Anthropogenic Tropical Forests in the 21st Century

Lately, anthropogenic secondary forests have entered the global conservation debates due to unprecedented rates of tropical deforestation. In places where a cash economy has been dominant for many decades, socioeconomic factors greatly affect this forest type. This book explores several related questions about the relationships between anthropogenic disturbance and the regeneration and the utilization of floodplain secondary forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Landscape analysis showed that secondary forests were commonly surrounded by several land use types, which may lead to a high risk of edge-effects such as soil pollution and non-native species invasion. Field surveys found that secondary forests showed low similarity in plant structural and compositional characteristics with undisturbed floodplain forests. Notably, non-native species constituted some 23% of the total identified plant species. In terms of forest utilization, it was discovered that the overall level of secondary forest use amongst villagers was low, but there were forest product sales at rural markets. This book is an essential reference for anyone working on tropical secondary forests.