Forests in a Full World

Abstract

THE loss of forests globally, and particularly the rapid deforestation occurring in tropical areas is a concerning issue. Forests in a Full World is a book about the role of forests at a turning point in the human economy where natural capital has replaced human capital as the limitation to further development. This represents the "full world" which provides little space for forests and their values. The book is the product of Woods Hole Research Centre and follows on from the report: Our Forests . . . Our Future (1999) by the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development. The book is a logically arranged collection of essays from experts in the field of forest management, which give relevant economic considerations to the sustainable use of forests. It is directed at readers with an interest in the fate of forests globally, particularly those with a desire for some technical information. The book gives reasons for deforestation in the past, the stages in which it occurs, and challenging options for increasing the role of forests in a degraded landscape.