by field biologists and protected area managers. We built Bayesian occupancy models for two threatened endemics of the Annamite mountains: northern yellow-cheeked gibbon Nomascus (gabriellae) annamensis and crested argus Rheinardia ocellata ocellata based on auditory surveys in three protected areas in central Vietnam. Occupancy of 2 × 2-km grid cells across the landscape was 0.76 ± SE 0.03 for northern yellow-cheeked gibbon and 0.68 ± SE 0.05 for crested argus. Models predicted higher probability of gibbon occurrence at lower elevations and higher probability of crested argus presence with increasing dense forest cover. Bayesian modeling is a useful tool for assessing the effectiveness of conservation interventions and for measuring progress against conservation goals. The wider application of Bayesian statistics in conservation monitoring should allow more intuitive and user-friendly representation of sampling uncertainty, including visual representation of probability distributions and more rigorous testing for changes in the status of conservation targets.

Fuel wood is a critical component of the sustainable French energy development plan. To anticipatethe demand, foresters have to consider innovative silvicultures that ensure an increased andsustainable biomass supply. On fertile agricultural soils, biomass-dedicated plantations provedefficient. Their transposition on more acidic forest soils requires studies targeting soil chemical andphysical fertility management, adapted tree species selection, silvicultural developments adaptationalong with assessments of both technical feasibility, economic efficiency and short- to long-termecosystem impacts. These developments suppose focused experiments on planting techniques (soilpreparation and liming), a prerequisite for enhancing productivity.An 11 ha experiment was initiated in the French Ardennes by a partnership between FCBA, INRAand ONF. It compares the effects of various soil mechanical preparation and fertility managementtechniques on the productivity of biomass-dedicated (hardwood) and semi-dedicated (coniferous)silvicultures. More specifically, we tested the use of wood ash from heating plants for soil protectiveliming, one option for a closed-loop and sustainable forest soil fertility management.In order to establish a baseline for long-term ecosystem monitoring, just after tree plantation (in2013) soil from the 48 experimental plots was sampled and measured for chemical properties, andground flora was surveyed on a subset of 30 experimental plots, crossing soil-preparation technique(deep or superficial soil decompaction), liming type (none, commercial or wood ash/dolomitemixture) and two tree species (1 coniferous, 1 hardwood).A few months after soil liming, wood ash/dolomite mixture supply increased soil exchangeablecations contents similarly to commercial liming and soil preparation technique interacted with limingtype. Both liming types impacted similarly plant community composition, but the type of soilpreparation technique had no effect.

peer reviewed | The present study proposes an innovative approach to automatically extract riparian zone characteristics in order to assess its quality, from pre-determined river management reaches (1-3 km long) to regional scale (ca. 13000 km for 1000 management sectors). The aim of this remotely sensed monitoring is to improve the river and riparian zone management and planning by providing some key information for river managers. The methodology was developed based on two watersheds covering approximately 500 km of river network (ca. 200 management sectors). The riparian zone quality is evaluated through various indicators of its ecological integrity (e.g. longitudinal continuity of riparian forest, mean vegetation height and relative standard deviation), hydromorphological quality and physical settings (e.g. flow channel extent, floodplain width, channel sinuosity). The physical characteristics of the riparian zone are mainly extracted from a high quality Digital Terrain Model (derived from ALS data) while the attributes of the riparian forest are derived from a « hybrid » Canopy Height Model (photogrammetric Digital Surface Model – LiDAR derived DTM). This first research is exclusively based on data which are available at the regional scale (170000 square km) to develop automated tools to implement the methodology to the whole Walloon river network (13000 km) before 2015 with an update frequency of 3 years (photogrammetric DSM survey frequency). Moreover, our approach is based on a photogrammetric Digital Surface Model which is derived from raw images of an orthophoto coverage. As most of European countries are regularly covered by orthophoto surveys, our approach is widely replicable in countries where a quality DTM is available. | Projet Imageau 2

Fuel wood is a critical component of the sustainable French energy development plan. To anticipatethe demand, foresters have to consider innovative silvicultures that ensure an increased andsustainable biomass supply. On fertile agricultural soils, biomass-dedicated plantations provedefficient. Their transposition on more acidic forest soils requires studies targeting soil chemical andphysical fertility management, adapted tree species selection, silvicultural developments adaptationalong with assessments of both technical feasibility, economic efficiency and short- to long-termecosystem impacts. These developments suppose focused experiments on planting techniques (soilpreparation and liming), a prerequisite for enhancing productivity.An 11 ha experiment was initiated in the French Ardennes by a partnership between FCBA, INRAand ONF. It compares the effects of various soil mechanical preparation and fertility managementtechniques on the productivity of biomass-dedicated (hardwood) and semi-dedicated (coniferous)silvicultures. More specifically, we tested the use of wood ash from heating plants for soil protectiveliming, one option for a closed-loop and sustainable forest soil fertility management.In order to establish a baseline for long-term ecosystem monitoring, just after tree plantation (in2013) soil from the 48 experimental plots was sampled and measured for chemical properties, andground flora was surveyed on a subset of 30 experimental plots, crossing soil-preparation technique(deep or superficial soil decompaction), liming type (none, commercial or wood ash/dolomitemixture) and two tree species (1 coniferous, 1 hardwood).A few months after soil liming, wood ash/dolomite mixture supply increased soil exchangeablecations contents similarly to commercial liming and soil preparation technique interacted with limingtype. Both liming types impacted similarly plant community composition, but the type of soilpreparation technique had no effect.

