Conservation of Tropical Forests in the Anthropocene

Professor David Edwards from Cambridge presents on turning the tide towards sustainable use of tropical forests.

Tropical forests are under increasing threat from degradation, deforestation, and over-exploitation of wildlife. Drawing upon our rigorously collected field datasets from across the tropics and global databases, Professor Edwards will first investigate how land-use change impacts tropical biodiversity, focusing on selective logging as the key driver of degradation and considering how increasingly severe wildfire threats may intersect with timber production and forest protection. Professor Edwards will then consider potential options for improving the conservation of tropical forests. In particular, Professor Edwards will focus on his work to enhance detection of (illegal) selective logging, to understand the extent and management of trade in tropical wildlife and timbers, and to quantify the potential of indigenous and local peoples to improve protection. Only by better exploiting policy mechanisms and emerging technologies will we turn the tide towards sustainable use of tropical forests and their biodiversity.

Professor David P. Edwards | Department of Plant Sciences & Conservation Research Institute University of Cambridge, UK

David Edwards holds the Professorship of Plant Ecology (2000), an established Chair at the University of Cambridge, UK. His work focuses on tropical ecology and conservation, with particular interests in understanding how habitat degradation impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services. He has written over 200 scientific articles, is a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, and is on the Advisory Board of Current Biology.

Please visit here for more information on The Centre of Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS).