The Tropical managed Forests Observatory: a research network addressing the future of tropical logged forests

TLDR: The tropical managed forests Observatory (TmFO) as discussed by the authors is a network of permanent sample plots in logged tropical forests, which provides unprecedented opportunities to examine long-term data on the resilience of logged and disturbed tropical forests at regional and global scales.

Abstract: While attention to logging in the tropics has been increasing, studies on the long-term effects of silviculture on forest dynamics and ecology remain scare and spatially limited Indeed, most of our knowledge on tropical forests arise from studies carried out in undisturbed tropical forests This bias is problematic given that logged and disturbed tropical forests are covering now a larger area than the so-called primary forests The Tropical managed Forests Observatory (TmFO), a new network of permanent sample plots in logged forests, aims to fill this gap by providing unprecedented opportunities to examine long-term data on the resilience of logged tropical forests at regional and global scales TmFO currently includes 24 experimental sites distributed across three tropical regions, with a total of 536 pem1anent plots and about 1200 ha of forest inventories In this paper we will present the main results generated by the network on the impact of logging on Carbon and timber recovery, as well as biodiversity changes in the Amazon basin and South East Asia