WHEREAS,  Dynamic working landscapes -formed by large-scale conversion of forest to agriculture, harvesting activities, and secondary forest patches undergoing natural regeneration following abandonment from diverse land uses– have replaced continuous landscapes dominated by primary forests throughout most of the world's tropical regions.

WHEREAS, Secondary forests are embedded in these working landscapes that may include severely modified habitats such as low-diversity agriculture, monoculture plantations, and highly degraded forests, all of which support rural livelihoods and some of the biodiversity conservation and environmental services we derive from primary forests.

WHEREAS, It is critical that we adopt a landscape, multi-use perspective in managing these forests for biodiversity conservation, environmental services, and rural livelihoods through appropriate spatial and land use planning.

WHEREAS, To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of current and future public policy efforts aimed at conserving tropical forests and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation specific definitions of the different categories of forested landscapes (e.g., primary, secondary in different stages, and degraded) should be made explicit by interested parties.

WHEREAS, We recognize that tropical countries face tensions when attempting to make compatible both conservation and development/poverty alleviation goals, which in turn affects decisions related to the fate of forested landscapes.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, the world's largest scientific organization devoted to the study, protection, and wise use of tropical ecosystems:

2. URGES relevant parties to consider the ecosystem, social, and economic services provided by such forests when formulating land zoning and land and resource use policies; and

3. STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that any bilateral or multilateral agreements on forest conservation, such as REDD+ initiatives designed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, include explicit land zoning and resource use considerations for existing primary forests as well as for secondary forests in different degrees of succession.

Whereas, Brazilian ecosystems provide important ecosystem services to Brazilians in particular and humanity in general, including climate and hydrological cycle regulation, carbon up-take, water provision, pollutant degradation, crop pollination, medicine, among others; and

Whereas, Brazil has established a large number of biological reserves and other conservation units and has made significant progress in reducing deforestation rates and habitat loss in the last few years; and

Whereas, enforcement of the current Brazilian Forest Code (4771/1965) has played a key role in regulating land use on private and public properties, which ensures landscape connectivity for both plant and animal populations and protects ecosystem services; and

Whereas, scientists have developed new ways to improve productivity which could be applied to Brazil’s 330 million hectares currently dedicated to agricultural and ranching activities thereby reducing the need to clear new lands;

Whereas, the occupation of new natural areas cannot be considered urgent since 329.9 million hectares (38.7% of the national territory) is already occupied by rural activities; and

Whereas, productivity gains on the 158.8 million hectares occupied by cattle, today with an inefficient mean load of only 1.1 animals per hectare, could provide ground for new agricultural areas; and

Whereas, irregularly occupied natural areas has reached 97 million hectares;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, the world’s largest scientific organization devoted to the study, protection, and sustainable use of tropical ecosystems:

• Urges the government of Brazil, particularly the Senate and the President, to postpone the approval of a decision regarding the amendments to the Brazilian Forest Code (1.876/99) recently passed by the National Congress until a science based assessment of the ecological impacts of the proposed modifications and their alternatives has been completed; and
• Urges the Brazilian government to reconsider the negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the long-term viability-sustainability of economic enterprises that can result from the proposed amendments; and
• Further recommends the Brazilian government to follow the sustainable development principles proposed by the Brazilian Academy of Science (ABC), the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC), and the Brazilian Association of Ecological Science and Conservation (ABECO).
  

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Background Information

• Forest Code bill could undermine sustainable growth in the Amazon by Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com - July 06, 2011
• Brazilian senator: Forest Code reform necessary to grow farm sector by Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com - July 06, 2011
• More about deforestation in Brazil at Mongabay.com

ATBC Resolution [pdf]

WHEREAS, Kerinci Seblat National Park in west-central Sumatra, Indonesia, is of exceptional national and international importance for its biological, cultural, and aesthetic values: it was established in 1982 and subsequently had its protected area status strengthened in 1996 and again in 2006; it was Indonesia’s first gazetted National Park; and it was designated as an ASEAN Heritage Site in 1984 and then a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003; and

WHEREAS, at 13,971 km2 in area, Kerinci Seblat is Sumatra’s largest national park, spanning a large altitudinal range (from 300 to 3805 m) that includes the highest point in Sumatra, and thereby sustains a diverse array of tropical forest ecosystems; and

Whereas, PNG's diverse indigenous groups rely intimately on their traditional lands and forests in order to meet their needs for farming plots, forest goods, wild game, traditional and religious sites, and many other goods and services; and

Resolution Opposing Construction of the Pulau Balang Bridge in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo

Whereas, Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan, Indonesia sustains a remarkable variety of forest and estuarine ecosystems, including diverse tropical mixed-dipterocarp rainforest, mangrove forests, shallow bay waters, important sea-grass habitats, and coral reefs; and

Resolution urging the United Nations to alter its potentially misleading forest definitions

WHEREAS, the current definition of ‘forest’ used by the United Nations fails to distinguish between natural forests, modified natural forests, and tree plantations; and