Forest landscape restoration : reconciling biodiversity conservation with local livelihoods in Ecuador

Tropical forest conversion and agricultural intensification are important drivers of loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services on which local communities depend. Resilient agricultural landscapes are crucial to safeguard food security and adapt to environmental and climate changes. An increasing number of policies and programs target forest landscape restoration but lack the scientific basis to ensure sustainable outcomes. This dissertation explores the potential of forest landscape restoration and its financial instruments to reconcile biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services supply, and human well-being in tropical agricultural landscapes. Focusing on natural regeneration, tree plantings, and agroforestry in Ecuador, three research questions are answered: (i) What is the potential of different restoration types? (ii) How do landscape-level characteristics affect restoration objectives? (iii) How can market-based mechanisms support restoration? Combing remote sensing, ecological fieldwork, forest modeling, and socioeconomic analyses, this dissertation shows that the value of restoration landscapes is context dependent. Spatial targeting of forest restoration can stimulate biodiversity and carbon sequestration during regeneration by accounting for landscape characteristics, including the presence of natural remnant forests, different restoration types, and land-cover heterogeneity. Payments for ecosystem services schemes and alternative markets for high-quality commodities can contribute to the maintenance and restoration of tree cover in tropical agricultural landscapes. This dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges facing forest landscape restoration. In conclusion, conservation, sustainable management, and landscape restoration are complementary and need to be aligned to guarantee long-lasting environmental, social, and economic benefits. This requires active coalitions of public and private actors to develop effective supply chain and land use interventions.