Three options for the sampling design of the field plot clusters of NAFORMA II biophysical survey are compared in this report. Option 1 consists of re-measuring all NAFORMA I field sample plots (3 205 clusters) and Option 2 of re-measuring only those that were established as permanent (848 clusters). The recommended Option 3 is a compromise between these two “extreme” options: Re-measure a subset (1 405 clusters) of NAFORMA I field sample plots including (almost) all permanent clusters and a carefully selected set of other NAFORMA I field plot clusters to obtain a uniform sample within each TFS zone. Design Option 3 has the following features: •Sampling intensity is uniform within each TFS zone. This makes it simple to use the data. For example, mean volumes can be estimated by averages over the plots. •The selected clusters are well-spread over the target population. •The anticipated precision of land-class area and mean wood volume relative to sample size is nearly as good as that of NAFORMA I. •All proposed clusters were measured in NAFORMA I, which enables precise estimation of change based on repeated measurements. The costs and precision were anticipated by utilizing NAFORMA I field data, information about subsequent improvements in the road network, and changes in land-use using satellite imaging derived land-class maps.

National information needs on forests have grown considerably in recent years, evolving from forest area and growing stock information to key aspects of sustainable forest management, such as the role of forests in the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of other ecosystem services. More recently, information on changes in carbon stocks, socio-economic aspects including the contribution to livelihoods and poverty reduction, governance and broader land use issues has become critical for national planning.

This research is part of the policy component of CIFOR’s global comparative study on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (GCS-REDD+), which is conducting research in 12 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The media analysis investigates how discourse around REDD+ policy is framed in the mainstream Tanzanian press, identifying media frames and the main actors and their positions on REDD+, while looking at a range of variables at different levels. The study found that Tanzania is actively involved in REDD+, both by developing supportive policies and by implementing projects on the ground primarily with support from Norway. The media reflects the general agreement, support for and optimism about REDD+ by various stakeholders. REDD+ is seen as a source of additional income for local communities and as a mechanism to curb deforestation. The main concerns expressed are whether its implementation will be effective and cost efficient, and whether benefits will be shared equitably. Two major actors were found to be shaping the REDD+ discourse in Tanzania: government agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The study found that REDD+ discourse in Tanzania revolved around three main meta-topics: ecology, economics and marketing with a strong correlation between REDD+ and economic growth. Deforestation, forest conservation and sustainable forest management received more publicity than any other topic, followed by funding for REDD+ and carbon trading. Most REDD+ articles focused on prognosis (i.e. proposing solutions to the problems of deforestation). Actors were optimistic and skeptical at the same time, viewing REDD+ as a source of income and a means to curb deforestation, but expressing concern about certain issues (i.e. benefit sharing, land tenure and carbon rights) that leave a lot of unanswered questions about how it will unfold.

This book gives an overview of various aspects of blue carbon dynamics from each country bordering the Indian Ocean. Given the importance of the topic of blue carbon, it can be assumed that in near future, more and more researchers from the Indian Ocean countries will pursue environmental research in this domain. This book is a ready reference to all those who are interested to have a holistic understanding about the ground scenario of blue carbon in the Indian Ocean. There are many research institutes situated in the periphery of the Indian Ocean that are devoted to nurturing the new avenues of marine carbon research. Researchers and scholars interested in this domain will find this book provides a good overview, wherein all the necessary information on the status and functioning of these blue carbon ecosystems are detailed in a concise way. The book is also helpful to postgraduate students of ‘marine science’ or those who have a specialization in ‘marine biogeochemistry’ or ‘chemical oceanography’ to develop a basic understanding about the very concept of ‘blue carbon’ from the perspective of the Indian Ocean.

This volume discusses emerging contexts of agricultural and ecosystem resilience in Sub Saharan Africa, as well as contemporary technological advances that have influenced African livelihoods. In six sections, the book addresses the sustainable development goals to mitigate the negative impacts on agricultural productivity brought about by climate change in Africa. Some of the challenges assessed include soil degradation, land use changes, natural resource mismanagement, declining crop productivity, and economic stagnation. This book will be of interest to researchers, NGOs, and development organizations. Section 1 focuses on climate risk management in tropical Africa. Section 2 addresses the water-ecosystem-agriculture nexus, and identifies the best strategies for sustainable water use. Section 3 introduces Information Communication Technology (ICT), and how it can be used for ecosystem and human resilience to improve quality of life in communities. Section 4 discusses the science and policies of transformative agriculture, including challenges facing crop production and management. Section 5 addresses landscape processes, human security, and governance of agro-ecosystems. Section 6 concludes the book with chapters uniquely covering the gender dynamics of agricultural, ecosystem, and livelihood resilience.

Monitoring of vegetation structure and functioning is critical to modeling terrestrial ecosystems and energy cycles. In particular, leaf area index (LAI) is an important structural property of vegetation used in many land surface vegetation, climate, and crop production models. Canopy structure (LAI, fCover, plant height, and biomass) and biochemical parameters (leaf pigmentation and water content) directly influence the radiative transfer process of sunlight in vegetation, determining the amount of radiation measured by passive sensors in the visible and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Optical remote sensing (RS) methods build relationships exploiting in situ measurements and/or as outputs of physical canopy radiative transfer models. The increased availability of passive (radar and LiDAR) RS data has fostered their use in many applications for the analysis of land surface properties and processes, thanks also to their insensitivity to weather conditions and the capability to exploit rich structural and textural information. Data fusion and multi-sensor integration techniques are pressing topics to fully exploit the information conveyed by both optical and microwave bands.