Research Project Opportunities
Field-based research projects in the Philippines and PNG in a wide range of areas related to improving the outcomes of reforestation and related to the our areas of expertise. Possible projects include the following.
Field-based research projects in the Philippines and PNG in a wide range of areas related to improving the outcomes of reforestation and related to the our areas of expertise. Possible projects include the following.
- Design of mixed species plantations
- Socio-economic assessment of reforestation programs
- Carbon dynamics in tropical forests
- Climate change policy related to tropical forests
- Multidimensional reporting systems for the forests
- Sapflow and water relations in tropical plantations
- Nutrient cycling dynamics in tropical plantations
- Impacts of plantations on soil properties
Major Ongoing Research Projects
Improving watershed rehabilitation outcomes in the Philippines
ACIAR, $2.2M over 5 years commenced on 2012
[Project Website] [Project Brochure] [Project Personnel]
Substantial deforestation has occurred in many critical watersheds in the Philippines, which has led to severe environmental, social and economic problems within, and outside, these watersheds. The scale of the problem is great, with the total cost of rehabilitating all critically degraded catchments is estimated to be A$3.7 billion. Past efforts in watershed rehabilitation in the Philippines have had limited success, largely due to the failure to of programs to adequately address key socio-economic and institutional issues.
This project (ASEM/2010/050) aims to improve the rehabilitation of critical watersheds in the Philippines by identifying the key technical, socio-economic and policy drivers for successful rehabilitation. It will then apply this knowledge to pilot test initiatives, improving the outcomes from watershed rehabilitation (including improved watershed health, sustainable landuse, and increased livelihood opportunities for rural upland poor leading to decreased poverty). Improved watershed rehabilitation will helps to redress the severe land and water degradation that has occurred in the Philippines. The project will also help remediate past biodiversity losses by promoting the use of native species.
This project commenced on 1 March 2012 and has made good initial progress. Project researchers have worked hard to consolidate excellent existing relationships with DENR at both the national and regional level.
Already field trials has established to design effective silvicultural treatments to promote the success of watershed rehabilitation. These trials include the mixed species trial of native and exotic trees both legume and non-legume, variable spacing trial, and a nursery trial investigating the effect of fertiliser and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation on the growth of seedlings in the nursery.
A pilot large-scale community-based reforestation project is being implemented in Biliran Province. Central to this project is the implementation of interventions addressing the shortcomings of government and non-government reforestation programs in the country. This project adopts the participatory approach, involving active participation of stakeholders in the conceptualisation, planning, implementation and monitoring of the project.
The project also established an analytical laboratory at Visayas State University, which has improved the capacity of the project to undertake analysis of soil, plant and water samples.
Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda) hit the Philippines on November 8, 2013 crossing the coast at Tacloban and then moved across Leyte in a roughly westerly direction. Typhoon Haiyan, has had a major impact on project operations. It passed directly over the Manobo and Basper sites just outside of Tacloban where the majority of the hydrology research is being conducted.
Enhancing the implementation of community forestry approaches in PNG
ACIAR, $2.1M over 3.5 years commenced on 2013
In Papua New Guinea (PNG), forests cover 63% of the country and 97% of these forests are held in customary land ownership. About 80% of the population live in rural areas and they depend heavily on their forests. This project aims to identify how community forestry in PNG can be enhanced and scaled up to achieve better economic, social and environmental outcomes. Community forestry is developing in two main ways: ‘ecoforestry’ involving timber from clan forests being processed by the community; and ‘community-based reforestation’ of clan-owned grasslands. Research will focus on the Eastern Highlands, Ramu-Markham valleys and Madang region. It will analyse factors that influence successful community forestry, including biophysical and socio-economic aspects, value-adding opportunities, and policy and institutional systems. Various approaches to scaling up these community forestry systems will be trialled using participatory methods. Outputs will include training workshops and materials, and reports identifying gaps, interventions, lessons learned and recommendations for future community forestry activities.
