Whither the Forest Transition?: Climate Change, Policy Responses, and Redistributed Forests in the 21st Century

A forest transition occurs when deforestation gives way over time to reforestation in a place. These transitions in forest cover typically generate increases in biodiversity as well as gains in carbon sequestration.  With... [ view full abstract ]

A forest transition occurs when deforestation gives way over time to reforestation in a place. These transitions in forest cover typically generate increases in biodiversity as well as gains in carbon sequestration.  With these features, forest transitions have become particularly appealing to policymakers and citizens contending with the ecologically degrading conditions of climate change.  Questions about the conditions in which forest transitions occur have become more pressing, if only because people have growing reasons to try to promote the transitions as part of an overall strategy to limit climate changes.   This review addresses questions about the origins of forest transitions. It attempts to historicize the transitions. The originating conditions have taken three historical forms.   The first modern transitions, in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, stemmed from the urbanization and industrialization of human populations, aided to some degree by state sponsored tree planting.  A second set of transitions emerged in the Far East, late in the 20^th century, when land use planners for states launched ambitious tree planting efforts.  Finally, a third set of planned forest transitions has recently come to light, embedded in the 2015 Paris Accords to counter climate change.  Unlike the initial European focused transition, the last two transitions have promoted rapid transitions by mobilizing public sectors and centralizing their efforts.  With these characteristics, the last two sets of forest transitions resemble latecomer efforts in political economy.  In particular, the elite, problem focused character of the last transition reflects a near consensus about the global need to address the looming challenges of climate change.