Matrix matters: biodiversity research for rural landscape mosaic, final report

A joint CIFOR-ICRAF biodiversity initiative should aim to advance our understanding of, and capacity to manage biodiversity in human-dominated landscape mosaics in the tropics. This is most effectively achieved through a strategic research focus and by building on the complementary strengths of both ICRAF and CIFOR. The goal of the joint initiative would be: "to promote biodiversity conservation, restoration and use through integration of biodiversity management, local livelihood improvement and governance at multiple scales by doing research that influences key conservation and development groups and by building capacity of developing country individuals and institutions”.The five objectives to achieve this goal are: (a) to provide better scientific information for biodiversity management in landscape mosaics; (b) to improve incentive strategies for stakeholders, including rural people, to sustainably manage biodiversity in working landscape mosaics; (c) to provide strategic support for pilot study sites promoting biodiversity conservation in working landscapes; (d) to undertake capacity building and development of training and resource materials for training in biodiversity management and conservation at multiple-scales, and (e)to influence global and national policies supporting biodiversity conservation in working landscapesThe CIFOR-ICRAF initiative should pursue these objectives over a 10-year period, through five closely-linked projects: (1) Ecological principles and practices for biodiversity management in tropical landscape matrix (comparative research and synthesis, 30% of resources); (2) Strategies to engage and benefit local people for biodiversity management in working landscapes - comparative research and synthesis (25%); (3) Strategic support for pilot studies at research and implementation sites promoting biodiversity conservation in working landscapes (20%); (4) Capacity-building through information dissemination and training (10%); (5) Policy analysis and influence to promote biodiversity conservation in working landscapes (15% of resources). The joint initiative should utilise resources of 6 full-time equivalent senior staff, 3 in each Institute, working with consultants and researchers in other institutions. For projects 1 and 2, the Institutes will partner with agencies and local people seeking to jointly promote biodiversity conservation and agriculture or forest development on a large scale in 8-10 diverse, representative landscapes. Geographic and thematic foci for research are suggested in this report. In terms of the CG mandate linked to poverty alleviation, priority regions are South Asia, which has the greatest number of poor people, and sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest proportion of poor. CIFOR and ICRAF should focus on landscapes of high local and global biodiversity importance, starting with countries where they both have staff (Brazil, Cameroon and Indonesia (tropical lowland forests), Malawi and Zimbabwe (miombo woodlands)). In addition, they should jointly plan work where one, but not the other is working. Examples of this are found within the African Highlands Initiative (AHI) and Madagascar, in SE Asia (Philippines, Sumatra and Java) and the Peruvian Amazon. Additional work on dry forests (such as the cerrado) and mono-dominant forests should be considered in addition to joint work in miombo woodlands.

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