Improving watershed rehabilitation outcomes in the Philippines
ACIAR, $2.2M over 5 years commenced on 2012
[Project Website] [Project Brochure] [Project Personnel]
Substantial deforestation has occurred in many critical watersheds in the Philippines, which has led to severe environmental, social and economic problems within, and outside, these watersheds. The scale of the problem is great, with the total cost of rehabilitating all critically degraded catchments is estimated to be A$3.7 billion. Past efforts in watershed rehabilitation in the Philippines have had limited success, largely due to the failure to of programs to adequately address key socio-economic and institutional issues.
This project (ASEM/2010/050) aims to improve the rehabilitation of critical watersheds in the Philippines by identifying the key technical, socio-economic and policy drivers for successful rehabilitation. It will then apply this knowledge to pilot test initiatives, improving the outcomes from watershed rehabilitation (including improved watershed health, sustainable landuse, and increased livelihood opportunities for rural upland poor leading to decreased poverty). Improved watershed rehabilitation will helps to redress the severe land and water degradation that has occurred in the Philippines. The project will also help remediate past biodiversity losses by promoting the use of native species.
This project commenced on 1 March 2012 and has made good initial progress. Project researchers have worked hard to consolidate excellent existing relationships with DENR at both the national and regional level.
Already field trials has established to design effective silvicultural treatments to promote the success of watershed rehabilitation. These trials include the mixed species trial of native and exotic trees both legume and non-legume, variable spacing trial, and a nursery trial investigating the effect of fertiliser and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation on the growth of seedlings in the nursery.
A pilot large-scale community-based reforestation project is being implemented in Biliran Province. Central to this project is the implementation of interventions addressing the shortcomings of government and non-government reforestation programs in the country. This project adopts the participatory approach, involving active participation of stakeholders in the conceptualisation, planning, implementation and monitoring of the project.
The project also established an analytical laboratory at Visayas State University, which has improved the capacity of the project to undertake analysis of soil, plant and water samples.
Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda) hit the Philippines on November 8, 2013 crossing the coast at Tacloban and then moved across Leyte in a roughly westerly direction. Typhoon Haiyan, has had a major impact on project operations. It passed directly over the Manobo and Basper sites just outside of Tacloban where the majority of the hydrology research is being conducted.
Enhancing the implementation of community forestry approaches in PNG
ACIAR, $2.1M over 3.5 years commenced on 2013
In Papua New Guinea (PNG), forests cover 63% of the country and 97% of these forests are held in customary land ownership. About 80% of the population live in rural areas and they depend heavily on their forests. This project aims to identify how community forestry in PNG can be enhanced and scaled up to achieve better economic, social and environmental outcomes. Community forestry is developing in two main ways: ‘ecoforestry’ involving timber from clan forests being processed by the community; and ‘community-based reforestation’ of clan-owned grasslands. Research will focus on the Eastern Highlands, Ramu-Markham valleys and Madang region. It will analyse factors that influence successful community forestry, including biophysical and socio-economic aspects, value-adding opportunities, and policy and institutional systems. Various approaches to scaling up these community forestry systems will be trialled using participatory methods. Outputs will include training workshops and materials, and reports identifying gaps, interventions, lessons learned and recommendations for future community forestry activities.
The project commenced on 1 September 2013. We held a successful project inception workshop at Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) facilities on 1-2 October. The workshop was well attended and started the process of building linkages between project participants. Field research has commenced in exploring community dynamics and value-added opportunities related to native forest utilisation around Madang. We have also commenced project activities related to the scaling up of community-based reforestation of grasslands. Due largely to logistical issues, it has been decided that field trials will be largely focussed in the Ramu/Markham Valley and led and maintained by RAIL. Some further field trials are also likely to be established in the Goroka area, largely in conjunction with reforestation activities with Ona Ketu.
Small-scale Forestry journal
Our group manages the editorial review process of Small-scale Forestry journal.
Our group manages the editorial review process of Small-scale Forestry journal.
Collaborating Organizations