Reversing Deforestation

Dire reports of surging deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon appear often in international headlines, with commentators decrying the destruction of tree-covered habitats as an act of environmental vandalism. Although forest losses are alarming, broader trends are bending in the direction of forest recovery. In this book, Brent Sohngen and Douglas Southgate address the long-term recovery of forests in Latin America. The authors synthesize trends in demography, agricultural development, and technological change, and argue that slower population growth and increasing crop and tree yields—in conjunction with protecting local ownership of natural resources—have encouraged forest transition. This book explores how market forces, ownership arrangements, and the enforcement of property rights have influenced this shift from net deforestation to net afforestation.

Forest transitions have happened before, such as the recovery of tree-covered habitats in Europe and the United States. Signs of a similar transformation in land use are now present in Latin America. Ending deforestation requires a strengthening of forest dwellers' property rights while ensuring that biodiversity conservation is no longer treated as a value-less externality. The resulting forest landscape, actively managed for ecosystem services, will be more resilient, as is needed to overcome climate change.

"In Reversing Deforestation, Sohngen and Southgate convincingly demonstrate that the path toward sustainable forests lies in increasing agricultural productivity growth and providing property rights." —Jayson Lusk, Oklahoma State University

"A fascinating exploration of the interrelated factors that help to shape how humans use the land and its products, from demographic shifts and economic conditions to changing agricultural technology and forest conservation. Sohngen and Southgate describe the pitfalls and opportunities for those engaged in protecting forests, providing clear and actionable steps for policymakers interested in incentivizing landowners toward conservation outcomes." —Jennifer Jenkins, Chief Science Officer at Rubicon Carbon

"Being 'dismal scientists,' economists who work on forestry issues in the Global South have typically focused on deforestation despite signs of forest recovery. This bold, compelling book rights the balance, arguing that long-term demographic, technological, and institutional processes are bringing back Latin America's forests and bolstering biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation." —Jeffrey Vincent, Duke University

"Tropical deforestation is considered one of the greatest threats to the world's biodiversity, with possibly devastating consequences for human welfare. Through detailed evidence and case studies, Sohngen and Southgate demonstrate that there are signs of hope. Emergent trends in Latin America are slowing net deforestation, even reversing it in some places. This book serves as a timely and invaluable aid to designing sensible policies to save the world's remaining tropical forests." —Edward B. Barbier, Colorado State University