During the Fifth Replenishment Phase of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-5), portfolio monitoring and learning review were introduced as key components of knowledge management in the GEF Secretariat. These strategies were intended to address the need to generate knowledge on innovative practices, experiences, and lessons from projects financed by the GEF. In that regard, the Land Degradation focal area strategy for GEF-5 specifically included a learning objective on the catalytic effect of the GEF integrated Approaches, practices focused on integrating the management of land, soil, water, biodiversity, and biomass, in production systems (agriculture, rangelands, and forest landscapes). The focal area strategy embodies the landscape approach and integrated ecosystem management principles to maximize the global environmental benefits of combating land degradation. As a result of that focus, the strategy also addresses the need to harness and safeguard ecosystem services (carbon cycling, biodiversity, hydrological flows, and healthy soils). This report synthesizes the review of the catalytic role of the GEF in promoting integrated approaches in production systems, which are the primary focus of the Land Degradation focal area. The report highlights the context and rationale for GEF financing under OP 12 and OP 15, the catalytic role of GEF financing in promoting integrated approaches, and lessons from the application of integrated approaches to combat land degradation. Because the focus was entirely on learning, this report offers no specific judgments or interpretations about environmental or development impacts of GEF investments. Rather, it highlights the processes, practices, tools, and knowledge innovations embodied in projects that apply integrated approaches.

During the Fifth Replenishment Phase of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-5), portfolio monitoring and learning review were introduced as key components of knowledge management in the GEF Secretariat. These strategies were intended to address the need to generate knowledge on innovative practices, experiences, and lessons from projects financed by the GEF. In that regard, the Land Degradation focal area strategy for GEF-5 specifically included a learning objective on the catalytic effect of the GEF integrated Approaches, practices focused on integrating the management of land, soil, water, biodiversity, and biomass, in production systems (agriculture, rangelands, and forest landscapes). The focal area strategy embodies the landscape approach and integrated ecosystem management principles to maximize the global environmental benefits of combating land degradation. As a result of that focus, the strategy also addresses the need to harness and safeguard ecosystem services (carbon cycling, biodiversity, hydrological flows, and healthy soils). This report synthesizes the review of the catalytic role of the GEF in promoting integrated approaches in production systems, which are the primary focus of the Land Degradation focal area. The report highlights the context and rationale for GEF financing under OP 12 and OP 15, the catalytic role of GEF financing in promoting integrated approaches, and lessons from the application of integrated approaches to combat land degradation. Because the focus was entirely on learning, this report offers no specific judgments or interpretations about environmental or development impacts of GEF investments. Rather, it highlights the processes, practices, tools, and knowledge innovations embodied in projects that apply integrated approaches.

Annual rates of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon declined by 77.5% between 2004 and 2011. Yet, the future of the Amazon forest is still uncertain and there remains an urgent need for environmental policies to be improved and strengthened in order to achieve conservation goals and sustainable development in the region. Recent successes have been partially attributed to a combination of several innovative government policies. One such flagship policy was the publication in 2008 by the federal government of a Red List of 36 municipalities with highest rated of deforestation. The list mandated named municipalities to implement stricter deforestation monitoring, and made access to credit conditional on compliance with environmental legislation and legalization of land titles. Both measures caused significant disturbance to local economies. The first municipality to exit the Red List was Paragominas in 2010 through the development of the Green Municipality initiative. Paragominas went from being the main timber-producing centre of Brazil in the late 1980s with a notorious reputation for deforestation and violence, to becoming a national success story for municipal-level anti-deforestation policies. Landowners and political leaders of Paragominas joined forces with NGOs to build a pact for zero deforestation and improve environmental compliance among landowners. With the success of its initial goals, Paragominas became the model for a state-level policy that is currently working to upscale the experience to other municipalities across Pará. Hybrid and multi-level governance processes both clearly played a critical role in combating deforestation in the case of Paragominas. However, the success of such processes depends on local initiatives and it is still unclear how they can contribute to the development and adoption of effective sustainability policies in the wider Amazon region. One of the factors that deserves more attention when analyzing successful cases of adaptive governance is the state of local resources at the time of the change, as well as the pre-existing capacity of the system to make a transition. Studies on the transition of socio-ecological systems elsewhere show that analyzing the trajectory of the system is essential to understand its capacity to reorganize after a disturbance. Here, we reflect on the reorganization of governance arrangements and collective action in Paragominas after the disturbance caused by command-and-control policies that followed the issuing of the Red List. Through the lens of the adaptive cycle framework, we assess the preexisting characteristics of the system to enable this shift. By analyzing the municipality's trajectory, we identify external and internal elements (including focused intervention by nonstate actors and emergence of local champions) that played important roles both in triggering change and providing actors with the potential for flexibility and innovation in developing new governance structures. We question whether this model of environmental decentralization can be effective in other municipalities across the state of Pará and the Brazilian Amazon, as well as its medium- and long-term success. (Texte integral)